Healing the Wounds of the Future

The Huffington Post:

Several years ago, the satirical newspaper The Onion ran an article about “Pre-Traumatic Stress Disorder,” based on a “study” by the Department of Future Veterans Affairs. Victims of the disorder, according to the report, experience “vivid, ultra-realistic flash-forwards” of disturbing wartime events that are yet to come. Soldiers who have never experienced a day of battle nevertheless “prelive” the hell of war.

The story was irreverent and no doubt offensive to some, but it was funny. It was funny because the whole idea of remembering the future is absurd.

Or is it? Well, obviously we don’t recall actual memories of things yet to happen, but we can imagine future events — and vividly. Is it possible that the mere prospect of terrifying battle experiences is enough to traumatize soldiers before they actually deploy?

Read the whole story: The Huffington Post

Wray Herbert is an author and award-winning journalist who writes two popular blogs for APS, We’re Only Human and Full Frontal Psychology. Follow Wray on Twitter @wrayherbert.