Photographic memory

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Salahudeen

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Is there any way to get one?? I remember a reading a thread ages back on LI about an online ebook that taught you how to acquire one. But I can't find that thread now :raging: Someone posted links to the material as well.
 
I don't think you can learn to be an eideteker either in imagination or in memory. I am somewhat of an eideteker in both, although I guess that doesn't qualify me to know for sure. You'd have to consult someone who knows about the brain, but I'm pretty certain that you have to be born with the ability. It matters little in the end since there are sufficient enough pnemonic systems out there. I think entire books have been written on the subject of memory-improvement, but not on altering your fundamental neurological hard-wiring.
 
I can't imagine that you can acquire a photographic memory either - either you have it or you don't.

But I remember sister Skye telling us that having a photographic memory isn't necessarily a good thing - you may continue to see things in your mind, which you would much rather forget ...
 
A photographic memory does not equate to intelligence or knowledge. It is quite common in low IQ people who often remember everything they see, hear or do, but have no concept of what it means. Far better to have a limited memory, but understand and be able to use what you do remember.

Many highly intelligent people have very poor memories, stories about absent minded professors are very common.

Although I did meet one genuine genius with a photographic memory. He was in college with me in my undergraduate days. The little rascal was only 12 or 13 years old. He went on and got his MD when he was about 18 if I remember right. But, he could not practice medicine as he was too young to be licensed. Last I heard he had given up medicine and became a Banker.
 
Woodrow said:
Far better to have a limited memory, but understand and be able to use what you do remember.
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Indeed. It's much comparable to the logic which defies the "wisdom comes with age" fallacy, if you think about it.

Many highly intelligent people have very poor memories, stories about absent minded professors are very common.
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Nor does one have to have a very poor memory, even if highly intelligent, to be absent-minded. Just ask anyone who knows me.
 
i think you need to be a dyslexia...if you want to have one :X or i could be wrong...huhu
 
Woodrow said:
But, he could not practice medicine as he was too young to be licensed. Last I heard he had given up medicine and became a Banker.
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Studying all that time for an MD, then becoming a licensed loan shark. That's sad. imsad
 
zakirs said:
Not sad, infact he must be helluva rich now.
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Well quite possible he is at least 60 years old now and last time I saw him he was about 20 at most. At that time computers were just becoming a business tool and Programming was very difficult and a job. in high demand with high pay. The little rascal saw an add for a programmer. He had never taken a single programming class nor even seen a computer. He spent the night in the university reference library reading all available about programing, the next day he took the screening test for the programing job and scored the highest of all applicants. The job was with a bank that was in the process of trying to computerize all of the banks functions. He was hired on a one year contract during which he was to develop a system of storing all of the banks records and develop and automated system to perform the common daily calculations. He completed the asignment in a month and the bank paid him the agreed years salary for the job and gave him a rather large bonus for doing it so fast. That was his starting point into the banking world.
 
:sl:

I think what you are after is the memory scholars of old had.

It is reported that Imaam Shaafi'ee had to cover up a page when he would be memorising so that he would not memorise the wrong page by mistake.

He also took the book of Imaam Maalik, al-Muwatta, and memorised it in one night, Imaam Maalik said you memorised a book that took me 20 years to write.

Imaam Zuhri had to put cotton in his ears if he ever went to the market so that he wouldnt memorise peoples conversations by mistake.

Imaam Abdullaah bin Mubaarak was asked do you memorise hadith? Where upon his skin colour changed and he replied no, I look inside [the book] and whatever I wish stays with me.

Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal memorised at least one million hadith by heart.

Imaam Bukhaarees memory was so sharp that when the people in Baghdaad tried to trick him by mentioning hadiths with mixed up chain of narrators he ended up correcting them.

So what gives these people this amazing ability? Well obviously it is a blessing and a test from Allah, to see if they are grateful [i.e use it for good] or ungrateful. One of the main ways to improve ones memory is to stay away from sin, I realise people might think yeah yeah we already know that! But honestly try it and you will soon see that things will improve.

