Question

[lithiumnature]

This is based on a fascinating paper I was reading today. What are people's first reactions to the question I ask below (assuming that I'm not trying to be tricky

Comments

[synapsomatic]

I don't know how other people react to focusing on details, but for myself, I think most of the time, focusing on details actually distances me emotionally from the scene. So I think putting in mental effort to remember specific details would actually induce much less emotional pain, than remembering it generally, hazily, or in a flash-like memory. The latter sorts of memory leave much more mental room for emotional arousal.

You win, you win! :-)

[lithiumnature]

Wow, you have some pretty good self knowledge. I'm doing some research on emotional regulation and it turns out that if someone intentionally (the key is intentionally) remembers something and focuses on the details then the cognitive load on the brain is high enough that it has to inhibit emotional arousal (or at least that is the theoretical explanation that is currently accepted). This has the positive effect of reducing the link between the memory and the emotion. If the person intentionally remembers something but keeps it vague enough that they don't increase the cognitive load high enough then emotional arousal happens and the relationship between the memory and the emotion is maintained, possibly even strengthened