title: Is it dangerous to fantasize revenge in imagery exercises? An experimental study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Imagery rescripting (ImRS), i.e. changing intrusive mental images in imagery, is increasingly recognized as a helpful therapy technique. In ImRS exercises, patients sometimes suggest taking violent revenge on perpetrators. However, it is unclear whether vengeful phantasies can be particularly helpful in giving back feelings of power and control, or whether they rather increase aggressive feelings, with potentially harmful effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six healthy participants watched 3 trauma movie segments depicting interpersonal violence. After each movie, one of 3 ImRS strategies (ImRS with violent revenge, ImRS without violence, safe place imagery) was applied. Dependent variables were subjective emotion ratings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aggressive and positive emotions changed most strongly with the safe place image, no differences between ImRS with and without violence were observed. Sad and anxious emotions were not differently influenced by different strategies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only a healthy sample with no previous display of aggression has been investigated. Cross-over effects cannot be excluded due to the within-group design with repeated trauma movie segments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using violent pictures in ImRS does not seem to be particularly risky as it does not increase aggressive emotions in the participants; however it has no added value. For the purpose of emotion regulation after an analog trauma, the safe place imagery does best.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hauptstraße 5, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: laura.seebauer@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seebauer
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Froß
authors.forename: Lothar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dubaschny
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schönberger
authors.forename: Gitta A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Jacob
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019018:Imagery, Psychotherapy; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Imagery rescripting; Revenge; Trauma film paradigm