What is "hyperthymesia"

n. (context medicine English) A rare condition in which an individual possesses a superior autobiographical memory and is able to recall the vast majority of personal experiences and events in his or her life.

Hyperthymesia is the condition of possessing an extremely detailed autobiographical memory. Hyperthymestics remember an abnormally vast number of their life experiences.

The word "hyperthymesia" derives from Ancient Greek: hyper- ("excessive") and thymesis ("remembering"). Hyperthymesia is also known as hyperthymestic syndrome and highly superior autobiographical memory.

American neurobiologists Elizabeth Parker, Larry Cahill, and James McGaugh (2006) identified two defining characteristics of hyperthymesia: spending an excessive amount of time thinking about one's past, and displaying an extraordinary ability to recall specific events from one's past.