Amnesia – the partial to complete loss of one’s memory of past events – is probably a more common event than people realize. Hollywood portrays amnesia as a loss of personal identity—who am I? where am I? what am I doing here?
Really? Amnesia?
I experienced amnesia of a strange form. It resulted from the use of a doctor prescribed medication. For two days, I unconsciously engaged in activity I learned of only later through the testimony of others. During the previous 48 hours, I had not slept at all.
Up Close and Personal
I do know how the episode began. I sat in a chair staring at the carpet. I saw small swirling shadows that turned into caterpillars moving about. The next thing I knew, I was sitting down in an armchair or sofa, and a medical technician said to me, “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Huh? I never thought I did. In fact, I was unaware of the passing of time. I asked what she meant. She said I had been out of it—suffering from amnesia. OK. That’s something that happens every day. Dumbfounded, I asked what she meant by, “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Guilty of Doing Good
She told me I had followed the nursing staff around, speaking about the Bible to room residents. I would then offer them the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. No wonder she said I did nothing wrong. It must have seemed crazy to her, but not wrong.
In fact, I was rather proud that, even when I was unaware of what I was doing, I was doing the kind of thing I should be doing—trying to help others gain an increased understanding of the Bible with the goal of sharing my hope of everlasting life with others.
Note: You might also enjoy Executed Innocent? Poison Dismemberment Murder
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