Recent experience

[Wind_Thief]

Good day. Hope I am putting this in the right forum.

 

Recently following happened to me:

 

My phone was stolen out of my hands by a motorcycle thief last week in an Asian capital. I was there for the weekend. Within split seconds I had to figure out is something pulling a joke? where is my friend? never mind this is a robbery, do i fight or stay?

 

So I started chasing him on foot and started screaming. I was giving all I had, running at the speed of motorcycle at some point and scream louder than cars. Bike was right in front me, and I saw the plate number, but my memory function was almost shut down. I couldn't memorize it. My mind was preoccupied with my photos are gone / is it backed up / i'm in the middle of a robbery / and calculating where he will be turning while looking around not to be killed by incoming traffic around me. While he did uturn he took right and dashed off in an empty street and he was gone.

 

I have been trying to figure out this crazy physiological experience and why I couldn't memorize the plate number or any other details about the guy.

 

Can you help? or how do I replicate? Felt like I gave up memorization and brain functionality but switched on uber-human functions.

 

Cheers

[Bender]

There is a whole wikipedia article about it, summarised below:

Over-secretion of stress hormones most frequently impairs memory, but in a few cases can enhance it.