Forgetfulness is key to a healthy mind
16 February 2008
Jessica Marshall
New Scientist Magazine issue 2643

SOME things in life are best forgotten. Unfortunately for AJ, forgetting is a luxury she can only dream of. A 42-year-old woman from California, AJ remembers every day of her life since her teens in extraordinary detail. Mention any date since 1980 and she is immediately transported back in time, picturing where she was, what she was doing, and what made the news that day. It's an ability that has baffled and amazed her family and friends for several decades, but it comes at a price. AJ is locked in a cycle of remembering that she describes as a "running movie that never stops". Even when she wants to, AJ cannot forget.
She is one of a handful of people with similar abilities now working with neuroscientists to find out how and why they remember so much. ...