Anthony Metivier's Magnetic Memory Method Podcast: Recent Episodes
Anthony Metivier's Magnetic Memory Method Podcast
If you're a slow reader, you're probably fine. Here's why it happens, when it's worth looking at, and how slow readers can remember more.
Ready to boost your memory? Complete my free memory course here:
https://www.magneticmemorymethod.com/mmm-pod
By Dr. Anthony Metivier, PhD | Updated August 6, 2026
I once signed up for a speed reading course during my years at York University because I thought being a slow reader was bad.
I mean, I’ve always read a ton, but I wanted what everyone wants. More books down the hatch in less time.
Well, let me save you from wasting time and money on speed reading courses. And show you why slow reading is actually a good thing.
For one thing, what that speed reading course actually delivered was a set of bizarre eye exercises and instructions to stop subvocalizing. Worse, the instructor suggested I cease hearing the words in my head.
When I asked why, the teacher gave me a clearly pseudoscientific answer, and I could spot his word salad because I had also recently taken an anthropology course about the role of scammers in society.
What I quickly learned however is a very simple and empowering fact.
Being A Slow Reader Is Not A DefectAnd for many people, taking your time while reading isn’t a problem that needs fixing.
In fact, readers who get the most out of books tend to read slowly on purpose. It’s just that they pair their pace with various methods, such as priming books and taking notes using Zettelkasten.
And because experts tend to focus their reading efforts within categories, often they create the illusion that they read more than they actually do. That’s an effect created by staying in your lane, as Nir Eyal put it a few years ago on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHNkne6Cnvo
Why You’re a Slow Reader (And Why That’s Not Always a Problem)There are many reasons why some people fail to read at a rapid clip.
But not all of them are problems.
Some of the things we’ll discuss are entirely circumstantial.
In other words, they have nothing to do with you. When you understand these points as I explain them below, your potential for making positive changes goes way up.
That’s because, believe it or not, some books are so badly written that they can literally ruin your ability to read.
I’m not joking either. There’s a condition called cognitive deskilling, and by exposing yourself to hard to read books and then blaming yourself for not understanding them, negative thoughts about yourself can arise.
When that happens, as discussed by Andy Clark in The Experience Machine, you start predicting that the next book you read will also be a poor experience.
This “predictive processing,” as scientists call it, winds up making future books harder to read.
Let’s stop that from happening to you by going through these reasons. All you have to do after that is put my suggestions into action and perhaps go through my list of books on learning for more suggestions like The Experience Machine.
What About ADHD and Slow Reading?A lot of people who have completed my Read with Momentum program have asked me: Does ADHD make you a slow reader?
Or is reading slowly a sign of a learning disability?
Ultimately, you have to get the answers to such questions from a qualified professional.
But I can tell you that my friend Jonathan Levi, creator of Superlearner, substantially improved his reading speed using techniques I don’t use myself.
I worked with Jonathan on several projects and saw both his ADHD tendencies and his reading skills myself.
In my view, how quickly he could read is not all that relevant. He was a careful memorizer of information. And more importantly, a skilled thinker about the information he consumed.
One interesting point: Jonathan used some of the speed reading techniques I fully and completely criticize.
But he’ll be the first to tell you that he found using them very tiring. He pulled them out selectively. And never at the expense of not reflecting deeply on what he was learning.
Think of it like this: It doesn’t really matter how fast you’re going if you’re travelling in the wrong direction.
So for most of us, the following set of suggestions is bound to be the better bet.
One: Your Vocabulary Needs BoostingA lot of people read at a decent pace, but they have to keep stopping to look words up.
This is probably one of the biggest issues readers who want to improve their reading speed face.
Why?
Because vocabulary ability is directly related to reading comprehension.
So how do you improve your vocabulary?
Set a goal to memorize 260 words you don’t know or with which you have lost familiarity over the next 30 days.
I’m confident this will speed up your reading. And to help you out, I created this tutorial on how to memorize vocabulary.
Do This To Build Your Vocabulary While ReadingHere’s one simple exercise I use to learn new vocabulary while reading without breaking my flow. I’ve been doing it a lot during my recent law memorization project at law school.
Rather than stop reading whenever I come across a word I don’t know, I place a small dot in the margin. I call this the Margin Dot.
I limit myself to a maximum of three new words per page.
Then, after the chapter is complete, I look up the meanings of the words before committing them to memory.
This simple strategy has also helped me a lot while reading in foreign languages. Even though it’s tempting to pause and look up words by the dozen, you simply get more reading and more vocabulary memorizing done when you focus on fewer words.
As you repeat this simple process, you’ll find that you read with greater flow because now you understand more words.
Two: Stop Reading In Distraction ZonesA lot of people think they’re reading slowly, when in fact they’re pushing through the molasses of distraction.
Maybe you’re in a cafe and the background music is too busy.
Or you’re in a room where someone is watching TV.
If that’s the case, you’re forcing your brain to filter out too much noise.
Although it is true that the famous polymath John von Neumann loved studying with loud music and other distractions, creating such obstacles is not a very common polymathic personality trait.
In addition to exposing yourself to noise, it could also be that you’re sitting incorrectly. What feels comfortable isn’t necessarily conducive to reading well.
Consider where you read and experiment with different locations.
When you find places that help you focus on your reading with greater intensity, rotate between them.
In other words, read in one location for a certain amount of time.
Then move to another location to read some more.
A small amount of walking between your reading sessions will focus your brain and promote better health.
I believe that moving between libraries helped my memory and understanding tremendously while studying at York University.
I would constantly travel between libraries across Toronto, sometimes up to five in a single day. While walking or riding my bike between them, the ideas would percolate and I still remember many of them decades later.
Three: It’s Not You. The Book Is Poorly WrittenA lot of slow readers blame themselves when it’s actually the book that deserves the criticism.
Some of the best thinkers on the planet are downright horrible authors. In fact, there are some intelligent people who also can’t explain themselves in spoken words either.
Specific problems can include:
- Archaic vocabulary
- Obtuse phrasing
- Obscure references
- Poor introduction skills
- Lack of reflective thinking about the topic matter that helps you connect the dots
So the next time you find yourself reading slowly, look at the text. It really might not be you.
In terms of handling poorly written books, I find it helpful to read them in smaller doses.
Rather than plow through them, I use a process called interleaving, literally and intentionally rotating through 2-5 different books.
This helps avoid topic exhaustion, and more winds up getting read over the long haul, and all without ever cramming.
Four: You’re BoredJust as some books are written poorly, many publications are legitimately boring.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you can always avoid reading them. Many people have to read tedious books in order to excel in their professions, myself included.
That’s why I created this tutorial on how to deal with boring topics.
Other ways to make what you read more engaging include elaborative encoding memory exercises.
Basically, if you get bored, you can make things exciting for yourself by using the pegword method or the Major System. These are two highly immersive memory techniques that can make even the driest topics interesting and exciting.
You can also spend some time reflecting on the reasons why you’re reading the book in the first place. Sometimes remembering your motivation can build excitement that carries you through.
I can tell you that my own law school experience requires me to keep my reasons why at the top of my mind very frequently. But it’s worth the additional effort because so many of life’s riches are on the other side of discomfort.
Five: Your Mind Wanders While You ReadEver get distracted by your thoughts?
When I ask myself, “Why do I read slow?” distracting thoughts are usually the issue I face.
Luckily, I found a way to eliminate the problem on demand. I shared the process in this TEDx Talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvtYjdriSpM
If you don’t have time to watch it, the two questions are:
- How do my thoughts behave?
- Are they useful?
Fire off those two simple questions when you find your mind wandering, and you’ll enjoy deeper focus.
The questions work because often our thoughts behave like undisciplined children. And when they do that, their value is obviously very low.
Once reminded of this, getting back to reading is often much easier.
Six: You’re Intimidated Some books are very long. They can also be incredibly complex.
It’s normal to be a bit nervous.
When I decided to learn about computational consciousness, I felt that way too for a short while.
But when I decided to just get started, I found everything was easier than I thought.
And I realized that in the case of one book in particular, I’d been afraid for nothing.
You see, in Douglas Hofstadter’s Gödel, Escher, Bach, there’s a complicated section near the beginning where he gives you a puzzle to solve.
When I initially read the book, I gave up because I couldn’t solve the puzzle.
If I’d just kept on reading, I would have realized that he was playing a trick on the reader. It’s unsolvable and he puts it there to make a point.
In reality, all books are puzzles and they all contain elements that are unsolvable. That’s why I’ve made it a policy to just keep reading, even when I’m confused and don’t understand.
I keep reading so that I might understand. And I recommend you do the same too.
For more nuance on this, here are some tips for reading the memory books of Giordano Bruno, who is even trickier to grasp than Hofstadter.
Seven: It’s Your JobDid you know that some people are paid to read slowly?
They’re called copy editors.
The best will always work from a printout and then go through the process again on a screen.
Of course, even the best still make mistakes.
For example, I’ve counted up to seven typos in a single Stephen King book.
If his editorial team can’t catch them all, then such errors are either perfectly human. Or those people need to find ways to read even more slowly in the future.
In any case, if you need to copy edit and still want to speed up the process, try this:
Most computers these days have text-to-audio features.
Sometimes when I’m copy editing my books or this blog, I just highlight the text, press option + esc and let the machine read it back to me.
Although the pronunciations are often awkward, it keeps me focused on my own writing and things go much faster.
Eight: You Need More Brain ExerciseIf you’re not in a profession where you would benefit from reading slowly, some solid brain exercise might be just the ticket.
A simple brain exercise that can help you read faster is to read every other word out loud.
Although it might sound like a strange activity, it’s inspired by Harry Kahne’s Multiple Mentality course.
After completing his exercises, which involve reciting the alphabet backwards and skipping letters, I found that my mind was sharper.
You’ll give up some comprehension by completing this kind of exercise. But it will get you in the zone and you only need to do it for a few minutes to get the benefits.
