A flashbulb memory is a vivid, detailed recollection of the circumstances in which a person learned of an emotionally significant event. People often report remembering exactly where they were, what they were doing, and who told them the news.

The term was introduced by Roger Brown and James Kulik to describe memories of events such as the assassination of a public figure. The emotional intensity and the consequentiality of the event appear to trigger a special encoding mechanism that preserves peripheral details along with the central facts. Later research has shown that flashbulb memories are not immune to error. Confidence remains high even when accuracy declines over time; people may misremember details while still feeling certain of their recollection.

The phenomenon illustrates the power of emotion to enhance memory, yet it also cautions against equating vividness and confidence with accuracy. Traumatic events can produce both intrusive, detailed memories and significant distortions.

A flashbulb memory feels like a photograph. Like many photographs, it can be both striking and imperfect.