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The costs of mental time travel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 October 2007

Martin Brüne  and
Ute Brüne-Cohrs
Martin Brüne
Affiliation:
Centre for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Preventative Medicine, University of Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany. Martin.Bruene@rub.deUte.Bruene-Cohrs@rub.de
Ute Brüne-Cohrs
Affiliation:
Centre for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Preventative Medicine, University of Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany. Martin.Bruene@rub.deUte.Bruene-Cohrs@rub.de
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Abstract

A species like ours, whose life critically depends on the ability to foresee, plan, and shape future events, is vulnerable to dysfunction if any one facet contributing to what Suddendorf & Corballis (S&C) call “mental time travel” (MTT) is affected by disease. Although the authors mention brain pathology as a potential cause of disturbed MTT, they fail to explore psychopathological syndromes as a source to better understand the significance of MTT for normal functioning and adaptive behaviour.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , June 2007 , pp. 317 - 318
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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