If you’d like more brain exercises, here’s a list of my all-time favorites.
Speed Reading Vs Slow ReadingA lot of marketers talk about speed reading vs slow reading and then give you “magic” techniques to try.
For example, they’ll talk about:
- How to “suppress” subvocalization
- How to skim and scan
- Using a pointer
- Breaking the pages into three columns
- Reducing “back skipping”
- Counting while reading
The problem is, very few people like my friend Jonathan aside, most marketers rarely focus on a visualization reading strategy that can truly help you.
By following their advice, you risk the trap of rote learning because their suggested techniques distract you. Then you have to go back and read everything again.
Even some of the best speed reading books lead you into this trap, so read them with caution.
The truth about learning how to read faster is simple:
You need to focus on thoroughness and seek to ground all reading projects inside of a well-formed context.
That’s where the next tip comes in very handy.
Commit Long Form Material To MemoryWe’ve already talked about the value of memorizing vocabulary to boost your reading speed.
Being able to “read inside your mind” is the next level.
Did you know that you can commit entire paragraphs to memory?
The benefits are tremendous.
For one thing, you can compare two passages at once from within your mind. This is a skill that transcends reading and will help you create new knowledge as you think faster.
The only question remains… what to commit to memory first.
I would suggest something that will make your life better as quickly as possible. For some people this would be quotes or ideas from philosophy.
For other people, it might be scripture. You could even start with a mini-goal, like memorizing the Books of the Bible.
Whatever goal you choose, you’ll want to have the Memory Palace technique under your belt.
How To Read Slowly On PurposeNow that we’ve come this far, I hope you can see that there are many reasons why you don’t have to chase efficiency.
Let’s focus now on effectiveness. I want to help you get good at drawing real value out of a book. Do that and efficiency will follow.
Here’s a summary portrait of what reading looks like for me:
Deliberate PatienceI rarely abandon boring or challenging books. Instead, I make myself be more patient with the writing style. I accept that some authors are simply harder than others. Deciding in advance to be patient with difficult styles and challenging topics removes most of the frustration before it starts.
Non-Linear ReadingI mentioned interleaving above. I also read books out of order.
Before going through a book from beginning to end, I usually browse the index first and then read the conclusion. This helps me understand where a book is going. Then, after some strategic skimming, I read the most interesting chapters next, or start from the beginning.
Active Note-TakingI take notes in a robust way and using a variety of note-taking strategies, not just one.
Although I’m strategic about the notes I take, I don’t overdo it.
Think about it:
Rarely does any of us know which points will matter. As a result, we wind up taking more than we need.
To combat this habit, I set simple rules, such as ten index cards per chapter.
After reading, I review and cull from my notes. I might extract thirty cards’ worth of notes from a book, and only memorize ten points.
But this is perfectly fine because while I think about the cards, my mind naturally connects to information in the book I didn’t memorize.
And the handwriting involved in the note-taking process itself helps establish a layer of memory. As this scientific study on The Neuroscience Behind Handwriting shows, writing helps us instil memories. You simply cannot shortcut your way to substantial retention, even when using memory techniques.
The Success Slow Reading BringsAlthough I fully recognize that a lot of younger people just want to know how to study for finals, I wish they would consider the reading habits of people from the ancient world, like St. Augustine and Cicero.
Augustine thought that taking time to ruminate was one of the most important things we can do. And Cicero deliberately slowed himself down to memorize.
In fact, Cicero could stand in the Roman forum and speak for hours without notes. He cited names and legal cases precisely and argued that it’s possible to keep learning no matter how late your season in life.
I made a full video about what Cicero understood about lifelong learning, including his warning that memory only fades in those who stop exercising it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqog1a2sQ3k
Ultimately, slow reading helps you accumulate knowledge that turns into wisdom.
In fact, Peter Burke ends his excellent book The Polymath with the statement that we now live in an era where there should be courses in reading slower.
And more than one hundred years ago, the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche argued strongly that readers must take more time with books in order to avoid looking like fools for commenting on points they misunderstood.
Depth of understanding is always more important than speed. And none of it comes from turning pages quickly.
FAQ on Slow Reading & Improving Your Comprehension SpeedIf you’ve come this far and you’re still wondering if being a slow reader is really a bad thing, here are some rapid pace questions and answers based on messages I’ve received from a variety of people over the years.
Is being a slow reader bad?In my view, it depends. If you’re putting obstacles in your path by reading in distracting places, then yes.
But reading slowly and carefully is generally a very good thing.
People like Mortimer Adler suggested slowing down to consider different ways you can read books. His How to Read a Book is quite famous for suggesting four main ways to read:
- Elementary
- Inspectional
- Analytical
- Syntopical
Only elementary and inspectional reading was meant to be conducted at a faster pace.
Much more interesting to me than Adler is a book by I. A. Richards called How to Read a Page. I often recommend it to students in my courses.
Richards recommends that you spend more time on individual words and their meanings and gives you excellent tools for doing so.
What’s a good reading speed?I believe that it’s a waste of time to track and calculate reading speeds unless you’re genuinely curious or researching claims about speed reading.
Understanding is not a linear outcome. Many people, myself included, often experience multiple insights and connections over time.
What matters more than the speed of reading individual words is the consistency of your reading over long stretches of time.
Can I train myself to stop subvocalizing?In my view, you should increase subvocalization, not reduce it.
I’m not the only one who thinks so, as you can read in this Mind Map Unleashed article.
When I’m struggling to understand something, reading it out loud is the first thing I do.
I have a PhD, two MAs and many accomplishments under my belt. Would that have happened if I wasted time trying to stop subvocalization that has been so helpful to me understanding challenging topics?
I don’t think so.
Why do people now recommend slow reading?Information overload has created a situation in which people feel that ten minute videos are too long, let alone books that are hundreds of pages long.
Many people now long for the depth of understanding they had pre-Internet.
And it’s not just about knowing more.
It’s also about enjoying the time spent with long-form content. It’s much more immersive and not interrupted constantly by ads that fry your attention-span.
Should I re-read books?I believe so and try to reread at least one book once a month.
I use a very specific re-reading strategy to make it happen.
Frankly, the answer ultimately depends on the nature of the book. But once you’ve read a book thoroughly, even just dipping in to reread certain passages will do you a lot of good.
The reason has to do with context-dependent memory. As you revisit something you’ve read before, large networks of connections in your brain receive nurturing.
It’s one reason I work on developing a physical library. It increases my rereading and my random visitation of passages from books I’ve read before.
Do memory techniques actually help with reading speed?Yes, because increasing your vocabulary improves pattern recognition.
Memorizing entire phrases and passages also improves your target-scanning, which is how quickly you can find individual words on the page.
To learn how to memorize entire phrases, check out my tutorial on passage memorization.
Better still, register for my free course on using the Memory Palace technique so you can memorize while you read:
Reading Slowly Doesn’t Have To Be A Bad ThingThe two biggest takeaways for today are simple:
- Anyone can read faster
- There are times when reading slowly totally makes sense
And another thing to consider is that finishing books and articles at any pace is not meant to be the end of the learning process.
Finishing something you’re reading is always just the beginning.
Fast or slow, reading one book is a portal to the next thing you read.
And if you found today’s tutorial useful, why not let it be your portal to my ultimate list of reading strategies?
Go through it next and you’ll not only enjoy reading more, but you’ll remember your reading better too.
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Connect with Michael Taft:
🎙️ Deconstructing Yourself Podcast: https://deconstructingyourself.https://deconstructingyourself.com
📚 The Mindful Geek: https://themindfulgeek.com/
🔥 Get your FREE Memory Improvement Kit:
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Looking to transform your meditation practice using memory palace techniques?
Join in as Michael Taft, host of the Deconstructing Yourself podcast and author of The Mindful Geek, discusses with me ways that ancient memory methods can enhance mindfulness and spiritual growth.
You'll learn powerful spaced repetition strategies for mantra meditation that most people unfortunately miss.
And you'll discover science-backed approaches to training your mind as we explore the challenging aspects of meditation practice rarely discussed by traditional teachers.
Michael shares insights from both contemplative traditions and modern memory improvement techniques, offering a unique bridge between Eastern wisdom and Western memory methods.
Whether you're a seasoned meditator looking to deepen your practice or a memory enthusiast curious about spiritual applications, our discussion unveils practical techniques for combining memory palaces with meditation.
From accelerating mantra memorization to maintaining freshness in long-term practice, discover how memory techniques can unlock new dimensions in your mindfulness journey with expert guidance from Michael Taft.
In this transformative episode, we explore:
- How to use memory palaces for enhanced mantra meditation - Practical memory techniques for spiritual practice - Challenging aspects of meditation many "teachers" don't discuss - Advanced mind training methods combining multiple approaches
Connect with Michael Taft:
🎙️ Deconstructing Yourself Podcast: https://deconstructingyourself.com/
📚 The Mindful Geek: https://themindfulgeek.com/
🔥 Get my FREE Memory Improvement Kit: https://www.magneticmemorymethod.com/yt
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Polymath and linguistic maestro Luke Ranieri joins to discuss his strategies for memorizing 100 lines of the Iliad in Ancient Greek. His mastery of multiple topics and languages will inform and inspire you!
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Ashley Strand memorized the entire Book of Mark and delivers it live as a one-man show. He's also a trained Shakespearian actor. Listen in to learn how he memorizes so much text quickly and efficiently.
Anxiety induced memory loss does not have to ruin your life. Learn how to stop stress and memory loss quickly with these powerful tips.
Can you really be both an autodidact and a polymath? Absolutely yes, you just need to understand this one big counterintuitive difference.
Many people get visual memory techniques wrong. Learn to use these hacks and you'll use mnemonics with greater success, much faster.
Some people say that Giordano Bruno thought you could know, understand and remember all the information in the world. I think he was teaching an early version of using mental artificial intelligence to create powerful mnemonics that work long term.
