Advanced Memory Techniques

[toasterwater]

If you have read Steve's blogs on how he made it through college, you may remember him mentioning advanced memorization techniques. I have been working on developing these skills for myself, but i find it a little more challenging to apply them in real life situations- like college classes. I have read the entire Memory Master course suggested by Steve in one of his blog entries (I would link the site, but the page is not loading for me right now). I have been able to apply the link and peg techniques and have found them useful in memorizing random lists of objects. I think i have the most trouble using replacement words to make a mental picture of abstract words (words that do not directly correlate with a visual representation like most nouns do). If any of you have mastered any of these techniques, or are in the process of mastering them, i would greatly appreciate your advice.

[JoshuaH]

I find that I have the same problem sometimes as well.

The replacement technique (if I understand you correctly) works best for me if I say the word out loud. Then I try to catch the first word(s) that pop into my head that sound even remotely like the term I'm trying to peg.

For example: I had to memorize that the lemniscal tract (a part of your central nervous system) carries mechanosensory information (information about touch and where your body parts are). So when I said lemniscal out loud, I thought of lemmings (like that old video game) and a skull. So I pegged "mechanics" (people who fix things) to zombie lemmings. The picture is actually zombie lemmings with wrenches.

Sorry for using such an arcane example, but hopefully the point still makes sense.

I'm still working with these concepts too: it's sort of a trial by fire.

Good luck with your studies!

[Trustme]

I have been fascinated with these memory systems for some time. These techniques definately work it's just a little tricky to find real world applications besides learning stuff for exams etc.

For those using advanced techniques. Let's say I encoded population numbers for various countries and I read an article in the Economist. Would I be able to read the countries name and within a second know the population like I would be able if I had learned it the old way or does it take some extra time to go through your inner file system and retrieve and decode the information?

Thanks for clarifying!
Volkmar

[Calculusaurus]

My only advice to anyone interested in advanced memory techniques is this:

Use them, don't just learn about them.

I spent way too much time learning all the tricks, assuring a perfect understanding before I dared jump into using them. But once I took the plunge I realized two things: (1) The only real way to learn memory techniques is to try them out, and (2) you can't really mess it up, there's no permanent damage from doing things the "wrong" way.

So spend 10 minutes reading about one or two techniques. Then spend the next couple months using them. Next, go back and refine your practice.

I use these techniques for college. I'm a math/physics major so they don't help too much, but once in a while I take an art history course or something where there is a ridiculous amount of material to be memorized. But memory techniques seriously make you feel like you're cheating, they're that good.

[eali]

I wonder if anyone has a good technique for memorizing strings of ideas with complex scientific terms, like ideas from a textbook. The problem is that these terms either do not sound like something familiar, (English isn't my first language, and I learn in English, so...) or lack a concrete meaning in my mind that can be memorized as, say, a picture.

[benza]

Yes, I too have a problem implementing memory techniques into my college studys. I guess that memory systems like peg aren't design for memorizing whole bloks of text.

[Magnus]

Instead of buying the book Steve recommended I went on a serach on Amazon and found another book, Your memory. This book also covers the why of memory techniques. Why it works the way it does (or what statiscally works best, the workings of the memory is sill somewhat uncharted territory it seems). It also touches upon all the techniques and how you can combine them later in the book. I highly recommend it!

Some interesting things he writes about is this guy who remembers everything very clearly like a photograph, but is unable to distinct important information from unimportant information. So his son's birth would be as significant as going and buying groceries.

This suggests that it is a good thing that our brain sorts between important and unimportant. The problem is that we have to "cheat" or make select things seem important or extraordinary. He also writes that, while having brainsurgery, apparently patients have reported to relive (with all senses) short episodes in their lives. So perhaps everything is there, recorded.

And while I'm at it, that "We only use [insert-precentage] of our brain."-statement is (again according to the author's research) not based on any scientific fact. Just some gimmick that have been withspread. The truth would be that we don't know exactly how much and it can vary, but that we have a lot of capacity left.

