I once read an article on the WWW about a man who possessed involuntary photographic memory, and did not have the ability to forget things.
This man began to suffer from mental clutter, and he sought help from a psychiatrist, but the psychiatrist was unable to successfully help. Eventually this unfortunate man suffered depression, and eventually died in his 30's or 40's.
I've been uanble to find this article on the WWW. Does anyone recall this story, and perhaps where I can find it?
I’ve been wondering about just how true this whole thing with “S” is. It just seems a little fantastical. Of the billions of people alive today, is there anyone who comes close to what this guy supposedly did?
The guy is in quite a few cognitive psychology books. He’s a synesthetic (smells shapes, feels colors etc…etc…) It is actually not that fantastical a feat. Everyone on the planet posses the ability to remember everything in their lives. You don’t believe me? We have trillions of neurons, creating pathways all the time, some new, some old, some well used. Every once in a while someone comes along who has the ability to use each pathway in their brain to recall just about anything. Granted the man in question is quite good at recalling just about everything in his life. But as he is a synesthetic, try asking him when the last time was he saw a triangular trimmed green tree. He probably couldn’t tell you.
No I don’t. Nor do I believe that everyone has the ability to understand quantum physics, play music by ear, run a 4-minute mile, or “do anything they want to if they just try had enough”.
Whenever people discuss phenomenal memories this is the same guy that keeps getting brought up even 100 years or so after he died. Is there someone living today who can demonstrate similar feats? If not, why not?
I’m not talking about trying hard enough. I’m talking about cognition. Everyone of normal physical capabilities is hard wired with around the same amount of neuronal capability. The assertion by some over the years that Einstein types use considerably more of their brains than other’s is false. Some people show more aptitude for certain thing than others but they do have the same capabilities with the right amount of training.