Derek Amato is one of about thirty people in the world with Acquired Savant Syndrome, which spontaneously bestows profound abilities to individuals who have suffered head trauma.

Derek dove into a shallow pool and ended up in the hospital with a severe concussion. As a consequence of the accident, he suffered a thirty-five percent loss in hearing, memory difficulties, and issues with over-stimulation of his mind. But he gained some qualities as well…

When Derek was released from the hospital he visited a friend who is a guitarist. Derek had dabbled in guitar playing, but was never proficient: he watched his friend play, but Derek’s hands began to twitch and he had a curious impulse to play the keyboard, which was also in the room. He sat at the keyboard and — even though he’d never had a piano lesson, couldn’t read music, and had never played the keyboard — he began to play a classical-type composition that he saw as flickering black and white squares in his mind. He played for hours into the night; apprehensive, but feeling as though a spiritual channel had arisen.

He has since been diagnosed with Acquired Musical Savant Syndrome (the only documented case known) and a form of Syneteshia, a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.

After absorbing the remarkable phenomenon of this story, it occurs to me that the human mind is a far more complex organ than we imagine.

Check out the video below for more on this intriguing story, including Derek playing some of his music:

.

.

.

.