Photographic-type Memory ~ do you have one? Is it a problem?

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I have a photographic-type memory. I can remember 'photographically' visual scenes, things people wore, but also things people said, verbatim and other details. I can read signs from a really long way away, have exceptional vision, can read upside-down, etc.

Sometimes, I am, also, ultra-vague and very occasionally I "black out" and don't remember anything. This would happen when I am overloaded or overwhelmed. I mention that because it happens, but my topic only relates to the exact remembering of details.


For a long time, I masked my good memory. I would just pretend I didn't notice - a lot. It was part of how I socialised. It was part of how I managed.

Recently, I've found that I no longer have the patience. I've been diagnosed, and I'm a lot more willing to 'be myself no matter what'. If I have instant recall on something, I just say it, a lot more of the time.

However, there is a dilemma. It would be considered inappropriate sometimes, even in close friendships to have this kind of recall. In other words, people might think you're a stalker (that did happen to me one time, when I'd had a so-called friendship with someone who really didn't understand my characteristics at all. It was Horrible) if you start reciting what they said two months ago when they were standing in the kitchen wearing a red shirt. Mind you, other people like it, or find it amusing.

Most of the time, I guess people who I would make friends with (hopefully) are smart enough to see I have a good memory, or I can tell them, yes, I do have a good memory .. but what about close relationships? What about ongoing friendships with people who also remember well? It's a social norm in friendships to forget recent events after they happen and need a little reminding. And I guess that's part of the fun of friendship. But, what if you don't forget, and what if they don't either?

If the people you meet are understanding enough they wont thing anything weird about being able recall memories to clearly.

Its the type of thing I'd wait to tell somebody once I got to know them a bit better. I'm always open about autism to people I know once I have known them a little while but you just got to judge carefully because some people will treat you differently for not being "normal".

I wish I had a photographic memory. I can remember certain things in a lot of detail but I would not quite call my memory photographic.

No one's ever given me a hard time over remembering things clearly. I just don't tell them everything even if they are wrong. I might correct them if it's very important, but in reality, there is so little that actually is. So usually I don't bother.

I don't believe in photographic memory. I place in the top 0.5% when it comes to visual spatial and visual memory (0.5-1% in auditive/verbal) and my memory is very detailed and consistent, but it's not truly photographic. In fact only a handfull of people are believe to have true photographic memory. I also pretend to forget things so people won't think I'm obsessed with them. People hate it when I use what they said months/years ago against them, and they'll say something like: "I didn't say that!", "stop living the past", "why would you remember that...".. Others enjoy it, because I remind them of things they have forgotten and because of my ability to link events and put two and two together. I don't tend to take notice of what people wear - but rather what they were doing, the surroundings etc. I don't tend to bore people with details anymore. And reading upside down? I used to think that was something everyone could do Heck, I even draw/write upside down/sideways with the same speed and accuracy.

Last edited by Assembly on 11 Sep 2010, 9:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

Assembly, that is very interesting

And yeh, I'm not sure whether I believe in photographic memory per se, although I did use the words photographic-type memory to try and convey what I mean. It is a different thing to what a lot of people have. I'm not sure mine is truly photographic either but judging on the reactions people have sometimes it's like I said somehow different whether it's good bad or ugly. Or beautiful.

happymusic, really like your avatar and such. I usually don't correct people either (or consider it important) but I find when I'm with people I really trust and/or am close with I feed back to them what I'm thinking which is a lot of detail. I mean, that's what honesty is after all. It's people telling each other what they're thinking.
I could be less literal about that perhaps but .. I don't know. I mean, I am literal, as well.

PatrickNeville, I like your point about people being understanding. Unfortunately I seem to lack the differentiative ability to know when to tell people stuff (I err on the side of not disclosing anything usually, rather than too much) but it's good to pick things up from hearing what others do. Cheers.

I think the biggest misconception about photographic (or eidetic) memory is that most people, even those with such memory capability, believe one with photographic memory remembers everything they saw, even if only for a second, and can recall the memory instantly.

A photographic memory seems to me to be the result of the absence of filtering in sensory input and subsequent memory processing, which occurs normally in most people. This filter keeps out unimportant details to prevent sensory overload.

I myself have a photographic memory and can recall a lot of things in great detail. But I usually compare my memory recalling process to the auto-focus on a camera. Sometimes it snaps in to focus instantly, and at other times I need some reference points (like area, time of day and such) to guide help my memory get in focus.

