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The Brain Facts Book

Is photographic memory real? If so, how does it work?

Published 17 Apr 2013
Reviewed 17 Apr 2013
Author Larry Squire
Source BrainFacts/SfN

Photographic memory is a term often used to describe a person who seems able to recall visual information in great detail. Just as a photograph freezes a moment in time, the implication for people thought to have photographic memory is that they can take mental snapshots and then recall these snapshots without error. However, photographic memory does not exist in this sense.

It is easy to demonstrate this by asking people who think they have photographic memory to read two or three lines of text and then report the text in reverse order. If memory worked like a photograph, these people would be able to rapidly reproduce the text in reverse order by "reading" the photo. However, people cannot do this.

Memory is more like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle than a photograph . To recollect a past event, we piece together various remembered elements and typically forget parts of what happened (the color of the wall, the picture in the background, the exact words that were said). Passing over details helps us to form general concepts. We are good at remembering the gist of what happened and less good at remembering (photographically) all the elements of a past scene. This is advantageous because what is important for memory is the meaning of what was presented, not the exact details present at any given time.

Of course, people vary in their ability to remember the past. How well we remember things depends largely on how well we pay attention when material is presented. Additionally, the extent to which we replay the material in our minds and relate it to what we already know affects our ability to remember.

Some people with excellent memory use elaborate techniques to help them remember. Others are able to effortlessly recall vast amounts of autobiographical information spanning most of the lifetime. Scientists are learning more about memory by studying these people, as well as people who have very poor memory as the result of neurological injury or disease .

About the Author

Larry Squire

Larry Squire is a professor of psychiatry, neurosciences, and psychology at the University of California, San Diego and research career scientist at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. His research explores the organization and neurological foundations of memory.

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January 1, 2013

Does Photographic Memory Exist?

Sean Gladwell Getty Images

I developed what appears to be a photographic memory when I was 16 years old. Does this kind of memory truly exist, and, if so, how did I develop it?

— Peter Gordon , Scotland

Barry Gordon , a professor of neurology and cognitive science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (and no relation), offers an explanation:

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The intuitive notion of a “photographic” memory is that it is just like a photograph: you can retrieve it from your memory at will and examine it in detail, zooming in on different parts. But a true photographic memory in this sense has never been proved to exist.

Most of us do have a kind of photographic memory, in that most people's memory for visual material is much better and more detailed than our recall of most other kinds of material. For instance, most of us remember a face much more easily than the name associated with that face. But this isn't really a photographic memory; it just shows us the normal difference between types of memory.

Even visual memories that seem to approach the photographic ideal are far from truly photographic. These memories seem to result from a combination of innate abilities, combined with zealous study and familiarity with the material, such as the Bible or fine art.

Sorry to disappoint further, but even an amazing memory in one domain, such as vision, is not a guarantee of great memory across the board. That must be rare, if it occurs at all. A winner of the memory Olympics, for instance, still had to keep sticky notes on the refrigerator to remember what she had to do during the day.

So how does an exceptional, perhaps photographic, memory come to be? It depends on a slew of factors, including our genetics, brain development and experiences. It is difficult to disentangle memory abilities that appear early from those cultivated through interest and training. Most people who have exhibited truly extraordinary memories in some domain have seemed to possess them all their lives and honed them further through practice.

Various parts of the brain mature at different times, and adolescence is a major time for such changes. It's possible Mr. Gordon's ability took a big jump around his 16th birthday, but it's also possible he noticed it only then. Mr. Gordon might want to have formal testing, to see just how good his memory is and in what areas. Then we can debate the nature-nurture question from harder evidence.

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Eidetic Memory: The Reality Behind the 'Photographic' Mind

Is perfect recall a myth?

Gary Yeowell/DigitalVision/Getty Images

The Science Behind Eidetic Memory

Eidetic Memory vs. Regular Memory

Is Eidetic Memory Real?

Examples of people said to have eidetic memory.

Techniques to Improve Memory Recall

The ability to recall memories can differ from one person to another. Two people who witnessed the same event can have totally different memories of it. But what if one of the people allegedly has an eidetic memory and can accurately remember exactly what happened in complete detail? Do these people actually exist?

Eidetic memory, often (inaccurately) referred to as a photograph memory, Dr. Kimberly Johnson-Hatchett , MD, board-certified neurologist, public speaker, and author of Retrospective Calling explains that eidetic memory is a rare form of memory usually seen in children where they are exposed to an image for 30 seconds or less and are able to recall this object in great detail, but only for a brief period of time.

Someone with a photographic memory is said to be able to recall images after a long time. It’s permanently stored in their minds without any changes to details similar to a camera taking a photo. Some people claim to have a photographic memory but there is no conclusive evidence that shows it actually exists.

Eidetic memory is similar to photographic memory but the recall lasts much shorter.

It’s not really understood how eidetic memory works. However, it might have to do with synesthesia which is the neurological condition where a person can experience one sense through another. For instance, a person may see colors when they hear certain sounds.

An exploratory study looked at the association between eidetic memory and synesthesia. Multiple tests that assessed eidetic imagery, color-hearing and color-mood synesthesia were performed on ten participants with possible eidetic memory and/or synesthetic ability. The results showed a significant correlation between synesthesia and eidetic memory, however, more research is needed.

Eidetic Memory vs. Regular Memory

Imagine you are shown a photo of a downtown scene. Once the photo is taken away, you are asked to talk about what was in the image. Most of us can recall some level detail including colors, shapes, prominent objects, and people in the image. This is your short-term memory working. These are memories you are currently thinking about and paying attention to. You can typically remember short-term memories for about 20 to 30 seconds.

However, someone with eidetic memory has a much greater capacity. In the same exercise, they can remember accurate details including how many windows in the buildings, license plate numbers, street names, types and number of people, and exactly they were wearing down to the number of buttons.

