ageregression

Age regression refers to a process in which a person temporarily adopts behaviors, emotions, and thinking patterns typical of a younger developmental stage. It can occur spontaneously in response to stress, trauma, or overwhelming emotions, and it can also be induced in some clinical contexts as part of therapeutic techniques such as guided imagery or hypnosis. In these cases, a clinician may guide a patient to re-experience earlier life experiences or to approach current issues from a younger perspective. Age regression is not a formal diagnosis but a description of observed behavior or a therapeutic tool.

In clinical psychology, age regression may be used to explore the origins of symptoms, especially in relation to trauma or dissociation. However, the evidence regarding the reliability of memories recovered through age regression is limited, and the procedure carries risks of suggestion and false memories. Consequently, many experts caution against relying on age regression as a sole method of memory recovery or as a primary treatment approach; when used, it should be part of a broader, evidence-based plan and conducted by trained professionals with informed consent.

Age regression can also occur in dissociative disorders where identity and age-appropriate behaviors may shift. In non-clinical contexts, some individuals engage in age-regression-themed role-play or fantasy as a consensual activity; this is distinct from clinical processes and not inherently pathological.

Related concepts include regression as a defense mechanism, hypnosis, dissociative disorders, and memory accuracy.