Images In Photographic Memory May Fade Over Time
Persons who can seemingly remember even minute details of pictures, words or events are often said to have a photographic memory, but there is a lot of dissention about this phenomenon among the professional world. In many studies, subjects thought to have photographic memory were tested using the picture elicitation method, in which they stare at an unfamiliar image for 30 seconds and then try to describe the image once it is removed.
Studies have also shown that any verbalizing while staring at the image tends to interfere with the individual's ability to demonstrate total recall of the image. It has also shown that those show demonstrated having a photographic memory immediately after the image was removed, could recall fewer details in as little as an hour after the image was removed from view. Many believe this is an indication that they may possess excellent short term memory, but the information is not transferred into accessible long term memory.
People claiming to possess a photographic memory, or an eidetic memory, may be able toe remember certain details of an image or an occurrence, but may have trouble recalling them in a conscious state. It is known that through regression, a technique used by hypnotists to help people located stored information can cause the remembrance of certain details, but the hypnotic influence rules out them having eidetic memory.
Learning Instant Recall Is Subject Of Debate
Some memory experts believe that a photographic memory is not something someone is born with and that the techniques to experience total recall is something they can learn. Other experts contend that photographic memory is not something that can be taught, rather it is part of a larger endeavor at using association and visualization to recall images and phrases.
While the term photographic memory implies that the person's brain takes a picture of the image, even words on a page, to be filed and recalled later when it is needed, there has been no subjective success at creating this scenario in people that do not have expanded memory capabilities. Learning how to file the information is the main crux of developing what some believe is a photographic memory.
Many may develop a means of remembering information and use that method to place the information into their memory. By filing the information properly to begin with, it makes it easier to pull out later for use when needed. This type of photographic memory is really just a better way of seeing the information to begin with and not where it is stored.