Also keep repeating whatever you want to memorise, it was narrated that a scholar from the past once sat and repeated a few couplets of arabic poetry, an old lady sat abit far from him but she over heared him and after awhile she said enough! Even I, an old lady has memorised it by now. But the scholar didnt pay attention to it rather he carried on. After a few days he met the lady again and asked her to repeat the couplets to him she replied I have forgotten it whereupon the scholar said this is the difference between you and me. [i.e he kept repeating it so it stayed with him]

Photographic memory is a blessing from the all-Mighty, yet if you do not have it, that doesnt mean you cant improve your memory or make the most of what you have.

Make dua that Allah grants you a strong memory.

Also chewing gum helps.
 
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:sl: Akhi,

Without quoting your entire post I believe this sums up what we should desire and try to achieve


Khaldun said:
:sl:

I think what you are after is the memory scholars of old had.


Photographic memory is a blessing from the all-Mighty, yet if you do not have it, that doesnt mean you cant improve your memory or make the most of what you have.

Make dua that Allah grants you a strong memory.

Also chewing gum helps.


Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal memorised at least one million hadith by heart.
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With proper usage a photographic memory is not needed. But we should strive to improve what we have and use it for a blessed purpose. A misused memory is a wasted memory.
 
i think i have photographic memory:p well heres my inspiring story once i was in this shoe store and i saw these really cool shoes i liked with a brand name written on them in funky writing i didnt have the money to buy them so i said to the sales assistant i will come back 2morow if there still here so i came back and they were not there:'( and the lady said she'd have a look in the stock room she asked me could i remember what they looked like and this photographic image came in my mind of the shoes and i was able to explain to her in detail and she was stunned lol just goes to show we will remember things when we want something bad enough;D you probably think this is useless information but i thought id share my fascinating story with you :p so when you are ever struggling with your studies think of how sister cat eyes really wanted those sparkling shoes. :wub:
 
All right, first, no you don't have to be dyslexic to be an eideteker. (I much prefer the proper terms "eidetic" and "eideteker" because "photographic" is misleading in that makes the matter sound so starkly black-and-white, as though anyone literally has a P-E-R-F-E-C-T memory. It gives people an oversimplified and possibly exaggerated notion of the thing. Plus, "eidetic" describes the condition when it applies to memory as well as when it applies to imagination. For example, I have a certain degree of both.)

Second, it has nothing to do with staying away from sin either. It's something you're born with whereas sin is a result of moment-by-moment choice instead of inherent neurological make-up.
 
No on ecan "gain" a photographic memory. It is a gift or a curse, many have different opinions regarding it. You can increase your ability ot notice more if you practice constantly by looking at something for a few seconds, then trying to remember what you saw. Keep on doing that 10-15 times a day and in no time, you'll notice more and more.
 
:sl:

I beg to differ. As Muslims we believe that everything we get is from Allah and if Allah blesses someone he should use that blessing for good but if he is ungrateful and decides to sin instead no doubt Allah the Most High will take away this blessing. Furthermore all the Imaams from the past all gave the advice to their students to stay away from sin since this would keep your memory sharp.

Sin weakens your memory
 
I'm no medical expert, though I'd like to think photographic memories can occur under extreme mental duress.. perhaps a traumatic experience? Or, a strong emotional attachment? An example of the latter would be somewhat close to what sister Cat eyes experienced with her shoe incident.
 
I beg to differ. As Muslims we believe that everything we get is from Allah and if Allah blesses someone he should use that blessing for good but if he is ungrateful and decides to sin instead no doubt Allah the Most High will take away this blessing. Furthermore all the Imaams from the past all gave the advice to their students to stay away from sin since this would keep your memory sharp.
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You are severly misunderstanding and misapplying both of those notions here.

I'm no medical expert, though I'd like to think photographic memories can occur under extreme mental duress.. perhaps a traumatic experience? Or, a strong emotional attachment? An example of the latter would be somewhat close to what sister Cat eyes experienced with her shoe incident.
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My father is a medical expert and I've just asked him and he said no: "It appears to be inborn."
 
I never forget the perfumes I smelled as a young child n I smelled manyy. I smell it in public n it takes me back exactly to the moment/day I smelled it, wat went on, who wore the perfume. How Bizarre.
 
I read somewhere that smell connects fastest to the parts of brain that store memory.
That's why it is often that you immediately transported to a certain place in a certain time when smelling a certain smell.
 

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