Being Blind With A Photographic Memory?

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I'm Molly, a typical sushi, makeup, and fashion loving millennial girl who just so happens to be blind! I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at just 4 years old and began public speaking at age 5. I started just doing motivational speaking, but now I make videos and even model! Even though I can’t see, I know that there are bright spots in everything we face. Let’s find them together. 💕

[MollyBurkeOfficial]

I feel like I didn't describe it well... LOL It's almost like a movie scene plays in my head - I think about something like a random day in grade 3 and it just plays in my head like a movie, I can hear the conversations, know where I was sitting, what I wear doing, wearing, etc. it's weird and for a long time I thought everyones brain worked like this but I guess it doesn't? I don't know, you tell me! :)

[mishy]

This to me sounds a lot like hyperthymesia or HSAM (highly superior autobiographical memory) which basically means that you have a very high capacity to recall specific events from your life, which includes stuff like remembering what you wore on your first day of school or the route you took to get there. It's different from photographic memory because it does not rely on mnemonics - it just happens. Unfortunatly, it's very rare so it's not well researched, but it can be related to poor mental health because, well, you can't really forget when something bad happens. Hope it helps!

[bleepbloop]

There is something called Hyperthymesia. It could be a form of that. Also known as Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. Actress Marilu Henner has a very extreme HSAM. People with this condition can remember nearly every event, feeling, etc moment of their lives. If they are given a date, they can tell you the day of the week, the weather, what they wore, and what they did that particular day, as if they are reliving it. Can be a blessing or a curse.

[froggofrance]

I notice throughout a lot of molly's videos, how incredible her memory is. I am always in shock by the things she remembers

[Jhonelle_Bean]

Recalling things from how it feels TOTALLY makes sense. Kind of like muscle memory. That's also how lots of Deaf kids learn to spell, they have to fingerspell it out. If you fingerspell it wrong, you can literally FEEL that it doesn't feel right, and can correct yourself through fingerspelling it out until it feels right.

[jnbg]

The crazy good memory makes sense with how she’s able to remember where makeup colors are where on different palettes. I’m sure it has its ups and downs, mainly remembering things you may wish you didn’t. There are plenty of times in my life I wish I could forget

[simonethevvitch]

As someone with CPTSD I have a lot of gaps in my memory due to trauma, so I've always been envious of people with "photographic"/exceptional memory. I can't imagine the level of agency you have in that regard, because you can remember what people said to you, important life events, etc. I'm prone to being taken advantage of because of my lack of memory. I have been trying g to exercise that memory muscle, and it's working!

[pyreflei]

I'm a sighted person with a photographic memory, but I've often favored the term "perfect recall" since many of my memories match up with your description of somatic experiences and physical orientation to familiar spaces.

[OscarLunatechtv]

I always wondered how you were able to remember so many things, like when you were decorating your LA apartment and could just list off all the things you've bought in great detail, or remember what paint you put on what wall. Now it all makes sense!

[Hellodustmice]

I very much relate to the whole "I assumed everyone's brain worked this way" thing. I have a dissociative disorder that contributes to my extremely vivid imagination, and I genuinely didn't know until I was an adult that other people could confidently say if a memory was a dream or a real life event. When your brain just is the way it is, you don't notice anything unless people point it out to you

[annarosenzweig]

There’s a difference between implicit and explicit memories. Implicit memory is what you don’t have to think about to recall. “It’s like riding a bike” Explicit memory is something you have to consciously recall. You just know what item you have in your hand by the shape and texture of it. Memory and cognition was one of my favorite parts of Psych classes. It was so fascinating.

The thing that really impresses me about your memory, Molly, is how many details you remember about individual items: the color, the brand, etc.

[marie-evegagne]

I would call this being INCREDIBLY GIFTED. You're so lucky to have a memory like yours Molly. ❤

[marinaSassygUrl]

You’re amazing Molly, I learned so much from you as a sighted person and I’m just honoured to have meet someone like you on the internet ❤❤ without you, I would’ve never been educated on how blind people live their daily lives… I had so many negative stereotypes before I came across your channel. Thank you ❤ I hope you continue to have amazing days/years to come.

[namtellectjoonal]

As somebody with ADHD who has atrocious memory, I am insanely jealous right now xD
Like I can't even remember what I ate for dinner last week, let alone a specific day in my childhood xD
The greater part of my childhood is just a blur in my memory and I think it's a shame sometimes, since I'm sure there were important moments that I just....forgot....

[annalovesnz]

Hi Molly, I am I a sighted person with bad eye sight and use glasses to navigate through my day. I know what you mean about photographic memory. I can smell and see and hear and know how something felt on a particular day. I can close my eyes and have it play like a movie. Or paragraphs to remember I can see the text scroll across in my mind.

Thank you for teaching me all the things about the blind community.
So much love to your fur babies and your momma and dad who support you!

[vickiejemison]

My daughter is blind and has been since age 1. She has similar skills that you have. I don’t think it is photographic, since she can’t see like me. But she just knows where everything is and can navigate her home perfectly. She also can memorize her speech and present it verbatim. It’s amazing! I think she has a special sixth sense of spatial awareness and she uses other senses as well like smell- Starbucks, Hollister, Bath and Bodyworks etc. whenever we run errands I always give her my list!😊 She is amazing! I really enjoy your blogs! Thank you, Molly for sharing! You make a difference!

[kathybreslin]

Yes, having been legally blind since birth I have also developed a good memory that I have been able to rely on. You seem to have a very special gift. That is amazing and can really aid you in your journey. You should probably get tested in some way to see if there’s a name for the type of memory you have. What a tremendous gift.

[-blind]

Listening to your videos makes me feel better
Losing vision is hard and scary
I see with my heart and less with my eyes

[danielledoiron]

Molly! I can relate to this so much! I have a memory for many weird things...like what I wore on certain dates for instance. It used to bother me when people would say things like, "Oh that was 2 years ago." and I'd think "No it was, 1 year and 7 in a half months ago and it was a Tuesday and it was raining." Haha! It wasn't until I got older that I realized not everyone had the same memory as me. It's not everything that I remember like this, but a lot of life events, even from when I was very young. Really cool to hear you talk about this. Thanks for sharing!

[foreversweaterweather]

My memory is definitely not as good as yours, but for some reason in my house I have a really good memory when it comes to where things are put. Not just my things either, everyone's things. For example my mum will be like where did my wallet go and immediately it's like this image of where it is pops into my head really clearly. Even things I haven't looked at in years I can be like the last place I saw that was stored away in this container in that spot in that room and I can see it so clearly. My mum greatly appreciates it because she can never find her stuff.