Do brain games work? Some will help improve your memory in a manner of speaking. Learn the full truth and find some brain games to try now.
Do brain games work? Yes and no, depending on what you mean when you ask the question.
If you’re looking for a quick fix, brain games are highly unlikely to improve much when it comes to focus, attention and memory.
And scientists are right to discourage people from getting their hopes up. Scientists playing for team human, that is.
I make the distinction because a lot of the science around brain games is suspect at best.
On this page, I’ll share the main points behind why some scientists dismiss many brain games outright. In many cases, it’s because the extravagant claims made by companies and “researchers” who claim their brain games bring benefits are often downright criminal.
But this does not mean that there aren’t any brain games you can play and be repaid for your time and effort.
As you’ll see, enjoying memory boosts come down to your goals and how precisely you integrate playing games in your life.
Full disclosure before we continue:
I’ve created several brain games and memory games over the years, so I might be a bit biased. None of them are for sales on this page, however.
My point today is to address you as someone who knows a fair amount of the research. I belong to major psychological organizations and have access to databases many do not. And as a person with a PhD and over a decade of experience writing about a variety of issues related to memory, I’m capable of not only being objective. I’ve been trained to read, analyze and interpret what such studies mean. And what they don’t mean.
So if you’re ready for a full analysis of when and how brain games stand a chance at improving your memory, let’s dive in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIgNZu4UOjM
Do Brain Games Work? The Science ExplainedThe briefest answer here is that real science doesn’t offer final “yes” and “no” answers. That’s because science is about running experiments and analyzing data.
Since a wide variety of brain games exist and we have many ways to test their outcomes against many conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s to stroke and amnesia, we have take each study on its own terms.
This is where producers of brain games often bend the truth. They’ll show studies that “prove” their games work. Often, these companies are just cherry-picking from studies that are marginally related to their apps. And that’s assuming they’re related at all.
This behavior was noted by Dr. Christine Till who studied Cogmed’s effects on a particular group of patients. It’s very easy to interpret the data in different ways. Her conclusion was that any benefits from the brain games were coming more from the test group that worked with personal coaches as part of playing the games. This is a very different outcome than experiencing memory improvement from a game itself.
Again, in order to arrive at a balanced view, we need to look at specific studies and think about them in the context of our goals. In some cases, scientific studies won’t really matter because they can’t give final answers anyhow. They can only talk about what the data validates according to specific trials run against specific groups of people.
This puts you in the position of what I call “radical honesty.” You need to play the best possible brain games yourself over a specific period of time and come up with your own benchmarks for improvement.
In other words, you need to be the scientist in the laboratory of your own mind. To that end, we’ll talk more about different kinds of brain games and how to approach them next.
Types of Brain Games And Their Cognitive TargetsBrain games are often designed to target specific memory skills or improve aspects of your conscious experience. These can include exercising faculties like:
- Memory
- Attention
- Focus
- Logic
- Problem solving
- Increase tolerance for cognitive load
- Rehabilitation
In one study, researched used a game called “Lost in Migration.” The researchers claim that participants experienced a combination of benefits from problem solving improvements to better cognitive processing and memory.
However, if you read the study carefully, it was conducted at and supported by Lumos labs, which produces a “brain training” app called Lumosity. “Lost in Migration” was part of this software at the time the study was conducted. Why might they be funding research that positively supports their product?
Read the study even more closely and you’ll find that it only involved three participants. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about just how valid this study actually is, and welcome you to consult the head researcher’s online CV to assess the state of her credentials at the time the study was conducted.
The larger point I want to get across is that this one example cites multiple benefits based on just three people and is funded by the company who created the brain game. If anyone is the target here, it’s not cognition. It’s the consumer.
Brain Games That Actually Offer Cognitive EnhancementDon’t let this one example discourage you. Although there are many others like it, researchers exist who are working on a fuller understanding of how brain games can help individuals improve their mental abilities.
The key issue to understand is that it might not be possible to benefit from games that you play on your own. For example, some researchers look at brain games from what they call a neureocological perspective. I had this principle in mind, along with intrapersonal memory issues when I created my first Memory Detective and Magnetic Variety games.
(Don’t worry: I’m not promoting them on this page because they are still in the testing phase. But again, I recognize and have written about my own memory and other biases at some length.)
In brief, neuroecological studies suggest that parts of the brain are only switched on and fully exercised when we play games together. Certain brain training apps use points and leaderboards to create the illusion that you’re in a community. They may even include forums. But if you’re not playing with actual human beings, certain brain rewiring effects (neuroplasticity) are unlikely to take place.
In all things, I encourage you to take care when reading any scientific study. When you do, try and stick to studies that come from behavioural psychology and respect the role of the individual as a member of other social groups. As Ginny Smith points out in Overloaded: How Every Aspect of Your Life is Influenced by Your Brain Chemicals, brain scans don’t tell us nearly as much as behavioral psychology does. You need to look at how things change over the long term in your life from playing games much more than what corporate-produced studies say.
With that in mind, here are some games you can play with your others and on your own.
Brain Games You Can Play With OthersThe best games that exercise your memory, focus and attention are some of the classics:
- Scrabble
- Chess
- Matching pairs with cards or tiles
- The Movie Alphabet Game
- Story Stacking (see memory games for how this is played)
- Kim’s Game
- Lego (shown to help kids develop math skills and surely also good for adults)
- Memory Detective (forthcoming)
- Magnetic Variety (forthcoming)
Brain Games You Can Play AloneWhen engaging in games by yourself, it’s important to think more closely about your goals. Rather than going after general boosts in memory, focused attention and concentration, I suggest you seek brain exercises designed to produce specific outcomes.
Completing challenging puzzles like this Houdini puzzle exercises spatial memory and is a lot of fun.
Also, take care around the promises made about crossword puzzles. Not everyone agrees that this solitary game is helpful. Many people cheat, for example, which ultimately developed learned helplessness more than it exercises your brain.
With this point in mind, here are some suggestions:
- Solitaire games
- Puzzles
- Join drawing challenges
- Become a memory competitor and train on your own (3x USA Memory Champ John Graham has some great solo training tips for you)
- Read interactive adventure books like Meanwhile by Jason Shiga
- Juggle
- Recite the alphabet backwards
- Develop a video game you remember as a Memory Palace
- Memorize playing cards
- Study game based magic tricks, like learning poker demonstrations with a memdeck
- Play games with your childhood memories
- Engage in neurobics in a playful way
- Make your own games
This final suggestion might seem silly. But in my anecdotal experience, I found creating my own games incredibly playful. And given all the moving parts involved, it definitely exercised my brain.
Even better, researchers have shown that even examining games can prove therapeutic, boost your creativity and and inspire you. And that’s coming from scientists who were able to declare proudly that there were no conflicts of interest in how their research was funded.
Beyond Games: Holistic Approaches to Cognitive EnhancementAs we’ve seen, games are a tricky topic. Apps might be effective, but usually not. Any skills they might produce are often only evident when you’re playing the game, a problem called near transfer that many people making claims about improving working memory ignore.
In addition to having specific goals that guide the kinds of games and brain exercises you choose, there are a number of holistic activities you can engage in. These include:
- Brain warmup routines
- Cognitive training exercises
- Activities that promote mental stimulation
- Learning a language (bilingualism has been shown to improve your brain)
- Study music
If you find any of these activities boring, you can easily think about ways to gamify them. This tip is important because setting the right frame has been shown to help in a variety of ways. For example, a recent Duke University study found that people who pretended to be art thieves remembered more about items in an art gallery than those who didn’t.
Nir Eyal has shared similar findings in his research related to adopting mental models for positive effects. For example, if you think of yourself as more focused before engaging in some of the cognitive activities we’ve discussed today, you’re much more likely to emerge focused.
Anthony Metivier with Tony Buzan
Tony Buzan seemed to have understood this in the memory training world when he created symbols like the Grandmaster of Memory and Warrior of the Mind. When he awarded me the latter symbol, it certainly shaped my behavior in a more intense way. The effect of having a mental image that guides performance is huge. The olympics use it, the Nobel Prize uses it, the Guinness World Records use it, etc. You can employ images too and enjoy greater mental strength and better memory too.
The Future Of Cognitive TrainingAs I write, many trends are emerging. Everything from augmented reality and virtual reality to my recent experiment in using chatGPT for language learning has been appearing all over social media.
When it comes to the future of cognitive enhancement, it’s difficult to make accurate predictions. But if we think about evolution and how slowly our brains adapt, chances are those of us who manage to keep up with the rate of change will be the ones who invest in the classic activities used by our ancestors. These include:
- Finding developing your polymathic personality traits
- Using ancient memory techniques
- Using modern memory techniques
- Being an effective reader
- Learning to communicate and engage in the debates of our time with passion
Do all these things and your brain will be fit, with or without brain games.
And if you want the ultimate workout, I suggest you learn to use a Memory Palace. I take you through this skill in its entirety in this free course:
This course gives you four video lessons and worksheets.
Although going through this material might not feel like a game, you now know that you can use mental models to change how you engage in anything. With these techniques, even the most boring topics will feel exciting and alive.
So what do you say?
Do you feel more empowered to make use of the brain games that exist and will come onto the market in the future?
As I often like to say, carpe diem (seize the day) but caveat emptor (buyer beware).
Frankly, the best memory and brain games in life were always free and always will be. You just have to make the decision to see them that way.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could instantly access perfect calm?
Or even better, live in such a deep state of relaxation that you don’t need some special strategy to deal with anxiety?
That’s what 3x USA Memory Champion John Graham learned to do.
And it turns out that the core techniques are easy to practice.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, John shares his experiences with shocking levels of anxiety and how he learned to remove the underlying causes.
From there, things have just been getting better and better.
All thanks to the stress-busting tips you’re about to discover.
https://youtu.be/rdC28SEJaYo
Who Is John Graham?If you’ve been following the memory improvement world for any amount of time, you’ll probably already know his name. If not, make sure to check out his YouTube channel.
