By K.N.
Many people on the spectrum sometimes struggle with time management…
What about time-travel?
Time-travel is real. It has to do with remembering the past and imagining the future. Scientists
refer to the phenomena of mental time travel, or the ability to travel though one’s own memory as episodic memory . Episodic memory is a component of a larger mental process called
autobiographical memory. (1)
People on the high-functioning end of autism spectrum have exceptional memories – or so we tend to think. Scientific research reveals differences in memory processing in individuals with High Functioning Autism (HFA). While many people on the high-functioning end of the spectrum tend to have strong memories for factual information, at the same time they may experience difficulties in forming and retaining other types of memories. (1)
Research indicates people with HFA, in addition to their strength in remembering facts, also may have a memory deficit in autobiographical memory, or an ability to remember events about their own lives. Autobiographical memory has received a lot of attention lately, and research findings show this type of memory is important in formation of a strong sense of self, a sense of personal identity, self-awareness and insight. (1)
Autobiographical memory allows people to build a sense of self, and a sense of continuous
existence over time. It also aids in making decisions based on memories of past experiences. Remembering your own past is also important in social functioning. For example, sharing memories of a common past with family and friends strengthens social bonds. Through sharing stories rich in emotional content, the common past is more likely to become the common future.
Empathy is also associated with autobiographical memory, as it enables people to “put themselves in another persons’ shoes”. (1) Autobiographical memory is like a database for navigating social situations. Without this stored information to refer to, individuals with High Functioning Autism experience social difficulties, often in the absence of other memory or cognitive difficulties. (1)
Autobiographical memory is made up of different mental components including: semantic memory, and episodic memory. (1) Semantic memory involves remembering the facts about one’s past; it is descriptive and lacks subjective emotional content. It lacks the “inner experience” of how one felt in that given moment in time. Research shows semantic memory is relatively strong in people with High Functioning Autism. (1)
Episodic memory, in contrast, involves remembering the subjective feelings associated with a past event, including the time and location of an event, and the associated sensory perceptions (the smell, sounds, temperature, etc.). Episodic memory is the type of memory that people with HFA are thought to have most difficulty with. (1) This means people on the spectrum may struggle with mental time travel – travel through mental time and re-experiencing events and associated emotional states.
The ability to travel though one’s own memory is related to self-awareness, an awareness of one’s own state of mind. Diminished self-awareness is both the cause and the effect of poor episodic memory in people with HFA. (1) It is not that people with HFA do not remember their past at all – the difference is what kind of self-related information sticks in their memories. Research shows that deficits are often present in remembering the emotions that were associated with a particular event for individuals with HFA. Memories of one’s own life events tend to be less emotional and more factual and descriptive in people with HFA. (1) Interestingly, the sensory aspect of episodic memory in HFA individuals appears to be spared – which means memories of sensory input like smell, taste, sight, sounds and tactile input associated with a past event remain intact. (1)
This also does not imply that people with HFA do not form strong bonds with other people – they do, just differently. People on the spectrum tend to bond with other people over common
interests and shared passion for acquiring factual information. They share information, and bond over it.
People with HFA also have a relative strength in recalling sensory aspects of past events. They
may not be able to tell you how they felt, or their emotional state they were in during their most recent hike in the Canadian Rockies – but they will be able to describe in detail the scent of wild-flowers, the sound of insects buzzing in the tall grass, the various hues of color of the late-afternoon sky above, and the color pattern on their friend’s socks.
References
1. Chaput, V., Amsellem, F., Urdapilleta, I., Chaste, P., Leboyer, M., Delorme, R., &
Goussé, V. (2013). Episodic memory and self-awareness in Asperger Syndrome:
analysis of memory narratives. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 7(9),
1062-1067.