Crushing Tall PoppiesA Gifted Memory
“Mom, you remember my first tricycle with the push bar that screwed in on the back?” “Yes”, I replied, quizzically wondering where this conversation was going to lead. “I so disliked when you insisted on using that bar. It was quite embarrassing and made me feel like such a baby!” At 8 years old, he was recalling riding his first tricycle at 18 months old. The push bar was used for only one day because a little 18 month old pushed back vehemently about its use.
Intellectual giftedness is often so much more than what intelligence, academic and aptitude tests normally measure. Of course we understand that no test is 100% accurate for all people, but when testing for intelligence, not all intellectual traits can be measured. While short term memory can be measured and is used as a factor in intelligence testing, what about long term memory?
My youngest gifted son has, at times, astounded as well as frightened us with his incredible long term memory. Events, people, smells, emotions, names, places and even peripheral factors such as the air temperature or background noise at the time of the original situation and setting – can all be recalled by our son. And it amazes us how far back in his childhood his memory goes and how much of his earliest years he can remember. This has been an incredible and useful, but sometimes frustrating gift.
His frustration is often felt when he is recounting a specific situation as part of an enthusiastic conversation or an important point he wishes to make, and his father and I just can’t remember the event he is trying to help us bring to mind! He desperately tries to bring in every detail he can summon to trigger our memory, including some so minuscule, I am awed that anyone can remember such inconsequential details. These conversations often leave him a bit angry with us for being unable remember what he needs us to, and then it brings about an end to his pointed conversation or the point he was trying to make.
I am ashamed to admit that my son’s mega-memory has become a crutch for the rest of us. When we need to remember something: “Hey, do you remember the name of the man that came to fix our fridge last year?” When we’ve lost something: “Do you remember where that special, safe place was where I put the extra set of keys to the car?” Or when I need a memo: “Okay, remember these room measurements for me, and we will go get the paint for the room this afternoon.”
And his memory works well for him, too. When he wants something: “Mom, remember when you had promised me years ago you would buy me that software and you never did?” When he doesn’t want to do something: “Papa, remember when you promised me last week that I could skip scooping dog poop this week?”
One event in recent history, and one that I can recall, still stuns and intrigues me.
We moved about a year ago, and during the first few months, we happily took in all the most popular sights and places of our new city. One particular restaurant was extremely popular, always crowded, and had a wait time no matter what time of day you went. We had to try it! Once we were seated in this bustling, crowded restaurant, it was at times difficult to enjoy our meal with all the people, noises and movement, but it was a worthwhile visit.
Another point we made during our move was to get our son, who was 13 years old at the time, into social situations as soon as possible so he could make new friends. Before our move, I investigated different teen-appropriate groups, teams and clubs that our son could join or participate in. In one such group, after hearing about our new-in-town family, with a teen in tow who wanted to get plugged into social groups pronto, one mom, whom we had never met, offered to get her same-age son and my son together. We invited her son over to our house to come hang out, and while the moms, dads and sons, who had all just met for the first time chatted in our foyer, our son made a mind-blowing revelation.
As we relayed to our new friends all the local highlights we had already taken in, we brought up the popular, always-crowded eatery we had been to a month ago. Coincidence would have it that our new friends’ uncle owned the well-known restaurant. Cool!
“Weren’t all of you there about 4 weeks ago sitting at the high table in the middle of the restaurant?”, asked my son. Blood immediately drained from my face. I flailed between, “is this one of his jokes?”, or “did he meet these people at some point and I didn’t know about it?”, or worse, “he is going to be so embarrassed when he finds out he made a mistake”! How could my son remember what a group of strangers at a ridiculously crowded restaurant looked like enough to recognize them as the people we just met for the first time who are now standing in our foyer? He must be mistaken–an easy, forgivable mistake. No biggie.
Then the mom said that in fact they were there 4 weeks ago celebrating her older twin sons’ birthdays. What? Really? Are you kidding me? And in reply to what his new friend’s mom just stated, our son commented, oh so tactfully, that he also recognized that their teenage son, his new friend, had the same outfit on now as he did in the restaurant 4 weeks ago! Ouch!
Just because you remember something doesn’t mean you have to spout it out! But darn, how did he recognize and remember these people who were total never-ever-laid-eyes-on-before strangers 4 weeks ago in a large crowded and bustling restaurant? Could he recall every stranger in that restaurant?
