It’s a book written by neurologist Oliver Sacks in 1985 that details the cases of some of his patients.
The book’s title was inspired by a case study of one of the Sacks’ patients who suffers from visual agnosia. This neurological disease causes him to be unable to identify faces and things. Michael Nyman’s opera of the same name, which debuted in 1986, was based on the novel.
It is divided into four parts, each dealing with a different element of brain function “Losses,” “Extras,” “Carriers,” and “The World of the Simple.”
The first two sections discuss deficits and excesses, focusing on the right hemisphere of the brain. In contrast, the third and fourth sections describe phenomenological manifestations in people with intellectual disabilities, such as spontaneous reminiscences, altered perceptions, and extraordinary mental qualities.
Sacks describe the instances, and comments on them and occasionally makes unscientific references to the soul, id, ego, and super-ego.
Dr. P, who has visual agnosia, contacts an ophthalmologist when he gets diabetes, fearing that it may damage his vision. The ophthalmologist informs him he doesn’t have diabetes and sends him to Dr. Sacks, the author, to who Dr. P recounts his visual agnosia symptoms.
“The Lost Mariner” is a film about Jimmie G., who suffers from Korsakoff’s disease and has anterograde amnesia, the incapacity to produce new memories. He has no recollection of his life after World War II ended, even incidents that occurred just a few minutes ago. He thinks it’s still 1945. The part covers his life in the 1970s and early 1980s, and he appears to be a regular, bright young guy, despite his inability to recall most of his history and daily occurrences. In the middle of continuously forgetting what he is doing from one instant to the next, he strives to find significance, pleasure, and happiness.
This article is curated by Prittle Prattle News.
By Reporter