And I must admit I do frequently keep parts of the recalled information to myself to prevent weird reactions.

I agree with you MarijnR. You don't remember everything ever. There are certain types of things that I can sort of "take pictures of" more easily. Situations, motivation, verbal statements, etc. don't stick with me very easily. It's like I get one snapshot and if I choose to I can engage that but I don't always. And it's always visual.

Assembly, you made me smile. I didn't realize that photographic memory was something to be believed in or not. I'd never thought of it that way. I thought everyone remembered things the same way I do.

MarijnR had a good point, I am not able to recall everything I ever experience. Some things slip through my mind like tears in the rain while other things I can recall with ease. I find that things which have a pattern which I can understand are easy to remember, then there is the problem of then recalling the information.

I have been told at work that I tend to recall things that I have read years later, I think it is a case that I use a hook to fish something out of my memery. On the flip side I will say that photographic memery is sometimes tiresome, there are things in my memery which managed to press the record button which I do not want inside my head.

Some things are just stupid nonsense things while other things are horrible things which I would rather forget. I would say to NTs who wish for a perfect photographic memery "Be careful what you wish for !"

Yeah, I have to be careful when looking at strings of numbers like license plates or credit card numbers so sometimes I avoid really looking at them. Once I recalled a barcode number for a lamp for about six months because I accidentally looked at it - I mean sort of photographically looked at it in a way that registered it in my memory.

I'd assume most people have heard about Stephen Wiltshire?

He is an Autistic man from England and he can re-draw entire cities after a helicopter trip.

He has done it in London, Tokyo and Hong Kong as far as I know

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8YXZTlwTAU

When I was in school and studying, if I studied too hard, while I was dreaming I would be reviewing the textbook pages incuding the page numbers in my mind, it didn't make for a restful sleep although I did great on exams.
Now that I'm older I don't have as good a photographic memory as I used to. I agree that you have to be careful in social situations, people do tend to think you are weird or a stalker if you remember too many details about previous encounters with them. I've also had to be careful with Facebook, I remember all the things I read that people I know have posted and I have to be careful when I'm talking to them that I keep it light and just give vague references to what they may have posted, not get too specific.
It can be a blessing and a curse.

My memory is excellent and I think "visually" but I believe its something different from photographic memory. My BIG problem with it is that I can't ever remember things that I can't visualise. I work in a factory and we make hundereds of different car parts and none of them have names, just numbers like 1155112306 or 115152306. When my boss askes me to go set up for 1155whatever, I forget the number he told me in less than 5 seconds, but if I see the number written in unique handwriting somewhere I can remember it for weeks. Even if I've heard the number 50 times I just about forget it before I can write it on my hand. In this high pressure work environment this flaw is killing me, I look stupid. Normal people amaze me sometimes.

I have a photographic memory, and I remember a lot of things that have happened in my life, and it is a problem. I have emotional flashbacks of my early childhood, sometimes.

I don't know if it's truly photographic, but I have a far better memory than most people. It can be a real problem since I remember both good and bad things, but the bad comes to mind about as easily as facts related to my special interests. That can really suck.

sourus, that is interesting about your visual memory. Sometimes I think it's important for us to know how we work best, so we can work that way instead of trying to work the same way as other people. I felt like encouraging you to remember those numbers the way you can, and don't worry about how other people do it, after reading your post.
I know I can have trouble taking things in sometimes, if not given my own time to do it.

I can relate to the other posts about imprints of both 'good' and 'bad' memories, too ....

websister, your post is very amusing I thought

No. I can't visualize things in my head well at all. I seem to have an at least decent long term memory of events (barring childhood which I seemed to live in a daze because my memory is fuzzy of it), but I can not sequence these events in the correct order. I also can't recall specific dialogue. Sometimes I do not divulge all the things I remember because it has occurred to me that others might find it creepy.

Even if I were to overhear a conversation however with someone a few minutes ago, I would have trouble typing about it. Since I can not recall the sequencing, or the dialogue word-for-word, and in my mind it is difficult to summarize things, it is a bit like it never happened. Or it did happen, but it has the same obscurity as a dream. I have the knowledge of it, but it's hard to word.

Typed things, written things, pictures-- those seem a lot more real and easy to grasp and interact with. I can see that I'm typing, I see the words appear on the screen, they're going to last. Real life words or things don't last unless you were to scribe them, or take a picture of them. I wonder if someone can relate?