What’s a Flashback?

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Flashbacks are used in literature, film, and television to take characters back in time. They can fill in the plot, reveal new links between characters and events, and confuse the plot. Flashforwards are also used. In psychology, flashbacks are vivid memories of traumatic events or recurring hallucinations experienced as a result of taking hallucinogenic drugs. They can be triggered by surroundings or appear randomly and are usually accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder.

The term “flashback” is used in both the arts and psychology, with very different meanings. In literature, film, and television, a flashback is a break from regular narrative in which characters are taken back in time to an event that occurred before the narrative’s current date. In psychology, flashbacks are vivid memories of traumatic events or recurring hallucinations experienced as a result of taking hallucinogenic drugs.

When referring to flashbacks in the arts, the technique can appear in a variety of settings and forms. Flashbacks are used to fill in the plot, to provide more information about the characters, and to present scenes in a different light. The technique, also known as analepsis, can reveal new links between characters and events. Flashbacks can also confuse and confuse the plot, planting red herrings that will mislead readers or viewers. The flashback effect is especially popular in stories that are meant to be complex explorations of groups of people, with readers and viewers being thrust into the heart of the story and then gleaning supporting details in the form of flashbacks.

Flashforwards, in which characters are carried forward in time, are also used in the arts. Depending on the genre, a flashforward can depict events that will happen or events that could happen unless the characters take action. The famous Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in A Christmas Carol, for example, paints a vivid picture of what will happen to Ebenezer Scrooge’s future if he does not repent.

In psychology, flashbacks occur to people who have experienced traumatic events such as car accidents, wars, or intense physical violence. They can be triggered by your surroundings or they can appear randomly. Flashbacks are usually accompanied by post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and can be debilitating and frustrating. The only way to deal with flashbacks is to commit to a long-term treatment plan for dealing with the event and help the patient identify and attempt to work on past triggers that may spur flashbacks, such as loud bangs disturbing soldiers .

A flashback effect can also occur in some people who have used hallucinogenic drugs, especially if they have used those drugs heavily over a long period of time. These individuals may experience brief hallucinogenic effects when fully sober, such as auditory or visual hallucinations. A flashback experience like this can be unnerving and a sobering reminder of someone’s past.




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