självabsorption

Self-absorption refers to the phenomenon where a photon emitted by a medium is reabsorbed by the same medium while traveling through it. In spectroscopy and radiative transfer, this can suppress or reshape emission lines, creating self-absorption features such as line reversal or flat-topped lines, particularly in optically thick gas clouds, stellar atmospheres, or plasmas. It affects measurements of abundance, temperature, and density, and requires radiative transfer modeling to interpret spectra. It is distinct from external absorption by intervening material.

In psychology and everyday language, self-absorption describes a focus on one’s own thoughts, feelings, and concerns at the expense of awareness of the external world or others. It can be a temporary state of rumination or a trait-like tendency toward self-focus. High self-absorption is associated with reduced social engagement, lower mood, or enhanced self-evaluation. It is conceptually related to self-consciousness, introspection, and narcissism, but is not a formal clinical diagnosis by itself.

Researchers study self-absorption through spectral analysis in physical sciences or through self-report scales and behavioral observation in psychology. The term is used across disciplines with different meanings, so context is essential.