Printable View
So, suppose that photographic memory i real. Would you want it? This means that you would forever remember anything that you see good and bad.
Personaly, I would want. I think that being able to remember anything in a book at first glance would outweigh the bad stuf that you saw.
photographic memory IS real. Autistic people think in pictures and images. Think Temple Grandin. It's predominately right-brain thinking, and has it's advantages.
And yes I do want it, i'm actually working on developing that side now .When I socialize with people, instead of thinking of words, I think of pictures, images, and visualization instead to go with it. This is also how to establish a link between conscious and subconscious mind.
Nobody's ever been able to demonstrate photographic memory; that is, being able to recall details of a scene in photographic detail for a long time. It's unlikely to even be possible as the human eye doesn't have that kind of resolution, even if the brain did.Quote:
photographic memory IS real. Autistic people think in pictures and images. Think Temple Grandin. It's predominately right-brain thinking, and has it's advantages.
Autistic people think in all kinds of ways.
The left brain / right brain dichotomy isn't true.
Does this not count?Quote:
Originally Posted by Xei
For some of the things I've seen? Hell no.
I have a photographic memory, and contrary to popular belief this does not mean you remember ever single thing that you see.
Then what is it like?Quote:
Originally Posted by OldManRiver
If I read a book and then take a test on said book, I can picture the pages from the book and find the answers to the questions on the page, from memory.
How is that different from the popular image of photographic memory? You mean like only you control what you're going to remember?
Most people think you remember everything you see, which isn't true.
Since I'm pretty artistic and love to remember the visual quality of my dreams, yes, of course I'd want it. Considering the myth that OldManRiver pointed out, I see no reason against it, personally.
I'm seriously wondering about those people who voted yes...
Have you ever seen a motorbike accident victim with their brains exposed? A drowned body washed up on the shore after a week in water? I have, and I wish I could forget.
Imagine finding a relative who's hanged themselves? Watching someone waste away from cancer and remembering every minute of it?
If anything, I wish I had the power to forget things.
Assuming that getting it didn't somehow lower my intellect or ability to interact with people, then yes I certainly would! I love remembering things. It would come in handy.
Just because you've seen terrible things and have the ability to see them as vividly as you have in the past doesn't mean that's the only thing you can see. There are so many other things you'd be able to pull up and view, and with some instance of mental control you can easily disregard the urge to recall such terrible things. I do it all the time, it's not that hard.Quote:
Originally Posted by Folqueraine
I say yes, there are so many fantastic and beautiful things I picture that I'm never always able to make into a drawing or piece of art. So many lost ideas that don't deserve to just be a statistic to my short term memory >_>
Unfortunately it is exactly those images you can recall photographicallyQuote:
Originally Posted by Folqueraine
even without having the ability discussed in this thread. I have seen a
a man and a woman getting brought in after a Jet Ski accident when I
was three years old (they both died) and this is probably the only thing
I remember that vividly at that age.
I think I'd still like that ability though. Memories are fun. And in a way
the only thing that lets us really 'exist'. A moment that is universally forgotten
might as well have never happened. Which will occur eventually. So why not
a little more intensity of our memories while we're at it and therefore of life
itself? Ups and Downs, equally welcome.
You have, and, as you already have noted, those images stick very vividly in your mind. In fact, those things are about the only ones you can recall "photographically". So since you remember those events vividly anyway, why not also be able to remember good things as well?Quote:
Originally Posted by Folqueraine
I'm autistic myself, I have a form of picture memory and i am kind of "rain-man" in many ways (Things will solve themselves for me in my minds eye without any help.) and its real trust me. It kinda sucks because i have tons of artistic ability but suck at hand drawing :PQuote:
Originally Posted by sheogorath
To elaborate on the "rain-man" comment as its related to memory. I have an ability for knowing without knowing and the best way to explain it is that someone can ask me something i have never learned but i will be able to tell them the answer because at some point in my life i have overheard a conversation or seen TV program or scanned a book without realizing and had picked this information up.
I also have mild synthestesia.
I'm such a bundle of fun.
You don't have a photographic memory...Quote:
Originally Posted by Folqueraine
You still remember...
So having a photographic memory makes no difference here.
I have one, but you don't remember everything you see. You just remember vividly and with pictures/words.
EDIT: khh beat me
You are very lucky. Left brainers like me are trying to get where your at. Hopefully I'm getting there since i create music.Quote:
Originally Posted by IndigoGhost
Its social death, so its not really all its cracked up to be :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Majestic
I am just like that too, that's why my little cousin told me I have a general knowledge of everything lolQuote:
Originally Posted by IndigoGhost
I doubt it. You have tremendous advantages and benefits that you might not even know you have.Quote:
Originally Posted by IndigoGhost
Your connected to your subconscious more than you know, that's why your able to easily pick up information that your subconscious has scanned already. Us left-brainers have to meditate or "Search" the subconscious deeply for it to come up. Say someone told me something on the phone a couple of days ago, and I'm trying to figure out what it was, it might take me a while to remember it, or i might remember it later on in the day, while for you might automatically remember it on the spot fast, and easy.
