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What is it like to have a photographic memory?
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categorysociety
typeknow lives
tynamite
tynamite's avatar I do not remember everything in my life, and I don't have direct access to the things I remember. My memory is semi-photographic. So if you asked me what Keyshia Cole looks like, I couldn't give you answer, although I've seen her over 5 years ago on some R&B music video. I also can't tell you the 6 halogens in the Periodic Table are, if you asked me what they were.

So in that sense, my memory is just like yours.

However, I see a blurry image in my mind for the things that I do remember. This only helps me in 3 rare aspects of my life.


  • Every time I tell you a piece of information, I can tell you what medium I read it from, and what it was called. So I could mention something I read from a newspaper in conversation, and tell you what newspaper I read it from. This has got me nicknamed encyclopedia at times
  • In exams when I'm answering questions, if I have revised for the exam beforehand using an old exam paper, I will see a blurry image with some of the words, including the words I wrote on the page, to help me answer the question.
  • I somehow remember big or complicated rare words at the exact time I need to use them.


This comes with disadvantages.
It is hard for me to take in lots of information at once.


  • When revising for 2 exams at once, everyone revised 75-100% of the old exam paper. I could only revise a third of it. I failed both exams and now have to resit those modules. I am absolutely rubbish at exams, and I have to revise 2 months in advance to have a chance of passing them. I couldn't meet the 40% pass mark, getting 1 or 2 marks off, a maximum of 15 questions. I don't know how I'm going to pass university.
  • I am rubbish at remembering numbers. Yet I remember important phone numbers and my pin code because they're important.
  • When talking to me with lots of words about new stuff, you might notice that there's a part of your message that I obliviously skipped. Some of the sentences I know you've said, don't actually compute in my brain. It takes me a while to realise that I've overlooked something, so I have to think back to remember what I've overlooked.
  • I am not observant in any way. I walked out the Fish and Chip shop and dropped my change on the grey concrete. It was right in front in my face right next to the copper coin I picked up. I couldn't find the silver 20p coin, no matter how hard I looked. I'm rubbish at noticing changes in things. Another time some Muslim girl in my class had a newly acquired headscarf on, to dedicate herself to her religion. Her and some other girl asked me to spot what was different about her. I couldn't get it no matter how many guesses I did. The irony is that I had trouble recognising her when she said hello to me earlier, because her face was covered. My brain just skips that sort of stuff.


So I would like to say, that there are no advantages or disadvantages to having my type of memory. It takes with one hand, and gives with the other. It's really good at certain things, but it makes up for it in other ways.

PS. If you've ever had a comment thread with me on this website or anything, I haven't forgotten what you've said to me, because I have made an active effort not to forget any of your words to me. That's how good my memory is. I just don't have direct access to it now. I hope Gary Rutz doesn't reply to this answer and talk about Gringotts.
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