Inside the 'perpetual now': One woman's amnesia advances science

Lonni Sue Johnson was a successful artist, viola player, and private pilot. Then a virus attacked her brain, destroying most of her memory. Her story – and why her amnesia may not be such a tragedy after all – is the subject of a new book titled “The Perpetual Now: A Story of Amnesia, Memory, and Love.”

Lonni Sue Johnson was a talented viola player and skilled private pilot. But then she suffered permanent amnesia. She’s the subject of the book titled “The Perpetual Now: A Story of Amnesia, Memory, and Love.” (Photo courtesy of Michael Lemonick)