{
  "id": 8923581,
  "title": "Teen with extraordinary memory relives his past far more often than most people do",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/teen-with-extraordinary-memory-relives-his-past-far-more-often-than",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-21T13:00:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-teen-extraordinary-memory-relives-people.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists have discovered that a 16-year-old boy exhibits a rare condition known as Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM). Individuals with HSAM can remember detailed personal experiences from their entire lifetime with exceptional accuracy and speed, without needing to use memory techniques. This phenomenon is so uncommon that finding a subject to study in-depth has been challenging. In January 2025, a teenager identified as KCL contacted an expert in the field, requesting an evaluation of his memory capabilities. The researchers, led by Krystian Barzykowski, evaluated KCL's memory using standardized tests and found that he scored in the top 0.1% of the population. KCL's memory then underwent further testing to determine whether his remarkable memory met the scientific criteria for HSAM. The study, published in Cortex, revealed that KCL scored far above control participants in recalling both personal and public events. The exceptional memory of HSAM individuals does not rely on memorization tricks used by trained memory champions. Instead, personal experiences may surface quickly and effortlessly, sometimes prompted by an ordinary date, word, smell, or emotion. Previous research on HSAM focused on voluntary memory, but this study aimed to investigate involuntary autobiographical memories in KCL. The researchers found that KCL had remarkably frequent involuntary memories, with 87% of his spontaneous off-task thoughts being autobiographical memories, compared to an average of 39% in control participants. This suggests that KCL's extraordinary memory is characterized by a greater frequency of involuntary autobiographical memories, potentially linked to heightened sensory and interoceptive sensitivity. To further validate his condition, KCL was compared to a control group of eight Polish adults and a 16-year-old Polish boy. The study also explored the conditions under which KCL's memories arose by using a computerized probe-caught vigilance task. Results showed that KCL's mind wandered just as often as others, but when it did, it often led to personal memories. During the laboratory task, 13 out of 15 spontaneous off-task thoughts were personal memories for KCL, compared to an average of 39% in the control group. These findings indicate that KCL's memory is characterized by an unusually high rate of involuntary autobiographical recall. However, larger studies are needed to identify more individuals with HSAM and determine whether the same pattern of involuntary memory holds across a broader group.",
  "summary": "The human brain is a mystery that keeps unraveling, revealing something fascinating with every discovery. For years, scientists have been trying to better understand a rare condition called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM). People with HSAM can recall detailed personal experiences from across their lifetime with an unusually high level of accuracy and speed, without having to rely…",
  "key_points": [
    "16-year-old KCL has Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM)",
    "KCL scored in top 0.1% on memory tests, far above controls",
    "87% of KCL's spontaneous thoughts are involuntary autobiographical memories"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}