Detective shows love to make use of protagonists with this kind of perfect recall.

Eidetic memory is mostly seen among children and very rarely among adults. Dr. Maya Shetreat , MD, pediatric neurologist, herbalist and author of The Dirt Cure explained that the phenomenon is found far less commonly as we age, likely because adults rely heavily on language and less on visual-spatial memory skills.

One study looked for evidence for the uniqueness of this type of memory in schoolchildren and showed that eidetic imagery did not correlate with superior intellect. Students were classified as eidetic using self-report criteria including objective and subjective measures. The results showed the eidetic subjects performed better on an ‘accuracy of report’ test and a superimposition task; however, the differences weren’t great enough to support evidence for the uniqueness of eidetic imagery.

Additional tests were performed to look at the effect of stimulus manipulations on visual retention . The results showed a lack of significant differences in capacity for visual memory between eidetic subjects and a control group. It concluded that the storage capacity is not a factor in the difference between eidetic imagery and visual memory.

Although there has not been any proof that eidetic memory exists in adults, there are prominent people who have claimed to possess this ability. Some of these include the following:

Nikola Tesla, Serbina-American inventor
Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian composer
C. S. Lewis, author and literary scholar
Leonardo da Vinci, Italian polymath
Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President
Guillermo Del Toro, filmmaker

Techniques to Improve Memory Recall

Whether or not you have eidetic memory—or even a good memory—your memory can be trained just like a muscle. Here are some ways to strengthen and condition your memory recall:

Improve Your Sleep

Dr. Johnson-Hatchett explained that sleep is where memory consolidation occurs; depriving someone of needed sleep or denying them these sleep cycles can cause cognitive decline and poor memory recall and concentration.

Therefore, one of the most basic things we can do to improve our memory recall is to improve our sleep, specifically our slow wave and REM sleep .

Exercise Your Brain

If you don’t use it, you lose it. Dr. Johnson-Hatchett advised that brain exercises such as activities and games that stimulate and are geared towards memorization have been shown in a randomized study to improve cognitive performance including recall memory.

Ask Yourself To Remember

It’s been shown that the act of predicting whether you would remember specific important tasks can increase your likelihood of recalling these tasks.

So the next time you think of something you need to remember, ask yourself, “Will I remember it tomorrow?”

Test Yourself Regularly

It’s been shown that testing yourself regularly can help improve your memory recall and information retention.

“For instance, learning a topic, then asking yourself questions about that can improve your retention of that material faster and better than just re-reading or re-listening to that same information,” says Dr. Johnson-Hatchett.

Continue To Learn New Things

Strengthening memory—eidetic or otherwise—in adulthood takes practice and it requires you to consistently get outside your comfort zone.

Dr. Shetreat encourages everyone to continually learn new things. This can be learning an instrument, a martial art, a sport, or doing puzzles and reading books. Exercise and spending regular time immersed in nature are also memory enhancers.

“[Continually learning new things] will always cultivate better memory in general and enhance brain plasticity (new connections in the brain) no matter what your age,” shares Dr. Shetreat.

The ability to recall experiences, images and events allows us to make sense of our present and future. A strong memory can help us become lifelong learners. From brain exercises, and puzzles to better sleep, there are many techniques we can try to improve our memory and in turn, help us live long and healthy lives.

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Review Article
Published: 05 August 2019

The human imagination: the cognitive neuroscience of visual mental imagery

Joel Pearson ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3704-5037 1

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 20 , pages 624–634 ( 2019 ) Cite this article

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Object vision
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Mental imagery can be advantageous, unnecessary and even clinically disruptive. With methodological constraints now overcome, research has shown that visual imagery involves a network of brain areas from the frontal cortex to sensory areas, overlapping with the default mode network, and can function much like a weak version of afferent perception. Imagery vividness and strength range from completely absent (aphantasia) to photo-like (hyperphantasia). Both the anatomy and function of the primary visual cortex are related to visual imagery. The use of imagery as a tool has been linked to many compound cognitive processes and imagery plays both symptomatic and mechanistic roles in neurological and mental disorders and treatments.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks R. Keogh, R. Koenig-Robert and A. Dawes for helpful feedback and discussion on this paper. This paper, and some of the work discussed in it, was supported by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council grants APP1024800, APP1046198 and APP1085404, a Career Development Fellowship APP1049596 and an Australian Research Council discovery project grant DP140101560.

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The reverse direction of neural information flow, for example, from the top-down, as opposed to the bottom-up.

Magnetic resonance imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging decoding methods that are constrained by or based on individual voxel responses to perception, which are then used to decode imagery.

Transformations in a spatial domain.

The conscious sense or feeling of something, different from detection.

A mental disorder characterized by social anxiety, thought disorder, paranoid ideation, derealization and transient psychosis.

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Pearson, J. The human imagination: the cognitive neuroscience of visual mental imagery. Nat Rev Neurosci 20 , 624–634 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-019-0202-9

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Is Photographic Memory Real? Case Studies & Brain Processes

A photographic memory is usually used to describe when someone has the remarkable ability to recall visual information in great detail. Pop culture today portrays geniuses as those with photographic memories . B ut do our brains actually hold onto memories with inner photos or videos?

Let’s take a closer look…

Perception vs. Reality

In the world of neuroscience, Photographic memory is also known as eidetic imagery .

It’s the ability to remember an unlimited amount of visual information in great detail. A camera can freeze a moment in time in the form of a photograph. Someone with a photographic memory is supposed to be able to take mental snapshots and then later recall these snapshots without error.

However, according to the University of Chicago, San Diego Professor Larry Squire (who specializes in Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Psychology) the brain simply does not actually work this way .

In Professor Squire’s lab, he has asked people who think they have photographic memories to read two or three lines of text. After, they had to report the text in reverse order. If memory works like a photograph, then these people should be able to accomplish the task with ease.