His gifted memory astounds and frightens me; and at times, when he was much younger, his verbalization of these memories in public made me want to run and hide.
Please remember that this post is part of Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page September Blog Hop: Gifted, How? Don’t forget to read all the other memorable posts that are part of this blog hop!
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I think your son remembered a detail about that family, and that detail acted like a computer app, that when his brain clicked on it, the entire scene replayed.
If I see somebody with a cordless microphone, I remember a pupped show I saw in Sarasota at the circus museum when I was three years old, back in 1972. I remember the boy and girl who were asked to come up on stage, and talk to the puppet, that the puppet had been vandalized before the show, and how the puppeteer ad-libbed to say “I don’t have a tail. Some little boy came and pulled it off”. I can even remember the blue suit the MC was wearing.
How do I remember all this? The wireless microphone. The MC had a 1970’s version of one, and his had a big battery pack that he had to carry in a shoulder pouch.
Yes! I love your analogy about the detail (microphone) acting as a computer app being clicked on and the entire scene being played. That definitely makes the workings of gifted brains and the formulation of memories more understandable.
And my son remembered this family because the detail was that all of the men and boys in this family had long hair and trendy clothing, so he remembered each person individually.
I have another gifted adult who has spoken with me at length about gifted memories, and he asserts that there is an emotional impact from that moment in time that tags the memory as important and makes it easily assessable and recalled.
I’d love to see research into the gifted brain and gifted memories.
Thanks, CGB!
Hi, this post relates to me so greatly that I almost had to stop reading It hahaha (scary). I’m 29-30 years old, I was recently assessed to be Profoundly Gifted (albeit not by a psychometrician but by clinically assessed individuals). My memory has been described as Photographic (or eidetic/somatic/episodic) and from an early age (possibly before 4 perhaps 2) I’ve been reading and accumulating knowledge through autodidactism. I’m also on the spectrum with ADHD and Schizoaffective disorder running tangentially, this has created a unique brain architecture. I’ve theorized that my hippocampi are not enlarged, but rewired (as is my Prefrontal cortex). I think primarily through images, although I can also think musically and through auditory means. I might even have synesthesia which enables me to equate certain sounds to tactile stimulation and colors (which comes in handy during a game of name that tune). I’ve memorized parts of the brain, Roman emperors, all extant species of great apes (and lesser apes to a degree) anthropological facts, Antiquity facts, philosophy, ethology, zoology, taxonomy, the evolutionary progression of man, neural networks, etc.
I can remember being in a stroller at the zoo, the color of my bottle and how it felt and smelled in my dads old vehicle. I’ve noticed with gifted people that arborescent thinking takes place in the exceptionally to Profoundly gifted ranges. So, the intake of information becomes overwhelming and a need for compartmentalization becomes paramount. I’ll often remember things, thinking that other people will know and relate, only to find out they don’t. It’s excruciatingly painful!
– thank you
You are welcome, and thank YOU for sharing your story. You’ve enlightened many of us who do not have such a gifted memory.
My giftedness lies well in the emotional—empathetic and perceptive—area. And right now, my hear hurts because I feel that pain of thinking people “will know and relate, only to find out they don’t.” It really is excrutiatingly painful.
I hope you will stop by again and share your gifted experiences with us!
Thank you so much! I also have a high level of emotional OE which culminates in me being highly intuitive, sensitive, intellectually astute, and susceptible to stimuli. My gifted experience began two years ago. I’m currently experiencing a crisis of self in which professional life, relationships, and family life are oscillating from relatively good, to subjectively bad. Speaking to my psychologist he opined that “I was incredibly bright, and not pushed hard enough”. Whilst soul searching on the website Quoara, I met other individuals who were at the Profoundly Gifted range. Said individuals could see the “entropy” in my life and immediately surmised that my emotional intensity had to do with being on the right side of the Gaussian distribution. We are only 2-3 percent of the population of earth, but IMO we are subjected and susceptible to immense scrutiny, and stigmatization.
“…we are subjected and susceptible to immense scrutiny, and stigmatization.” <---And all because the other 90+ % don't understand giftedness and the innate challenges that come with it. Your life experience with giftedness, as well as most other gifted individuals, are misdiagnosed, miseducated, and misunderstood. The suffering of gifted individuals is magnified when those in the educational, medical, and mental health fields don't know enough about us. And that we are just 2-5% of the population excerbates the entire situation. This is why I preach ADVOCACY. We all need to stand up and speak out and inform others about giftedness. With so few of us, we all need to use our voices to support each other and the gifted children who have no voice. If you are interested, I invite you, encourage you, to write a guest post or posts for my website. It would be so impactful to hear the stories from others like yourself and not just my lone voice. Thank you again for sharing your story, your thoughts, and your insights!
