Eidetic memory

Eidetic memory (/aɪˈdɛtɪk/ eye-DET-ik), also known as photographic memory and total recall, is the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision—at least for a brief period of time—after seeing it only once^[1] and without using a mnemonic device.^[2]

Although the terms eidetic memory and photographic memory are popularly used interchangeably,^[1] they are also distinguished, with eidetic memory referring to the ability to see an object for a few minutes after it is no longer present^[3]^[4] and photographic memory referring to the ability to recall pages of text or numbers, or similar, in great detail.^[5]^[6] When the concepts are distinguished, eidetic memory is reported to occur in a small number of children and is generally not found in adults,^[3]^[7] while true photographic memory has never been demonstrated to exist.^[6]^[8]

The term eidetic comes from the Greek word εἶδος (pronounced [êːdos], eidos) "visible form".^[9]

^ ^a ^b
The terms eidetic memory and photographic memory are often used interchangeably:
- Dennis Coon (2005). Psychology: A Modular Approach to Mind and Behavior. Cengage Learning. p. 310. ISBN 0-534-60593-1. Retrieved May 10, 2016. The term photographic memory is more often used to describe eidetic imagery.
- Annette Kujawski Taylor (2013). Encyclopedia of Human Memory [3 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 951. ISBN 978-1-4408-0026-9. Retrieved May 10, 2016. Eidetic memory is sometimes called photographic memory because individuals who possess eidetic memory can reproduce information from memory in exactly the format in which it was provided during encoding.
- Scott Lilienfeld; Steven Jay Lynn; Laura Namy; Nancy Woolf; Graham Jamieson; Anthony Marks; Virginia Slaughter (2014). Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding. Pearson Higher Education. p. 353. ISBN 978-1-4860-1640-2. Retrieved May 10, 2016. Iconic memory may help to explain the remarkable phenomenon of eidetic imagery, popularly called 'photographic memory'.
- Breedlove, S. Marc (2015). Principles of Psychology. Oxford University Press. p. 353. ISBN 978-0-19-932936-6. Retrieved May 10, 2016. If a person had iconic memory that did not fade with time, he or she would have what is sometimes called photographic memory (also called eidetic memory), the ability to recall entire images with extreme detail.
- Schwitzgebel, Eric (2002). "How well do we know our own conscious experience? the case of visual imagery" (PDF). Journal of Consciousness Studies. 9 (5–6): 35–53. doi:10.5840/philtopics20002824. ...eidetic imagery, sometimes popularly (but in the view of many theoreticians inaccurately) referred to as 'photographic memory'.
^ "Eidetic imagery: visual phenomenon". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
^ ^a ^b Eidetic image | psychology, Encyclopædia Britannica online
^ "Mental Imagery > Other Quasi-Perceptual Phenomena (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)". plato.stanford.edu. Archived from the original on 2007-06-09. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
^ Anthony Simola (2015). The Roving Mind: A Modern Approach to Cognitive Enhancement. ST Press. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-692-40905-3. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Foer, Joshua (2006-04-27). "Kaavya Syndrome". Slate. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
^ Andrew Hudmon (2009). Learning and Memory. Infobase Publishing. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-4381-1957-1. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
^ "Does Photographic Memory Exist?". Scientific American. January 2013. doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind0113-70a.
^ "Eidetic". American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed. 2000. Archived from the original on 2001-03-17. Retrieved 2007-12-12.

[Terminology-1] The terms eidetic memory and photographic memory are often used interchangeably:
Dennis Coon (2005). Psychology: A Modular Approach to Mind and Behavior. Cengage Learning. p. 310. ISBN 0-534-60593-1. Retrieved May 10, 2016. The term photographic memory is more often used to describe eidetic imagery.

Annette Kujawski Taylor (2013). Encyclopedia of Human Memory [3 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 951. ISBN 978-1-4408-0026-9. Retrieved May 10, 2016. Eidetic memory is sometimes called photographic memory because individuals who possess eidetic memory can reproduce information from memory in exactly the format in which it was provided during encoding.

