what tom is doing here has been studied by Bandler & Grinder. the study is called neurolingustic programming.
all people look to a certain degree in different directions when they (try to) recall memories (images, sounds, tastes, feelings) or when they are conducting monologues on the inside. these movements are forced by a area above the brainstem -on its back side - the lamina quadrigemina (14 in the picture) where a connection is found with the nervus oculomotorius/trochlearis (they guide eye muscles) and the nervus facialis (for the facial muscles).
in tom these connections seem to be stronger than in other people (which would explain good visual -poker- memory) and/or it has just become some extreme quirk.