Eric Lampaert, a 40-year-old actor and comedian, lost his memory suddenly on 17 March 2019 while living in Los Angeles. Upon waking that morning, he found he could not recognize his parents, housemates, or neighbors, experiencing what doctors diagnosed as confusion delirium with amnesia symptoms. He spent approximately 18 months unable to access his memories before gradually recovering them.
Lampaert’s amnesia occurred during a period of significant personal upheaval. He had relocated to Los Angeles in 2016 following professional successes including a Royal Television Society award and an international comedy award, but found limited career opportunities in the city. His marriage ended in divorce, and he pursued online hypnotherapy sessions seeking mental health support. He attributes the amnesia to an intense state triggered by hypnotherapy combined with deep reflection on traumatic childhood memories, including experiences of bullying, family separation at age 15, and public humiliation following a 2009 television commercial that generated online harassment.
During his amnesia period, Lampaert was hospitalized and sectioned. His experience was further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he developed the belief that a script he had written before his amnesia had somehow manifested the global outbreak, intensifying his psychological distress. He subsequently pursued various treatments including Jungian therapy, NHS PTSD courses, and medication.
Lampaert recovered his memory 18 months into his amnesia, describing the turning point as occurring when he made himself laugh while reflecting on the burden he had been carrying. His recovery process has involved living with his father in Newmarket and rebuilding relationships with family members. He has since returned to acting work, including a 2023 role in a film alongside Benedict Cumberbatch.
His experience forms the basis of his new theatrical show, Zero Minus One, a two-character piece performed entirely by Lampaert, depicting conversations between patient and doctor. The show opens at the Edinburgh festival in August.