What is SDAM?
this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2024
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Aphantasia 💭
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Aphantasia is the inability to create mental imagery.
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I'm guessing OP is referring to "Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory." A term I just learned like 10 seconds ago by googling.
SDAM Stands for Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory
See also :
- https://lemmy.world/post/23177618 What is SDAM?
- https://lemmy.world/post/21993737 Aphantasia and SDAM with Dr. Brian Levine
- https://lemmy.world/post/22994501 What is Mind-Void? | Website about Aphantasia and SDAM
So, I do not, but I did learn things from your post! Not only do I have less memories overall compared to my peers, the definition I found does speak of first-person memories.
The memories with weak visuals that I do have are in third person. Heck, I dream in third person. Apparently that is not normal?
I would say that I do have SDAM, although I don't have an official diagnosis. In fact, I find the 'S' (Severe) label a bit overstated. The reason I identify with SDAM is that I have multisensory aphantasia, which means the only way I can access my past is through semantic memory. I am unable to re-experience past events from any sensory perspective, nor can I project myself into the future in that way.
I am a total aphant, no mental imagery of any kind, and after reading this, i realize I am/have sdam. My recollections of past events are weak. I can remember the broad strokes of an event but details are often lost. And recollections are, not third person, they're kind of like reading a cliff notes version of the event, or an outline of it.
Yeah, I think what it is is that I can remember things that I took note of at the time (like, in my factual memory), but nothing beyond that. And that combined with my narrow perception means that I have very poor memory of past events.
I would suggest that someone who does not lack multisensory mental imagery—what scientists refer to even for non-visual senses—may be able to vividly recollect past events from a first-person perspective (often described as a time travel flashback) using the senses that are not affected. Therefore, they may not be severely impacted or affected at all.