However, none of the participants could do this successfully.

For Professor Squire, “Memory is more like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle than a photograph. To recollect a past event, we piece together various remembered elements and typically forget parts of what happened (examples: the color of the wall, the picture in the background, the exact words that were said)…We are good at remembering the gist of what happened and less good at remembering (photographically) all the elements of a past scene.”

And this works to our advantage.

Our brains sift through what is important for us to remember and holds onto it. But it also throws away any unneeded details.

To show that photographic memory is non-existent among most people, cognitive psychologist Adriaan de Groot did an experiment with expert chess players to test their memory functioning . The players were first shown a chessboard with pieces on it for a brief period (about 15 seconds). Next, they had to reconstruct what they had seen on a new chessboard.

The expert chess players succeeded at this task with higher efficiency than novice players.

De Groot hypothesized that the experts had developed an enhanced ability to memorize visual information. In another experiment, the expert chess players were asked to do the same thing. However, this time, they were shown boards with pieces arranged in ways that would never occur in a game of chess.

Not only did their ability to remember the positions go down, but it dropped to the level of the novice players. De Groot concluded that the original, enhanced performance of the chess players came from their ability to mentally organize the information they had observed, not from any ability to “photograph” the visual scene.

How to Explain Cases of Photographic Memory

There have been a few well-documented cases of such remarkable photographic recall, such as “S.” This person was subject of Alexander Luria’s book, The Mind of a Mnemonist . He could memorize anything from the books on Luria’s office shelves to complex math formulas. Luria also documents a woman named “Elizabeth,” who could mentally project images composed of thousands of tiny dots onto a black canvas.

Both also had the ability to reproduce poetry in languages they could not understand years after seeing it written. This type of recall seems to be connected to the phenomenon of flashbulb memory . This means in highly emotional situations, people tend to remember events so vividly that the memories take on photographic quality.

Until recently, such memories were thought to be permanent, always strong in quality. However, recent studies have indicated that over time, people’s memories of such events will inevitably fade away.

People vary in their ability to remember the past.

In the article How to Improve Your Short-Term Memory: Study Tips to Remember Everything , we go over how pieces of information go through a series of stages before they are retained in your long-term memory:

First, the information is sent as a sensory input to your visual system
Then it is received by the visual cortex
Next, it is processed by your short-term memory
Finally, it is stored in your long-term memory

How well we remember things largely depends on how well we pay attention when information is presented to us. Also, how much we replay/connect material affects our memory as well .

Since there are only isolated examples of people with eidetic memory throughout the study of neuroscience , many have concluded that there isn’t any explanation for how this phenomenon works neurologically.

In these rare cases, visual information gets stored as an actual image in the sensory input/reception stage. Since photographic memory involves seeing visual images , it must be on the very basic sensory level that eidetic memory functions.

The Neuroscience Behind Photographic Memory

Neuroscience researchers hypothesize that photographic memory involves something in the brain being wired incorrectly. This has caused sensory stimuli to last in the memory for longer durations than most people.

Memory is thought to be facilitated by changes at the neuronal level due to long-term potentiation. Over time, the synapses that work to hold onto our memories are strengthened through repeated usage, producing long-term memories.

Normally, this induction takes many rounds of stimulation to start working so our brain can hold onto memories for long periods of time. This could be a reason why we don’t remember many events of our childhood.

Neuroscientists assume that people with photographic memories have a genetic mutation that lowers their threshold for long-term potentiation to hold onto memories. This then results in more visual images being stored as sensory memories and then long-term memories in the brain. Multiple stimulations do not seem to be necessary to retain the visual images; rather, one brief presentation of a stimulus would be sufficient.

Future Research on Photographic Memory

So, is photographic memory real?

It may be so rare that it appears to be almost fictional. Mostly because it could be the result of an uncommon genetic mutation.

Advancing the study of photographic memory requires scientists to find more subjects with unusual memory abilities. One recent case is that of “AJ”. This woman seems to remember every detail of even the most trivial events during her lifetime.

Neurological testing may yield a greater understanding of what causes such clear and detailed memories to form.

With neuroscience technology increasing and the hope that more people with exceptional memories will come forward, it is possible that more research can be done to answer interesting questions about photographic memory.

Category: Brain Health & Neuroscience
Tag: brain health , improving memory , long-term memory , memory , Neuroscience

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Photographic Memory: The Effects of Volitional Photo Taking on Memory for Visual and Auditory Aspects of an Experience

Affiliations.

1 1 Stern School of Business, New York University.
2 2 Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California.
3 3 The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
4 4 The Yale School of Management, Yale University.
PMID: 28650721
DOI: 10.1177/0956797617694868

How does volitional photo taking affect unaided memory for visual and auditory aspects of experiences? Across one field and three lab studies, we found that, even without revisiting any photos, participants who could freely take photographs during an experience recognized more of what they saw and less of what they heard, compared with those who could not take any photographs. Further, merely taking mental photos had similar effects on memory. These results provide support for the idea that photo taking induces a shift in attention toward visual aspects and away from auditory aspects of an experience. Additional findings were in line with this mechanism: Participants with a camera had better recognition of aspects of the scene that they photographed than of aspects they did not photograph. Furthermore, participants who used a camera during their experience recognized even nonphotographed aspects better than participants without a camera did. Meta-analyses including all reported studies support these findings.

Keywords: auditory memory; autobiographical memory; experiences; open data; photographs; visual memory.

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The Truth About Photographic Memory

It's impossible to recover images with perfect accuracy..

By William Lee Adams published March 1, 2006 - last reviewed on June 9, 2016

59-year-old Akira Haraguchi recited from memory the first 83,431 decimal places of pi, earning a spot in the Guinness World Records.

