Top 5 Amnesia Facts
Who am I? What am I doing? No, that's not amnesia, that's just a lingering existential crisis. Welcome to WatchMojo's Top 5 Facts. In this instalment we're counting down the five most interesting facts about Amnesia.
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Top 5 Facts About Amnesia
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Who am I? What am I doing? No, that’s not amnesia, that’s just a lingering existential crisis. Welcome to WatchMojo’s Top 5 Facts. In this instalment we're counting down the five most interesting facts about Amnesia.
#5: Jason Bourne’s Name Comes From One of the First Recorded Amnesiacs
Perhaps the most iconic of movie Amnesiacs, Jason Bourne, actually finds his origins in a humble Rhode Island preacher. Ansel Bourne took off one night with all his life savings in his pocket and ended up in a quiet Pennsylvania town. Once there, this amnesiac adopted the name “Albert J. Brown” and opened up a small convenience store. One day, Bourne’s memories suddenly came flooding back and all recollection of Mr. Brown was gone. This phenomenon is known as dissociative fugue, or fugue state, wherein the amnesiac forgets their identity, and often replaces it with a new persona. Usually after a few hours or days Typically the sufferer will suddenly forget their fugue state persona and regain their original memories and identity after a few hours or days. In Ansel’s case, it took him two months. So while he didn’t wake up with an array of incredible combat skills, the whole experience was certainly a kick in the teeth.
#4: Sex can Literally Blow Your Mind
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There are cases in which sexual intercourse has caused temporary amnesia. The affliction is known as “Transient Global Amnesia”, a form of memory loss wherein someone experiences fogginess after certain activities–not necessarily just sex. Vigorous exercise is often the known cause of TGA and, despite being a troubling phenomenon, there are no physiological signs of damage after it occurs. TGA is most common in people over 50, and surprisingly there are actually no known cases of it happening to anyone more than once. Furthermore scientists still haven’t found all the answers to this mystery, but many suggest it may have something to do with insufficient blood flow– Ironic, really.
#3: Not Everything is Lost With Amnesia
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Amnesia is like hitting the reset button, or formatting the hard drive, right? No, not quite. There have been several cases of amnesia where the patients have retained aspects of their personality, like their phobias and skills. In many cases with musicians, they often retain the ability to play their instrument. This was the case with one British conductor, Clive Wearing, who despite only having a 20-second memory, continued to play the piano perfectly. One particularly odd case of retained skills was with Michael Boatwright, an American man who woke up one day only able to speak Swedish, which he had learned during his student days. Convinced that he was “Johan Elk”, Boatwright lost all manners of his former life, forgetting how to speak English and even the existance his ex-wives– if only we all could, right fellas? Hehe… ugh, what am I doing?
#2: We Are Hardwired To Forget Our Infant Years
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Ever wonder why you just can’t quite remember your younger days? Well that’s actually down to something we undergo called “Infantile Amnesia”. In the past, it was commonly believed that during early childhood, we simply don’t have the communication skills to verbalize early memories. However, that theory may not be true as researchers have suggested that, although we make memories during this tender period, we are hardwired to forget them. This is perhaps because our developing brains are constantly overwriting early memories, while making way for new skills and competences. I’m personally fine with not remembering my birth, or all the subsequent diaper changes. Thanks, amnesia!
#1: Agatha Christie May Have Suffered From Amnesia
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The Queen of Crime herself was caught in a curious mystery likened to one of her own works. In 1926, renowned novelist and playwright Agatha Christie slipped out of her home in the dead of night. After disappearing for eleven days, she was found in a nearby town assuming the title of “Teresa Neele”– the name of her husband’s mistress. People believe it was her domestic troubles that were the catalyst of this amnesiac episode, suggesting that a car accident she was involved in was what tipped the scales. However, people have also argued that this was nothing more than a publicity stunt orchestrated by the author in order to stay in the public eye– perhaps a secret she took to the grave? So did you learn anything about amnesia? Did we forget anything? Until next time, for more memorable Top 10s and existential dread Top 5s, be sure to subscribe to uh… to… hmm.
