This study promotes a new interpretation of involuntary autobiographical memories, a phenomenon previously defined as a sign of distress or trauma.

Involuntary memory was identified by the pioneering memoryresearcher Hermann Ebbinghaus more than a century ago, but it wasnot until very recently that cognitive psychologists began to studythis memory phenomenon. This book is the first to examine keytopics and cutting-edge research in involuntary memory. Discusses topics such as involuntary memories in everyday life,across the life-span, and in the laboratory; the special ways inwhich involuntary memories sometimes manifest themselves and anumber of theoretical treatments of the topic. Presents innovative research that not only represents thestarting point of the study of involuntary memory, but also placesit in such broader topics as autobiographical memory, consciousnessand memory, aging and memory, implicit and explicit memory,depression, and psychosis.

This book maps and analyses the changing state of memory at the start of the twenty-first century in essays written by scientists, scholars and writers. It recontextualises memory by investigating the impact of new conditions such as the digital revolution, climate change and an ageing population on our world.

Reviews and integrates the many theories, perspectives and approaches in the field of autobiographical memory.

The senses can be powerful triggers for memories of our past, eliciting a range of both positive and negative emotions. The smell or taste of a long forgotten sweet can stimulate a rich emotional response connected to our childhood, or a piece of music transport us back to our adolescence. Sense memories can be linked to all the senses - sound, vision, and even touch can also trigger intense and emotional memories of our past. In The Proust Effect, we learn about why sense memories are special, how they work in the brain, how they can enrich our daily life, and even how they can help those suffering from problems involving memory. A sense memory can be evoked by a smell, a taste, a flavour, a touch, a sound, a melody, a colour or a picture, or by some other involuntary sensory stimulus. Any of these can triggers a vivid, emotional reliving of a forgotten event in the past. Exploring the senses in thought-provoking scientific experiments and artistic projects, this fascinating book offers new insights into memory - drawn from neuroscience, the arts, and professions such as education, elderly care, health care therapy and the culinary profession.

The first volume devoted solely to autobiographical memory retrieval, The Act of Remembering serves as a primer of ideas, methodology, and central topics, and lays the groundwork for future research in the field. Contains new, forward-looking theories from leading international scholars Answers questions such as: Do we retrieve memories according to when and where we need them? How much conscious control do we have over what we remember? Why are some people more likely than others to have intrusive ‘flashbacks’ following a stressful event? Pays particular attention to voluntary and involuntary recall

Our memories, many believe, make us who we are. But most of our experiences have been forgotten, and the memories that remain are often wildly inaccurate. How, then, can memories play this person-making role? The answer lies in a largely unrecognized type of memory: Rilkean memory.