While such sporadic cases of people with extraordinary memory have been recorded, there’s been no case of photographic memory till now. She was the first to be diagnosed with hyperthymesia, also called highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM), which allows people to remember almost all life events with great precision. This memory lasts less than one second is most people and a few seconds for others.īut, some people indeed have an extraordinary memory.įor instance, Stephen Wiltshire, a British architectural artist, flew over New York for 20 minutes and drew the entire skyline only from the memory of that sight.Īnother example would be that of Jill Price, a woman now in her mid-50s, who can remember in great detail almost every aspect of her life from about 14 years of age. What people mostly refer to as photographic memory is, in fact, eidetic memory.Įidetic memory is “the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision for a brief period after seeing it only once, and without using a mnemonic device.” However, the true existence of photographic memory has not been proven till now. The common impression of photographic memory is that some people can take a mental snapshot of whatever is in front of them and retrieve it from memory, zooming in and out of various parts. People with depression may be 40% more likely to develop memory and cognition-associated problems. The low levels of serotonin seen in individuals with depression can make it difficult for a person to pay attention to new information. This may result in the loss of brain cells and block the formation of new ones, making it difficult to retain information.ĭepression is another condition associated with memory problems. However, with chronic stress, the body is continually exposed to this flood of hormones. The body releases a surge of hormones to enable us to wave through stressful situations. Other mental and physical health conditions associated with aging can also be the reason memories get lost.Ĭhronic stress is another major contributor to memory issues. There may also be a loss of neurotransmitters. Image: The differences between short-term and long-term memories (Adapted from an article on )Īs we age, the synapses become weak, making it difficult to retrieve information.Īccording to studies, the hippocampus loses 5% of its neurons every decade after age 40, resulting in a 20% loss by 80 years. This phenomenon helps store long-term memory. With the help of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, neurons communicate with each other in regions called synapses.Ĭontinuous communication between two neurons increases the efficiency, a process described as long-term potentiation. They then get converted into long-term memories through certain brain areas like the hippocampus.įinally, they reach the storage regions present in the brain. These are available for a few seconds or a few minutes. Our daily experiences are converted into pulses of energy that travel along the neuron network and form short-term memories first. Why do we remember some things more distinctly than others? And why do some memories fade?Īnswering these questions requires us to look into how memories are formed in the first place. Regardless of whether photographic memory is real or not, there are many benefits to having it. Some believe that photographic memory is a real phenomenon, while others believe it’s just an exaggeration or myth. Photographic memory was first documented by a Harvard vision scientist named Charles Stromeyer III in early 1970 about a student named Elizabeth. It’s a rare phenomenon in which someone can retain an enormous quantity of information, whether it be images, sounds, or words. Photographic memory is a rare and mysterious cognitive ability that allows people to remember images and objects in detail.
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