Okay so over the years i feel like i’ve had some sort of gift with my long term memory like i always seem to want to learn things in a way that would ensure my long term memory remembers it, i know exactly how it works, i know exactly how i learn and the primary i went to from 4 – 10 years old seemed to help a lot with my learning over the years i seem to lean on what i was taught, the strong comprehension skills they taught, i remember how i used to sit and read all of the level based reading books and i read every single one where it wasn’t enough i seemed to excel where most except a boy i was friends didn’t excel i’ve always been an amazing reader and good at english and creative things like arts and crafts, singing and suddenly i can pick up on piano easily (although i’m yet to take proper lessons but i want to i loved it for the 2 months i did it), they gave us sort of individual learning plans too which honestly would benefit everyone if schools taught that way.
Anyways i remember almost everything i did at primary school as far back as reception the odd moment from when i was 3 years old but not much it gets too blurry there to recall anything, i remember the assembly, the songs we sang, the school plays, the names of 2 teachers at least but the appearance of the others, how we did things in all classes, the library we went to, then the bigger book area they setup after they discovered me and the boy needed more books to read cos we ran out LOL, i remember a weird dream i had of a half sheep, half human, what the cafeteria looked like with the long wooden benches, how english and history taught together to make it more fun using books we got from the library i remember learning about The Romans and how the book showed pictures of a golden path and figures of romans, i remember all the books i read… it goes on and on i even remember what the reception class looked like (it’s a year before we start nursery here in england).
I keep telling myself though it could just be me cos of how i just seem to easily learn things, i focus on learning for my long term memory not short term and i have quite a curious and creative mind and i focus on anything and read about it, watch videos about it, look up photos about it if it strikes my interest just anything that does that no matter how little intrigues me and i may remember it, i can’t recall things on the dot but it’s more when the subject comes up and if i know it i can just FAR more easily pull that information out more than other people but that’s seems SO normal to me, my whole life i’ve just always thought other people could do the same if they tried, that maybe people are just simply not putting in the effort, or am i wrong?.
I have brought up things from my parents from when i was younger up to when i was a teenager and i get the same response that they don’t remember but i don’t believe that they must just be lying for some reason right? or Am i really actually gifted with my long term memory? the things you say about high intuition though i’ve always said since i started to notice as a teenager that i seem to have a higher intuition than other ppl and i frequently ask Why don’t people focus on different things? On things that other people aren’t paying attention to? because i do, but over the years i get the impression i just sound really bossy and condescending and i’ve been in situation where people ask if anyone knows something about what they want to know about and if i know something about it i might chip in but i immediately regret doing so cos suddenly they pretend they never asked, seemed intimidated and didn’t seem to understand what i said or then didn’t want to understand it, Does that make sense?. I dunno but i’ve always felt different i just assumed all these years it was just some normal alternate perception it seems to be more on information and facts i’m amazing at finding information quickly but i always wondered… i don’t remember every single detail like some of you but it’s enough to wonder.
Hi Emma,
Your long term memory is exceptional, and no, not everyone has a memory like yours. My youngest son has exceptional long-term memory and he has gone through many of the situations at school you described. Oh, the life of a gifted child–yours seems quite the same as many gifted children and teens as far as how others react to your giftedness.
Try not to worry about what others think and just embrace your phenomenal self and use all your gifts for your own advantage! Embrace your special traits and love them!
Check back in and let us know how you are doing! <3
~~Celi
I normally do use it for myself but i seem to like knowing things with the need to help other people too but i come off as a know-it-all cos anyone that’s known me called me a walking encyclopedia haha! 😛 i’ll take that as a compliment, i don’t know how to NOT come off as bossy and condescending though in social situations it’s definitely very isolating and difficult to make friends i can’t say i’ve ever had real friends when you’re young and naive it’s easy for people who DO see the value in remembering things so much more easy to take advantage and even now at 28 i have to frequently guard against people trying to get me to do things they should do themselves but i can’t always guard against it i’ve had a hard time with it and when i don’t know something they’re then disappointed throughout high school nobody understood me i never fit into academia cos i seem to need a more flexible approach which i give myself they always tried to put in learning support and then i was put in a learning support class when i did a cooking course at my local college i always took it as an insult they thought i had some sort of learning difficulty maybe they were onto something but not what they thought.
