Towards an interdisciplinary science of the subjective experience of remembering

Abstract:

Some of the most interesting advances in the study of episodic memory have come from considering different levels of analysis. In this article, we focus on how insights from multiple disciplines can inform understanding of the subjective experience of remembering. For example, we highlight how inspiration from the arts and humanities can generate novel research questions that can elucidate the cognitive and brain mechanisms responsible for what it feels like to remember a previous experience. We also consider how a multi-level perspective can help to address some confusions in the literature, such as between reconsolidation and reconstruction, and how a full understanding of memory requires appreciation of social and cultural factors.