He must have a photographic memory, right? Not so. According to mounting evidence, it's impossible to recall images with near perfect accuracy.

Certainly, some people do have phenomenal memories. Chess masters can best multiple opponents while blindfolded. Super card sharks can memorize the order of a shuffled deck of cards in less than a minute. But people with Herculean memories tend to be adept at one specific task—i.e., a person who memorizes cards may be inept at recognizing faces.

Alan Searleman, a professor of psychology at St. Lawrence University in New York, says eidetic imagery comes closest to being photographic. When shown an unfamiliar image for 30 seconds, so-called "eidetikers" can vividly describe the image—for example, how many petals are on a flower in a garden scene. They report "seeing" the image, and their eyes appear to scan across the image as they describe it. Still, their reports sometimes contain errors, and their accuracy fades after just a few minutes. Says Searleman, "If they were truly 'photographic' in nature, you wouldn't expect any errors at all."

While people can improve their recall through tricks and practice, eidetikers are born, not made, says Searleman. The ability isn't linked to other traits, such as high intelligence . Children are more likely to possess eidetic memory than adults, though they begin losing the ability after age six as they learn to process information more abstractly.

Although psychologists don't know why children lose the ability, the loss of this skill may be functional: Were humans to remember every single image, it would be difficult to make it through the day.

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Photography and Memory

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The affinity between photography and memory is rather axiomatic: We take photos to preserve our memories. This formulation considers photographs as aide-mémoire and photography as a mnemotechnique . Such a basic analogy, however, falls short in explaining the spatiotemporality and materiality of photography and overlooks the mediated aspects of memory in narrating the past. The difficulty with describing the conjunction of memory and photography lies in the fact that neither of them has a static essence: Both remembering and photography are inherently dynamic processes. While for some the photograph simply is a representational image that embodies past events, for others the photograph’s materiality and social uses are equally crucial in the way it continually reshapes our memories. In addition, debates on “prosthetic memory,” “postmemory,” and trauma have already shown how photography plays a role in the disembodied, transgenerational, and retroactive operations of memory work. To classify diverse approaches toward memory and photography without ignoring the dynamic aspects of either of them, this entry is divided into two parts: “conceiving photography through memory” and “perceiving memory through photography.” While the first section explains how the medium of photography has been historically defined via its approaches to memory and remembrance, the second section shows how some salient views on memory are largely founded on photographic lexicons and metaphors. Among others, the first part draws on the work of thinkers such as Siegfried Kracauer, Roland Barthes, and Elizabeth Edwards, and the second part discusses the work of Sigmund Freud, Marianne Hirsch, and Ulrich Baer.

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Shobeiri, A. (2024). Photography and Memory. In: Bietti, L.M., Pogacar, M. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Memory Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93789-8_33-2

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Photographic Memory: The Effects of Volitional Photo Taking on Memory for Visual and Auditory Aspects of an Experience

Psychological Science¸ August 2017, Vol 28, Issue 8, p.1056 - 1066

29 Pages Posted: 18 Sep 2017

Alixandra Barasch

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Kristin Diehl

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Jackie Silverman

University of Pennsylvania

Gal Zauberman

Date Written: September 13, 2017

Keywords: photographs, visual memory, auditory memory, autobiographical memory, experiences

JEL Classification: M30

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

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Did you know? Fewer than 100 people have a photographic memory

By Alexander McNamara and Matt Hambly

25 May 2021

Barbara Ferra Fotografia/Getty Images

Photographic memory is the ability to recall a past scene in detail with great accuracy – just like a photo. Although many people claim they have it, we still don’t have proof that photographic memory actually exists. However, there is a condition called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) that allows people to recall past events in detail, along with the exact dates when they occurred. For example, they may be able to tell you what they ate for lunch on 1 May 1999 and what day of the week it was (Saturday). But HSAM has been identified in fewer than 100 people worldwide, and while their memories are exceptional, they still aren’t as reliable as photographs.

The East Antarctic plateau is the coldest place on Earth

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The coldest temperature ever recorded was a frosty -94°C, taken at the East Antarctic plateau, a region that stretches for more than 1000 kilometres. This measurement means the plateau is the coldest place on Earth – not that anyone was actually there to record such a temperature, though. The reading was collected using data from satellites across Dome Argus and Dome Fuji, two ice domes that sit at thousands of metres above sea level. Results suggested the air temperature could be around -94°C, but researchers think that the dry air around the area could cause temperatures to get even colder.

Queen bees can lay more than 1500 eggs in a day

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Queen honeybees live for up to seven years and can lay more than 1500 eggs a day, which equates to more than their body weight. Rather than working, like the vast majority of colony members, queens spend their lives devoted to laying eggs while other bees serve them. Instead of pollen and honey, the queen is fed royal jelly, which workers secrete from glands in their heads. When a queen grows old, a colony will select a new one, but in some colonies there may be multiple new queens, who have to fight each other to the death. The survivor will fly to a drone congregation area and mate with around a dozen drones, storing up to 6 million sperm in her body.

Laughing gas may have ended the last glacial period

Monica Bertolazzi/Getty Images

Laughing gas, otherwise known as nitrous oxide , has been used as an anaesthetic since the 19th century. These days, it is most commonly found in small, steel cartridges sold to the catering industry for making whipped cream. However, nitrous oxide is also a potent greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting chemical. Although it is present in the atmosphere at much lower concentrations than carbon dioxide – just 330 parts per billion – it has 300 times the heat-trapping capability. Indeed, a pulse of nitrous oxide released from plants 14,500 years ago may have hastened the end of the last glaciation.

