A patient describes an unusually vivid memory of a significant past event. Before revealing the answer, decide what distinguishes a flashback from a flashbulb memory.

Ask whether the memory comes on suddenly and intrusively, with a re-experienced, emotionally immediate quality, or whether it is a single, richly detailed recollection the person can bring to mind voluntarily and recalls with confidence. A flashback is sudden, intrusive, and often distressing, bringing with it the cognitive and emotional quality of the original event as though it were happening again. A flashbulb memory is a stable memory of unusual vividness and strength of conviction, recalled voluntarily rather than intruding unbidden — though, importantly, that vividness and confidence are not a guarantee of the memory's actual accuracy in either case.