Literally, excessive memory. Hence: a
characteristic of some idiots savants in which there is an extraordinary ability
to recall names, dates, places, etc. An extremely detailed recollection of a
particular past experience. It is observed occasionally in the manic phase of
bipolar disorders, during hypnosis, and during certain neurosurgical procedures.
There are questions as to whether these experiences ought to be classified as
true memory phenomena in that the conditions under which they occur make it
nearly impossible to determine whether they are real hypermnesic effects or
merely
elaborations of events.