flashback

n. 1. A short period of reliving the state of intoxication previously experienced under the influence of a hallucinogen, usually LSD and usually quite pleasant. 2. A short period of reliving a traumatic incident, as is common in soldiers returning from combat and in persons who have had car accidents or similar experiences out of the normal course of events. 3. A literary device in which the story line reverts to an earlier period of the narrative.