Definition
Memory discontinuity is the experience of missing time, gaps in autobiographical memory, or amnesia for specific periods. It ranges from ordinary forgetting to clinically significant dissociative amnesia.
Why it matters
Naming discontinuity as a real, evaluable phenomenon prevents both dismissal and over-interpretation.
The Science
Memory discontinuity in dissociative contexts reflects altered encoding, storage, or retrieval under overwhelming conditions.
The NSI Perspective
NSI holds memory discontinuity with respect and appropriate skepticism, refusing both denial and confabulation.
Clinical Implications
Skilled clinicians explore discontinuities gently and without leading suggestion.
Practical Application
If there are periods you cannot remember, that is worth taking seriously — not treating as either proof of anything specific or as nothing.
References
- 1.Putnam FW. Dissociation in Children and Adolescents: A Developmental Perspective. Guilford Press; 1997.