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Researchers Identify New Form Of Superior Memory Syndrome
Researchers at UC Irvine have identified the first known case of a new memory syndrome – a woman with the ability to perfectly and instantly recall details of her past. Her case is the first of its kind to be recorded and chronicled in scientific literature and could open new avenues of research in the study of learning and memory.
“What makes this young woman so remarkable is that she uses no mnemonic devices to help her remember things,” said McGaugh, a National Academy of Sciences member and a pioneer in the field of memory research. “Her recall is instant and deeply personal, related to her own life or to other events that were of interest to her.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060314085102.htm
I always thought superior memory is interesting, for instance in people who have detailed flashbacks of their childhood or in people who, during a near-death-experience, have a 'life review' in which they re-experience their life in a matter of minutes or seconds. But what is it that improves memory so dramatically?