When I relive a positive me: Vivid autobiographical memories facilitate autonoetic brain activation and enhance mood

Abstract

Autobiographical memory is vital for our well‐being and therefore used in therapeutic interventions. However, not much is known about the (neural) processes by which reliving memories can have beneficial effects. This study investigates what brain activation patterns and memory characteristics facilitate the effectiveness of reliving positive autobiographical memories for mood and sense of self. Particularly, the role of vividness and autonoetic consciousness is studied. Participants (N = 47) with a wide range of trait self‐esteem relived neutral and positive memories while their bold responses, experienced vividness of the memory, mood, and state self‐esteem were recorded. More vivid memories related to better mood and activation in amygdala, hippocampus and insula, indicative of increased awareness of oneself (i.e., prereflective aspect of autonoetic consciousness). Lower vividness was associated with increased activation in the occipital lobe, PCC, and precuneus, indicative of a more distant mode of reliving. While individuals with lower trait self‐esteem increased in state self‐esteem, they showed less deactivation of the lateral occipital cortex during positive memories. In sum, the vividness of the memory seemingly distinguished a more immersed and more distant manner of memory reliving. In particular, when reliving positive memories higher vividness facilitated increased prereflective autonoetic consciousness, which likely is instrumental in boosting mood.

Autobiographical Cerebral Network Activation in Older Adults Before and After Reminiscence Therapy: A Preliminary Report

“…The fusiform cortex has been linked to processing of object details (Donix et al, 2010). A significant interaction between remoteness and rehearsal confirmed that rehearsal (i.e., repetition) was greatest for remote compared to recent memories, in particular in the fusiform cortex, lateral temporal cortex and insula, which has a role in subjective experience of emotional AMs (Van Schie et al, 2019).…”

You are already dead: Case report of nihilistic delusions regarding others as one representation of Cotard's syndrome

“…While her various symptoms, such as fear, guilt, and nihilism, may be intertwined in such delusional belief, the theme of death may emphasize nihilistic aspects of her symptoms. Although further research is needed to fully understand the impact of interoceptive dysfunction on memory, the insular cortex has been reported as being associated with the vividness and richness of autobiographical memory 21,22 . Thus, an affected recall could serve as the first factor in the development of such symptoms.…”

Finding a positive me: Affective and neural insights into the challenges of positive autobiographical memory reliving in borderline personality disorder

“…The 'Reliving Autobiographical Memories' (RAM) task has previously been described in Van Schie, et al (2019b).…”

“…Vividness seems crucial for positive memories to have an emotional benefit (Engelhard, van Uijen, & van den Hout, 2010;Van Schie, Chiu, Heiser, Rombouts, & Elzinga, 2019b). Memories that are relived less vividly are not re-experienced with the same emotional intensity as vivid memories (Philippe, et al, 2009;Van Schie, et al, 2019b). The vivid reliving of memories can be achieved by higher autonoetic consciousness (i.e.…”