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Daniel McCartney was born in 1817. Nearly blind, he underwent several eye surgeries and could read large print on paper if he held it about 60 centimeters away. Despite this, at the age of 52, he gave an interview and demonstrated that he remembered every day of his life in minute detail, from the age of nine and a half until the day of the interview.
McCartney could be given any random date, and he would quickly point out the day of the week and the weather. He would confirm this information using old newspaper articles. At one point, he even corrected a newspaper error made many years ago.
All information was filtered through the lens of his own experience, so he knew what he ate every day, knew what he did every day, whether it was delivering dinner to his father while he was collecting coal, selling his uncle's horse, or taking Fort Sumter.
McCartney was one of those rare individuals who are either blessed or cursed with hyperthymesia. These people remember almost everything that happens in their lives, no matter how insignificant. They can recall what mail arrived on a particular Tuesday twenty years ago. This means they never forget anything, no matter how terrible.
What is hyperthymesia?
Hyperthymesia, sometimes called highly advanced autobiographical memory (HAAM), is a kind of near-flawless memory that some of us might call photographic memory, although it's not quite the same thing.
Officially, this phenomenon has only existed since 2006, as before then it had no name, although, as we saw with Mr. McCartney, it has been around for quite some time. It gained notoriety thanks to actress Marilu Henner, who a few years ago was one of only 12 people worldwide believed to have the condition, while now the number is between 50 and 100.
These people's memories differ from what you might think of as photographic memory. They can't recall all the general information they encounter; they only remember personal information, things that relate to them personally, hence the "autobiographical" part of the name. If you ask them when The Avengers came out or when the Fukushima nuclear disaster occurred, they're unlikely to recall it any better than you do.
People with hyperthymesia aren't necessarily geniuses, capable of performing and recalling everything with ease. Like McCartney, the man known as HK also suffered from blindness and hyperthymesia. His intelligence was considered average among all people; only his memory was significantly improved. He could remember almost his entire life, from childhood onwards, in minute detail, even without visual cues due to his blindness.
To determine the nature of this remarkable ability, he underwent a brain scan, which revealed that his amygdala was 20% larger than average. Stronger connections between the amygdala and the hippocampus were also observed. Functional MRI reveals unique activity in the brains of people with hyperthymesia, absent in the brains of normal people, during memory recall.
The amygdala is believed to be the control center for emotional processing and is also associated with memory and learning. The hippocampus is also primarily responsible for learning and memory.
Most of us form memories differently than people with hyperthymesia. Our everyday experiences are stored in short-term memory, and then, typically, something significant must happen for these memories to become embedded in long-term memory. These memories are formed and stored in different parts of the brain.
Short-term memory begins in the prefrontal cortex. If information is worth remembering, it can be formed and stored in several ways: in the amygdala, cerebellum, neocortex, basal ganglia, and other areas. Many brain regions can assist in memorization after information has been formed for long-term memory. However, this requires prior memorization.
Have you ever stood in the kitchen and couldn't remember what you had for breakfast the night before? Here's why. Nothing significant enough happened at breakfast to be remembered forever. If you think about it, maybe you'll remember, maybe not. And what about breakfast a week ago? It's almost certainly forgotten by now.
Hyperthymesia stores information differently. Short-term memory starts out the same, but then everything seems to be stored like a database, where everything is organized and recorded, no matter how insignificant. If it happens, it's recorded. At least for the most part. Some people, like Joey DeGrandis, have trouble remembering mundane details, like where he put his keys. He has poor short-term memory, but give him a few days, weeks, or months, and he can recall things in minute detail.
Interestingly, unlike typical memory, people with hyperthymesia experience improved memory and accuracy after more time has passed, when memories are typically lost or blurred. It is theorized that this occurs because people with hyperthymesia obsess over their thoughts, and because they are so precise, they can focus on details over and over again, improving their memory.
What is the reason for this?
The causes of hyperactive amnesia syndrome (HSAM) are still not fully understood. However, it has been suggested that the tendency of these individuals to constantly ruminate on their memories and the past may be a contributing factor.
Similar to a type of obsessive-compulsive memory disorder, the fact that they can't stop repeating memories strengthens their memory. This is reinforced by the fact that people with hyperthymesia tend to have poor memory of recent events but can recall events from the more distant past with greater detail. This is something that must be formed in their consciousness. But again, this is just a hypothesis and has not been definitively proven.
