How well do you remember yesterday? Do you remember what you wore, what you ate, or what you watched on television? If you’re like most people, you do. But you probably don’t remember what you wore, ate or watched on TV on the third Wednesday of January, six years ago. One woman can.
Marilu Henner, star of the hit 1970’s television show Taxi, has what is known as hyperthymesia, or a “perfect memory.” It is a condition that affects only a small percentage of the population, and causes an individual to have an almost superhuman autobiographical memory.
Henner, along with the other twenty five individuals who are confirmed to have hyperthymesia, describe remembering past events that happened decades ago as something they just “see.” It’s almost as though they were watching a movie of that day.
Imagine remembering a random day in your past, as though you were transported there yourself, in complete and total detail. It sounds far-fetched, but for those few who live with this condition, it isn’t. While some enjoy impressing their friends or winning trivia games with their accurate memories, others feel trapped and unable to escape the past.
It’s easy to see how a great memory would help in everyday life situations. Never missing an appointment, remembering the names of everyone you meet, and being able to recall critical details at the drop of a hat could certainly make life easier. Higher education would become a piece of cake, and in many fields, a superior memory would make you an excellent candidate for career advancement. But for some, having a perfect memory would be an albatross around your neck. The inability to dismiss negative experiences from your mind, or recalling painful events as though they occurred yesterday could quickly become overwhelming. It even has the potential to create psychological issues like severe anxiety and PTSD.
What do you think? Is a superior autobiographical memory a help or a hindrance? Would you want to be able to remember every day of your past in perfect detail? For some, it could be a pleasant trip down memory lane, but for others a heavy cross to bear.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthymesia
http://www.peoplewithpotential.org/hyperthymesia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exceptional_memory#Drawbacks_5
How well do you remember yesterday? Do you remember what you wore, what you ate, or what you watched on television? If you’re like most people, you do. But you probably don’t remember what you wore, ate, or watched on TV on the third Wednesday of January, six years ago. One woman can.
Marilu Henner, star of the hit 1970’s television show Taxi, has a perfect memory. Only a small number of people have this almost superhuman memory.
Henner can remember past events that happened years ago. These memories are things that Henner and people like her can almost see. It’s almost as though they were watching a movie of that day.
Imagine remembering any day in your past, as if you were there again in complete detail. It sounds far-fetched, but for those few who live with this condition, it isn’t. Some enjoy the good parts of having a perfect memory. They can impress their friends and win trivia games easily. Others feel trapped and cannot escape the past.
It’s easy to see how a great memory would help in everyday life situations. You would never miss an appointment. Remembering details at the drop of a hat could certainly make life easier. School would become a piece of cake. A perfect memory would also help you get high-level jobs. But for some, having a perfect memory could be an albatross around your neck. Remembering painful events as though they happened yesterday could become overwhelming. It could even cause problems like anxiety and PTSD.
What do you think? Is a perfect memory a help or a hindrance? Would you want to remember every day of your past in perfect detail? For some, it could be a pleasant trip down memory lane, but for others a heavy cross to bear.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthymesia
http://www.peoplewithpotential.org/hyperthymesia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exceptional_memory#Drawbacks_5
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