In respons to Trustme: In that book the author writes that these techniques basically takes more initial work each time you remember. But that you when you work out a system, you remember what you want from the beginning. So instead of rehearsing everything over and over until it sticks. You remember it from get-go. Thus you save time. But it would be some overhead to decode it again, yes. But many times you would not remember as much if you tried the traditional way.

Eali: I tried to make up stories to remember calculus definitions and proofs once. Subsituting different characters (like x, y, D, lim etc) with names. It worked so-so. I was going in the right direction, but I started off way too late. Perhaps you could apply this as well by translating the text into your own language first? You can also break words apart to remember them easier. For example: "ape-art" for remembering the word "apart". Then make a story out of it: "The ape makes art in his apartment". Then you could sort all the stories with the linked list-technique. Try to sort everything out as a upside down tree structure. It's easier to remember a story, then you sort out the important elements and decode them into your information. But do all this in your own lanugage instead. Sorry if this was really obvious stuff already.

I would like to add that I have in no way mastered these techniques yet. I try to appy them sporadicly but mainly I'm acting like a parrot here. Just retelling what I read. Sorry for ranting on so long, just excited about these new forums. I will end my post here as people who have more experience with this probably have stuff to say.

[Ilya]

Originally Posted by Trustme

Would I be able to read the countries name and within a second know the population like I would be able if I had learned it the old way or does it take some extra time to go through your inner file system and retrieve and decode the information?

You would, eventually.
We don't really know how the long term memory works and can't control it. What we know, is that if we send some data into the long term memory together, it will be most likely retrieved together. So as information pours in your brain you use the time when it is still in short-time memory to create the links between the different pieces, even if they are not really connected. You can also create links with something that is already stored in the long-term memory.
If you create the link well, later, during recall, one piece of information will instantly bring back the linked one. But in the beginning, when you are just learning the tricks, your recall skills may not be that good and you will notice how your mind will go from one image to another. With practice it will happen outside the scope of your awareness.

[Ilya]

Originally Posted by eali

I wonder if anyone has a good technique for memorizing strings of ideas with complex scientific terms, like ideas from a textbook. The problem is that these terms either do not sound like something familiar, (English isn't my first language, and I learn in English, so...) or lack a concrete meaning in my mind that can be memorized as, say, a picture.

First of all, the terms do not have to sound familiar, if the parts, the syllables bring up some images it is enough. And since scientific terms usually have indo-european roots, I think something would pop into your mind.
Second, think about how you understand the terms? How do you know what does a term mean? It may not be the picture, but there must be some internal representation. May be you have the sound, or even a feeling of the meaning. It may take some time to bring this to your conscious attention, but it is there and you can use it for memorizing. Being in the right state of mind helps. Sometimes, it is difficult to bring up the image while staring intently at the word on a page. It may help to relax, look up and enter a dreamy state and asking yourself what could the image be for this word, if it had one, and then wait for anything that pops into your head.
Hope this helps a bit.

[Ilya]

Originally Posted by benza

Yes, I too have a problem implementing memory techniques into my college studys. I guess that memory systems like peg aren't design for memorizing whole bloks of text.

Benza, you are right. Pegs would be a very inefficient way to remember the text passages. What you could do it use the chaining. You start with the fist word and make a picture of it, then, while keeping the first picture in mind think about the second word and about how the first picture can change to accomodate the picture of a second word.
For example, let's take the definition of the derivative from Wikipedia:Derivative - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"In mathematics, a derivative is defined as the instantaneous rate of change of a function"
First word is "in". I imagine a dark space bound by some walls. Second word "Mathematics" - the picture zooms out and I realize that the space before was between the pages of a math textbook I had in school. "A derivative" - for my bilingual ear this sounds like "tree (or wood)" in russian and "TV" in english - my math textbook is crushed by a wooden TV set, which is a bit fuzzy, because of the "a" article. "defined" - opposite of fined - tv shows the burning speeding ticket (I skip is here, because it is suggested by the sentence structure). "as" - the donkey or something more rude jumping out of the tv set. "the instantaneous" - The "going to light speed" effect from Star Wars. "rate of" - rat with e on the end is a french rat, so it will be giant rat leaning of the Eiffel tower and showing me the rude gesture at the end of light speed travel. "Change of" - a lot of pennies falling from above with Lincoln showing rude gesture. "A function" - the pennies bounce of a roller-coaster shaped as a graph of a sin(x) function.

