Question

Discusson topic: Flashbulb memories can be very vivid and often involve shocking historical events. An example would be the terrorist attacks in New York on 9/11. Choose a historic flashbulb memory that has significance to you and describe it in detail. What senses are involved in this memory? Did you experience strong emotions during the original event? Why would you characterize this memory as a flashbulb memory? You should offer at least one citation to support your work.

Answer 1

FLASH BULB MEMORIES:

Roger Brown and James Kulik coined the term 'flashbulb memories', that includes memories regarding any traumatic events which are very vividly and intensively stored in our memory, and it also includes the emotional experiences related to that event.

THE TSUNAMI

On 26 December 2004, there was a massive earthquake in the Indian ocean which was recorded to be the world's third largest earthquake hit many countries including Indonesia, India, Srilanka and Thailand. Due to this earthquake, there were disturbances caused in the ocean bed leading to the rise of tsunami, that came out from the ocean in the form of very huge gigantic waves of about 100 ft height. When these monstrous waves hit the shores, it thrashed away everything on its way, including thousands of people's lives and belongings in a flash of a second.  

I still remember that day, when I was a child and my parents were holding me tight and trying to move towards a safer place, and other people in the neighborhood were also running around in chaos as we were residing very close to the beach. I did not even realise what was going around, and was horrified with fear of dyeing. I did nothing except hugging my father tight and crying with fear as people around me were screaming. Then we settled in a place that was at a safer distance from the sea, and I was watching the horrific incidents that was going around in others places of the city through the News channels. People were screaming and running around in fear as they have also lost their loved ones, their family and children in the tsunami.

It has been around 13 years since this catastrophic event had occured. And every year on the same day, people still go back to the sea shore for offering prayers and observeing silence for those who had lost their lives in this disaster. And through these many years, I still feel the same horror, fear and become terrified whenever I think of that event. It was such a heart-breaking disaster that had taken away thousands of innocent lives and left people in despair.

This 2004 tsunami was a historic flashbulb memory, as I could still remember each and every detail of this traumatic event, and could still experience the strong emotional feelings associated with it.