I have always been a huge fan of the Bourne series with the main character, Jason Bourne, portrayed as an agent for the United States gone rogue in a search to discover his lost memories of the past. If I remember correctly he lost his memory while on a mission and was shot. The form of memory loss that Jason has is amnesia. This essentially means that he has forgotten many aspects of his life, including his real name, and where he came from, but he retains kinetic reflexes, hence his ability to use all of his fighting skills he acquired during his training program. The training program also severely altered his state of mind and as a result made him into a completely new person. I always found it fascinating that it was possible for him to lose the part of his memory that would be most important to one's mind, but instead he retained all of his physical capabilities. However, if this is the case, then how is it that Jason could remember all the other languages he had learned? And know essentially everything else about his past except for his real name, what he is, and where he came from? The retrograde amnesia that impairs Jason's memory should have also made him incapable of retaining all those languages, along with his name and past.
The Bourne Memory
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Actually retrograde amnesia can result in a loss of episodic memory, or memory of past events, without effecting procedural memory or semantic memory. Hence, skills and languages can in fact be retained despite the loss of event memory. Perhaps the simplest evidence of semantic retention is the fact that amnesiacs can still talk.
It's too bad that they didn't follow the exact definition of retrograde amnesia in the Bourne films. I suppose it might not have made for the best movie, but it would've made the film seem more believable. Have you ever known anyone who has had amnesia? I can't imagine what it would be like to just not be able to remember important memories.
I found this post to be really interesting. However, losing memory of just about everything you know is a common misconception for retrograde amnesia. While it is not proven exactly where and how memories are formed, it is a common belief that memories do not just lie in one part of the brain. Therefore, it makes sense that Bourne lost some memory but not all of it. (as for wolverine from the X-Men, who lost his memory from being shot in the head with an adamantium bullet, but survived because of his mutant powers, I think we can all agree that is 100% science fiction)
Like you said I have always been a big fan of the Bourne movies. It is very intriguing to see a prominent character in the film function with a form of amnesia. I have never known anyone with any type of amnesia but I would imagine it would make things much more difficult day to day.
I am also a huge fan of the movies and love how this ties into psychology. It is very interesting how people with amnesia only lose certain parts of their memories. I have always wondered what decides which memories are remembered and which are forgotten. I also always wondered what triggers the brain to remember again.
I really like this post. It is always more interesting to learn about something when you can connect it your life. Even though I cannot personally relate with amnesia the connection to the Bourne Identity helps me grasp the concept. Living with retrograde amnesia would be extremely difficult. It is funny that in the movie incorrectly defines retrograde amnesia by having him forget his name, yet still allowing him to retain the languages of his past. Really interesting post!