In addition to many competition wins, he has demonstrated incredible feats of memory on a variety of television shows around the world.
That’s why when the topic of developing perfect calm out of life’s many stresses comes up, I pay special attention to what John has to say. Frankly, I don’t know any other competitor who has gone to such lengths. True, memory athletes like Alex Mullen and Johannes Mallow have also done high-stakes television spots…
But I think if you check them all out, there’s something especially nerve-wracking about the challenges John has taken on.
What Is Perfect Calm?At the end of the day, performance anxiety isn’t what John ultimately wants to help people with. He’s all about helping people establish perfect calm, which basically means feeling at ease and being able to maintain that sensation no matter what’s going on.
Realistically. Practically. Efficiently.
This mission is so important because there’s a deep anxiety that far too many people suffer. They unfortunately don’t know how simple the solutions can be. Nor do they have an idea of what calm can feel like in their lives.
This is a tragic outcome because the techniques for achieving a state that feels comfortable, relaxed and easy to return to if you come across some turbulence in life are so simple.
I know that I found it hard to imagine how my mind was going to turn from chaos to calm back when I needed to address anxiety issues. As a result, it made it nearly impossible for me to focus on what needed to be done to solve the problem.
That’s just one more reason I’m grateful to John for opening up and sharing his experiences. That can’t be easy, but transparency around these issues is the key to helping others.
For more discussions with John, please check out Beyond Mnemonics, Next Level Memory Training Secrets and Focus First.
No, there aren’t any brain games to play. You may need to spend some time with concentration meditations or other mental exercises.
But John’s the real deal and I hope you take more than inspiration from him. I hope you will take his advice.
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it around, visit John’s Release Panic website and thank you for your kind attention.
Many people who want to master multiple topics wonder about the exact polymath personality traits they’ll need to nurture.
I went through the hard work of figuring this out myself, especially while completing my PhD at York University in Toronto.
During those years, I studied a variety of polymaths to “reverse engineer” how exactly they developed so many skills without simply winding up with dust in their hands due to splitting their focus.
My research took me into many areas, ranging from self-improvement topics to philosophy and the role of friendship.
Luckily, it didn’t take me long to discover many of the traits found in most polymathic people. But there’s something else I discovered that you also need to know about.
All of these things will be covered in-depth on this page.
So if you’re interested in the traits you need to nurture so that you can become truly polymathic, this may be the most important post you ever read.
Ready?
Let’s dive in!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We0idHm3QlA
What Is A Polymath?The word polymath comes to us from polymathēs in Greek. It stems from “poly” for many and “manthanein” for “to learn.” That means you can be a polymath without actually having math in your skillset.
Where did the idea that someone can master many topics come from?
Many people say that the idea of mastering several fields arose during the Renaissance and Enlightenment era. There’s certainly truth to this and it’s one reason why the term “Renaissance Man” still circulates.
Frankly, polymathic people have been around for a lot longer than that. Aristotle was a polymath, as was arguably his student, Alexander the Great.
In Ancient China, Shen Kuo mastered multiple topics during his life. Between the years 1031 and 1095 he worked successfully in everything form meteorology and metallurgy to politics and pharmacology.
According to research Michael Araki, it’s not the topics themselves that define polymathy. What matters is:
- Breadth
- Depth
- Integration
In other words, a polymath has a comprehensive understanding of multiple topics, but not in a shallow way. There must be depth, and typically this depth is demonstrated through integration. Since Araki’s terms are open to a lot of interpretation, let’s look first at the traits that must be in place and nurtured in order to fulfil these categories.
Then we’ll look at how to avoid self-delusion. There are a lot of people who claim to have breadth, depth and integration. But we need to know how to test these claims in order to avoid charlatanism.
The 3 Core Traits Of A Modern PolymathAs we go through these traits, keep in mind that none of them need to be inborn or part of your DNA. As intelligence and memory studies have shown, it’s possible to rewire the brain and teach old dogs new tricks. Yes, even those who have never had any experience in mastering a single topic area or skill, let along several.
So if you feel like you’re missing any of these traits, don’t worry. They can all be developed.
One: Curiosity You Can’t ControlPolymathic people are driven by their curiosity.
You might be thinking, how on earth am I going to get curious about boring topics when I only have a mild desire to learn more as it is?
There are several paths you can take. Some of them involve exercises that will grant you greater mental strength. Others might require you to use mind mapping or other forms of positive visualization to start rewiring your current state.
One way or the other, developing your current curiosity and nurturing it is the key.
For example, I was once told by Harry Lorayne to not tell people about memory science. He said that if you’re going to run a successful memory business, you need to avoid heavy topics that scare the “mass market” away from your Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass offers.
This advice made me curious and although I don’t think he was wrong, I made myself lean into it. Soon, I was insatiably curious about memory science.
Sure, some of my least successful YouTube videos cover the science of memory. But I’m glad that something in my character let me avoid that piece of advice. I’ve been personally rewarded many times over by what I’ve learned, even if he was probably right from a business perspective.
This issue is something all true polymaths will probably have to face at some point in their learning journey. As the old saying goes, “you can be rich or you can be right.” So far, I’ve followed the mind map I created with Tony Buzan years ago and my curiosity about memory science and the desire to have an accurate understanding about it has won.
Two: Interdisciplinary Skills With Scientific IntentWhen I started my PhD in Humanities, the exact nature of the program was unclear. I entered the very first year of its existence and was in fact the first person to graduate. To this day, the exact definition is mostly left up to the individual graduate student, which has pros and cons.
Early on, I decided I would absorb all I could by taking courses in the history of science, classical languages and the history of religion. Science was my favorite of these topics, so when I started studying for my field exams, I decided I would use it as my lens for everything. As I’ve traveled the world as part of my ongoing research, I’ve continued to use a scientific foundation and this focus has rewarded me many times over.
Although I ultimately wrote my dissertation on friendship and talked a lot about how friendships appear in movies and TV shows to craft a philosophy of friendship, it was scientifically guided. I combined reader-response theory with market analysis to guide my conclusions, tempering some of my wilder philosophical questions with what the data actually said.
The best polymaths have tended to use the scientific tools available during their times. Whether it’s St. Augustine’s theory of memory or Giordano Bruno’s approach to mnemonic imagery, a huge reason that the learning of these individuals has stood the test of time is the empirical thinking they put into their writing. And that means they tested their concepts empirically during the research and reflection stages as well.
Even if I’m wrong about that, it’s important to place a premium on science in your studies in today’s world. Scientific literacy is a basic requirement if you want to be taken seriously. It’s healthy to recognize its limits too, but far too many people claim to be knowledgeable on topics when they clearly aren’t even thinking critically, let alone scientifically.
Three: AdaptabilityBecause humans have many memory biases and our scientific approaches don’t always pan out, we need to be able to shift. Sometimes quickly.
This is one area where having breadth, depth and integration come in. For example, artificial intelligence is a big field now. All kinds of writers are in trouble. But if they had true breadth and depth in multiple topics, they would find it much easier to integrate the skill of writing and turn it towards AI itself.
That’s just one example, something I explored myself by integrating what I know about language learning with the idea about using chatGPT to help acquire a language through laddering.
It’s clear that humans will have to become more and more adaptable over the years to come. To develop this trait, I would suggest getting a solid mix of brain exercises along with physical exercise, eating the best possible foods for memory and completing substantial learning goals.
Make no mistake: completing goals is a key to developing adaptability. If you have established a pattern of dabbling and never completing what you start, it won’t matter how broad your interests are. You’ll be lacking in depth and have nothing to integrate into the flows and intensities of whatever the future might bring.
Overcoming the “Jack of All Trades” StigmaA while ago, someone commented on one of my videos: “You’re not a polymath.”
Truly, how does some dude on the internet who uses an anonymous screen name know this about me?
I share this criticism because anyone who starts on the road to polymathy is bound to be criticized. You might even be called a Jack of All Trades, Master of None.
You know what? The people who criticism might be right.
To ensure that they aren’t and that you truly are a polymath, you need to identify the traits important to your specific interests and nurture them.
For most of us, this will be a battle of nature vs. nurture. Personally, I’ve needed to master journaling for self-improvement and for memory in the ways discussed by memory expert, Johannes Mallow. In both cases, everything involved here boils down to:
- Crafting a vision of success worth pursuing that includes the variety of topics you want to master
- Breaking goals down into achievable milestones
- Analyzing your performance
- Optimizing how you develop your skills and knowledge over time
After you’ve got this basic protocol in place, it’s just a matter of using accelerated learning techniques properly. Let’s discuss what they are and why you need them next.
How to Be A Polymath: A Practical GuideOnce you’ve identified a worthy vision and are using a journal to track and optimize your progress, you’ll essentially need to hedge against the dangers of multitasking.
Let’s face it: You’re probably not going to master anything if you have dozens of tabs open and spend more time switching between them than actually studying.
To avoid that problem, you’ll want to:
- Keep a study and deliberate practice schedule
- Have multiple places to study worked out in advance
- Include at least one mentor in your lifelong learning journey
- Use interleaving to promote better memory and avoid topic exhaustion
- Master a variety of tools that will help you remember as much as possible
The tools I recommend and used myself during university and have used throughout my professional career include:
- The Memory Palace technique
- Optimized flashcards (a.k.a. Zettelkasten)
- The Leitner Method
- Mnemonic systems for remembering numbers like the Major System and a PAO System
- A Spaced Repetition system to avoid wasting time on rote learning at all costs
Finally, you just need to keep in mind breadth, depth and integration. To ensure that you have all of these covered, you’ll want to decide upon some benchmarks.
One tool I’ve found useful for setting up and tracking benchmarks is The Freedom Journal. I dragged one with me all over Europe on my honeymoon to make sure I got one of my projects done. In this case it was an initiative I felt some resistance around, and having every tool and protocol we’ve discussed on hand helped me finally satisfy the constant urge to work on it despite my resistances and as a result, make space in my mind for other things.
