Figure 1. Changes in heart rate during the session (n = 6; data on one subject were not available).

Visual global inspection reveals a gradual decrease in heart rate through the whole session, which suggests a normalization of autonomic hyperarousal. Detailed inspection shows a temporal increase in heart rate upon recall of unpleasant memories. During the second section which focused on the unpleasant memories, heart rate reached the highest level, and then it rapidly decreased to a normal level in the third section. Abscissa: time (minutes). Ordinate: heart rate (beats per minute).