Ecmnesia: definition, causes and similar phenomena

Sometimes, such as in cases of epileptic seizures, brain injury or substance intoxication hallucinogenic, it is possible to experience memories of the past very vividly, as if they were happening in the present. This relatively little-studied phenomenon is called "ecmnesia."

In this article We will define the main characteristics of ecmnesia and we will explain what its causes are.. We will also talk about paramnesia, other peculiar phenomena related to memory, such as flash memories or cryptoamnesia.

• Related article: "Types of memory: how does the human brain store memories?"

Ecmnesia: definition and characteristics

Ecmnesia is a perceptual alteration that consists of the experiencing situations that occurred in the past as if they were happening in the present. These experiences have a very intense vividness and while they occur the person behaves as they would if they were really in it, with great emotional involvement.

This is why ecmnesia can be considered a type of hallucinatory experience, although this phenomenon is often referred to in scientific literature on the psychology of memory. Besides,

the concept "ecmnestic delusion" highlights the delusional content of these experiences, because often whoever has them believes that they are really living them.

Ecmnesia does not always have a pathological character, but its clinical consideration depends on the context in which it occurs. For example, if they appear due to the punctual consumption of a hallucinogenic drug, these experiences could not properly be understood as memory alterations.

Sometimes the term ecmnesia It is also used to refer to other memory disorders which are not always related to hallucinations. Specifically, some medical dictionaries define ecmnesia as the loss of recent memories, while others add that memory is maintained for the remote past.

Causes

The frequency of ecmnesia is very low. Experiences of this type have been described in cases of brain injury, especially various forms of dementia, which deteriorate the tissue of the nervous system causing alterations in consciousness, cognition and memory.

Other biological alterations that are associated with ecmnesia are delirium or confusional syndrome, which appears frequently in hospitalized elderly, and twilight states typical of epilepsy temporary. These transitory phenomena are characterized by an alteration of consciousness that prevents perceiving the environment correctly.

There are various types of substances with hallucinogenic effects that can cause perceptual alterations similar to those we have described. Some of the best known hallucinogenic drugs are mushrooms that contain psilocybin, mescaline (found in the peyote cactus) and lysergic acid or LSD.

The psychological literature also associates ecmnesia with hysteria, although this diagnostic category has been abandoned over time. In these cases it is more likely that the reminiscence is due to autosuggestion and not to biological factors, such as drugs or brain damage.

Other similar phenomena: paramnesias

Ecmnesia is classified as a paramnesia, a term used to describe memory disturbances that include false memories and/or a misperception of the temporal context. Other authors include ecmnesia in the group of hypermnesias, an ambiguous concept that refers to the presence of abnormally clear memories.

Below we will briefly describe the main characteristics of 5 other types of paramnesia: pseudomemories (confabulation and fantastic pseudology), déjà vu and its opposite, jamais vu, reduplicative paramnesia, cryptoamnesia and the flash memories.

1. Conspiracy and fantastic pseudology

These two phenomena are pseudo-memories: they consist of the spontaneous and involuntary creation of false memories to fill memory gaps. Confabulation is the basic form and is associated with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, while fantastic pseudology is characterized by impossible narratives and appears in the munchausen syndrome.

2. déjà vu and jamais vu

The famous déjà vu happens when, faced with a new experience, we have the feeling that we have already lived it. It is associated with fatigue, depersonalization and epilepsy. Conversely, in jamais vu something we already know does not give us a sense of familiarity.

3. reduplicative paramnesia

Reduplicative paramnesia consists of the feeling that a place or a person is known which is actually unknown to the subject; the classic example is that of a hospital. Although reminiscent of déjà vu, this phenomenon is more associated with pseudo-memories and appears in Korsakoff's syndrome, in dementias and in confused states.

4. cryptoamnesia

In cryptoamnesia a memory is mistakenly perceived as a new production. It is very frequent in fields such as art or science: the semantic memory appears without also recovering the context in which this memory trace was generated, so it is believed that an idea or thought has been had that actually comes from another person.

• Related article: "Cryptomnesia: when your brain plagiarizes itself"

5. flash memories

Flash memories register very vividly because of the impact the situation had on the person. A typical example is the fact of remembering what was being done during the attack on the Twin Towers. Memories of traumatic events could also be thought of as flash memories, and rarely as ecmesia.