Suzanne Corkin > Quotes

“As frightening as it seems to live without long-term memory, a part of us all can understand how liberating it might be to always experience life as it is right now, in the simplicity of a world bounded by thirty seconds.”
― Suzanne Corkin

“That year, one of our lab members noticed that he had written two notes to himself, which he kept in his wallet, one saying "Dad's gone," and the other "Mom's in nursing home -- is in good health.”
― Suzanne Corkin, Permanent Present Tense: The Unforgettable Life of the Amnesic Patient, H. M.

“When we consider how much of the anxiety and pain of daily life stems from attending to our long-term memories and worrying about and planning for the future, we can appreciate why Henry lived much of his life with relatively little stress. He was unencumbered by recollections from the past and speculations about the future. As frightening as it seems to live without long-term memory, a part of us all can understand how liberating it might be to always experience life as it is right now, in the simplicity of a world bounded by thirty seconds.”
― Suzanne Corkin, Permanent Present Tense: The Unforgettable Life of the Amnesic Patient, H. M.

“Henry had no database to consult when asked what he would do the next day, week, or in the years to come. He could not imagine the future any more than he could remember the past.”
― Suzanne Corkin, Permanent Present Tense: The Unforgettable Life of the Amnesic Patient, H. M.