We don’t necessarily yawn because we are tired

Gints Ivuskans / Alamy

We tend to think of yawning as a sign of being tired or bored. That probably explains the popular perception that it is a way to get more oxygen into the blood to increase alertness. However, psychologist Robert Provine at the University of Maryland tested this idea and found people were just as likely to yawn when breathing air high in oxygen. A closer look at when people yawn suggests another explanation. It turns out that most spontaneous yawning actually happens when we are limbering up for activity such as a workout, performance or exam, or simply when we wake up. That has led to the idea that yawning helps us gear up by increasing blood flow to the brain.

The placebo effect can depend on whether a pill is colourful

Derek Croucher / Alamy

The placebo effect is the mysterious reduction in a patient’s medical symptoms via the power of suggestion or expectation, the cause of which remains unexplained. However, what we do know is that a number of different factors can affect the power of the placebo effect . It can be triggered by administering pills, injections or surgery, or even just an authority figure assuring a patient that a treatment will be effective. In fact, experiments have shown that the power of the placebo effect depends on surprising factors like the appearance of tablets. For example, colourful pills work better as a placebo than white ones.

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How authentic are photographic memories?

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Since the invention of photography itself, people have used photograph-themed metaphors when thinking and talking about memories and remembering. When we want to retain memories of everyday events for example, we take “mental snapshots”, and when we think back to momentous events, we regard them as “flashbulb moments”. But are memories ever truly like photographs?

A large number of people certainly believe so. In fact, in one recent survey of the general public from the US and UK, 87% agreed —- at least to some degree —- that “some people have ‘true’ photographic memories”. Yet, when the same statement was put to members of an esteemed scientific society for memory research, only a third of the participants agreed.

The many scientists who are sceptical about the existence of photographic memories know, of course, that plenty of memories do seem highly photographic to people. However, for these sceptics, none of the available evidence so far is enough to fully convince them.

Momentous events

Many of us have experienced momentous personal or world events for which even years later, our memories seem just as vivid and detailed as a photograph taken on the day. Yet studies show that these so-called “flashbulb memories” are far from photographic.

In one study, American students were surveyed the day after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York in 2001 and asked to document the circumstances in which they first heard the news of these attacks, plus details of an everyday event they had recently experienced. Then either one, six, or 32 weeks later, the students were surveyed about the same two events again.

The results showed that participants judged their everyday memories as less and less vivid over time. Their reports of these memories also became less detailed over time, and less consistent with their initial reports. In contrast, participants reported their 9/11 memories to be equally as vivid after 32 weeks as on the day after the attacks. But importantly, the memory reports showed that these “flashbulb memories” had in fact lost just as much detail over time as the everyday memories, and gained just as many inconsistencies.

Exceptional memories

If our flashbulb memories aren’t photographic, then what about other highly compelling kinds of memories? For example, there are many historical and contemporary cases of people with astounding memory capabilities, who can visually absorb seemingly impossible amounts of information with very little effort, as if snapping mental photographs for later review in the mind’s eye. But by and large, these so-called “memory athletes” appear to hone their skills through intense practice and age-old memorising techniques , rather than mental photography. Only very rarely have apparent exceptions to this rule been identified , and these cases can serve as particular conundrums for sceptics.

Setting memory athletes aside, we might instead consider another exceptional group of people: those with so-called “ highly superior autobiographical memory ” (HSAM), who appear capable of remembering each day of their lives since childhood in incredible, often verifiable detail.

As more and more of these people have been discovered, many have been the subjects of scientific studies , which suggest that their memory abilities are not a result of practice but are largely unintentional. This ability is indeed amazing, but sceptics might argue that even these people’s memories cannot be called photographic. Indeed, one study of 20 people with HSAM found they were just as susceptible to false memories as a group of control participants of a similar age.

Photographs fade

So we might be willing to concede to sceptics, then, that although memories sometimes seem incredibly detailed, accurate, and consistent, few if any of them are truly like photographic records frozen in time.

But on second thoughts, don’t all these findings tell us that our memories, in fact, are very much like photographs? After all, even long before the terms “post-truth” and “fake news” gained currency, photographs were never wholly reliable sources.

Like our memories, vividly detailed photographs can turn out to be doctored and distorted; they can misrepresent the events that occurred. Like our memories, we don’t always view photographs with an objective eye, but through the lens of our personal agendas and biases. And like our memories, a printed photograph will fade over time, even though we might continue to value it just the same.

In all of these respects at least, it’s easy to see that every single one of us has photographic memory, just maybe not in the way we first thought.

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Eidetic Memory Vs. Photographic Memory

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Mia Belle Frothingham is a Harvard University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Sciences with minors in biology and psychology

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Eidetic memory refers to the ability to vividly recall images from memory after only a few instances of exposure, with high accuracy for a short time after exposure, without using a memory aid. Photographic memory, though often used interchangeably with eidetic memory, implies the ability to recall extensive details, like entire pages of text, with high precision. Genuine photographic memory’s existence is debated and hasn’t been conclusively proven.

human head silhouette with a camera inside, photographic memory concept

Eidetic memory is more common in children, with only about 2 to 15% of American children under 12 exhibiting this trait.

This ability dwindles in adulthood. The prevalence in children might arise from their reliance on visual stimuli, whereas adults balance between visual and auditory cues, impeding the formation of eidetic memories. People with eidetic memory are often termed “eidetikers.”

Conversely, there’s no conclusive evidence supporting the existence of genuine photographic memory. Despite some individuals boasting incredible memory capabilities, the idea of instantly encoding an image into an impeccable, permanent memory has been debunked repeatedly.

Even outstanding memories, like LeBron James’ recall of basketball games, are likely due to intense focus and passion, not a so-called “photographic memory.” Some claim to possess this memory type but often utilize mnemonic techniques to enhance recall.

“Hyperthymic syndrome” is sometimes linked to photographic memory, describing individuals who remember vast amounts of autobiographical detail.

In essence, eidetic memory provides a nearly precise mental snapshot of an event. While primarily visual, it can encompass other sensory facets related to the image.