I just find it hard to believe socializing is hard for you. Do you do any art or something that uses creativity? I bet your good at that.
Is recalling dreams is easy for you?
Cool is it not? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by OldManRiver
The form of autism i have is aspergers syndrome, read up about it and you will realise why its social death and not all its cracked up to be. I have also had a few people tell me i may also have savant syndrome.Quote:
Originally Posted by Majestic
It has its benefits and has its weaknesses, i will say though that its nice to have something that almost makes you destined to succeed and will drive you forward to success without even trying.
The funny thing is i have a family genetic thing where i have bad dream recall, no idea what its called though. I can train it but its pretty hard for me.
I am a martial artist, i am not sure if that counts or not but i am good at what i do, I am artistic but i have a horrible problem with drawing because of dyslexia making the fine motor control of my hands pretty bad, i think its a shame really.
Also just in case you did not know, meditation is a left brained act so if your training the right side of the brain with it then its kinda counterintuitive, i would not give it up though :)
[QUOTE=IndigoGhost;1360329]Cool is it not? :)
It has its benefits and has its weaknesses, i will say though that its nice to have something that almost makes you destined to succeed and will drive you forward to success without even trying.I figured meditation is a right brain acted, because it clears conscious/logical/left brain thoughts, while the right-brain has a chance to dominate. It increases intuition, creativity, decreases stress, anxiety, etc. etc.Quote:
yes this is what I was talking about. Great advantage
Also just in case you did not know, meditation is a left brained act so if your training the right side of the brain with it then its kinda counterintuitive, i would not give it up though :)
I know exactly what you mean by the social killing side-effects of aspergers, I have it myself. It's enhanced so many aspects of my mind and connection to my subconscious, which in turn has enhanced my artistic side, and I find myself extremely emotional on a good (or bad) day of it. Pretty much why social interaction has sucked is because I'm introverted without any form of extroversion. I can think up the most wonderful things to say or do, but I cannot say or do them. If I try, they will be shaky and cluttered and lacking in many ways.Quote:
Originally Posted by IndigoGhost
Drawing, however, I'm getting better at. When I just relax myself and draw the "shapes" of my emotions and surroundings I feel as though a needle is just draining all the stress out of me. I also have synethstesia, and with being emotional I find everything in the world to be vivid in a non-literal way. That is, say, a hammer is not just a hammer to me-- it's a gigantic scene of wooden cubes and little children passing balls back and forth in a misty field of wheat. Everything is like that to me, and I can't even come close to representing the figments of my subconscious on paper or on the computer.
So, photographic memory for me would be like physically seeing all of the beautiful creations of my autistic/synethstetic mind... and that would be just amazing for me.
Getting a little off track here, but I'm also bipolar which has only added to the vastness of my emotions, nevertheless I've trained myself out of so many habits and it is possible to diminish a great deal of these syndromes. They're great to have when you want them, but when you don't, and they're still there, it can be brutal.
Meditation is concentration of a single thought, so its more of a logical thing rather then creative. I guess it depends on the type of meditation you do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Majestic
The worst kind of thing that personally happens to me in conversations with normal people is that they ask me about celebrities and modern music as most people my age are obsessed with them and it should come natural but i have no idea, i want to start talking about quantum physics or something very technical in small talk and have done a few time's and this is where the problem starts because they don't understand anything about it and then you alienate yourself because you get the weird feeling your higher up or "smarter" then those around you. I hate this part because its hard to make friends when you think everyone are stupid sheep in a cage without walls. ;/Quote:
Originally Posted by Spenner
wow, amazing responses. For one thing, i have always been fascinated with autism. My mother says that she used to think I was autistic, although I don't really know that and she is a bit strange anyway, making complicated solutions or explanations when there is a really simple answer...
I didn't have any friends until i was in 1st grade really, and even at that, it was more like someone who followed me around and talked to me wile I thought of other stuff. I only made "real friends" in late elementary school. I also didn't learn to talk properly until Kindergarden after a few years of speech therapy. but anyway, enough of my life story. Personally, I think I am just really introverted. Prehaps though, I have this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-functioning_autism
of which I fit the symptoms of can't hold eye contact, engage in play (yeah, causes a lot of problems in school when everyone wants to play sports and I no will or want at all to although I can enjoy video games so that may cancel that out), and pick up on social cues which is the worst because i can NOT tell how people feel, especially about me, without them telling me directly. And there is the problem of "showing affection" which I even when I would LIKE to do, I have no idea what to do.
anyway, that is most likely just poor social skills and introversionism. I just thought i would throw that out there.
But back to the photographic memory thing, The responses saying that you don't remember everything are interesting, and make it even more appealing to me. One question though. Is math hard for those of you with photographic memory? It would seem that it would be if you thought mostly in pictures.
