In this review we treat the study of electronic relaxation phenomena using Mossbauer spectroscopy. First, examples are discussed where it is possible to reproduce the spectral lineshape by use of a stochastic theory. The general case is then considered, including a full discussion on the application of ab initio theories. There then follows a detailed analysis of the microscopic mechanisms responsible for relaxation in insulators (e.g. spin-phonon and spin-spin interactions) and metals. Finally, the fast relaxation limit is considered.