Compare And Contrast Memory And Memory Essay

Memory is one of the most vital things in human existence. Memory enables a person to know who they are and shapes how they comprehend the world around them. How knowledge and memories are processed vary from person to person. Some people have incredible memory recall abilities while others are on the other end of that spectrum. Eidetic memory, often confused with photographic memory, is the extremely rare ability to vividly recall an image. Amnesia, on the other hand, has the opposite effect; resulting in memory loss rather than memory retention. Both conditions, despite their differences, are similar in the sense that they are the result of abnormalities in the brain and that they both have distinguishable cognitive effects.

Cognition within the human mind is inextricably linked with memory. Cognition allows for learning to take place, but memory stores the newly learned information so it can be retrieved at a later date. If a person were to completely lose the ability to retain any type of memory, the past would become

virtually meaningless to that person. It would be forgotten, and therefore would not, or could not, be used a conscience and guide for the future. A person cannot learn from an event they do not remember. In fact, any kind of learning and retention would be virtually impossible, compromising cognitive abilities. Conversely, extreme memory retention would have tremendous effects on cognitive functions due to the constant influx of memories. While such extreme cases are exceedingly unlikely to occur; severe cases of amnesia have been recorded as well as various tests regarding eidetic memory, which is the closest science has come to observing photographic memory.
The common misconception about eidetic memory is that it is the same thing as photographic memory. According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, photographic memory is vivid the ability of impression retention while eidetic memory is the ability of vivid image recall. The main difference lies in the fact that eidetic images are not perfect recollections. According to L McCormick (2010), unlike a photographic image, eidetic images are able to be influenced by expectation and bias. Additionally, while photographic memories can theoretically last over the span of years, eidetic memories and images are usually short-lived and are unable to be retrieved again. Roma Panganiban (2013) states that eidetic memory is uncommon and is mostly observed to be present in children rather than adults.
A memory condition similar to eidetic memory is hyperthymesia. Hyperthymesia or highly superior autobiographical memory is the incredible ability in which a person can vividly remember personal experiences. On an NPR morning show in 2012, Petrella and McGaugh joined the radio host to discuss hyperthymesia. They discussed how despite the fact that people with hyperthymesia have great autobiographical memories, their memory is normal in every other aspect. McGaugh discussed how MRI scans revealed that people with hyperthymesia had a portion of their brain that was affiliated with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which many of them were, that was larger than an average person and a total of nine regions of the brain that were different from an average person’s brain.
Reports and research about amnesia are more common than reports and research about eidetic memory. In his book, Memory 101, Dr. James Lampinen (2015) described amnesia to be memory loss and the reduction of memory abilities that is independent to other cognitive abilities. He also explained how the limitations and abilities of people with amnesia showed how memory is comprised of a number of independent systems. This is the most likely explanation of the multiple types of amnesia that have been observed and the multiple variants within each type. Variants could include factors such as; the kinds of memories lost, the number of memories lost, the amount of time they are lost, and the potential causes.
One of the two main types of amnesia is anterograde amnesia. When a person has anterograde amnesia, they are unable to make new memories. Furthermore, memories of events that occurred in close proximity to the time of the event that caused the amnesia are compromised, hindering the ability for them to be recalled completely, if at all. However, long-term memories prior to the onset of the amnesia are often remained intact. A person with this type of amnesia usually cannot learn facts but can still learn skills and habits. In many cases, the facts that cannot be retained are related to personal information while factual information can. (“Anterograde Amnesia,” 2010)
The other type of amnesia is referred to as retrograde amnesia. Retrograde amnesia works in almost the opposite way anterograde amnesia does. Instead of lacking the ability to process memories, patients diagnosed with retrograde amnesia lack the ability to recall events that happened prior to the onset of the amnesia. As in the case of anterograde amnesia, personal information is more affected than factual information and procedural memory. Retrograde amnesia is also known to be temporary; meaning some memories, though generally not memories that occurred just before the onset of the amnesia, can be restored. (“Retrograde Amnesia,” 2010)
When it comes to the causes of amnesia, they can be broken into categories as well, psychogenic and neurological. Psychogenic amnesia, in turn, is broken up into subcategories. Psychogenic amnesia by itself is a type of amnesia that occurs without any physical damage to the brain; instead it is caused by stress and mental trauma which do have effects on the brain. Global amnesia, as explained by McKay and Kopelman (2009) in their journal about psychogenic amnesia, is a form of amnesia that takes the form of personality and identity loss in psychogenic fugues, focal retrograde amnesia, and dissociative identity disorder. Situation-specific amnesia takes part in post-traumatic stress disorder and entails repressed memories that are specific to a traumatic event to cope with it.
Neurological amnesia occurs as a result of brain damage due to head trauma or disease.

Depending on where the brain is damaged, and how badly, a person can be diagnosed with retrograde amnesia, anterograde amnesia, or a combination of both. Memory processing is centralized around the hippocampus which is part of the limbic system that is located in the temporal lobe. The hippocampus helps ensure that short-term memories transfer to long-term memory. (“Parts of the Brain,” 2010) The damage of this part of the brain would result in anterograde amnesia. Retrograde amnesia can result from damage to the areas other than the hippocampus because its function deals with short-term memory rather than long-term memory. (“Retrograde Amnesia,” 2010) Other potential causes include; head trauma, a stroke, a brain tumor, lack of oxygen, excessive alcoholism and drugs, age, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Lyme’s or Parkinson’s. (“Causes of Amnesia,”

2012)