I have very good memory, both visual and audio, but I wouldn’t call it photographic. I can usually read something a few times or write it once and remember it for a pretty long time. It’s how I manage to get all A’s in things like AP European History, where all you do in class is take notes. I can usually picture the shape of the words on the page, and then zoom in on whatever part I’m wondering about. I also used to be able to recite large sections of my notes out loud, although it’s been so long since I’ve done it that I have no idea if I still can.
Ok now here is the sad part I am 14 yrs old and my parents won’t allow me a proper I.Q. test but I’ve topped every other test I’ve done off the charts sort of stuff the Good part is I can read at 1256 wpm but with an accuracy of 92%, I can do Incredible sums in my head remember Number plates from what Ive seen the past day, I have both types of Photo graphic memory and have on occasion been able to recall exact images (usually for personal enjoyment), I can read peoples thoughts through body language and tone of voice. I can out do my teachers in there own Phd subjects, now the reason I am telling you all this is becoz i seek a teacher somebody who can teach me something new, I haven’t learnt anything since yr 4 except how too speed read.
IQ tests aren’t accurate, they don’t mean anything, and most people agree on this these days. There’s something new for you =P
Also, don’t get me wrong, but it sounds like you’re exaggerating a bit. I can read people’s thoughts through text =P
Also, I’ve given up on school anyway, the system doesn’t work for me, and some other people, but nobody sees that. My only advice is do what I do, learn something you want to learn, by yourself.
I’m also pretty sure there is only 1 type of photographic memory…and it is…photographic memory 
Well, I won’t punch anymore holes in your post. It does indeed sound like you have a good memory for numbers, but anybody can recall exact images sometimes, this isn’t a photographic memory. Photographic memory IS being able to recall the EXACT image of ANYTHING at any given time.
For example there was a girl at my school who remembered pi to 400 decimal places. She didn’t memorize the numbers themselves, she had an image of all the numbers in her head and was able to “read” off this image. Although she didn’t have a perfect photographic memory, it was quite close.
Mystery
read the earlier posts and find out how you can recall both photo like memories and the information from something the reason is, is becoz its impossible 2 remember words or symbols as it comes from 2 oppisite sides of the brain so u can merely remember the meaning of what was written so the only time you can conjure up words in your head is through a perfect photographic memory, not a simple informational one. Now if you read my post again u will also see that i wrote I can read peoples thoughts THROUGH body language and tone of voice, so it is obvious u do not possess a photographic memory or you would have remembered wouldn’t u. ur arguments r failing. I asked somebody 2 teach me something, y? becoz I hav learnt all i deem worthy and i want 2 learn from expierience the one thing i lack. When u can teach me sumting new let me know.
Well, I fail to see your point, if there is one. Also, of course I don’t have a photographic memory, otherwise I wouldn’t of started this thread to try and find out ways to induce it.
You also, in both posts, haven’t contributed anything to the acctual discussion. If you do have a photographic memory, then can you explain in more detail what it’s like, what do you do to remember things? Is it good for only short or long term memory? Anything else you want to add? Like maybe you’ve thought of something that could help us?
Mystery
PS: Maybe you could learn to spell.
of course photographic memory is real, but to have true photographic memory i think its something you are born with.
like those guys that can look at 20 decks of cards that are all out of order, and then repeat the exact order that every card was in the whole 20 decks 2hrs later.
you can enhance your memory, but the type of memory that would be termed “photographic” is not a skill you can learn.
Even if it’s not possible to acquire full-fledged photographic memory, improving mental imagery with exercises like the one described on that webpage might be helpful in various ways, such as visualizing images as you perform WILD. I think I’ll try to develop this skill over the next month and see what happens.
Interesting topic. 
LucidTheClown, there are a number of different ways in which someone can remember things. Being able to remember a deck of 20 cards doesn’t necessarily mean they will be able to remember the order in which some dominos have been layed for example.
Also, from what I know photographic memory is something we’re ALL born with. But the ability fades away, only a small percentage of people keep it.
