Temporal Disorientation in Episodic Memory: Navigating the Construction Process

Temporal disorientation in episodic memory includes recalling episodes we struggle to posit in time. In this paper, we theorize how this disorientation arises by arguing for a constrained functional analogy between mental time travel and spatial navigation. We characterize temporal orientation as coordination between egocentric anchors and temporal structure (order, interval, and calendrical constraints); and, consequently, temporal disorientation as the breakdown of this coordination. Drawing on constructive accounts of episodic memory - and more specifically, the Scenario Construction Framework - we identify two distinct experiences of temporal disorientation. First, when attempting to situate a memory in time, we may become uncertain whether an event actually occurred. Second, we may struggle to construct the temporal sequence of events within remembered content. We propose that navigation in mental time and the feeling of temporal disorientation scaffold episodic construction. Our framework opens new paths for investigating the role of mental navigation in episodic memory construction.