Is Eidetic Memory Real, or Just a Myth?
Few ideas about memory are as captivating as the claim that some people can see something once and remember every detail forever. However, when these phenomena are being examined by specialists in the laboratory, it becomes evident that there is little truth to this.
What Eidetic Memory Actually Means
Is there really eidetic memory? Indeed, there is – but not as we commonly perceive it. According to scientists, this is a temporary capability, observed in some children, of perceiving an image as present for several seconds after it has already disappeared. It lasts only several seconds, not minutes or even hours, and does not work as a repository of the visual images.
It is quite the opposite of photographic memory, a popular notion which describes the flawless and permanent ability of a person to remember everything they have ever seen. Still, there is no scientific basis for it.
The memoryOS experts offer a more detailed explanation of how eidetic recall differs from the evidence-based technique of memorization.
Why Most “Photographic Memory” Claims Don’t Hold Up
Many sensational stories rely on a demonstration without any additional verification. If scientists conduct the same experiments in laboratory conditions, then the extraordinary visual perception does not manifest itself.
There is another phenomenon known as hyperthymesia, which is often mistaken for an extraordinary visual memory; however, it is something completely different. Those who have hyperthymesia have memories of an exceptionally large number of personal life events and do not store perfect mental pictures. It is one thing to remember what happened on a particular day and quite another to remember all the details of a page or picture.
Psychology Today and Human Benchmark, reliable cognitive resources, also note the differences between various types of memory performance and that this performance varies across different types of recall instead of reflecting a single superpower.
Can Eidetic Memory Be Trained?
Present studies indicate that the answer would be negative. There are currently no known ways to teach true eidetic imagery skills in adults.
However, this fact does not preclude the possibility of improving memory. The research in the area of working memory and learning reveals effective ways of enhancing memory performance, including:
- chunking;
- memory palace technique;
- spacing out;
- retrieval practice.
All these methods enhance one’s memory skills by organizing information in an easier way rather than trying to create an exact picture in one’s head.
The Bottom Line
Interest in eidetic memory in children has led to much misunderstanding throughout the last few decades. Indeed, while a very short period of vivid visual recall occurs in some children, it is rare, fleeting, and, most importantly, completely different from the notion of photographic memory.
Instead of searching for a skill that has never been validated by scientific studies in adults, most individuals will find much greater use in developing memory techniques that have actually been proven to work.
FAQ
Is eidetic memory the same as photographic memory?
No. While eidetic memory involves a temporary visual memory seen by certain children, photographic memory is about perfect permanent visual memory, which has never been scientifically proven to exist.
Can adults develop eidetic memory?
No evidence exists regarding the development of eidetic imagery in adults. However, memory techniques like spaced repetition, chunking, and the method of loci have proved to be highly effective for encoding.