I don’t feel like i’ve had the support for how i think enough and i have other health problems too so i have depression and i think a little anxiety cos i avoid a lot of things, i think how i think is more selective than other people too so people may see it as being inflexible and stubborn i suppose… i can be a little bit and the part you said about remembering things when i want something i laughed LOL okay i’ve defo pulled that one on my parents and other people a few times while they forget just a few days to a week later i’m also a walking reminder calendar too, it’s defo not without difficulties.
Okay, Emma, you also have a phenomenal sense of humor!
I must admit we used our youngest as our on personal walking encyclopedia and human reminder app. But, two of my sons have experienced the isolation from being different, seeming to be arrogant because they “knew it all,” and not having many friends. Unfortunately, they’ve both had to work at finding friends and positive social interactions.
Oh yeah, we’ve had the issues with anxiety and depression here, too. I think it often comes packaged with giftedness. What a gift, right?
I will say, although I’m no mental health specialist of any sort, you do understand well your giftedness and that’s important. It can be a rocky journey and understanding what comes along with being gifted helps you help yourself.
Personalyy, I love waking encyclopedias. I mean, who wouldn’t want to besties with a walking encyclopedia with a fantastic sense of humor?
Take care, Emma, and stay in touch! ~~Celi
I’m glad i’m not the only one that has depression and anxiety although i don’t think the pressures of society these days helps that in fact it heightens it a lot more which i don’t enjoy, i have PCOS too got from my mom’s side (or rather that’s what they call it right now) so i’m fatigued all the time i suppose it slows me down which i don’t like one bit LOL i find i have to make a little more effort when going out shopping so i make shopping lists to take with me so if i get too stressed and then have a lapse in concentration i don’t have to think i just have to find when i’m looking for from the list, go to the cash register then leave i don’t waste time and i sit for a few mins and breath if i need to i’m learning to cope with it more, the internet has been a good tool that’s helped somewhat.
I think we also have a gift with psychology too i find it fascinating at least certain aspects of it particularly how the memory processes work it’s definitely a trait i share i find i can more easily learn behavioral patterns from other humans and i take mental notes of it i feel like a psychologist taking notes on their clipboard when i’m just sitting there watching and listening as if they’re some experiment rather than people and i don’t feel guilty about that then i try to work out how to navigate it, work with it, avoid it or work around it lol although i’ve not been too successful at it i just end up overthinking things, there’s a whole lot of watching and listening but never interacting though cos truthfully i don’t know what to say, the struggle is real.
I’m glad i found this blog i feel like i still know so little about myself and i just really need to solve the problems i’ve had in my past it’s not been an easy past i remember the inkblot test and an IQ test i was made to take once in school but it could never measure it but the woman said it is possible i may have a little higher in IQ and i think she was right, it’s hard to figure ourselves out too though.
Emma,
It is harder to figure ourselves out especially when so many of our gifted traits we took for granted as being normal–“You mean not everybody can remember when they were 2-years old?” And unconsciously, we learn how to hide or adapt our gifted traits in order to fit in.
I know for me, many of my gifted traits got packed away decades ago and I am just discovering them now. It’s been a painful process so I’d recommend understanding yourself now when you are 28-years old and not 61 like me!
There are a couple of gifted adult groups on Facebook: Gifted Adults, Gifted Adults-Secular, and a website dedicated to gifted adults, coaching and they also have a closed Facebook group–Intergifted. You might find some kindred spirits and learn more about yourself, too.