Comparatively, “photographic memory” denotes the ability to recall extensive detail without the distinct visualization associated with eidetic memory.

How Eidetic Memory Works

Eidetic memory describes the ability to retain memories like photographs for a short time.

It involves recalling visual details as well as sounds and other sensations associated with the image in an exceptionally accurate manner. Unlike photographic memory, eidetic memory does not require prolonged exposure to an image and the recall is not perfect or permanent.

Eidetic memory is a transient form of short-term memory . When you visually witness something, it goes into your eidetic memory for moments before being discarded or relayed to short-term memory.

Once in short-term memory, it may be remembered for days, weeks, or months when it will be scrapped or dispatched to long-term memory.

Naturally, when information is relayed from eidetic memory to short-term memory, it is forwarded as data rather than a precise picture that you can see in your mind’s eye.

For instance, you notice your keys on the counter in passing and later assume that you probably need to locate your keys. You recall from your short-term memory that you caught them on the counter, but you would not be able to imagine them as clearly as if you were looking at them.

How Photographic Memory Works

Photogenic memory works considerably differently. With a photographic memory, the picture of the object is maintained in short-term or long-term memory.

Photographic memory denotes the ability to recall entire pages of text or numbers in detailed precision.

An individual who has a photographic memory can shut their eyes and see the thing in their mind’s eye just as plainly as if they had taken a photograph, even days or weeks after they witnessed the object. This type of memory is scarce and challenging to verify.

Prevalence of Eidetic Memory

As we mentioned before, eidetic memory is typically found only in young kids, and virtually absent in adults. Children maintain far more capability for eidetic imagery than adults, indicating that a developmental change, such as acquiring language skills, could disrupt the possibility of eidetic imagery.

Eidetic memory has been found in about 2 to 10 percent of children aged six to twelve. It has been theorized that language acquisition and verbal skills allow older children to think more abstractly and therefore depend less on graphic memory systems.

Extensive research has failed to demonstrate consistent relationships between the presence of eidetic imagery and any emotional, neurological, intellectual, or cognitive measure.

Very few adults have had phenomenal memories (not necessarily of images), but their capacities are also detached from their intellect levels and are highly specialized. In extreme cases, like those of Kim Peek and Solomon Shereshevsky, memory skills can reportedly inhibit social skills.

Shereshevsky was a conditioned mnemonist – not an eidetic memorizer – and there are no examinations that demonstrate whether Kim Peek had a genuinely eidetic memory.

Also, according to sources, the mathematician John von Neumann could recall every book he had ever read from memory.

Can You Train Your Brain to Get a Photographic Memory?

Numerous people would love to have a photographic memory. Not everyone is competent in obtaining a photographic memory. Regardless, there are some things one can do to improve one’s memory overall.

There are also some methods for training one’s mind to take in and store those mental photographs for later use.

Improving One’s Memory Generally

One of the best things one can do to gain a photographic memory is to improve one’s memory generally. There are many ways that one can do this, and the most productive thing one can do to improve memory is to keep one’s mind active.

Completing things like crossword puzzles and other mind games will significantly help you train one’s mind to remember facts, figures, and, eventually, images.

Another way to enhance memory is to train the mind to connect and associate new information or pictures with previously retrieved and stored data.

These connections can be used to remember almost anything, and it is a great way to ensure that one can remember something for longer than a few seconds. Using associations or “chunking” information in memory can enormously improve one’s recall ability.

The Military Method

There is a method of obtaining a photographic memory which is called the Military Method. It is believed that the military uses this technique to train operatives to have a photographic memory.

While there is no objective evidence as to whether or not it is true, some individuals have had some success in improving their memory with this process.

Before beginning the Military Method, one must commit entirely to the exercise. The technique takes about a month to complete, and one must do it every day for it to truly work. If one misses even one day of practice, it can set one back at least a week in trying to make the progress one is seeking.

First, one will need a completely dark room free from distractions to use this method. One will also need a bright lamp or light that can be turned on or off. Maybe a windowless bathroom or closet with a ceiling light is a good option.

Grab a sheet of paper and produce a hole in it about the size of a paragraph on a page of a book or manuscript one is trying to memorize. This way, one should only be able to see one section at a time when placing the paper on the book or document.

Sit comfortably in the tiny windowless space one has chosen. One should be able to turn the light on and off quickly without getting up or moving around too much.

Adjust the book or document to see it quickly, and the words jump into focus when one glances at it without difficulty. The distance can vary from person to person based on if they wear eyewear and their overall eyesight.

Place the paper over what one is trying to memorize to show just one paragraph. Please turn off the light and let one’s eyes adjust to the darkness. Then, switch the light on for just a split second, examine the paragraph, and turn the light off again.

One should have a visual imprint of the mental picture right in front of oneself or be able to view it in the mind’s eye. When the image disappears after a bit, repeat the process.

One will repeat this process until one can remember every word in the correct order of the paragraph. Doing this exercise for about fifteen minutes every day every month should help one improve one’s photographic memory.

If one cannot remember the entire section after a month, one should have at least been able to memorize a portion of it and improve one’s memory overall.

Learning to Focus & Eliminating Distractions

One of the great ways to improve one’s ability to recall information and images is to focus entirely on what one is trying to memorize. When remembering pictures or information, eliminating distractions can significantly enhance one’s ability to store that information later.

Of course, one will not always be able to eliminate distractions when one wants to memorize something. There could be many things going on and noise or people talking in the background.

To best remember information and images, one will need to genuinely hyper-focus on what one is trying to memorize. This can take some training to block out distractions when required to learn the information or images.

Practicing with Common Objects, Like a Deck of Cards

Memorizing a group of objects like dominos or a deck of cards can help one improve one’s memory and train one’s mind to remember what it sees. Grab a deck of cards, maybe UNO cards or playing cards one has lying around, and choose three cards at random.