Math is hard to contemplate even in the simplest form-- for instance, addition: I see the numbers as big bulky text with pretty well no value other than the picture of the number itself, trying to push in between a set of numbers below it. SOMETIMES I see the numbers morph into one another, like a 4 bonding from the top point of a 6 and dripping down to an 0 and kicking the number in front slowly to +1... yeah, it's a bit inconvenient.
Algebra is a bit easier, and as long as I have a handy calculator with me it's alright-- just the deep thinking problems I can't do.
I'm pretty sure a "photographic memory" is something boring people say they have to make themselves feel interesting.
This is interesting because for me and my form of memory thinking in pictures. When i am doing math like 2+2 i will see two 2's floating next to each other in my minds eye and they sort of merge to show 4, they also have there own color depending on the numbers, for example 2 is yellow and 4 is lime green for me. The funny thing is that i am not overly excellent at math because in general math is a logical experience rather then creative and also i don't really take much interest in it personally so that's probably another factor.Quote:
Originally Posted by sheogorath
Also when i see the numbers in the minds eye my normal eyes kinda fade out to black a little bit and i start seeing as if I'm looking inwards, none of that floating numbers in front of the physical eyes stuff.
It's amazingQuote:
Originally Posted by IndigoGhost
No, math comes pretty easy for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by sheogorath
I find math pretty easy.
YesQuote:
Originally Posted by Majestic
Yes
Yes.
Awesome! :)
I'm autistic, but am horrible at remembering scenes, unless they are in dreamsQuote:
Originally Posted by Majestic
you're pretty much wrong, also does trolling feel good or something?Quote:
Originally Posted by Grod
I wasn't going to state i had it until you posted that Grod...
I have it, and unless i'm trying to memorize speech or written words, i use it all the time accompanied with regular memory, it's like visual memory bookmarks, it helps to quickly reference pieces of your memory, also, when i'm drawing free handed, i visualize what i want to draw and hold it in my head for a while, then i stare at the paper and project it onto it visually untill it becomes a strong photographic memory and then i just draw what i'm seeing visually as a memory projected, it's a little difficult to explain. I also use it for cataloging other memories, as i'll reference a time, then a visual of that moment the visually replay that scene and let anything said naturally filter in from my regular memory... it's very very helpful, and i would hate to lose it
Edit: Hey OldManRiver! (lol sorry just had to) but rly, math does come easy, not saying i'm a super smart, but what i do know, i visually project it in front of me and then hold a photographic memory of it in front of me while working the problem, runs pretty quickly... also, i do the thing with the book also, i read the really good parts and just grab the memory of the so-so parts and "read over" them while reading other pages...
A good tip is to stay calm and level headed. It helps to clearly express your ideas. Also please don't imply I'm trolling when you disagree with what I'm saying, it gives off a weak connotation to an argument.Quote:
Originally Posted by MementoMori
Now. Can you tell me the difference between that and strong visualization skills? A lot of people do the projection thing, I do the same thing when I'm drawing.
i apologize if i seemed upset, i was not, bad word usage on my part perhaps, also, i use it in combination with strong visualization skills, to visualize it, project it, then keep it as a photographic memory, the difference is not having to visualize it again, just remembering it does the visualizing naturally
I suppose this is where I see the problem. So you're saying that you don't have to visualize a certain image, but calling upon the memory does the visualization automatically?Quote:
Originally Posted by MementoMori
I mean, that's what I think most people do. Call upon their memory of an image and it will popup in their head. Unless I'm misunderstanding something?
in greater detail, and it comes naturally, like, not even with art or books... like if i were to remember a conversation with someone, i would immediately see the place where it happened along with the surrounding people, then the entire scene would play through my mind, not like when you just remember the words, or the actions... it's hard for me to describe
I can understand it, I see it in the mind's eye though almost like i go into instant spontaneous meditation and completely shut off to the outside world. This may or may not be what you mean.Quote:
Originally Posted by MementoMori
I do the exact same thing. I don't think it's photographic memory, just a visual memory, which is better than just remembering what was said etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by IndigoGhost
Like every time someone mentions something that happened, I visualise the whole thing, probably just in a second or so, but I see the whole thing in my mind and pretty much completely block out the external world. And then continue the conversation. It's quite strange really.
I have an insanely good memory, better than anyone I know. But I don't think it's photographic.
And yes I would love to have that.
Afaik, math should be easy. For example, you look at a textbook with the rules for some certain type of equation, then you come across that equation in a test or in your work or whatever. You can just pull that image of the textbook up and see the rules for that type of equation. Then just follow them, substituting the numbers you're using in place of the ones that were in the example in the textbook.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheogorath
How would a photographic memory work in dreams? Would you remember your dreams visually almost perfectly, because of that kind of memory or will the brain try to sweep your memory clean from dreams regardless of your special memory?
Well some people have said that they can't remember their dreams well, others have said they can. I guess it depends on the person. Also, the brain works completely differently while asleep.