I’m happy you feel safe here to write your thought about your gifted journey! <3 Take care ~~Celi
I think for me having struggled so much in school with the one-size-fits-all way of doing things and inflexibility then being in and out of learning support and nobody really being honest that there may be something more there that’s why it got so packed away for me too i feel you although i still used how my unique way of thinking consciously so i knew it was different my whole life, i really wish there was a name for it. Thanks for recommending the groups i’ll check one of them out 🙂 <3
You are welcome! Take care and let me know if I can help you in any way. ~~Celi
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That embarassing situation sounds pretty familiar to me Celi and for that reason it has put a smile on my face, more than one time… In my opinion your son did’nt scan all the stranger of that crowded restaurant… I think your story could be also related with the strong intuition of highly gifted people. I mean, its possible that he would pay attention to that family for some unkonwn reason, perhaps the position where they stay(in the middle of the restaurant) could have influence on it. Of course, I could be mistaken and perhaps your son could remember any face of that crowdy restaurant but your story could be linked with the strong intuition and with the evolutioned way that gifted people process information…
As you well said, its very sad to couldn’t tell the truth simply because its something weird for the 98 per cent. But this doesnt mean that your son is weird or “freak”, I will like to put here this quote of Linda Silvermann…http://sengifted.org/100-words-of-wisdom-linda-silverman/
In my opinion giftedness didnt suck at all, while I understand a lot your feelings because its really hard sometimes to see the world in a different way but Its the rest of society the ones who had to understand it. Your son didnt have to change, as he didnt comit any crime for being able to remember things that other people couldnt, and also for having that strong intuition which some gifted people have. Being different can also give to your son a very special and unique personality and that’s the best present giftedness gives, from my point of view at least… :).
Million thanks for your braveness to share this story ^^.
Avalon,
Intuition–yes, that could definitely account for many situations where it wasn’t necessarily his memory.
Gifted children and adults should feel good about their giftedness, but being different isn’t always an advantage–sometimes fitting in and flying under the radar is a safer route for many children in school. I do know many gifted individuals who love and appreciate their giftedness; and I know many who just wish to be normal because their giftedness has brought them more distress than happiness. It all depends on the culture towards gifted students within which a gifted child grows up.
Thanks for sharing the link to Linda Silverman’s 100 Words of Wisdom–she is one of the best in the field!
Thank you for leaving your thoughts here, Avalon! I truly appreciate you sharing your opinions on memory versus intuition!
Thanks a lot, for your words, Ceil ^^
To my way of thinking it could be both things, strong memory and high intuition. Perhaps one is linked with the other as for remembering something you need intuition and for having intuition you also need to recall it. At least, with this kind of intuition… I understand you completely as its terrible that some people rejected their giftedness because they feel clueless and they only wanted to fit in this world. I think this means that society is doing somethething so wrong!!! Its so true that to be “like the others” is more easier to don’t have any problems at school… As a gifted, I can say that I would never change my giftedness, even its so true that sometimes its very hard to be different I couldn’t imagine my life without the experiences I had lived thanks for seeing the world in that way. And the main main reason is that if I were “like the others” I probably will be dead since a lot of years as my intuition, and that way to scan with all details all the environment, saved my life(an the others members of my family) more than once. So rejecting giftedness would be like rejecting my life, for me… In the end, the matter is that the main problem have gifted people is simply because, as you well said in your other article, humans always tend to sniff at anybody which is different because they feel like you coulndn’t do that things. It’s impossible to believe it for them, simply because they don’t know about the personalities of some gifted ones, but even worse is that they don’t spend want to understand it. For that reason many gifted always hide their abilities, like being “in the closet”, because they thought that they may loose friends if the others know about their particular skills. Thus, we have one of the biggest problems of high giftedness, isolation….The school is only an example for the problems that they may have in their adulhood, specially if they are undiagnosed. This is very sad but so true…
Yes, I totally agree with you. Linda Silverman is one of the greatest experts in the field. And you’re right, all depends a lot with the environment the gifted grew up…
Million thanks again for talking about a topic that is so overlooked!!
Avalon,
You are welcome, but mostly I want to thank you for sharing your insights and experiences. The best any of us can do is to continue being a part of the conversation about giftedness, and sharing our thoughts and experiences. This keeps the conversation going, brings the topic to the forefront, and may help others to finally understand giftedness. It also helps gifted individuals who feel isolated to see they are not alone.
I look forward to our next conversation!
Yes I totally agree with you Celi, It seems like I need to hear that words in someone else’s mouth to loose all that fears that keep me away to talk about it. As you well said, sharing this thoughts, we can help to other gifted people to feel they aren´t alone. For that reason, I thank you a lot for telling about this so overlooked subject.