No one can tell you exactly how to measure your accomplishments. But depending on the topic areas you choose, there may be official testing bodies you want to consult. Some of my friends, like Nelson Dellis and Dave Farrow have established Guinness World Records, for example.
For myself, I’m currently drafting a book chapter I’ve had accepted for a scholarly book on memory and the senses. I also test my learning daily on the Internet, everything from my expertise in memory improvement to my copywriting abilities and skills as a presenter. Giving a TEDx Talk that has been seen millions of times was another confirmation of my ability to master both the topic I was addressing and speaking successfully from memory.
Your Role As A Polymath In Future InnovationAt the end of the day, becoming a polymath is about being more successful as a contributor to the human species. In the here and now.
If you’re doing it for your ego, you might succeed. But most people who successfully address complex challenges through interdisciplinary thinking do it because they love being part of reality. It’s almost as life is a game and the more fit you are both physically and mentally, the more you get to enjoy it.
That’s ultimately what the best employers are looking for: highly qualified people who have a breadth and depth and knowledge they can integrate into helping their enterprises grow.
Such people are in demand in every area from artificial intelligence and medicine to education and the arts.
To prepare yourself for success in whatever field you choose to focus on, memory is the foundation you will want to focus on above all things. That’s because memory is like a set of engines that help store and deliver your knowledge and skills.
If you’d like your memory to be better, feel free to sign up for my free memory improvement course:
It will take you through video lessons and worksheets that teach you everything you need to succeed with the mnemonics that have been so essential my success.
So what do you say?
Are you ready to find these polymathic personality traits in your life, nurture and amplify them?
I hope you’re nodding your head “yes,” because I know you’re capable of leading a truly amazing life.
All it takes is a bit of strategy and equipping yourself with the tools that lead to depth, breadth and integration.
A lot of people throw around the term lifelong learning.
But what does it really mean?
And how can you adopt its principles to benefit your life in every respect?
I’m talking about more than just being smarter.
I’m talking about using lifelong learning to build the health of your body and brain.
Adopting study skills that build your wealth.
Developing know-how that helps you solve problems fast and stop many problems from arising in the first place.
Ready to discover the benefits of lifelong learning and multiple examples from real lifelong learners you’ve probably never considered before?
Let’s dive in!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b8cvqmTTok
What Does Lifelong Learning Really Mean? (Hint: It’s Not What You Think)In a word, lifelong learning is an investment.
It’s an investment of time and resources into five key areas:
- Books
- Courses
- Coaching and consulting
- Deliberate practice
- Taking on new challenges outside your comfort zone
To take my own example as a PhD graduate, I was tasked with reading 500 books and articles for my two field exams. Later, I needed to read even more as part of researching my dissertation.
Although I don’t read quite so much anymore, as a true lifelong learner with polymathic interests, I continue going through books and courses related to my field.
Why? Because as researchers in the field of psychology have shown, self-correction is the key to maintaining expertise. It’s also why I personally keep and recommend a re-reading strategy as you go about your own lifelong learning journey. It’s so important to keep learning because new details and new perspectives are always emerging. We all need to keep ourselves on track.
In terms of getting coaching and consulting, I’ve written many bestselling books and many marketing pieces over the past twelve years. But to this day, I have a writing mentor I meet with every week. I learn new things from him and he helps me keep focused on the fundamentals.
When it comes to deliberate practice, this means you keep a scheduled and modular routine for implementing what you learn. If it’s language learning, you have weekly meetings to practice reading, writing, speaking and listening. For music, you follow a structured program for going through scales and various rhythmical exercises.
If it’s writing, you read the best in your field and you write, ideally every day. In all these fields of practice, you need to balance maintaining fundamental skills while gradually pushing yourself into unknown areas you haven’t mastered yet. So if you’ve been wondering what it means to be a lifelong learner, now you know what it looks like.
The Benefits of Lifelong LearningIt’s impossible to value the benefits of following the model I’ve just shared with you. Although it’s simple, it’s not always easy. But because it’s not always easy, it provides many benefits. The model stretches you and this promotes growth.
Growth, of course, can be quite an abstract thing. That’s why you want to keep a journal of your learning activities and use it to identify specific learning goals. You can structure these goals in terms of learning cycles, which will make it easier for you to see the benefits we’re about to discuss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VRTDkZlJEA
One: Preventing Cognitive DeclineResearchers at Harvard’s Economic Research Lab recently released a study showing that retiring early can lead to cognitive decline. According to the head researcher, Plamen Nikolov, they’ve seen damage that amounts to losing three IQ points.
That might not seem like much, but Nikolov cites a Cambridge University study showing that losing just three points can make it harder for a person to remember when they need take their medication. This ability is related to prospective memory and procedural memory – two types of memory none of us can afford to lose.
But lifelong learning, especially in areas like bilingualism, has been shown to help fortify the brain against issues like Alzheimer’s.
So if you want a healthy brain and mind when you’re older, the time to follow the lifelong learning model I shared above is now. It works because it’s mentally stimulating on multiple fronts.
Two: Problem-SolvingI often say, the more you know, the more you can know. And it’s true because information is connective in nature. Even when you use a memory strategy like chunking to break complex topics down, you’re actually making the information even more connectable.
But even better is that you’re expanding your ability to recognize patterns. This helps you see problems and solve them in advance.
Sure, you can study critical thinking and problem solving as topics unto themselves. But without embedding them in the lifelong learning model I’ve shared, it’s unlikely that you’ll get quite the same pattern recognition that leads to substantial problem-solving skills.
Three: CreativityI’ve seen many of my students in the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass open up creatively thanks to what they’re learning.
Christian Fitzharris, for example, used his learning about rare texts like Rhetorica Ad Herennium to create a fun rap song about memory techniques called “Brain Games.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-KoZraMEkg
A huge part of its uniqueness comes from his adoption of the lifelong learning model you’ve discovered today.
It’s also what makes all my favorite books unique and interesting. To take another example, novelist David Morrell has trained in everything from defensive driving to crisis negotiation to bring a deeper level of sophistication to his writing. His lifelong learning has not only been profitable, but led to his character Rambo being one of the most famous movie franchises in history.
I took inspiration from Morrell’s learning habits when preparing to write my “Memory Detective” novel Flyboy. I completed online courses in forensics, the utility belts used by police officers and the basics of detecting crimes. An actual detective read the novel, came to visit in Australia and told me how surprised he was by the accuracy in the book.
That’s high praise indeed, but simply following my lifelong learning model is what earned it.
Four: TenacityOne of my favorite learning activities involves memorizing Sanskrit phrases. This activity involves a lot of mnemonic images.
Although the Magnetic Memory Method does not involve creating any of those associations, it does require a certain level of discipline.
Because I got started on my lifelong journey early, I have deeper pools of tenacity than others might enjoy. But I’ve seen many people develop stronger reserves even if they spent much of their lives doing little or nothing. Mental training is a fantastic way to start developing the necessary grit. Given that discipline starts to strengthen itself over time, you won’t regret getting started today.
Five: Career BoostsWhether you want to work for a company, freelance or become an entrepreneur, the more you learn, the more you stand to make.
I’m not just talking about money, though that is an important part of this world.
I’m also talking about the mental peace that comes with knowing that you’re employable in more than one area. By following the lifelong principles you’ll also be adaptable to industry changes and be ready to move upward when positions open up.
As entrepreneurs often say, where preparation meets opportunity, there is no ceiling.
How to Become a Lifelong Learning: 5 Practical StepsFortunately, there are simple and actionable strategies that will help you becoming a lifelong learner.
Let’s have a look.
One: Envision Your FutureYears ago, mind map expert and co-founder of the World Memory Championship, Tony Buzan, told me that he wished he had more time to study the greats like Michelangelo. But because being realistic is so important, we can’t wish and hope for more time. We need to strategize and make use of our time.
As he told me during dinner, “The rules will set you free.”
When it comes to lifelong learning, brainstorm about your ideal future as a learner. I did this with Tony, using his approach to mind map my entire business. By creating the vision first, I was able to identify the most important things I needed to learn.
Focus your lens. Then build the learning journey.
Two: Research the Best ResourcesIn my program for people who want to read faster, we focus on how to find the highest quality resources first. This step can be tricky, but it’s worth every second you spend on it.
That’s because quality books and courses do exist. Ultimately, you do have to take a risk by diving in, but there are so many free materials online, you can invest the time to really quality what you read or what courses you attend.
As you research, one thing to look out for are the stages of learning involved in the topic you want to focus on. Looking for how universities structure their courses and looking at the reading lists included with syllabi is a great tip that I use all the time.
Get your research right and you’ll be ready to make the most of the next step.
Three: Be ThoroughSome so-called “learning experts” say that you should abandon books quickly. Scott Young is one of them and I respect him highly, except on this point.
Sure, I’ve abandoned a book or two in my day, but normally not. It sets a bad pattern and leads to sloppy learning habits.
Instead, I use tools like The Freedom Journal to practice what I’ve come to call Metivier’s Razor:
Less than 90 days of study does not deserve the phrase, “I tried.”
You can take it or leave it, but I impose this rule upon myself. Not just because Tony Buzan said that “the rules will set you free.” But I’ve found so many incredible lessons and substantial wisdom in the harder books.
It’s true that some of the mass market books that are easy to read also contain gems. But they’re the product of someone else having been thorough in their learning journey.
If you want to reap the benefits of lifelong journey, you need to be that person who is thorough. Here’s the best part:
One of the hardest books I was terrified of reading? When I finally committed to spending at least 90 days on Douglas Hofstadter’s legendary Gödel Escher Bach, I was pleasantly surprised that it only took two weeks. But it took an attitude of thoroughness to get me started and keep me going.