Memorize the cards, put them back in the deck, shuffle them, and find the cards one memorized, putting them in their order when one learned them. Each day one is successful, add more cards until one can do the entire deck.

One can do the same thing with dominos or other similar but different objects. One draws a few in a particular order, memorizes them in that order, and tries to recreate them repeatedly, each time with more dominos or objects.

Eating Foods that Stimulate Memory

Some foods can help increase one’s memory. For instance, omega-3 fatty acids have been discovered in studies to lessen memory loss. If you desire to preserve a good memory, make sure you obtain plenty of these either in a supplement or through weekly amounts of salmon.

A study by the Radiological Society of North America has revealed that coffee improves memory. Too much coffee can be harmful, but drinking a morning cup or two of coffee can significantly enhance brain function and memory recall throughout the day. Several studies also suggest choline as a memory supporter.

One can find choline in egg yolks – eating a daily dose of eggs can significantly help you boost one’s short-term memory capacity.

A high-protein diet has also been linked to good memory. Ultimately, luteolin, a nutrient in celery, has improved short-term memory.

Skepticism of Eidetic Memory

Scientific skepticism about eidetic memory was brought up by Charles Stromeyer around 1970, who began to study his future wife, Elizabeth, who claimed that she could remember pieces of poetry written in an unfamiliar language that she did not comprehend years after first encountering and seeing the poem.

Apparently, she also could recall random dot patterns with such commitment as to combine two ways into a stereoscopic image.

She is the only remaining documented person to have passed an eidetic memory test. Nonetheless, the methods used in the examination procedures could be considered questionable, especially given the exceptional nature of the claims, along with the fact that the investigator married his subject.

The tests have never been duplicated as Elizabeth has consistently refused to repeat them, which does raise further concerns.

Some psychologists believe that the reflection of eidetic memory comes from an unusually long persistence of iconic images in a few lucky people. More modern evidence brings up questions about whether any recollections are genuinely photographic.

Eidetikers’ memories are extraordinary, but they are scarcely flawless. Their memories frequently contain tiny errors, including information not included in the original visual stimulus, so even eidetic memory often seems to be reconstructive.

American cognitive scientist, Marvin Minsky, considered reports of photographic memory to be an “ unfounded myth” in his book The Society of Mind (1988).

Additionally, there is no real scientific consensus regarding its nature, the proper definition, or even the actual existence of eidetic imagery, even in that of children. Brian Dunning, a scientific skeptic author, reviewed the research on the subject of eidetic and photographic memories in 2016 and came to the conclusion that there is a lack of hard evidence that eidetic memory even exists at all among normal adults.

There is, in fact, no evidence that even something remotely like photographic memory exists. However, a common theme runs in many research papers Brian looked at.

That is why the difference between standard memory and exceptional memory appears to be one of degree.

Barasch, A., Diehl, K., Silverman, J., & Zauberman, G. (2017). Photographic memory: The effects of volitional photo taking on memory for visual and auditory aspects of an experience. Psychological science , 28 (8), 1056-1066.

Feiman, G. (2017). Eidetic Memory and School Age. Journal of Russian & East European Psychology , 54 (2), 130-191.

Haber, R. N. (1979). Twenty years of haunting eidetic imagery: Where’s the ghost?. Behavioral and Brain Sciences , 2 (4), 583-594.

Martinez, M. E. (2010). Human memory: The basics. Phi Delta Kappan , 91 (8), 62-65.

Paivio, A., & Cohen, M. (1979). Eidetic imagery and cognitive abilities. Journal of Mental Imagery .

Scully, A., & Wiss, K. Photographic Memory. The Whitman Journal of Psychology 2014 , 40.

Hsam: The genetic mystery of photographic memory

Genuinely “photographic” memories are exceptionally rare. Also called highly superior autobiographical memory (Hsam), this ability is only verified by one institution, the Centre for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California, Irvine.

The center describes people with Hsam as having “a superior ability to recall specific details of autobiographical events”. They “tend to spend a large amount of time thinking about their past and have a detailed understanding of the calendar and its patterns.

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For those born without the natural gift of phenomenal recall, there are tricks and techniques that train the brain into a better memory muscle.

According to Gail Robinson, professor of clinical neuropsychology at the Queensland Brain Institute, “the magic ingredient is paying attention”.

“In neuropsychology, if someone has a patchy memory, we look at how good their attention is; what else are they thinking about,” she says.

“Paying attention is a different skill from memory. And it’s absolutely a skill you can develop. That part is nurture. It requires focus, being selective on the information you retain, and encoding that. Deep focus is key – and social media feeds are killing that skill.”

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here.