By the way, you said at the beginning of your article that this kind of abilites, like long-tem memory(and I supposed that also intuition) coulndn’t be measured with ordinary tests like WAIS. I am asking about that myself since many years and I have the same opinion. Indeed, if you think twice its impossible for that tests to measure things like creativity, intuition, sensitiveness… traits that are very common in many gifted people. From my point of view this is the biggest reason that there are so many gifted ones without being detected. I know this subject is so controversial that all the experts in the field coulnd’t get agree with each other…. But I think its true that gifted community is in about 2-3 per cent of the population. So, what happened if one person have the same characteristics of that minoriry and the scoring in a test is only average? It means that persons isn’t gifted? I’m not pretty sure. Luckily it seems like nowadays the connoisseurs in the subject are getting more warned in traits like sensitiveness or creativity. I think they’re in the the good way…
Being gifted can get you in trouble sometimes, specially for the repudiation ot the others, but to be gifted without knowing why you are different can destroy you emotionally…
Hi Avalon,
Thank you again for all your thoughts and contributions to the gifted conversation!
“but to be gifted without knowing why you are different can destroy you emotionally…” I agree with this 100%!
What I have wanted to say before is that people like Einstein, Mozart, or Da Vince never did an IQ test for proving their giftedness, and I’m sure anyone of us doubt about it. As you now, many experts estimate their IQ based in their achivements and assuming that no one could reach to the levels they unless having a high giftedness…
In your sons story we can say more or less the same. Could anyone who isn’t gifted remember that things and that insignificants details as your son? That is my question :). I know may connoisseurs in the subject thought that gifted people proccess information in an unique way, as the word well said “gifted” means that this person is born with a special gift…
Determining giftedness is complicated–IQ isn’t always the only criteria although it is the most popular. Creativity, memory, advanced sense of humor and others should also be considered. But yes, the achievements of Einstein, Mozart and Da Vinci most definitely demonstrated a gifted mind.
It’s so hard to describe a gifted mind. A colleague of mine describes the unique way gifted people perceive the world or process information as seeing and interpreting the world “through a stronger lens.”
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts!
Its so true that sometimes is complicated to determine a gifted mind, I think they always have to be tested by people who is licensed and very skilled in this subjetc, as most psychologist and psychiatrists haven’t many notions about this topic. When your colleague said “stronger lens” I suppose is refering to the big intensity with witch they perceive the world. Many experiences are very intense for many gifted because, as your friend well salid, they proccess the information more vividly. I think the intensity could also explain the “secret” of long-term memory. Many humans remember all the things they experience deeply the difference could be that gifted ones perceive almost everything in that way, and they usually are very interested in things that the others completely ignore. So then, perhaps for them is a bit “easier” to recall those intense memories… :).
“Many humans remember all the things they experience deeply the difference could be that gifted ones perceive almost everything in that way, and they usually are very interested in things that the others completely ignore” <---I think you just hit on something here. This is definitely a strong possibility for explaining an advanced memory! I'll have to look into this more and see if there is research on this. Thanks, Avalon!
Many thanks for your words again, I’m very happy that this theory interested you so much. I’m afraid there aren’t so many studies about this as its a very overlooked theme, as we told. So it still remains as a personal thought only, based in my experiences as gifted. I have to say that an intense experience also becomes in a memory you keep in your mind for some days, since that happened. So its like you replay that moment, more than once as you’re thinking about it all the time for a certain period. I think this could be another “secret” of an advanced memory :).
Gifted individuals are known to “overthink” situations. Thanks, Avalon. Love your input!
From what i do i definitely think we’re just a lot more observant and the main theme seems to be that we’re more specific with what we learn and remember i mean i suppose it’s like that with everyone we tend to swing towards what interests us and what we find more fun but when it comes to more gifted memory we pay attention to everything around us a whole lot more than most others would, so the example of remembering the people sitting at the big table in the middle of the room yeh it’s definitely something that for some reason would stick out to me more although i’m not into fashion so i wouldn’t pay attention to what they’re wearing but it is a factor in remembering people, everything’s just a lot more enhanced.
When you recall information Do you see the memory of you learning about it in your mind as if it’s like some vivid picture? same deal when you remember some event or other type of memory like from your childhood or school, that’s the best i can describe it for myself it’s like a memory card i can just access a lot easier and the information stays locked in there although the older the memory the more vivid it is but then when i recall it i once again sorta refresh my memory of it, i wish it had a name. I haven’t really payed much attention to it cos everyone around me tried to just pretend i was normal and i supposed we’re still sorta on the normal level of perception still but it’s still a big difference in perception too.
I am a 56 year old woman who is gifted with long term memory recollection to the point of it being physiologically damaging due to a traumatic childhood.–At times my long term memory serves me well, but, not always.–My husband told me that he saw a segment on CNN about people who are gifted with long term memory recollection. It seems that only 17 people in the world, so far, have been discovered with the ability to recall details as far back as when they were crawling. My son, in fact, remembers when he managed to hop over the bars of his crib and fall on the floor when he was only 8 months old.–I have amazed and astounded people with my ability to remember things my entire life,and, I wish that I could find further information on this subject. here was further reading or any kind of information on this subject. If you know of anything regarding long term memory recollection please post. Thank You for sharing.
