The Man With The Seven Second Memory (Amnesia Documentary) | Real Stories
Real Stories・34 minutes read
Clive Wearing suffers from severe amnesia, unable to remember basic details like his age or location, with his memory span limited to seven seconds. Despite this, he retains his musical abilities and a portion of his personality, expressing a desire for a gin and tonic and a cigarette while waiting for his daughter.
Insights
- Clive Wearing's severe amnesia, stemming from a virus in 1985, erases his memory every seven seconds, leaving him with no sense of time or consciousness, but he retains musical abilities due to innate talent, showcasing the dissociation between memory and skill.
- Despite Clive Wearing's profound memory loss, his personality remains intact, as observed by his daughter and caregivers, highlighting the persistence of core traits and desires, such as calmness, contentment, and specific preferences, amidst the overwhelming memory deficits.
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Recent questions
What is Clive Wearing's most prominent symptom?
Clive Wearing's most prominent symptom is severe amnesia, where he experiences no sense of time or consciousness due to a virus that struck him in 1985.
How does Clive Wearing's memory loss affect his daily life?
Clive Wearing's memory loss severely impacts his daily life, as he can only retain information for about seven seconds, forgetting basic details like his age, location, and daily awareness. This limitation prevents him from reading books or watching films, requiring constant supervision and care.
What abilities has Clive Wearing retained despite his amnesia?
Despite his amnesia, Clive Wearing has retained his musical abilities due to innate talent. He can still perform music, responding to it even though he cannot remember playing it. This unique aspect of his condition showcases the complexity of memory and skill retention in the brain.
How has Clive Wearing's family been affected by his condition?
Clive Wearing's family, particularly his wife Deborah, has been significantly impacted by his condition. Deborah describes Clive as passionate, loving, and comical, but the strain of caring for him led her to campaign for seven years to find a suitable care facility. Eventually, she divorced Clive and moved to America, seeking a new life due to the emotional toll of his severe memory loss.
How does Clive Wearing describe his current state?
Clive Wearing compares his current state to being dead, expressing that he has no thoughts, dreams, or emotions. Despite this, his daughter and caregivers note that he retains a significant portion of his personality, remaining calm and content. Clive expresses a desire for a gin and tonic and a cigarette while waiting for his daughter's arrival, showcasing glimpses of his past self amidst the challenges of his severe amnesia.
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Summary
00:00
Clive Wearing: Musical Amnesiac with No Memory
- Clive Wearing has severe amnesia, experiencing no sense of time or consciousness, with his brain being completely inactive.
- Struck by a virus in 1985, Clive lost his memory but retained his musical abilities.
- Despite being unable to remember playing music, Clive can still perform it.
- Clive's case gained fame through a 1986 documentary, showcasing his confusion and recognition only of his wife, Deborah.
- 20 years later, Clive's memory span is limited to seven seconds, requiring constant supervision.
- Clive's memory loss extends to basic details like his age, location, and daily awareness.
- Clive can no longer read books or watch films due to his memory limitations.
- Clive retains musical abilities due to innate talent, allowing him to respond to music despite his amnesia.
- Clive's wife, Deborah, describes him as passionate, loving, and comical, despite their limited time together.
- Clive's amnesia resulted from a rare virus attacking his brain, destroying his hippocampus and leaving him with dense amnesia.
14:33
"Amnesia: A Son's Illness, Wife's Struggle"
- The first photograph the interviewee saw was of one of their sons, whose name they couldn't recall, who was ill for many days before passing away.
- The son's illness was on the cusp of a medical change that might have saved him if detected earlier.
- Clive, the interviewee, remained at St. Mary's Paddington for seven years, experiencing mood swings and confusion.
- Clive's severe amnesia led to moments of despair and confusion, not recognizing even close family members.
- Clive's diary entries reflect his constant state of amnesia, with repeated astonishment at each moment of consciousness.
- Clive's condition led to Deborah, his wife, feeling the imperative to leave due to the repetitive nature of their interactions.
- Deborah campaigned for seven years to find Clive a suitable care facility, eventually succeeding in 1992.
- Deborah divorced Clive and moved to America, seeking a new life due to the strain of caring for him.
- Clive's lack of curiosity about Deborah's whereabouts or activities showed his severe memory loss.
- Deborah returned to the UK, working for a brain injury charity, feeling a sense of emptiness and longing for home.
30:02
Clive's Memory Loss Impacts Family Relationships
- Clive makes phrases from car number plates as they pass by.
- Clive guesses Deborah's job as PR, which she confirms.
- Deborah and Clive renew their marriage vows but live apart.
- Clive struggles with memory loss and disorientation.
- Clive's son, Edmund, visits after seven years, bringing flowers.
- Clive's memory loss extends to not recognizing his own family.
- Clive's sister, Adele, recalls his aggression towards her in the past.
- Clive's family reminisces about past memories, highlighting his memory loss.
- Clive compares his current state to being dead, with no thoughts or dreams.
- Clive's family struggles with the emotional toll of his condition and the impact on their relationships.
43:32
Amnesiac retains personality, desires gin and cigarette.
- The individual in the interview describes their current state as being akin to death, with no dreams, boredom, or emotions, missing their past life as a musician and in love.
- Despite severe amnesia, the person's daughter and caregivers note that he retains a significant portion of his personality, remains calm and content, and expresses a desire for a gin and tonic and a cigarette while waiting for his daughter's arrival.
