A blankout or time skip is a brief episode of short-term memory loss that has been known to occur with individuals who have a neural colloid implant. First recorded in early 2049, blankouts tend to last only short periods of time and do not impact speech or functioning, leaving those affected in a disoriented state when the blankout passes as they are suddenly unable to recall their most recent actions. The effect has been commonly described as “skipping ahead in time.”
The underlying cause of blankouts is currently unknown. Early research has established a possible link with cases of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), which can briefly block the flow of blood in the brain, resulting in memory loss.
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Signs and symptoms
A blankout is identified by its main symptom, which is the brief and temporary inability to form new memories. People experiencing a blankout do not appear disoriented or confused until after it passes, when they are suddenly unable to remember the moments that were blanked out. Once a blankout has passed, people can once again form new memories and there are no further ill effects. [1]
While blankouts are considered harmless, they can cause emotional distress and have resulted in accidents and physical injuries, which generally occur when someone switches physical activities and then loses the memories of doing so. Documented examples include people thrown from their vehicles, falling down stairs or tripping over inclines, and dropping items they don’t remember picking up.
Diagnosis
There are currently no diagnostic criteria for blankouts. Most verified accounts of blankouts are based on the testimonies of those affected and accompanying witness reports. The condition was initially described as acute transient global amnesia (TGA), though this description has fallen out of favour. While TGA and blankouts both deal with disruptions of short-term memory, an episode of TGA generally lasts between two to eight hours, whereas a blankout passes within seconds or minutes of its onset. Additionally, TGA usually occurs in people between the ages of 50 and 70, whereas blankouts appear to affect all ages. [2]
Notable cases
Samuel Domian, pictured in 2043.
Blankouts received more attention from the medical community after it was reported that Samuel Domian had started to experience them before he lapsed into a coma on June 13th 2049. No conclusive link has been established between Domian’s blankouts and his comatose condition, which has been attributed to a massive stroke. [3]
A near crash of a private plane in Indiana, United States (US) on July 29th 2049 has been attributed to a blankout. The plane was coming into South Bend International Airport when the pilot, Doug Kieselbach, reportedly blanked out at an altitude of approximately 80 metres and “jumped ahead” to the moment he was touching down. Kieselbach “saw the ground rushing up in an instant” and pulled back on the throttle out of shock, nearly stalling out the plane before he recovered and made a successful landing on his second approach. [24]
See also
References
- Klausner, L; Brooks-Planck, M; Nija, B et al. (August 2049). “Psychopathological factors, memory disorder, and blankouts.” Journal of Psychiatry. ↩
- Chant, E; Cowan, J. (June 2049). “Etiology of blankouts as different from transient global amnesia.” European Journal of Emergency Medicine. ↩
- Drewett, C. (June 2049). “Sanial CEO Kathy Gao denies link between colloids and blankouts.” Business Insider. ↩
- Broker, J. (July 2049). “Pilot involved in Indiana near crash claims blankout, disputed by state aviation board.” The Indianapolis Star. ↩