Hi Catherine,
Having a gifted memory is a topic not often spoken about because, as you said, it is a rare gift. I will certainly post anything I come across–I usually post articles of interest on my Crushing Tall Poppies Facebook page.
Thank you for giving us a small glimpse into what it is like having such a remarkable long term memory, Catherine!
Loved this article. Definitely describes my daughter…and I related as I have a good memory but my daughter’s is unbelievable and I have found myself leaning on hers. It started to with her knowing what every kid in her pre-school class did all day and with her reporting to their parents at the end of the day, any and all information that they needed to know about their child. By two she knew every parent and grand parent in her grade level in daycare and I’d get recognized as her mom with astounded parents coming up to me relaying what she’d told them all in good nature and astonishment and yet…since some of what was relayed while true was not positive…I felt eeeeeeeeeeek, really did you need to remember and tell their parent THAT 🙂
Yup! I know I’ve repeated this statement thousands of times to my youngest, “Just because it is true, does not mean you have to say it!”
Thanks, Gini, for sharing that sweet little story!
Yes, this is my son too! I have to be so careful to never promise anything that I can’t deliver, lol! He will remember even years later. And yes, I do rely on him to help me remember things – but I rely on everyone, even my little 3 year old DD. My memory is hopeless unless it’s books.
I think my memory has gotten worse because I rely on his so much!
I am so happy to see that there are many other children with these phenomenal memories – I was afraid to say something about my son’s because I thought others would think he was a freak. Yay! We are not alone! Thanks for sharing!
Your son has a truly amazing memory. I bet he stores sensory input differently than the rest of us. I hope that this gift will serve him in many situations throughout his life.
Thanks, Natalie! I hope so too as there are also struggles with being gifted. Big highs and big lows.
My 10yo son tells us stories about what happened that day (or whenever) and can repeat the story verbatim to me, when he comes home from school, then his brother, and then his dad. All exactly the same phrasing and detail.
He spent a horrible gap year between a pre-school (which he aged out of ) and kindergarten (which he wasn’t quite ready to attend) at a montessori daycare. The director of the daycare was quite unprepared to handle a gifted child, and to this day my son continues to bring up details of how illogical the director was. And the stories are told with exactly the same deep descriptions.
I find it so fascinating how they remember situations such as how illogical the director of his Montessori daycare was. But it is their memory, attention to details and their keen sense of justice that seem to make them continue to bring up instances like these! Thanks for sharing, Grace!
I’ve got memories like this. The infant school I was about to go to was on a split level and the lower side had arches with the playground continuing under the building (and if you watched the first series of Happy Valley, you’ve seen it). I was VERY enthusiastic about going under those arches. But the first day of school I was told we were only allowed to go under the arches when it rained. By the time it rained the whole concept had lost its appeal.
I also remember loads of details in science programs from the eighties. Did you know that what is now called the ‘glass cockpit’ where computers fly planes and pilots monitor them was originally going to be the other way round and was called the ‘electronic cocoon’? (Horizon: The Wrong Stuff, 1986, age five)
Love your stories! Thank you!
After posting I found the Horizon episode is available online. I’ve just watched it for the first time since our Grundig 2000 died sometime in the late eighties. Strange experience. I’m still interested in human factors today and that was where it started.
Oh, I may have to check that out. Thanks.
I know I keep saying it, but thank you for all of your comments, insights and thoughts! And especially your humour!
Oh, yes, I have one of these kids! If we lose anything at all, we call on her. She once said that she remembered being in her crib. Really makes me walk on eggshells sometimes!
Deborah, no kidding! I am ever so careful what I say because he WILL remember!
I like this post! Your son really has a mega memory.
My almost 5-year-old son has an elephant’s memory too and he would tell me he remembers events from the past. Just today, he said he remembered the porridge that he used to eat when he was three years old and it was yucky.
However, it seems he has selective memory as well because when I asked him about his former teachers, he said he could not remember them.
OH yes! Their memory can sometimes be conveniently selective, like: “Why didn’t you put the trash out last night?” “Oops! I guess I forgot, Mom!” Yeah, right….
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!