Four: Develop a Daily RoutineI’m writing this blog on schedule. That’s because I have established a daily writing routine.
I also do my daily reading on a schedule. At some points in my life, these scheduled reading and writing times have shifted. But they’ve always been scheduled. And that’s how I’ve managed to learn so much, so consistently.
It can seem like an inconsequential thing, but designing your life around your learning is pivotal. Too much time gets wasted when there isn’t a reduction of interruptions and the avoidance of randomness. Set and follow patterns.
Rest assured: Since the focus is on using this scheduled time for learning, the routine will never get boring.
Five: Consider Groups, Platforms, Programs or CoachingAlthough not everyone needs them, it can be useful to help you establish your goals by joining a group or focusing on a particular learning platform.
For example, I spent a few years of my life going through dozens of the Great Courses. Back then, it was called The Teaching Company. When I couldn’t afford the courses on cassette that I wanted, I did my best to find them at the libraries in Toronto. I rode my bike for long distances to get some of them so I didn’t have to wait on the interlibrary loan process.
You might apply this thinking to joining a cohort course. These days, many are offered online, such as David Perrel‘s Write of Passage or my Read with Momentum.
Coaching is one of my personal favorite learning strategies. I find both group coaching and one-on-one coaching invaluable. I also sometimes hire consultants or network with specialists to learn more about fields I’m studying.
Make no mistake: It’s not an extravagance. Other people’s knowledge is an asset. You can boost your progress by tapping into it.
Overcoming Common Barriers to Lifelong LearningThese days, it’s all the rage to say that there’s no such thing as free will. I know, because I wrote a whole chapter about in my book, The Victorious Mind and based it on the research fruits of my own learning on this topic.
Robert Sapolsky’s Determined is a recent entry in this field and he’s really put his foot down on the notion that free will isn’t real.
If that’s right, how on earth can you get yourself to change and become a lifelong learner?
Easy.
You’re reading this because something in you has compelled you to search for information about how to do it. Or you followed a link in one of my emails. Lean into that original impulse. Explore it. Use some of the self-inquiry techniques I teach to learn more about the mental strength you clearly have in order to get started learning about it in the first place.
When you have resistances, instead of pushing them way, get curious about them. Is your resistance to boring topics really your own? Or did you just hear from some accelerated learning guru that it’s okay to abandon books?
Find the truth lurking behind the question. Then search out a better truth and follow the recommendations attached to it. Today I’ve argued that abandoning books is a terrible lifelong learning strategy and given you some ways to deal with them, such as Metivier’s Razor and scheduling your time.
If you still can’t get yourself to do what is obviously important for lifelong learning, just keep asking why. Keep a journal, keep working on your vision statement and developing learning cycles. You’ll eventually experience a breakthrough. In fact, it will be difficult not to if you apply Metivier’s Razor.
That said, sometimes you’ve just got to have skin the game. I signed up with my current coach and the one before him precisely because I know how to engineer my absence of free will. Left to myself, I would not work on some fundamentals I know need to be in place in order to succeed. But by investing in some help, I’ve encouraged my mind to want a return on that investment. And this has propelled my attention in ways that just wouldn’t be possible otherwise.
Lifelong Learning In Action: Success StoriesI mentioned Christian Fitzharris above and his rap song “Brain Games.” He’s also been an actor, magician, musician and is working towards becoming a sommelier.
My testimonials page is filled with similar success stories. Here are some of my favorites.
Jeannie memorized scripture with much greater ease thanks to the learning strategies I teach. Her story is also reflected in Matt Barclay’s experience, someone who used memory techniques to help him recover from cognitive issues he experienced following a cardiac arrest.
David S. Matthew is one of several lawyers I’ve helped pass the bar. What makes his success stick out is that he also learned Spanish while preparing for it. As I’m sure you can imagine, being a bilingual lawyer is definitely going to increase his value in the market for the rest of his career.
For quite a few years, James Gerwing would email me with updates after he completed the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass.
Here’s James in his own words:
“About 5 years ago, I began taking your online course and then went into some memory competitions.
I am the 4 time, current, undefeated (and record holder) of the Alberta memory championships. Even better; I just won the 2019 Canadian Memory Championships (AND the first ever pan-provincial championship).
I had been banging things into the void of my memory for decades. You have revived, and revived in me, the concept that where there is a will, there is a way.
Since signing up for your Masterclass I have taken a Latin course at the University of Alberta and scored above 90% (that is not common territory for me). Thanks for your input.”
Latin is not an easy language. But as a lifelong learner who follows the core principles, James easily managed to become a national memory champion and score highly in this language. He’s a true Renaissance man.
What about you?
Do you have big goals?
Now that you have the lifelong learning strategy many people have followed, the only thing missing is a strong set of memory skills. If you’d like help learning them, grab my free memory improvement course now:
In just four videos and a few simple worksheets, it will help you master your memory.
That way, you’ll not only remember the things you learn.
You’ll remember to follow the simple lifelong learning structure we discussed today.
Remember: lifelong learning is transformative. It will positively impact each and every area of your life and your overall well-being.
And so what if there’s no free will? If you’ve bumped into me and I’ve succeeded in persuading you to take action, that’s what it’s really all about. Lean into the actions you’re taking and it will help you continue taking them.
Reflective thinking is the ultimate open secret that will help open even more doors to learning as much as possible across the span of your life. The better your memory, the better the journey will be.
Discover the main types of thinking with specific and concrete examples so you can vastly improve your creativity and problem solving abilities.
Wondering how many words to be fluent are required? The answer is simple, direct and a lot less than you might expect. Listen in to learn more now, along with some key nuances that make learning any language easier and more fun.
Crafting a learning cycle that's fun and easy doesn't take long. Learn how to use a well-formed study cycle model now.
Is it possible to learn every language? Discover how many languages a person can be fluent in now. The answer is not what you think.
The Pimsleur Method divides people who misunderstand how to optimize Paul Pimsleur's method. Listen to this and you'll learn how to make it work.
Using a Memory Palace for language learning is effective if you approach it the right way. Get the best tips now and improve quickly.
Matt Barclay suffered memory issues following a cardiac arrest. Yet, using the Magnetic Memory Method, he recited almost an entire Psalm.
Tired of the same old signs of genius? Listen to this episode of the MMM Podcast and discover the truth about genius and how to rapidly enjoy high intelligence.
Mental imagery is about more than the psychology of memory. Understanding it can help you learn faster and remember more. Learn more now.
Dive into a captivating conversation between renowned memory experts Ronald Johnson and Anthony Metivier as they delve into the fascinating realms of time, technology, and advanced Memory Palace tactics.
Rose Szwed found parts of nursing hard. For phlebotomy she used the Magnetic Memory Method to turn a failed exam into A+ nursing knowledge. Here's how.
Not all knowledge is equal.
For example, Rose Szwed found some aspects of nursing easy.
For the difficult information around phlebotomy she used the Magnetic Memory Method to score the top grade.
In this episode, we discuss why and how with incredible Memory Palace tips you might not have considered using before.
It's easy to overcome learning plateaus when you have the right strategies. Read this masterclass on learning faster in fun ways now.
Learning plateaus got you feeling stagnant?
It's time to break free and level up your game with mnemonics and other accelerated learning techniques!
Join Tansel Ali and I on an electrifying expedition as we shatter the limitations that hold you back from reaching your full potential.
With our creative approach to filling your mind with dynamic visuals and multisensory mnemonic associations, we'll guide you through innovative techniques and mind-blowing insights, ensuring you conquer those learning plateaus like a true boss.
Spaced repetition studying on a schedule can give you a tremendous advantage. Just make sure your spaced repetition system includes my tips.
Looking for a Memory Palace book to boost your memory? Here are 8 recommendations to help you, and 3 alternative ways to sharpen your brain.
How does reading make you smarter? The science is clear and I've got tips and tactics are for you, along with great books to boost your IQ.
Learning how to focus when reading is easy when you use these tips. Learn what I do to concentrate as a PhD when I can't focus on reading.
Imagine memorizing seven decks of playing cards.
Now imagine knowing the location of each card in each deck by number. In other words, if someone names the 2 of clubs, you know how far down in the deck it is, such as the 27th card from the top.
Now, you might be thinking…
How the heck is that going to help me pass an exam, get a raise or learn a language?
Magnetic Friends, I believe that memorizing cards will help you in multiple ways that directly relates to each of these goals.
In fact, it’s one path towards what Richard Rubin calls the Massively Distributed Memory Palace.
And that’s exactly what we talk about in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, amongst other topics of interest:
- Harry Lorayne
- Bruno Furst
- The implications of AI for mnemonists
- Memory Palace books and linguistics books
- Ancient memory techniques and more modern approaches
- Mnemonic imagery in the context of phonics, reading and the implications for comprehending mnemonics
- Memdeck considerations, including the Tamariz stack
And of course, Richard’s take on the Memory Palace technique.
Who is Richard Rubin?Richard is a memory athlete with impressive stats.
He also creates incredible and fun memory demonstrations, often based around magic and mentalism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8onVcbXusE
I think his ideas are fantastic and his insights into memory improvement profound, so I suggest following him on YouTube. And check back here for a link to his forthcoming website when it’s ready.
The Massively Distributed Memory PalaceI’m going to let Richard explain this himself, so please enjoy the conversation.
And the cool thing are the connections to other mnemonic strategies I’ve seen before. For example in Giordano Bruno’s writing and especially the mnemonic writings of Robert Fludd.
What I love so much about this conversation, is that Bruno himself once said that those who think enough about mnemonics will reach similar, if not the same conclusions. It’s a lot like how magicians independently arrive at various moves and wind up calling essentially the same thing a different name.
This point is important because the more teachers we have, the more people will discover the fundamental logic that supports all learning assisted by elaborative rehearsal, properly optimized spaced repetition and tactics like chunking.
My belief is that the Mnemonics Renaissance given full steam by Tony Buzan with the memory competitions and massively supported by books like Moonwalking with Einstein is only going to continue growing.
