Who am I?

China Daily ^ | August 12, 2009 | Erik Nilsson

[Wanpeirui]

Norwegian Oyvind Aamot says his first memory in life was speaking Chinese on a train in China at age 27. He didn't realize he was on a train, that he was speaking Chinese or that he was a foreigner. He didn't know what any of these things meant.

He also didn't remember who he was, where he came from or anything about his identity or past. "People would point to me and call me a waiguoren (foreigner), and I'd say, 'OK, I'm a waiguoren', but I didn't know what that concept meant," Aamot says in an articulate manner, which doesn't reflect his wild and woolly appearance.

The nearly 20 brain specialists who later examined him described his retrograde amnesia as a "wiping out of his hard-drive". But he'd have a long way to go before his diagnosis and an even longer journey to reconstruct an identity.

Six years later, he'd return to retrace his 2000 route to discover what had happened in the three missing weeks before his memory vanished for which he had no record. He also hoped to learn how he got amnesia ... (continued)

[Wanpeirui]

This Norwegian guy woke up on a train in China, and had no memory of who he was or where he was at, and had little understanding of basic human concepts or modern society. He could understand and speak Chinese, however. This is the story of what happened, and how he is still trying to piece his life together. Fascinating stuff.

[ikka]

Did he still have both kidneys, that is my question.

[bgill]

I'd say it was caused by getting high but the high couldn't get out past the dreadlocks resulting in his brain imploding.

[JoeProBono]

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

WelcomeTo FreeRepublic!

[Slings and Arrows]

I hope Oliver Sacks writes about this guy.