Jonathan Thiesse

I am similar.  I am 61 and pretty much figured out that I had not sensory memory other than sound for very familiar and patterned sounds (such as songs that I have heard very many times.)  It was a revelation.  Like you, I knew I was different - that I processed stimuli differently and learned in a different manner than most others.  However, realizing that I had virtually no direct sensory memory explained so much.

The only sense that I have any recall at all with is hearing.  (e.g. I can't call up a visual of my wife or any other family member, or any other thing; and the same goes for other senses.)  I can't randomly call up voices, notes, etc.; but, once a song that I have heard many, many times gets started in my head, I can pretty much play out the whole song.