flashbulb memory

British  

noun

1. psychol the clear recollections that a person may have of the circumstances associated with a dramatic event

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Example Sentences

For me, it became a flashbulb memory, a reminder that art has the power to not only divert people from their dispirited ruminations but also help them reframe their despairing mind-sets.

From Washington Post • Jan. 21, 2022

The majority of respondents—nearly 80 percent—experienced a flashbulb memory after learning of their child’s Down syndrome.

From Scientific American • Sep. 8, 2020

In a recent study we demonstrated that for some individuals, a medical diagnosis event does create a flashbulb memory that endures for years after the fact.

From Scientific American • Sep. 8, 2020

While the term "flashbulb memory" was introduced in 1977, the phenomenon was known to researchers well before then.

From US News • Sep. 9, 2016

Experts have a name for this phenomenon: flashbulb memory.

From Time Magazine Archive