Hyperthymesia: A disorder one can’t forget

Neurological disorders occur when the brain, spinal cord or other nerves of our body fail to function properly. Hyperthymesia is one of them.

Also known as piking, hyperthymesia is a neurological disorder which leads to Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) in a person. This means the person can recall the vast majority of personal experiences and events in his/her life. The result: they remember things more than an average person can!

The term ‘hyperthymesia’ comes from the Greek words hyper meaning ‘excessive,’ and thymesis meaning ‘remembering’.

Rebecca Sharrock, an Australian suffering from HSAM, claims she clearly remembers the happenings of each and every day of her life right from the 12th day of her birth. Currently, only around 60 people in the entire world suffer from this strange disorder.