The causes may be psychological, but they could also be biological or genetic. There simply isn't enough research to draw a definitive conclusion.
Is this a curse?
You can undoubtedly think of countless reasons why this ability would be amazing. Remembering everything you've ever experienced, down to the smallest detail? Just imagine how many amazing moments you could relive in your mind. Surely there are a lot, right?
But think back to the worst day of your life. Everyone has worse days, no matter how much worse they were than others. Someone with Howson-Meyer syndrome (HASM) will remember the worst day of their life in minute detail. And, as we've already discussed, such people tend to dwell on their thoughts. So you won't be able to push it aside. You won't be able to force yourself to forget. In fact, the opposite will happen. You will always remember the worst day of your life perfectly. It will become more vivid and real in your mind day after day.
Depending on what terrible thing happened to you that day, it can become a true nightmare from which you'll never escape. People who suffer from this condition note that a painful breakup, the death of a loved one, or the death of a pet, is always felt as acutely as the moment. It's not just the memory of the event; it's the feelings. You'll never forget what it felt like.
Jill Price became the first person officially diagnosed with HSAM (hypophysiological sensory memory). She described her memories as "incessant, uncontrollable, and utterly debilitating." She lives every day thinking about every decision she didn't make, everything she knows she could have done but didn't, and what might have happened if she had made those choices. Her memory is like a regret factory.
Others say it's like a newsreel of their own lives, from the moment they wake up to the moment they fall asleep—an endless repetition of events. In many ways, they become hostages to their own memories.
Rebecca Sharrock gave an interview in which she explained how memory problems led to depression and increased anxiety. People with hyperthymesia tend to associate the present day with the past. For example, if today is October 1st, they may wake up and remember October 1st 17 years ago.
For Sharrock, this means that if she remembers something from her childhood, she remembers it as she did as a child. That is, if something bad happened to her then, she experiences the emotional reaction typical of a child. Something adults might be able to cope with can be traumatic for her because she experienced it in her childish mind, and her perfect memory only reproduces childhood emotions.
Benefits of Memorization
Hyperthymesia isn't just a gloomy and hopeless condition for those who suffer from it. Yes, it can be stressful, but there are positive aspects, too. Author Frank Healy, who has over 58 years of memories, explained in a podcast that he struggled with it in his youth, but after learning to cope, he discovered there are positive aspects to life.
If Healy meets someone new, he'll be sure to flatter them the next time they meet, remembering their name, occupation, spouse, children, and hobbies. That person will be convinced they're incredibly attractive because of Healy's condition. It might seem like a small or insignificant detail, but imagine what it would mean to you if you worked in sales or any other business. Or if you were a con artist.
For many, like Frank, focusing on remembering mundane things comes easily. This makes studying a breeze. You'll never forget birthdays or anniversaries again if you can connect them to yourself and your life.
In science, history, and law, an excellent memory plays a huge role in career success. Bob Petrella learned to live with hyperthymesia, and although he had to cope with the stress of reliving his worst memories, he also found positive aspects. Because he accurately recalls his feelings after every mistake, he has a much better understanding of why he should have avoided those mistakes. He clearly demonstrates the importance of learning from your mistakes.
Differences between eidetic memory and photographic memory
We mentioned earlier that hyperthymesia and photographic memory are not the same thing. People with photographic or eidetic memory can briefly experience something and then recall it with near-perfect accuracy. However, this is a short-term ability. Someone with eidetic memory, for example, won't recall those details 10 years from now. Or even a week from now. In most cases, it lasts only a few minutes. Furthermore, this phenomenon is almost exclusively observed in children, although some adults also exhibit this ability.
Photographic memory would be something like the long-term eidetic memory of hyperthymesia, but generalized. That is, instead of eidetic short-term memory, it would be a lifetime memory, or at least a memory spanning many years. And unlike hyperthymesia, it would include not just autobiographical information, but all information the person has encountered.
While pop culture has provided us with examples of characters with photographic memories, there's no convincing evidence that this ability is real. Sure, there are people with incredible memories, but not to the point of meeting the criteria we think of when we hear the word "photographic.".
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