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COMMENTS

The Truth About Photographic Memory
According to mounting evidence, it's impossible to recall images with near perfect accuracy. Certainly, some people do have phenomenal memories. Chess masters can best multiple opponents while ...
Is photographic memory real? If so, how does it work?
His research explores the organization and neurological foundations of memory. References LePort AK, Mattfeld AT, Dickinson-Anson H, Fallon JH, Stark CE, et al. Behavioral and Neuroanatomical Investigations of Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM).
PDF Photographic Memory: The Effects of © The Author(s) 2017 Volitional
The limited research on the effect of technology in general, and photography in particular, on memory sug-gests that photo taking can diminish memory. Much as having access to the Internet can reduce memory for fac-tual information (Sparrow, Liu, & Wegner, 2011), having access to photos may reduce memory for one's experi-ences.
Is there such a thing as a photographic memory? And if so, can it be
After all, a perfect memory is what is usually implied by the commonly used phrase "photographic memory." As it turns out, however, the accuracy of many eidetic images is far from perfect.
Does Photographic Memory Exist?
The intuitive notion of a "photographic" memory is that it is just like a photograph: you can retrieve it from your memory at will and examine it in detail, zooming in on different parts. But ...
Eidetic Memory: The Reality Behind the 'Photographic' Mind
Most of us can recall some level detail including colors, shapes, prominent objects, and people in the image. This is your short-term memory working. These are memories you are currently thinking about and paying attention to. You can typically remember short-term memories for about 20 to 30 seconds. However, someone with eidetic memory has a ...
Eidetic memory
Eidetic memory (/ aɪ ˈ d ɛ t ɪ k / eye-DET-ik), also known as photographic memory and total recall, is the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision—at least for a brief period of time—after seeing it only once [1] and without using a mnemonic device. [2]Although the terms eidetic memory and photographic memory are popularly used interchangeably, [1] they are also ...
How to Get a Photographic Memory: Is It Even Possible?
Other tips to boost your memory include: learning a new language. doing puzzles. getting enough sleep. reading books, newspapers, and magazine articles — the more challenging the better. adding ...
The human imagination: the cognitive neuroscience of visual mental
Likewise, episodic memory research has specifically looked at the rich sensory nature of remembered past experiences as well as the vividness of projecting oneself into possible future episodic ...
Is Photographic Memory Real? Case Studies & Brain Processes
Future Research on Photographic Memory. So, is photographic memory real? It may be so rare that it appears to be almost fictional. Mostly because it could be the result of an uncommon genetic mutation. Advancing the study of photographic memory requires scientists to find more subjects with unusual memory abilities. One recent case is that of ...
Photographic Memory: The Effects of Volitional Photo Taking on Memory
Photographic Memory: The Effects of Volitional Photo Taking on Memory for Visual and Auditory Aspects of an Experience. Alixandra Barasch, Kristin Diehl, ... Data collection was performed by J. Silverman, assisted by A. Barasch and research assistants in the field. J. Silverman performed the data analysis in consultation with the other authors ...
Photographic Memory: The Effects of Volitional Photo Taking on Memory
How does volitional photo taking affect unaided memory for visual and auditory aspects of experiences? Across one field and three lab studies, we found that, even without revisiting any photos, participants who could freely take photographs during an experience recognized more of what they saw and less of what they heard, compared with those who could not take any photographs.
Photographic memory
The idea of an eidetic memory is similar to that of a photographic memory, but the two are not exactly the same. Eidetic memory is the ability to vividly recall an image you are exposed to, but ...
The Truth About Photographic Memory
Research Finds 69 Dealbreakers. ... The Truth About Photographic Memory It's impossible to recover images with perfect accuracy. By William Lee Adams published March 1, 2006 - last reviewed on ...
Photography and Memory
The affinity between photography and memory is rather axiomatic: We take photos to preserve our memories. This formulation considers photographs as aide-mémoire and photography as a mnemotechnique.Such a basic analogy, however, falls short in explaining the spatiotemporality and materiality of photography and overlooks the mediated aspects of memory in narrating the past.
Photographic Memory: The Effects of Volitional Photo Taking on Memory
Photographic Memory: The Effects of Volitional Photo Taking on Memory for Visual and Auditory Aspects of an Experience. Psychological Science¸ August 2017, Vol 28, Issue 8, p.1056 - 1066 ... USC Marshall School of Business Research Paper Series. Subscribe to this free journal for more curated articles on this topic FOLLOWERS. 5,011. PAPERS ...
Did you know? Fewer than 100 people have a photographic memory
Fewer than 100 people have a photographic memory. By Alexander McNamara and Matt Hambly. 25 May 2021. Barbara Ferra Fotografia/Getty Images. Photographic memory is the ability to recall a past ...
How authentic are photographic memories?
But are memories ever truly like photographs? A large number of people certainly believe so. In fact, in one recent survey of the general public from the US and UK, 87% agreed —- at least to ...
Eidetic Memory Vs. Photographic Memory
Eidetic memory refers to the ability to retain vivid images for a short time after brief exposure, often without using mnemonics. Photographic memory, though often used interchangeably with eidetic memory, implies the ability to recall extensive details, like entire pages of text, with high precision. Genuine photographic memory's existence is debated and hasn't been conclusively proven.
Full article: The Memory of Photography
The photograph is a means to register the monument space. The memory of Nelson is, quite literally, being constructed and re-presented as a subject matter of Talbot's camera. Talbot, in his day, sees the capacity of photography to record this new monument with his invention, as well as the already old.
Point-and-Shoot Memories: The Influence of Taking Photos on Memory for
Photographic Memory: The Effects of Volitional Photo Taking on Memory for Visual and Auditory Aspects of an Experience. Show details Hide details. ... Sage Research Methods Supercharging research opens in new tab; Sage Video Streaming knowledge opens in new tab;
Photo-Taking Impairs Memory on Perceptual and Conceptual Memory Tests
Experiment 1. The goal of Experiment 1 was to create a laboratory version of the procedures used by Henkel (2014) and Barasch et al. (2017) and to test the effect of photo-taking on memory for perceptual information. Participants in this experiment either viewed or viewed and photographed artwork presented on a computer screen.
Hsam: The genetic mystery of photographic memory
Credit: NTV. Genuinely "photographic" memories are exceptionally rare. Also called highly superior autobiographical memory (Hsam), this ability is only verified by one institution, the Centre ...

Is photographic memory real? If so, how does it work?

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Photographic Memory: The Effects of Volitional Photo Taking on Memory for Visual and Auditory Aspects of an Experience

Alixandra Barasch

Kristin Diehl

Jackie Silverman

Gal Zauberman

INSEAD ( email )

New York University (NYU) - Leonard N. Stern School of Business ( email )

Kristin Diehl (Contact Author)

University of Pennsylvania ( email )

Yale ( email )

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Did you know? Fewer than 100 people have a photographic memory

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