Regresseerumine

Regresseerumine is a Dutch neologism used to describe a psychological phenomenon in which a person experiences a regression-like shift in mental state, returning to earlier moods, memories, or cognitive patterns. The term appears in some Dutch-language psychology and psychotherapy writings as a label for episodes that blend affective regression with reminiscence and dream-like content. It is not widely standardized or employed in major diagnostic manuals.

Etymology and usage

The word is formed from regresseer (to regress) and a nominal suffix, reflecting a focus on regression of mental state rather than simply recalling past events. In practice, regresseerumine may describe episodes where individuals seemingly re-experience earlier emotional templates or behavioral patterns, sometimes triggered by stress, reminders of the past, or therapeutic techniques such as guided imagery or hypnosis. The exact boundaries between regresseerumine, reminiscence, or flashbacks are not consistently defined across sources.

Clinical and research context

Regresseerumine is not a recognized diagnostic category. References are mainly descriptive and appear in limited, domain-specific writings rather than in broad, peer-reviewed research. Clinically, it may be discussed in connection with psychotherapy, dream interpretation, or spiritual-adjacent practices, where the focus is on understanding how past emotional states influence present experience. Given its informal status, practitioners may differ in how they assess, classify, or address regresseerumine in treatment.

Relation to related concepts

Related concepts include psychological regression, reminiscence, flashback, and dissociation. Regresseerumine is typically distinguished by its perceived involuntary drift into earlier affective patterns, while not being identical to full dissociative episodes or chronic reminiscence.

See also

Regression (psychology), Reminiscence, Dream analysis, Hypnosis

Notes

Sources discussing regresseerumine are sparse and not standardized, limiting broad conclusions about its nature or clinical significance.