Try this quick memory test. First, in what year did former President Jimmy Carter win the Nobel Peace Prize? Next, in which Harry Potter book did Harry envision Voldemort’s snake attacking Arthur Weasley?
Most people can’t quickly recall either piece of information. (Carter, by the way, won in 2002; the dream happened in the fifth book.) But people with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) can easily recall information from events that happened decades prior.
Scientists only began studying HSAM in 2006, and there’s still a lot they don’t understand about the experience. One thing they’ve learned is there might be a connection between HSAM and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