So my hat is off to Richard and I hope you’ll support him along with all the other great memory athletes and teachers who are out there doing great things to inspire and encourage others.
Want to know how to read a book, and go beyond the standard advice? This tutorial shows you what really works for reading and understanding.
William Shakespeare famously compared the stages of learning to acts performed in the theatre of life.
For example, in As You Like It, the second stage involves going to school, whether the child likes it or not.
But what are the four levels of learning we use today?
I’m talking about stages like:
- Concrete experience
- Reflective thinking
- Abstract thinking
- Personal experimentation
That’s one model given by Kolb in Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development.
Is this really the best way to describe the stages of the learning process?
Or should we look to other models that describe the various levels of learning we go through? Ones that include the notion of “unconscious competence”?
On this page, we’re taking a deep dive into the topic.
Ready?
Let’s go!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7EpyRpWTvs
What Are The Four Stages Of Learning?As mentioned above, Kolb presents a version of the four levels that involve processing at concrete, abstract and reflective levels of thinking.
Usually, however, people are looking for the four levels of competence. These originally come from Martin M. Broadwell who intended them for teachers in need of a model for their students.
As a learner, you can also use these levels of learning to help navigate your way through complex topics. Following this model can also help ensure you meet your cognitive needs in a structured manner as you go about your learning.
Let’s have a look at each level in detail.
Unconscious IncompetenceHave you ever started learning something you’re basically familiar with only to realize how little you know about the topic?
I’ve had this with music. Although I’ve played in bands for decades and toured the world, when I hang out with much better musicians, I realize how little I know. My skills lead to all kinds of incorrect intuitions as I play simply because I don’t know the key signatures as well as some of the trained jazz musicians I know.
Memory expert Anthony Metivier performing at a concert in Germany.
Still, I sometimes find myself trying to play in ways I don’t understand, only to hit notes that don’t sound great. It doesn’t happen to me anymore, but when it did, it was like I was suffering the musical version of the Dunning-Kruger Effect.
This point is important to understand. You don’t have to be completely unfamiliar with a topic to experience unconscious incompetence.
Captain Edward J. Smith provides one of the most famous examples. As the captain of the Titanic, he certainly knew a thing or two about sailing boats.
But that didn’t stop Captain Smith from following the wrong intuitions. Although he received multiple warnings about the dangers ahead, he still failed to take action and the Titanic wound up sinking.
Conscious IncompetenceI’ve become much more modest over the years in music, and am now much more conscious of my incompetence with certain genres of music.
To become more competent, I study the specific areas where I’m weak and patch in deliberate practice to turn incompetence into skill.
A more famous example of conscious incompetence is someone like Elon Musk using first principles to figure out what he doesn’t know. Then, by adding knowledge and competence, he was able to purchase various companies and improve them.
Of course, the court is still out on whether or not his conscious incompetence about Twitter will improve.
Conscious CompetenceAt this level of knowledge, you’re in the sweet spot.
You can think about people like Stevie Wonder. Many people think he’s a musical genius – including me.
Although blind from birth, he learned not only how to play piano and sing, he also learned how to compose and perform.
You might think of these as one task, but they’re actually different things.
For example, I’m consciously competent when it comes to playing concerts with bands in my preferred genre. I can also compose relatively well and even sing to a certain degree.
But I’ve never developed conscious competence as a studio musician.
This is not uncommon. Many of your favorite bands aren’t actually playing on the albums you buy. Their record companies have hired consciously competent musicians, leaving them to do what they do best: perform.
Then there are musicians who don’t even write their own songs, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Many creative industries rely on detailed knowledge of conscious competence. That way, each person can focus on just their part and shine.
Unconscious CompetenceAt this level of competence, the individual barely has to think about what they’re doing.
Shakespeare, for example, was thought to be able to run circles around other playwrights when it came to writing incredibly powerful plots and individual lines of dialogue.
Or you can think about virtuoso musicians. They don’t even need to see a score or rehearse. They just hop on stage with musicians they’ve never met and produce pure musical magic.
Theoretically, they have highly trained procedural memory skills.
Why You Might Have Trouble Learning New Information QuicklyThe answer is simple:
Many people put the cart ahead of the horse.
I once heard musician Joe Satriani answer a guitar student’s objection that they did not know what to learn next to overcome a plateau. They were trying to do advance soloing but kept getting stuck.
Satriani asked if they knew the name of every note on the fretboard. The person did not.
“Then you do know what you need to learn next,” Satriani insisted.
He wasn’t particularly patient in his response and it was partly because the student clearly had Dunning-Kruger Effect. (This happens when people are unaware of how little they know about something, but nonetheless suffer memory biases that make them think they do.)
So what’s the solution:
Always analyze what you want to learn, chunk it down, and start with beginner’s mind.
Being humble, developing foundational knowledge and not being afraid to repeat certain levels of knowledge is almost always the key.
How to Remember the Stages of KnowledgeAs we’ve seen, there’s more than one “four levels of learning” model out there.
So if you want to be able to whip out the stages of learning process from any source you’ve found interesting or useful, here’s what I suggest:
Develop unconscious competence with memory techniques.
They will help you rapidly absorb lists like these and add on examples like the ones we’ve discussed today with everyone from captains to musicians.
How to get started?
I share the best ways I’m aware of in my free memory improvement course:
These ancient memory techniques are still in use today for one simple reason:
Our ancestors found them helpful when it comes to moving through a lot more than the four levels of learning.
We’ve been using them to help us learn languages and every topic you can imagine.
All you have to do is avoid the perils of unconscious incompetence and they will you avoid learning struggles.
So what do you say?
Are you ready to learn with greater competence?
Make it happen!
Most people miss the most important tier of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Fulfill all the cognitive needs quickly and unleash your potential.
Did you know that nearly every discussion of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is missing an essential piece of the pyramid?
It’s true, and today we’re going to restore that piece.
On top of that, we’re going to dive deep into how you can fulfill each tier in your life.
Even better, I’m going to help you remember each of the needs.
That way, as you work on improving your life and the lives of others, you’ll be able to rapidly access a mental database packed with examples of psychological needs.
And you’ll be able to fulfill your full potential.
Perhaps you’ll even be able to go beyond that because there’s one need in particular that Maslow wasn’t able to publish before he died.
I’ll share what it is, show you how to experience it and give you tips on maintaining this missing piece of the pyramids of needs once you’ve got it in place.
Ready?
Let’s dive in!
https://youtu.be/H9Wi_hvKeRc
What Are Cognitive Needs? The Forgotten Tier In Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsAs the term “cognitive needs” suggests, we have cognitive awareness of things we want and need from life.
We’re not the only species that has such awareness, but our cognitive abilities are so developed that we seem to be especially sensitive to things we don’t have.
Abraham Maslow got very interested in humanity’s special sensitivity to a set of human requirements that led to him developing the hierarchy of needs.
Often, you see Maslow’s needs placed within a pyramid.
The wider needs are basic and as you move up the pyramid, you get psychological and fulfilment needs. All together, the needs in the basic pyramid of needs are:
- Physiological needs (food, water, warmth, rest)
- Safety needs (security, safety, predictability)
- Belongingness and love (intimate relationships and friends)
- Esteem needs (prestige, sense of accomplishment)
- Self-actualization (creativity, fulfilling your potential)
Maslow first presented these needs in a paper titled, “A Theory of Human Motivation.”
Solving the “First Glance” Problem With The Pyramid of NeedsOne mistake that people sometimes make is thinking that you can move up the pyramid and leave earlier needs behind.
But this isn’t the case. You always need to balance the needs, which is why an alternative, dynamic visualization can help understand Maslow’s hierarchy as something that plays out over time:
Others have interpreted the hierarchy of needs in terms of a circle.
For example, my friend Arthur Worsley used the “Wheel of Life” format in his “Faster to Master” Tracktion Planner:
In this case, the “needs” are modernized to include cognitive needs examples like:
- Health and vitality
- Thoughts and emotions
- Family and friends
- Love and partnerships
- Productivity and performance
- Growth and learning
- Business and career
As you can probably see, “productivity and performance” are basically the same as Maslow’s original esteem needs.
In truth, there’s no perfect way to visualize the hierarchy. The best thing is to find a model that works for you so you can bring balance to all of the needs in your life.
The Missing Cognitive NeedAs great as Maslow’s original hierarchy can be, he ultimately wasn’t happy with it.
Towards the end of his career, he wrote The Farther Reaches of Human Nature.
In this book, he described a very special cognitive need he called self-transcendence.
Basically, it’s like the “karma yoga” concept we talked about in my post on mental strength. The idea is that you ultimately put your own needs aside as much as possible, if not entirely.
Many people who have sought to master their memory share this concept. For example, Giordano Bruno described a kind of nondual experience where you would experience a kind of oneness with the entire universe.
Sound weird and raise your skeptical hackles that a psychologist like Maslow would suggest such things?
Well, here’s Maslow in his own words from The Farther Reaches of Human Nature:
Transcendence refers to the very highest and most inclusive or holistic levels of human consciousness, behaving and relating, as ends rather than means, to oneself, to significant others, to human beings in general, to other species, to nature, and to the cosmos.
I myself have suggested something similar in my book The Victorious Mind. Fulfilling the cognitive need to give to others without expectation of return is hard, make no mistake. But this “karma yoga” is indeed far more fulfilling than I ever imagined possible.
In fact, fitting it into your life is highly recommended.
Why It’s Important to Fulfill Your Cognitive NeedsWe’re all on this planet together.
That’s the ultimate reason why you really should spend time every week working on your personal hierarchy or “wheel of life.”
The more people who self-transcend, the better it will be for everyone. Eckhart Tolle makes an excellent argument for increasing the number of transcended people in his book, A New Earth.
A similar point is made by John Danaher who focuses on the positive outcomes technologically is likely to bring when it comes to freeing humanity from work.
