I opened my eyes. There was this scent hanging in the air, some kind of cologne. I had never smelled it before. I adverted my gaze from the ceiling. The room was strange, unfamiliar and my heart was beginning to beat rapidly against my chest. There was nothing familiar, I had no idea where I was.

Amnesia (from Greek Ἀμνησία) is a condition in which one's memory is either wholly or partially lost due to the extent of damage that was caused. Any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia.

• Anterograde amnesia, is the loss of long-term memory, the loss or impairment of the ability to form new memories.

• Retrograde amnesia, the loss of pre-existing memories to conscious recollection, beyond an ordinary degree of forgetfulness. The amount of memories lost depends on the severity of the case. The person is unable to recall some or all of their life or identity prior to the onset.

Both categories of amnesia can occur together in the same patient.

(Wikipedia)