Amnesia And The Mystery Of Consciousness | Answers With Joe

Amnesia comes in many forms and is a common trope in movies and TV, but in real life, it poses many questions that challenge our understanding of consciousness and the self.

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[Thekaiserwill]

It probably doesn’t help that you sleep on a chair in your office.

[Kennymac]

When you get old, memory is the second thing you lose. Can't for the life of me remember what the first thing was.

[spellbinder]

I had a car accident years ago. When I gained consciousness I had no recollection of any events for 2 weeks prior and 2 weeks after the accident. I only know what people had told me - I use that information in place of my memories. The doctors suggest that I was fully aware of the trauma of the accident and the mind just shut it down to protect me. At the jury trial the defending lawyers wanted to hypnotize me into remembering but the judge went with the decision that if my mind didn't voluntarily want to remember it shouldn't have too (of with I'm glad). I used to wake up screaming - knowing that I was reliving the accident - but the second I wake it was gone...

[rparker]

I have epilespy, and have had some interesting events: once I had a seizure, and smash the drivers side window from my car with my head. With no window, I for some reason, on auto-pilot, drove 3 hours to New York City in the middle of the night, then I snapped out of it and realized that I was covered with blood and had been driving for hours----no clue why I went to NYC. It gave me some insight as to what it is like being awake, but not really conscious.

[dustinwerner]

I find the thing that helps me sleep the most is listening to your videos. That’s not a jab, it’s your voice, I find it soothing. You’ve helped me go to sleep every night for about two years now.

[aps]

23 00 go to bed
23 05 go to youtube for cat videos, quantum physics and how to train eagle for hunting...

[andiitries]

Silver lining of having a disease that destroys my memory is I now get to go through your entire catalouge of videos again, like watching for the first time, but feeling familiar and comfy. Love your videos, they really help get me by some days.

[iheartlego]

You are not alone. The exact same thing cross my mind before I sleep.

[scallan]

Had one super scary moment of amnesia. I had just started taking a drug called Lipitor for high cholesterol. I was driving home from the grocery store when suddenly I was convinced I was driving on the wrong side of the road. I thought that I must be driving in England but couldn’t figure out how in the hell I had gotten from my home in Canada to England. I panicked then looked at the other cars and decided I must be doing it right. Then I realized I didn’t know where I was or how to get home. I was only able to get home by noticing familiar trees, signs and objects along my route home. Once I got home, I flushed the Lipitor. At my next appointment, my doctor explained that it was a very rare side effect of the medication and that some people had suffered full amnesia from the drug. Strangest experience ever!

[systematic]

The summer before I turned 6 I was apparently playing on the railing of our front porch. It was one of those wide concrete ones. I slipped and fell backwards. Landed on the pavement and was blacked out for a few minutes. My brother dumped water on me and slapped me in the face (he was only 12 at the time). I don't remember any of this but I do remember regaining consciousness. It's one of my strongest memories still. I remember being cold, wet, my face hurting, the back right side on my head hurting, and seeing a clear blue sky with a small puffy cloud in the top right of my vision. I didn't remember anyone, any events, or places. According to my mind that was the moment I started existing.


After that I ended up having frequent seizures that tapered off as a got older. In my early 20s they turned into cluster headaches and that went away in my mid 30s. Also, my family said there was a massive change in me after. I suddenly became great with math and started taking things apart to figure out how it worked.

[filipskotnica]

"Where did you come from,
Where did you go,
I have amnesia,
So I don't know..."
*-* *Cotton Eye Joe Scott, 2019*

[ArcherWarhound]

*Gets out of bed with grumbling resignation* "Fine I'll write the script."
I identify with this moment SO much.

[AutonomousVII]

I walked by my kitchen sink and saw a yin and yang symbol on an Arizona Ice Tea can exactly when he said “dualism” 😂.

[busyrand]

I can't stress how much I enjoy your offerings. Most binge-watchable channel in my active subscription feed.

[renchesandsords]

I have bouts of amnesia all the time, but for some mysterious reason, they always happen right before exams

[napadave]

One of the best Joe Scott videos yet.
Thanks.

[ALTruckerDad]

Well. It's Monday, so that means it's time for another "Existential Crisis" video from Joe! Thanks Joe....

[mrman]

about 3 months ago i got knocked unconscious in a workplace accident, and after waking up my brain operated on an autopilot-like loop for several hours until i started to actually recover.


it went something like this (explained the exasperated paramedic for about the 20th time): [seeing concerned faces] hey what happened? [situation explained] i'll be fine, it's just a little bump [realising i'm not fine, there is blood, i can't stand and have zero balance] * insert lighthearted joke * (apparently i have many) [ppl saying to take it easy, just rest, try not to move] me checking for injuries (cut & bruised head, arms, shoulder, are my teeth still in? etc..) ow i really hurt [seeing concerned faces] hey what happened?....


i have zero memories from the moment of the incident until several hours later when i was getting x-rays at the hospital, so i guess my brain was defaulting back to some starting condition until it could properly write memories again and get on with the task of being me! thankfully my default settings are pretty mild mannered

[SammytheBeak]

In 2011 I was in a car accident. It was the last memory I have for about a year. During that time I kept copious notes and journals about everything going on. I had to learn to walk and read again, I had to learn how to THINK again!
Now the journal entries are almost indistinguishable from real memories, at least until I try for details. Other than that it's like I skipped a year in my life. As time goes on, memories of my life before the accident have slowly started fading. Not disappearing but getting fuzzy and indistinct.
In the TBI survivor community we say we are different people and we mourn the loss of that old self while accepting who we are now. It's like dying and coming back. I have a different personality, different strengths, different weaknesses.

[brookelopez]

I understand your struggle my friend, my inner voice never stops either. It's silly but a trick that helps me is to use my endless train of thoughts to my advantage. I imagine a fantastical reality and the crazier I get the more I drift off to sleep and before I know it... morning. Good luck🤗