The fact that Molaison suffered from anterograde amnesia does not mean that his memories of the time before the operation were unaffected. The months immediately preceding the operation had vanished entirely. Even the death of a favourite uncle in 1950 was wiped from his memory. Recollections of times further back in the past – his schooldays, holiday jobs, childhood – quickly became scraps and fragments, refusing to fit themselves together into stories. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they were just that – endlessly repeated anecdotes, episodes dished up again and again. After the operation, old memories continued to present themselves, but Molaison would be completely unaware of having shared them with someone 15 minutes earlier, or even just a few moments before. They became a repertoire that contracted as the years went by. Interaction with Molaison demanded a great deal of patience.
Forgetting
Douwe Draaisma
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