Scott Lilienfeld; Steven Jay Lynn; Laura Namy; Nancy Woolf; Graham Jamieson; Anthony Marks; Virginia Slaughter (2014). Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding. Pearson Higher Education. p. 353. ISBN 978-1-4860-1640-2. Retrieved May 10, 2016. Iconic memory may help to explain the remarkable phenomenon of eidetic imagery, popularly called 'photographic memory'.

Breedlove, S. Marc (2015). Principles of Psychology. Oxford University Press. p. 353. ISBN 978-0-19-932936-6. Retrieved May 10, 2016. If a person had iconic memory that did not fade with time, he or she would have what is sometimes called photographic memory (also called eidetic memory), the ability to recall entire images with extreme detail.

Schwitzgebel, Eric (2002). "How well do we know our own conscious experience? the case of visual imagery" (PDF). Journal of Consciousness Studies. 9 (5–6): 35–53. doi:10.5840/philtopics20002824. ...eidetic imagery, sometimes popularly (but in the view of many theoreticians inaccurately) referred to as 'photographic memory'.

[2] Dennis Coon (2005). Psychology: A Modular Approach to Mind and Behavior. Cengage Learning. p. 310. ISBN 0-534-60593-1. Retrieved May 10, 2016. The term photographic memory is more often used to describe eidetic imagery.

[3] Annette Kujawski Taylor (2013). Encyclopedia of Human Memory [3 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 951. ISBN 978-1-4408-0026-9. Retrieved May 10, 2016. Eidetic memory is sometimes called photographic memory because individuals who possess eidetic memory can reproduce information from memory in exactly the format in which it was provided during encoding.

[4] Scott Lilienfeld; Steven Jay Lynn; Laura Namy; Nancy Woolf; Graham Jamieson; Anthony Marks; Virginia Slaughter (2014). Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding. Pearson Higher Education. p. 353. ISBN 978-1-4860-1640-2. Retrieved May 10, 2016. Iconic memory may help to explain the remarkable phenomenon of eidetic imagery, popularly called 'photographic memory'.

[5] Breedlove, S. Marc (2015). Principles of Psychology. Oxford University Press. p. 353. ISBN 978-0-19-932936-6. Retrieved May 10, 2016. If a person had iconic memory that did not fade with time, he or she would have what is sometimes called photographic memory (also called eidetic memory), the ability to recall entire images with extreme detail.

[6] Schwitzgebel, Eric (2002). "How well do we know our own conscious experience? the case of visual imagery" (PDF). Journal of Consciousness Studies. 9 (5–6): 35–53. doi:10.5840/philtopics20002824. ...eidetic imagery, sometimes popularly (but in the view of many theoreticians inaccurately) referred to as 'photographic memory'.

[2] "Eidetic imagery: visual phenomenon". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 2023-01-06.

[brit-3] Eidetic image | psychology, Encyclopædia Britannica online

[plato.stanford.edu-4] "Mental Imagery > Other Quasi-Perceptual Phenomena (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)". plato.stanford.edu. Archived from the original on 2007-06-09. Retrieved 2016-04-30.

[Simola-5] Anthony Simola (2015). The Roving Mind: A Modern Approach to Cognitive Enhancement. ST Press. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-692-40905-3. Retrieved May 10, 2016.

[Slate_2006-6] Foer, Joshua (2006-04-27). "Kaavya Syndrome". Slate. Retrieved 2022-02-07.

[Hudmon-7] Andrew Hudmon (2009). Learning and Memory. Infobase Publishing. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-4381-1957-1. Retrieved May 10, 2016.

[scientificamerican-8] "Does Photographic Memory Exist?". Scientific American. January 2013. doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind0113-70a.

[AHD-9] "Eidetic". American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed. 2000. Archived from the original on 2001-03-17. Retrieved 2007-12-12.

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