Photographic Memory

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According to Derren Brown in his chapter on Memory in Tricks of the Mind he reckons photographic memory does not exist.
"While there are a few savants who are able to hold in their minds very complex, detailed after-images of a scene (eidetic memory) it typically does not hold for long and is prone to subjective distortions than being photographically perfect.
Mental processing holds only 7 units of information.

Does anyone on the forum posess a photographic memory?

Most people with AS thanks to the link with OCD have something close eidetic memory when it comes to their obsessions. I could tell about any sort of toxin you asked me about and most viruses. I'm sure other people have more advanced forms of this power.

I don't know where he draws his information from?? I remember reading about a painter who could recall scenes he wanted to paint, detail for detail. Also a man who could recite entire books from memory. I personally know a guy (probably an Aspie) who can literally be shown a collection of LP records, and recite the known value for any one of them.

I guess the question is, what are his perameters for defining "photographic memory".

Complete recognition of scene in your mind. Literally a photograph. I've heard that most "prodigious" savants have this due to the break down of brains information filter.

I don't know Derren Brown's sources, I suspect he may not have researched this topic that vigorously. My friend saw him get into a a taxi on Baker Street last week wearing a long dark coat, he did'nt hail it, it just arrived in front of him, possibly he infiltrated the mind of the driver.
No.

I'll have to check on this. I'm sure the writer that wrote about Temple Grandin, Oliver whatisname, has covered this topic ....

I dunno, but photograohic memory should not be confused with either perfect or permanent memory, though virtually all of us think we have both.
I feel I have something I call "phonographic memory." I can memorize what I hear. Used to really annoy collage professors by not taking notes in class. It has to be "switched-on" though. I have to concentrate.

I can remember images well, but not exactly photographic, just well defined. I know the main features and message of an image.

Got one to a large-ish extent.
I'm a very visual thinker.

Well, I listen rather than watch sometimes, and take it all in. I can also remember things I hear quite well, but I imitate them poorly.

whats an aflotoxin?

when a sabre tooth tiger chases someone through a forest...that neurotypical person doesnt notice the colour of the leaves, the shade of trees, the landscape or how many birds are there, they just run like frig and try and avoid the stt.
when an aspie is getting chased he may nptice these things..there are differences in our brain wiring that allows us to pick up details in most observations that most people can filter out..this filter works as it allows nt's to avoid the stt, while it allows us to notice the brightness of the redness of our blood when we are getting eaten by the stt......this is why aspies can pick up noises , sounds colours tatses that others cant...we dont have this filter that nt's have...derren brown is a con atrisit moron..all aspies can be eidetic.....we can develop it...i still remember chemistry formulae and nolecular structure from uni..its a good knowledge to have, its also impoertant to tuen it off when one is getting chased by the stt and run like hell and stop looking at the birds and hide!
we have and we can control it..there are advantaghes to being an aspie, this i sone if it is recognised nurtured and controlled.

its an aspie jedi'ism.......may the force be with you.

I think in pictures and rembering is pretty much relaying a tape or a picture. Sometime with schematics I do have to mentally walk through them to orient

This has caused problems at work but upon checking their notes or looking at a copy of the schematic in question - am generally correct (once I called a shirt red when it was burgandy; another time I saw the schematic upside down so verbal descriptions of the top input confused people)

Once people recognized that I can remember well they stopped wondering if I was trying to manipulate by selective memory. Now I am in addition to my real job a walking/talking database.

Too funny!

My technique is to draw pictures or doodle while people are speaking and when it comes time to use the information that had been talked about I recreate the picture or doodle in my head and there is the raw data.

I realized that this is how my memory works best for lectures, etc., and yes it does indeed annoy professors.

I guess this is more of an associated memory device though, not specifically photographic.

I have, this is how I learnt things in school, I was able to view in my mind the pages, drawing, texts, etc of a book for instance, page by page.

IIRC my psy told me NTs as AS as others people can have photographic memory, it does not seem to be a trait of autism.

I remember alot of stuff in photographic memory, it was one of the traits my parents picked up on when I was younger.