Flashbacks and post-traumatic stress disorder: the genesis of a 20th-century diagnosis. National Institutes of Health (.gov)
This paper explores the of the flashback as a clinical concept, arguing it is a "culture-bound" symptom rather than a universal human reaction to trauma. Key Insights from the Paper Flashbacks! Evolution!
The authors suggest that the prevalence of flashbacks in modern veterans might be influenced by technological advances (like cinema and televised war footage) that have shaped how we "visualize" and store traumatic memories. Other Noteworthy "Flashback" Research sensory "here-and-now" reliving of events.
It wasn't until the Vietnam War era and the 1980 inclusion of PTSD in the DSM-III that the flashback became the "hallmark" symptom we recognize today—defined by a vivid, sensory "here-and-now" reliving of events. Flashbacks! Evolution!