Is having strong memory boon or bane?

I’d much prefer to have a better memory. My brain seems to have an incredible capacity for boxing off unpleasant memories. However, that leaves me many questions. I know certain things happened, but I have no idea of the detail. I also can’t remember the names of people from my past and I’d like to. Remembering my past, even the less happy times, would help me to remember those I’ve lost and loved. I’ve even thought about having hypnotherapy to see if I can retrieve some of those buried memories. So for me, a strong memory is a boon.

^^ So you’re saying you can remember just happy things in detail not the bad ones? That’s really incredible, blessing i would say..)

No, nothing. Not even the good. I have huge blanks. And some might say that’s a good thing and perhaps a protective mechanism, but with the bad, goes the good. And even not remembering the bad leaves me with questions about why things happened. So I’d rather remember. If I remember, I can deal with anything that’s unhappy.

You can look at photographic type memories either way. It’s a boon that you can easily recall details of all sorts of your past. It’s a bane in terms of being held hostage by the bad memories that years later are still so vivid fresh and real it makes overcoming them and “letting go” near impossible.

I’ve been on both sides of memory, with a nearly photographic memory in my youth and a terrible one now. I’d much prefer to have the strong memory back! I will say, though, that even when I had a great memory, my brain did block out significant chunks of my childhood because it was traumatic. I got to remember all of the good stuff, but the bad stuff is much like @Earthbound_Misfit said. I know it happened, but many details are missing.

I actually have a horrible memory. I constantly forget things and have trouble remembering stuff, but the good side of it is that I don’t hold grudges. I forget the bad things together with good ones. (even if I do remember, I still don’t hold pay attention to it)

Having a good memory does not mean being relegated to reliving bad or traumatic memories.

Indeed, having a good memory allows one to process feelings related to traumatic or difficult events so that the emotional burden is diffused.

I am glad that I have a pretty good memory, especially for important dates.

I’ve noticed recently that there’s no sense of time in my memories. When I think back on an event that happened yesterday and then compare to a memory from 10 years ago, they both appear equally vivid and present. As an example, I made a music video for a band a while back. Filming took place over 3 days. I remember everything about the experience. The locations, the jokes we exchanged, their names, where we debut the video along with the crowd, what the band was wearing each time I saw them, even their random friends who came to support, and where I placed the lights/smoke machine, etc… etc… Suffice to say I could walk you through the whole 3 days in tedious detail… BUT, if I didn’t know what year all that occurred in, I wouldn’t know it was nearly 4 years ago. There is an upshot to it. The downside is that I can stay mad about something for a very long time. While 10 years ago may be dimmed by the light of a distant past for you, it was yesterday for me. Still, I would rather have this memory and be forced to confront and grow by the always present experiences of my life than to just forget and lack their lessons and contribution.

Also, for those who think they have a bad memory… I used to. I used to be the guy who would laughingly deflect a lapse with, “ahh~ whoops! I have a shit memory, sorry! Too many drugs I guess! lol~” And it was true. There is a portion of my life lost to me. Mostly elementary and middle school. Some of high school. Then one day I decided I was going to remember names the first time they were told to me. Got tired of always asking and dismissing what ultimately amounts to my own lack of conscious effort to remember. That was the start. Once I learned how to remember, then I had this memory. It’s a learned skill. Start trying to remember people’s names on introduction. The results will surprise you.

Excellent boon.