Could you handle living with a superior memory?

How’s your memory? If you’re like me, you find yourself more often than you’d like trying to come up with a specific word to describe something, but the neurotransmitter that contains that word stubbornly remains just out of reach.

Or maybe it’s a task you wanted to tend to or a person you needed to contact; surely you don’t need to set a reminder to ensure it gets done. Guess again.

The blame for this frustrating and too-frequent occurrence can be placed on a few factors, including smart-tech and the overload of information and distractions it brings. Our nonstop exposure to WiFi may contribute, and some believe 5G is a brain scrambler, too.

The other day, while struggling to remember a word I wanted to use, I recalled an episode of 60 Minutes I saw years ago. Ironically, the segment was about hyperthymesia—a condition that allows people to remember decades' worth of life experiences in vivid detail.

One such person is actress Mary Lou Henner, who views hyperthymesia as a gift that’s proven invaluable in her career and given her extraordinary organizational skills.

For others, however, hyperthymesia is a burden. Imagine the “ability” to relive the intensity of your traumas and heartaches, even years later. Time doesn't heal all wounds with superior recall, as the loss of loved ones and failed relationships can remain front and center.

Hyperthymesia is extremely rare. Only 10 cases had been documented globally when the 60 Minutes segment first aired, and today, fewer than 100 cases are known.

Personally, I don’t know if I could develop the compartmentalization skills and coping mechanisms to handle living with hyperthymesia. How about you?

Check out the 60 Minutes segment to learn more about Mary Lou Hennar and others’ experiences with superior recall, as well as the unique differences within their brains.