Which means two things:
- Since we’re all born with it, we can all have it.
- There’s a chance that the people that lose the ability can regain it again.
Mystery
I seem to have a generally photographic memory. I say generally because things usually stick, right away, as I experience them. I don’t study for tests unless I missed the material in class, because it doesn’t re-inforce anything I haven’t already retained. However, I do succumb to false memory syndrome every once and a while (as do we all), so I don’t think anyone can have a truely photographic memory, not in a long term sense anyway.
mystery, how can they prove that photographic memory is something that we are all born with?
i know what your saying with the types of memories. someone might have an uncanny ability to remember all kinds of statistics from sports, batting averages high scores all kinds of things from every player, and then not be able to memorise the decks of cards.
memory recall can be increased but i think that those types of photographic memories are just a skill that your born with. maybe it is forgotten by most like you said, but i find that very hard to believe and hard to prove, if its true.
Okay, this is kinda off-topic, yet still on-topic: Does anyone flashback or have memories in sepia tone? 
Sometimes I have a kind of a flashback, if I’m thinking about something in particular, I may remember something similar from a long time ago all of a sudden.
Pilot said:
Well, as i see it, all people have the potential simply cause they are humans. People are different in very many ways.
Some people have more or less open doors of skills. I think the meaning of life is to open up as many as possible. LD is one.
I have an extremely eidetic memory: I remember exactly the whole situations, quotes, even the smells and background noises. But I also have a very selective subconscious (or whatever does the job) which whipes out completely memories that are deemed useless (or, sometimes, bad)…
Bruno, were you born with it, than just gradually kept on improving it, like memorizing little things or did you actually [learn] and train yourself to it?
Well, I suppose I was born with a rather good memory, because I remember a lot of things from my childhood, but I had to make it get better. It wasn’t eidetic, just good, the vividness of my memories, the “photographic” quality of them was trained, because I always envied my grandmother, who never forgets anything (I mean it!). 
that can be achieved by learning memory techniques, not neccesarily being born with it, look at Tony Buzan’s books on memory for example.
I had quite a vivid memory as a child as well 
If the facts I’ve read are right though, we all have a very powerful memory as kids.
I’m quite sure we can all have that sort of memory again, there must be a way 
Mystery
when I was in the service I met a guy who didn’t have a photographic memory to begin with but had a job where he had to memorize huge lists. He did this day after day in his job and suddenly one day he told me it just snaped and he started seeing a ghost sheet come before his eyes and he could see the list he had memorized.
Now I found this subject (thread) because I am interested in developing a photographic memory myself. I have an interesting type of memory. I would like to be an inventor. I can make imaginary shapes in my head and dance them around and see how they work together. Is it clear? Not realy. It’s realy my minds eye but like a dream it can overlap reality. Sort of like a vision. Now by no means is this a photographic memory. I can look at a book of words and not remember it but in my memory I can spell out words and see the letters, turn them colours, spin them and stuff. Some times I wonder if God designed us with abilities that we might end up needing later in life. I have had this strong desire to be and inventor/engineer through my life and also a teacher. Auto-cad also comes easy. Lately i have noticed now that I am older my viusalization may be increasing but is not a photographic memory because then I could look at something and remmber it perfectly.
There is territory memory also. I can remember a place and start out walking from there and visualize walking to another place if I am familiar with the territory. It is a bit jumpy some times but its almost like being there though it is ghosted. Some times you can even stop and look at things but a lot of the time its not detailed and hard to read anything unless I am familiar with the sign I see in visualization. But again this is stuff I see every day. I am sure may of you can do this by just thinking of your neighborhood. That is how you give people directions.
Wow, I’ve never heard of this before but I’ve done a similar thing. I had a science test to study for once so I stared at the study paper for a few minutes. Then when I closed my eyes during the test, I could vaguly see the answers on the imaginary paper.
…It kinda felt like cheating. But it wasn’t. 
I completely forgot about this. I think I’ll try it again. 