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Mental Imagery in Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories

Jakubowski, Kelly

Authors



Contributors

Mats B. Küssner
Editor

Graham Welch
Editor

Liila Taruffi
Editor

Ian Cross
Editor

Georgia A. Floridou
Editor

Adam Ockelford
Editor

Abstract

Music is often cited as a powerful cue for bringing back significant and emotional lifetime memories. One feature that appears to be a substantial contributor to this experience is the fact that these music-evoked autobiographical memories (MEAMs) are often accompanied by a high degree of reliving and vivid mental imagery-one is brought back to the sights, smells, and sounds of a past event. In this chapter, the relationship between mental imagery and autobiographical memory in general will be briefly reviewed, followed by a discussion as to why music in particular may be a highly effective cue for autobiographical memories. I will then review the existing research evidence on MEAMs to probe the extent to which MEAMs are accompanied by different types of mental imagery (visual, auditory, motor, etc.). Particular attention will be paid to recent research suggesting that MEAMs may actually be accompanied by more vivid mental imagery than autobiographical memories retrieved in response to other types of perceptual cues. Suggestions for future research to more systematically probe the features and acuity of mental imagery within MEAMs will be put forward, and potential theoretical and clinical implications of this research topic will be highlighted.

Citation

Jakubowski, K. (2022). Mental Imagery in Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories. In M. B. Küssner, G. Welch, L. Taruffi, I. Cross, G. A. Floridou, & A. Ockelford (Eds.), Music and Mental Imagery (137-146). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429330070

Online Publication Date Dec 22, 2022
Publication Date 2022
Deposit Date Jan 23, 2023
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Publisher Routledge
Pages 137-146
Series Title SEMPRE Studies in The Psychology of Music
Edition 1st Edition
Book Title Music and Mental Imagery
Chapter Number 11
ISBN 9780429330070
DOI https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429330070
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1648423

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