Merilu Henner and HSAM

Previously known as hyperthymesia, Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory or HSAM is the newer label for a very few unusual individuals;  people who can recall vast amounts of detail related to personal experiences and events in their lives. You may have seen a TV interview with actress Merilu Henner, who has written a book about her unusual HSAMer ability. This type of memory appears not to focus on practiced mnemonic strategies or on calendrical calculations (used by some individuals with autism or savant syndrome). Rather, they rely on an automatic and often somewhat obsessive process linked to their own personal mental calendar.