Momentary flashbacks to the past

A

Aurora

Member
Location
midwest USA
Do you ever have sudden momentary flashbacks to an event or image in your past?
I have been having these immediate flashbacks daily for years now and never had them
when I was young. But now everything seems to remind me of some tiny experience or
something someone said to me many years ago. Usually negative, unfortunately. Rarely a happy moment.
It doesn't scare or disturb me but I'd rather not have this happen. I have no control over it. It is for
only a second and its gone. Weird or common?
 

Aurora said:
Do you ever have sudden momentary flashbacks to an event or image in your past?
I have been having these immediate flashbacks daily for years now and never had them
when I was young. But now everything seems to remind me of some tiny experience or
something someone said to me many years ago. Usually negative, unfortunately. Rarely a happy moment.
It doesn't scare or disturb me but I'd rather not have this happen. I have no control over it. It is for
only a second and its gone. Weird or common?
Click to expand...
Quite common I think. As we age, our experiences pile up, like layers on a onion. So do negative associations, often enough.
 

Happens to me also but usually there is something that triggers it. A picture, a smell, a sound etc. What does disturb me is that on occasion,while I'm sleeping, I her my Mom calling me. She isn't in distress but it is so real that I answer her.then I wake up.
 
It happens to me a lot and most of the time something does trigger the thought. I also wish it didn't happen because the things that pop into my mind are not always pleasant. Just today I was writing out a birthday card to my nieces son and when I wrote his name it brought back memories of when my Dad passed away. I felt like I was living that day all over again. It's strange because my nieces son was not even born when my Dad passed away.
 
Very often when listening to music. I can get thrown back many years, seeing in my mind the place where I was when I last heard that piece of music. Or maybe the first time I heard it.
 
I experience that too, but it's often a learning or healing experience for me. Maybe if you can teach yourself to channel and control it, it would be less upsetting. For example, when you get these flashbacks, focus on the weather of that time, your surroundings then, any pleasant fragrances, sounds, or visual details.
 
Yes, I occasionally get a totally random split-second piece of trivia from decades past like some person's full name I hardly knew from childhood and may not even recall their appearance all that much or some quick random scene. Our minds are like a tape-recorder with "pause", "rewind", and "record" capabilities.

Those buttons on the recorder are not necessarily controlled by us, but what IS sometimes controlled by us, is what we allow IN to our brain. Once it's there, it's there forever. Whatever we choose to watch or read or listen to, be it news or movies or sitcoms or stuff on the internet. Sometimes we can't help what we see though.

God gave us choices in many cases. That's why He tells us in Philippians 4:8 ...Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

The only thing we can do, if it's negative, is to use "damage control" by shifting our focus to positive thoughts and not dwell on the negative...asap
 
Embracing positivity is a healthy thing for us to do. Dwelling on negativity is depressing to say the least. That said, it is not always possible to control one's thoughts. All of us have triggers of one kind or another, which can prove difficult or impossible

to redirect as quickly as we might like. Trying to understand what provokes our reactions, can lead to a more relaxed mindset. Adding internal pressure to forceably stuff our negative feelings often leads to greater tension long term. Stringent

compartmentalisation, like any other coping skill, is not without risk. As a therapist, I advocate my clients be gentle with themselves.
 
Thank you all for your thoughtful answers. I also obsess much of the time
, so this makes it worse, and that is out of my control too.
Like a door that suddenly opens...especially when I am bored.
 
Sunny said:
Very often when listening to music. I can get thrown back many years, seeing in my mind the place where I was when I last heard that piece of music. Or maybe the first time I heard it.
Click to expand...

Most of my life and memories have been surrounded by music, so when the song plays, I remember what happened, hopefully we were naked...
 
Deja Vu: I've been here before.
Deja Voodoo: Someone's put that curse on me again!
Deja Doodoo: Dammit, that's the second time this week that damn dog has pooped on the rug!
Deja Boohoo: Why does this always happen to me???
Deja Coocoo: OMG! Why do I always attract the loonies?
Deja Muumuu: Cripes! I'm so fat I'm going to have to wear that tent dress again.
Deja Tutu: Do we have to go to the ballet AGAIN?
 
It happens to me, also. The one that occurs once every September has been happening for many years.

When the weather is just right, the sun is shining brightly, but not too hot, and no wind, I'm suddenly transported in my mind to a country setting about 40 miles south of here. A group of friends getting ready to go horseback riding. The "feel" of that September day is inside me like a warmth that floods through me, and touches my heart. I can see with my mind's eye the dry grass in the fields, almost hear my friends talking, and more important, I can feel my "youth" - if that make any sense.
It's an incredible experience, and like I said, it happens just one day, every September. I now look forward to that special flashback.
 
A lot of times smells will trigger a pleasant recollection of the past(provided it's a pleasant smell). A fall breeze, with a little 'nip' will usually trigger a recollection of the excitement and pleasantness of my first year in high school.
 
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