the positives and negatives of remembering all the things

Have you ever ever wished you had a photographic memory for easier access to worthwhile information? Would you prefer to have effortless access to the answers to an exam? Well, there are individuals with hyperthymesia who can do that.

Nonetheless, there are also negative features to this condition. Read on because we’ll inform you more about this ability to recollect all the things!

What’s hyperthymesia?

Greater than a skill, remembering all features of life is a syndrome called “hyperthymesia” or “autobiographical memory”. In keeping with a scientific article published within the journal Neuropsychology, it occurs in only a few people on the earth.

Highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM) causes individuals with the syndrome to recollect details of their life very accurately. In 2017, for instance, the case of a girl named Rebecca Sharrock, who remembers specific moments from her first week on the earth, was documented.

The concept of HSAM arose from the case of young Jill Price, who was studied by neuroscientist Jim McGaugh, after she sent him a letter telling him that she remembered each day of her life since she turned 12. After the situation became public, McGaugh was contacted by others who claimed to have the identical type of memories.

Several analyses determined that, although the memory of those people was exceptional when it got here to remembering their very own lives, it wasn’t so exceptional when it got here to recalling impersonal memories. That is confirmed by a 2016 scientific publication.

Some characteristics that folks with HSAM are inclined to have are as follows:

• Concentrating an excessive amount of, to the purpose of dissociating from their surroundings.
• Having insomnia or sleep problems by not controlling memories.
• Having compulsive behavior or a concomitant diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

The positives and negatives of getting hyperthymesia

It isn’t a superpower, nor can or not it’s considered a curse. Now that you recognize what hyperthymesia is, let’s inform you concerning the positives and negatives.

Positives: excellent autobiographical memory

Individuals with hyperthymesia have an exceptional photographic memory. They remember many things about their lives as children that others couldn’t even imagine.

As explained by research published in Frontiers in Psychology, individuals with an autobiographical memory process memories just as anyone else would. The difference is that, even when the small print are minimal, they go directly into the long-term memory circuit, making them much easier to retrieve.

Negatives: the mind creates false memories

In keeping with research revealed in 2013, individuals with hyperthymesia can have their autobiographical memories affected by false episodes. It’s common for the brain to fill in blanks or distorted spaces to supply a whole and coherent episode.

To achieve this conclusion, the aforementioned study compared the memory of 20 individuals with hyperthymesia and 38 without. They found that each groups had the identical susceptibility to create false memories.

Positive and negative: affects mood

Individuals with hyperthymesia have almost unlimited access to their memories. This becomes a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, if the person is emotionally mature, he or she’s going to have the ability to access his or her best moments, and improve their mood. Nonetheless, their negative or unpleasant memories could bring sadness and pain.

A transparent example of what we’re saying is Rebecca Sharrock. She told the media that she remembers crying as a baby because she had dreams that she was unable to distinguish from reality. Now that she’s an adult, she uses this ability to manage what she dreams and reduce her nightmares.

How do I do know if I even have hyperthymesia?

Detailing the precise origin of hyperthymesia is complex, considering that research is lacking. Nonetheless, the studies available to date allow us to discover three possible causes:

• Biological: One among the studies conducted with individuals with HSAM found increased brain activity in certain areas. There was also greater connectivity between the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. Other research indicated that the amygdala can be involved within the hyperstimulated cognitive process.
• Psychological: Researchers conducted a study that theorized that folks with HSAM have a prodigious autobiographical memory because they think obsessively about their past experiences.
• Genetics: in 2012, a gaggle of researchers made an incredible finding, which was published within the journal Neurobiology of Learning & Memory. Their conclusion was that there are nine morphologically different brain structures between those with hyperthymesia and people with normal memory.

Beyond this, the official diagnosis should be provided by professionals.

Typically, electroencephalograms and MRI scans are performed. Moreover, an autobiographical memory test is proposed, through which the person’s emotional and contextual responses are analyzed when asked about past memories.

Although hyperthymesia may be seen in a positive light, it’s at all times best to be guided by a health care provider or health worker. The aim is to avoid the negative features of this great ability.

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