Flashbacks! Evolution! May 2026

When researchers examined medical records of UK servicemen from the Boer War and World Wars I and II, they found that flashbacks were virtually non-existent . Instead, soldiers then expressed trauma through physical symptoms (somatization) like tremors or "effort syndrome".

This paper explores the of the flashback as a clinical concept, arguing it is a "culture-bound" symptom rather than a universal human reaction to trauma. Key Insights from the Paper Flashbacks! Evolution!

Flashbacks and post-traumatic stress disorder: the genesis of a 20th-century diagnosis. National Institutes of Health (.gov) When researchers examined medical records of UK servicemen