Emily Diao | Week 13: The Illusion of Perfect Recall

                                            Image source: https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4542

I am sure that most of you have probably wished for photographic memory at some point in life, myself included. Having the ability to recall anything and still remember everything down to the finest detail, all after a short period of time, just sounds like an incredible superhuman ability. This idea naturally made me wonder— does photographic memory actually exist or is it just a myth? 


After doing some brief research, I discovered that the concept of photographic memory, the ones portrayed in movies or books, is not real. There has never been a verified case of someone who can recall information with complete accuracy, and frankly, I expected that to be the case. The human brain, while powerful in its own right, is also flawed. Unlike computers our brains can not store information in exact copies of what we see. Instead memories are reconstructed over time, influenced by emotions, biases, and external factors. 


There is however, another phenomenon called eidetic memory that is often confused with photographic memory. Eidetic memory is the ability to recall an image in great detail after a short period of time after viewing it. This is commonly seen in young children and tends to fade with time. Even then, it is not a perfect recall. 


In the end, maybe it is a good thing our memories aren’t perfect. Forgetting allows us to move forward, filtering out the unnecessary details, and allowing us to focus on what truly matters. 


If you could have a photographic memory, would you still want it? Or would the ability to remember everything be more of a burden than a gift?

Comments

  1. Hakim RadMarch 25, 2025 at 7:01 PM

    Hey! Your blog about photographic memory honestly reminded me about Mike Ross from Suits. I can see how the concept of photographic memory tends to be so fictionalized online, almost seeming to be like a supernatural power. It is kinda cool to think about though, just the sheer ability to read something, thoroughly comprehend it, and have it locked away in our minds forever would be something that would revolutionize the world. The closest correlation with this type of memory is most likely chess players and the way in which they memorize the board and every possible move, essentially being able to pick certain images from their mind and use them to their advantage.

    Who know, maybe in the next couple years of research and innovations, especially with AI, maybe one day the concept of true photographic memory might be attainable through artificial conventions. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us all!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Darshan DhadukMarch 25, 2025 at 10:19 PM

    Hey Emily! I really loved really your blog about photographic memories. If I had the opportunity to have a photographic memory then studying for a test or remembering a memory from my childhood would be easier to recall. I also agree with you that forgetting allows us to move forward. An example of this can be if we have a bad memory. If we constantly think about this bad memory over and over again, then it can lead to us not being able to move on with our lives. We will just be stuck in this loop of the terrible memory that we might have been through. Having Eidetic memory is the best because it can mean that we can remember the memories that we have been through with pictures and it can remind us about the context of the picture, or were the picture was taken place.

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