Comments on: Flashbulb memories http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/experience/flashbulb-memories/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=flashbulb-memories Asperger's Syndrome from the point of view of a self-diagnosed adult Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:37:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: James http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/experience/flashbulb-memories/#comment-217 James Wed, 06 May 2009 12:49:09 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=423#comment-217 All, Thanks for your comments, I'm finding them really useful. I find it interesting that reading what you all describe in slightly different ways still sounds like the way I perceive my memories to a degree. Whilst I have many memories that present themselves visually via my mind's eye, most of them are snapshots, much like you, Catana. I can take the snapshot, and recreate visually the location. I can almost look around - much in the way I described my giving of directions. So, upon reflection, my movies are more of a reconstruction, I think, rather than a movie taken by my brain at the time that I now play back showing just how something happened. It's interesting that my mind finds this the easiest way to remember things, and I'm frequently surprised at just how much accurate spacial detail I can construct in my movies. Like you, Soph, my level of detail isn't wonderful most of the time. Whilst I remember the newspapers strewn around my sun lounger in Ibiza, and I remember the pool, and roughly where the hotel was in relation to these, I don't remember the colour of the sun lounger - indeed frequently I don't recall the colours at all in my memories. It's like the memory was captured on a cheap mobile phone camera - there isn't a huge frame of reference in each of the pictures, and the details are grainy. I always miss details like what people are wearing, but then again I do that in real life. If I met any one of you today, I wouldn't be able to say what you were wearing even immediately after the event. All,

Thanks for your comments, I’m finding them really useful.

I find it interesting that reading what you all describe in slightly different ways still sounds like the way I perceive my memories to a degree.

Whilst I have many memories that present themselves visually via my mind’s eye, most of them are snapshots, much like you, Catana. I can take the snapshot, and recreate visually the location. I can almost look around – much in the way I described my giving of directions.

So, upon reflection, my movies are more of a reconstruction, I think, rather than a movie taken by my brain at the time that I now play back showing just how something happened. It’s interesting that my mind finds this the easiest way to remember things, and I’m frequently surprised at just how much accurate spacial detail I can construct in my movies.

Like you, Soph, my level of detail isn’t wonderful most of the time. Whilst I remember the newspapers strewn around my sun lounger in Ibiza, and I remember the pool, and roughly where the hotel was in relation to these, I don’t remember the colour of the sun lounger – indeed frequently I don’t recall the colours at all in my memories. It’s like the memory was captured on a cheap mobile phone camera – there isn’t a huge frame of reference in each of the pictures, and the details are grainy.

I always miss details like what people are wearing, but then again I do that in real life. If I met any one of you today, I wouldn’t be able to say what you were wearing even immediately after the event.

]]> By: Anon http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/experience/flashbulb-memories/#comment-214 Anon Wed, 06 May 2009 06:11:35 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=423#comment-214 I haven't got a comment of my own on this yet, but there's a couple of paragraphs here describing childhood memories. Paragraph 2 and 3. http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/aspergers-diary/200905/gardening-asperger-style-learning-when-not-follow-the-rules Anon, soon to be Anna. I haven’t got a comment of my own on this yet, but there’s a couple of paragraphs here describing childhood memories. Paragraph 2 and 3.

http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/aspergers-diary/200905/gardening-asperger-style-learning-when-not-follow-the-rules

Anon, soon to be Anna.

]]> By: Soph http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/experience/flashbulb-memories/#comment-212 Soph Tue, 05 May 2009 20:30:03 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=423#comment-212 I'm just trying to think how I remember incidents. I suppose I remember visual snippets, but they move, aren't frozen and aren't particularly detailed. I do seem to be able to remember a lot more than some of the people around me. I’m just trying to think how I remember incidents. I suppose I remember visual snippets, but they move, aren’t frozen and aren’t particularly detailed. I do seem to be able to remember a lot more than some of the people around me.

]]> By: Catana http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/experience/flashbulb-memories/#comment-211 Catana Tue, 05 May 2009 19:35:49 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=423#comment-211 My concept of flashbulb memory is apparently very different from the "official" one, and from your experience. Yours seems to be like a series of little movies. Mine is the fraction of a second that the bulb flashes and then leaves everything in the dark. It's not enough time to grab much in the way of detail, and the memory usually has no context. That's how I remember my childhood, and most of the events of my life. When I see writing exercises that tell you to write a story about something important that happened to you, I wonder if I'm the only one who can't do that. My concept of flashbulb memory is apparently very different from the “official” one, and from your experience. Yours seems to be like a series of little movies. Mine is the fraction of a second that the bulb flashes and then leaves everything in the dark. It’s not enough time to grab much in the way of detail, and the memory usually has no context. That’s how I remember my childhood, and most of the events of my life. When I see writing exercises that tell you to write a story about something important that happened to you, I wonder if I’m the only one who can’t do that.

]]> By: Soph http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/experience/flashbulb-memories/#comment-210 Soph Tue, 05 May 2009 15:44:50 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=423#comment-210 I'm vaguely wondering at the moment whether I'm Aspergic or whether I've got some other autism spectrum thingy that I've never even heard of. I've discovered that one of my principle autistic traits was actually the result of emotional damage. So, anyway, after that little tangent .. I am very visual but I don't remember things in the sort of detail that you do. It may be because I'm female. I do have memory issues though, as I get stuck in routines. I’m vaguely wondering at the moment whether I’m Aspergic or whether I’ve got some other autism spectrum thingy that I’ve never even heard of. I’ve discovered that one of my principle autistic traits was actually the result of emotional damage.

So, anyway, after that little tangent .. I am very visual but I don’t remember things in the sort of detail that you do. It may be because I’m female. I do have memory issues though, as I get stuck in routines.

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