Basically it goes like this. It took me several minutes to write down, but la few seconds to make it up, while I was reading the text. This can be fun, you can have whole movies for the long passages. But the beauty is, that after some practice, you won't need to recall the whole movie to recall the text, the move will play in background of your mind while you will be reciting the passage.

[toasterwater]

Hey everybody, I can now get that web page to load. This is the site that was suggested by Steve in the blog entry i was refering to. I find that this course is extremely helpful, and very easy to use. If you are skeptical about these techniques, just go to this site, and try out the first exercizes. You will be amazed to find that you can remember a list of 10, 15, 20 random things within a matter of maybe a minute. For those of you who posted comments about these techniques not being meant for school, etc. This course also tells you how to apply these techniques in many applications including learning from a textbook, learning foreign languages, even how to count cards. So i cant stress enough, if you have even the slightest interest in these AMAZING memory techniques, check out that link. Also, later on i found this site, it has helpful info as well. I hope this helps. Oh, and by the way, im still open for advice from others who have mastered these techniques .

[Alex]

Originally Posted by toasterwater

Hey everybody, I can now get that web page to load. This is the site that was suggested by Steve in the blog entry i was refering to.

I've looked around this site before, alot of the links from that website cannot be found (very dissapointing). Thanks for keeping everyone updated though, and I'll take a look at the other site you linked as well.

[Mark Lapierre]

Originally Posted by Magnus

Instead of buying the book Steve recommended I went on a serach on Amazon and found another book, Your memory. This book also covers the why of memory techniques. Why it works the way it does (or what statiscally works best, the workings of the memory is sill somewhat uncharted territory it seems). It also touches upon all the techniques and how you can combine them later in the book. I highly recommend it!

Seconded! I found it via amazon too. Out of the three books that I've read so far regarding memory techniques it's easily the superior in terms of explaining different techniques and what we understand of why and how they work.

[thkthink]

Hi,
Just wish to share my experience on memory techniques.
I knew about these techniques through Steve's link to Memory Master. It was a great help indeed in helping me memorise simple lists, as well as names and other random stuff.
However, there are much more other more powerful techniques out there, and after reading memory champion Dominic Brian's book, I find it much more enjoyable using his techniques to memorise numbers than Memory Masters method. Really up to ones own preference...
P.s. I have the soft copy of Dominics book. If anyone wants it can email me at dominic.15.thkthink@spamgourmet.com. Only the first 15 ppl will get it

[magi13]

How to build a memory palace - SuperStruct Instructables Series

is a good website that may help in you in upgrading your memory

[mefahim]

Hi All,

I am using memory techniques to improve my memory but facing a bit problem in mentally associating unknown with The known. I need to read more examples on memory association to increase my powers of imagination in forming Mental images. Could anyone please provide me examples on memory association to associate the unknown information (information to memorize) to the known pegs using the powers of imagination, visualization and association. Appreciate your time for me.

Thanks,
Fahim

[Andyee]

for example: I want to remember that my locker's number is 102. I will divide 102 into

1
0
2

1 - this will be a stick
0 - a hole
2 - a swan

Let us make a freaking story: I through a stick in the hole... the hole became angry and transformed me into a swan.

You get it?

[logw]

I tried all the memory training courses present but these were proved as mere party tricks as it was impossible to use them in school and everyday life but then i came across an which changed my life radically. It will help you winning every time and every aspect of life.its not like other party tricks course. But it will get you real results in the shortest amount of time.


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