Involuntary Autobiographical Memory

The chapter discusses a memory phenomenon called involuntary autobiographical memory. We first explain what autobiographical memory is and then describe two distinct types of memory retrieval: involuntary and voluntary. It is shown that involuntary memory occurs on a daily basis in the general population and is differentiated from intrusive memories, flashbacks, and Proustian memories. Finally, main methods to study involuntary memory are also briefly described and characterized.