Spontaneous Photographic Memory

Does anyone else here have spontaneous photographic memory?

Certain random moments of my life are imprinted into my memory, and I can recall them easily. Some of them aren't even important or life changing, they just happen to be remembered very vividly. I can give almost the excat details about the event too, but not the excat time/date it happened.

I know I'm not some super smart savant that can memorize Pi up to the millionth place, since I'm struggling in school (mostly math)

So, does anyone else here have spontaneous photographic memory or am I just some kind of weirdo O.o?

P.S.- I was not dropped as a child.

reply to post by Hyzera

Interesting post. I have lots of clinical questions:

#1. How long are these memories -- are they a snapshot, or a few seconds? Perhaps even a few clear minutes of memory?

#2. When do get this recall? For example, are these images that pops unexpectedly into existence, or can you recall them at will? If they pop into existence, what are you doing when these memories are recalled?

#3. How old are these memories? Are they recent? Or from very early childhood?

#4. What (if anything) do you think these images have in common? Good or bad experiences? You say they are random, but perhaps there is something they have in common, such as all reflect some intense moment of boredom or surprise.

I would be interested in any answers, if you have the time, thanks!

reply to post by Buck Division


1. Most of them are snapshots, some are a few seconds long.

2. I can recall them at will. I usually recall them when I need them . An example was a couple of days ago in class where I needed to find the area of a triangle being formed by 3 lines on a plane. As soon as I saw that, I remembered the last question on a regents exam I took in 8th grade. It had a triangle on a coordinate plane and I had to find the area. I showed my work on the right side and bottom of the page. I solved it by turning the triangle into a square and calculating the area.

3. Some are old. Some are from early childhood.

4. They seriously are random. I'm not sure they mean anything other than random moments in my life, lol.

They might not be important to you now, but they most likely were at the time you had them. Even things that might seem very casual could have been enlightening experiences at the time you had them.

Lots of this snapshots would most likely come from one's childhood.

Originally posted by Hyzera
reply to post by Buck Division

 

I can recall them at will. I usually recall them when I need them

Okay -- interesting answer, Hyzera!

Here is something that you can do that might improve your memory dramatically. It is simple -- give it a try if you can:

Next time you are trying to memorize something, spend 15 seconds recalling a previous memory as much as you possibly can. The clearer the past memory, the better. Just relax and really go after that past memory in all of its detail and richness.

Then, maintaining your relaxed state, take a look at the new thing you want to memorize. This might work for you.

#

I've studied memory phenomenon a bit, and people with photographic memories seem to "chain" memories in odd ways. People with photographic memories (who you would think would have billions of memories) often say that they only have a few "main" memories, and all the other memories are linked to those main memories.

I read this in a psychology book, and haven't been able to find any reference to this on the web to back this up. I think it might work for you!

Good luck!

reply to post by Buck Division


Thanks for the advice, I'll try that. This'll be good for studying since I have my finals next week

Yes, I most definately do have this. I remember random moments from many many years ago that at the time had no real effect on me, and I remember them *so* clearly.

Like, I remember about 3 seconds of a long car trip I went on when I was about 11 or 12, and I was laying down in the backseat and I saw a random tree go by. I remember NOTHING from that entire car ride except that very moment and it is still just clear as day.

There are others too but I won't bore you with the details of every one. Personally I don't think there's any real reason it happens. Perhaps your mind is just particularly clear at that very moment so everything just gets through a lot easier. Or maybe one day aliens will invade and that tree that I can recolect so well holds the key to defeating them, and I am the only person on Earth who knows this. I'm a goddamn hero.

Originally posted by Buck Division
I've studied memory phenomenon a bit, and people with photographic memories seem to "chain" memories in odd ways. People with photographic memories (who you would think would have billions of memories) often say that they only have a few "main" memories, and all the other memories are linked to those main memories.

I have noticed that this is the best way of accessing memories.

I have a small (and old, it is more than 12 years old) DOS shareware program called "Total Recall" that has some exercises that, according to the makers of the program, follow the system used by the Greeks to memorize their speeches and things like that in en epoch where even having written notes was not that easy.

The system uses links between the things to be memorized, and because of those links we can easily recreate the complete list. I could remember one of the lists used on those examples, a 20 items list, for some 4 or 5 years, until I started loosing some of those links and the list became a group of smaller lists.
As an answer to the initial post, I do not have memories like that, or at least I don't remember having them.

Oh I am so jealous of this. I have zero memory, I loose words from my memory as I am talking. I have to recite the alphabet to assist me in recalling what word I forgot. My children use my lack of memory to get out of punishment because they know I won't remember what I grounded them for. I can't associate names to faces or faces to names. I joke that I am a budding alzhiemers candidate in the making. Although, I think having alzhiemers means you don't even remember forgetting.

Is there a magic vitamin or vegetable that I can use to improve my memory?

reply to post by Rhain


Ginseng helps, but some people become irritable with it.

I think the best way is practicing, the brain also needs to do some exercises.

I've always remembered things in the manner mentioned in the OP. Other people have told me I have a photographic memory but I've always personally referred to it as a visual memory which I assumed just came about as a natural by product of being an artist.

For instance, if I'm trying to remember an actor's name I remember what his name looked like in the movie credits, if I need to remember what page I'm on in a book I remember what the page looks like, the whole layout and spaces etc. Even when I was younger and had to memorize things for a spelling test I could almost see the entire list I studied and remembered what each word looked like.

Generally if I see something, or write it down and almost imprint it in my memory I won't forget it but if someone just tells me something I sometimes have trouble remembering it. For instance, I'm horrible with remembering people's names when they tell them to me. I'll meet someone and they'll introduce themselves and maybe a half hour later I've forgotten their name, however, if I've seen their name printed out somewhere I'll remember it.

As long as I can remember I've always used this manner of visual memory and reasoning, it really drove my math teachers nuts when I was in school. I think some people are naturally visual people for what ever reason. I've always learned things quicker by watching someone do something rather than have them explain it to me. Case in point, when I'm at a comic convention I often just stand there and watch an artist draw and I learn more than I would had I read a whole book.

I think training is important for you brain no matter what but I think if you're not naturally a visual thinker than you'll have trouble developing a visual or "photographic memory".

Originally posted by Shadowflux
For instance, I'm horrible with remembering people's names when they tell them to me. I'll meet someone and they'll introduce themselves and maybe a half hour later I've forgotten their name, however, if I've seen their name printed out somewhere I'll remember it.

Try imagining the person with the name printed in the forehead like it was rubber stamped there, that may help you.

After reading your post I remembered that I have also a visual memory but only with places. For example, if I am seeing a movie, the most common way of remembering that I have already seen it is by recognising the layout of the places, not the actors (I hope that there are no actors reading this ).

Maybe that is why I still remember the maps from many games, from Attic Attack to Unreal.

O.K. my husband calls me a freak for this, I thought it was normal. I can remember things from 30+ years ago. For example I can remember what my P.J.'s looked like when I was four,specefic cups I used to drink from.
How my furniture was arranged in my bedroom from 3yrs.on the color of my sheets I slept on. My blanket when I was four. And every outfit I wore the first 4 days of school, down to my book bag. There's more but I think
you get the idea. Any thoughts as to why?