Let’s take another example. The reason you want to make sure you’ve fulfilled every example of physiological needs specifically comes down to your ability to learn faster, focus and remember things.
But you can’t do that if you’re clogging your mind with foods that destroy your memory and create brain fog.
The same goes for your career, study needs, family and personal rituals around sleep, meditation and the quality of your memory.
The good thing is that if you start working with your memory first, you’ll be able to better remember to focus on all the other parts of the hierarchy.
With that in mind, let’s talk about a powerful memory technique that will help you do just that.
How to Use a Memory Palace to Satisfy Your Cognitive Needs Along my personal journey, I found it useful to go beyond merely reading about Maslow’s hierarchy.
I also memorized it while completing journaling exercises that use the Wheel of Life.
The best technique for getting all of the cognitive needs into memory? The Memory Palace technique.
Let’s say you memorize Maslow’s original hierarchy.
All you have to do to memorize it is mentally layer it on a wall in a room of your house, your school or where you work. Like this:
By placing the pyramid in a familiar space, you give your mind an anchor point it can refer back to when you want to recall each tier.
If you need more “stickiness” you can add a memory technique like the number rhyme or other forms of mnemonic imagery.
With practice, you can memorize information like this often within minutes.
Once in memory, it will be much easier for you to remember to focus on each tier as you go about your life.
Memorize The Pyramid Of Needs And SucceedI’m so glad I took time to really understand Marlow’s formula. And not just the original form, but the enhanced format he wasn’t able to fully promote before he died.
Luckily, people have expanded the concept since his time with alternative versions like the Wheel of Life.
But as I hope to have made clear, it’s important for you to experiment with multiple versions. Even if you find one that feels “right,” I suggest you continue to study and experiment.
Many cultures have interesting variations and the more you can consider them both through study and application, the more you’ll benefit.
And who knows?
Perhaps one day you’ll transcend and become so selfless that you’ll enjoy a life of giving.
That’s certainly my goal, and to paraphrase the playwright Howard Baker put it, “because it is hard, I feel honored.”
Not everyone agrees that humans need to take on challenging projects to feel fulfilled, but it’s certainly worked for me.
One of those projects is to give this free course away to as many people as possible:
Is it really free?
Yes, but it does “cost” your time, attention, focus and energy.
However, complete the exercises and you will emerge with a memory system that allows you to learn faster and remember more.
And you’ll have practice fulfilling one of the biggest cognitive needs of them all:
The esteem need to feel a sense of accomplishment.
I enjoy that sense every time I memorize something new and know that you will too once you have some Memory Palaces set up and in use.
So what do you say?
Are you ready to get out there and make the cognitive needs your own by committing them to heart and practicing fulfilling each and every one (including the lost tier)?
I wish you a great journey and hope to meet you some time and place along the way!
If you want to know how to increase neuroplasticity, there are two simple rules that make rewiring neural pathways a breeze. Learn them now.
If you want to know how to rewire your brain, rest assured:
You absolutely can do this.
But you’ve got to avoid the charlatans.
Far too many people are shilling “tricks” and “tips” for rewiring your neural pathways that just don’t work.
That’s because they don’t follow a simple rule I’ll share with you today.
Of course, simple doesn’t necessarily mean easy.
And that’s the catch the sharks in the water don’t want you to know.
But I will share with you the pros, the cons and some of the ways that make it possible for you to stretch your brain cells, even if it feels challenging.
Because that’s one of the other secrets that’s usually hidden from you:
Neurogenesis, the growth of new brain cells and neuroplasticity, the changing of the brain?
Both require challenge. You literally do have to stretch yourself.
But when you take certain challenges on willingly, there’s no ceiling to how much you can improve the quality of your mind and mental abilities.
Ready for what really works?
Let’s get started!
Rewiring Neural Pathways: Can You Change Your Brain?It sounds like science fiction.
But countless neuroscientists and other professionals have shown that you literally can change the physical characteristics of your brain simply by thinking.
This is the core premise of John Arden’s Rewire Your Brain: Think Your Way To A Better Life.
The title of this book refers to psychologist Donald Hebb’s famous finding that “Neurons that fire together wire together.”
This statement has been validated by scientists countless times and is now known as Hebb’s Law or Hebbian theory.
Sharon Begley has done great work in showing how the ancient sages were right and why meditation literally changes the brain. Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain is a great study that includes research about how to increase neuroplasticity through meditation.
I’ve personally experienced the benefits described by Begley and other researchers like the authors of How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain. I wrote up my experiences in The Victorious Mind and shared them at a TEDx event.
Long story short: Yes, you can change your brain.
Why It’s Possible to Increase Neuroplasticity After TraumaAccording to Dr. Tim Dalgleish, it really comes down to intervention.
For example, he and his research teams have studied using memory-based interventions for depression and PTSD.
I didn’t know about these studies until after my own depression improved after using the same method of loci and Memory Palace interventions they used in their studies.
And my student Nic Castle also reported relief from his PTSD. I was so inspired by the survivor story he shared on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I wrote an entire “Memory Detective” novel that is influenced by it. (Nic was a police officer.)
Example Of An Intervention That Created Positive NeuroplasticityAfter reading Tim Dalgleish’s research, I followed his suggestion and created a simple Memory Palace with 10 positive memories.
These work to “defang” negative memories because when you experience them, you intervene by using the Memory Palace to think of happy memories instead.
I found this technique so useful, I went one step further by choosing a home from my youth that was packed with bad memories.
But instead of filling it with bad memories, I filled by memorizing positive poetry written in Sanskrit.
Since going through this exercise, it’s now possible for me to think about those experiences without re-traumatizing myself. My brain has been “rewired.”
But it did take an intervention.
And that’s the catch if you want to enjoy a rewired brain.
You need some kind of behavioral interruption.
Good news:
I’ve got a bunch of activities that will give you exactly these kinds of positive interruptions, plus another essential ingredient. Just keep reading.
6 Methods to Rewire Your Brain for Memory ImprovementAs we go through this list of ways that you can enjoy the benefits of neuroplastic changes to your brain, keep challenge in mind.
As all of the books and studies I’ve cited above show, taking on some kind of mental challenge is the key.
But there’s another key that has been shown extensively by performance experts like James Clear.
This ingredient is called time.
Typically, when we want to experience meaningful change that lasts, we need at least 90-days of practice.
Why?
Well, it takes that long for the brain to form new neural pathways. There are also brain chemicals involved, such as myelin. An excellent and highly readable study that condenses all the science is Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code.
So keep in mind that challenge over time is the special sauce that makes everything I’m about to share with you tick. Without taking on the challenge and giving the challenges the necessarily time to form new neural connections in your brain, it’s unlikely that you will experience the changes you seek.
But use a tool like a simple journal or notebook, and you will succeed and become a whole new version of yourself. Someone with a brain of steel!
One: NeurobicsFor most people, the easiest way to get started is a simple set of activities called neurobics.
It’s basically aerobics for your brain.
A simple example is writing with your non-dominant hand. This challenges parts of your brain that you don’t normally use.
Provided you have someone to observe you, you can also practice walking backwards or walking with your eyes closed.
Taking different routes also counts as neurobics. It’s worth taking up these practices to help revivify your brain and form new neuronal connections.
Two: Learn New SkillsWe’ve all heard that learning music is great for the brain.
But do you really have to learn new skills that challenging to enjoy neural benefits?
No. You can also build upon abilities you already have.
For example, you probably already know how to bounce a ball and you know how to use a hammer.
But can you bounce a ball on a hammer?
That’s a new skill that is like a game and builds your brain.
Or you can take up fun activities like card magic, and perhaps even learn how to use a memdeck.
Finally, you can build upon your existing math skills and learn to perform mental calculations.
Adding challenges based on your current skills is a great way to stimulate your brain.
Three: Learn A LanguageMany studies show that bilingualism changes the brain in positive ways.
In fact, scientists are actively working on ways to make sure this message reaches the larger public. That’s because language learning creates cognitive reserve.
This special benefit helps protect your brain from diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. So if you aren’t already learning a language, please get started soon.
(You’ll need to spend more than 90-days for full fluency, but it will be worth it. And even just 90-days will give you many benefits, especially if you use a language learning Memory Palace.)
Four: Play Challenging GamesMost of us know that playing games provides a certain level of cognitive training.
The trick is to find solid brain games and game-like brain exercises that legitimately challenge you.
Dr. Christine Till is one scientist who has studied some of the apps that claim to provide benefits through gamification. But like me, she’s skeptical.
Crossword puzzles aren’t necessarily the ticket either, as my research into them has shown.
Ultimately, you need to experiment and keep in mind the exact kind of brain rewiring you’re after. Then it will be easier to find games that suit.
Five: Read & WriteScientists study how reading changes the brain with great gusto.
Although there’s still much to be understood, the reality is that reading transforms the brain in many positive ways.
But it’s not just about reading alone. Writing also helps.
As memory expert Lynne Kelly has shown in books like Memory Craft and The Memory Code, writing has historically been key to the ways we remember.
So I suggest finding a balance between learning how to legitimately read faster and effective note taking.
Six: Use Memory TechniquesMy personal favorite method for keeping my neural pathways strong involves using memory techniques.
These are useful when meeting people and remembering their names.
Or you can use them to remember lists using simple rhymes.
I teach ways to use mnemonics much more broadly for what I call “holistic memory improvement.”
That means using memory techniques as part of meditation, diet, goal-setting and everything we’ve talked about above related to skills acquisition and language learning.
If you’d like my FREE course on how to get started, just click the image below:
Please just remember that although it’s free, it will challenge you and I do suggest at least 90-days of practice for best results.
And that’s the key takeaway worth repeating.
You see, there are all kinds of things that can negatively rewire your brain and we have no problem doing them repeatedly for very long periods of time.
I’m talking about eating horrible foods that cause memory loss instead of memory friendly meals.
So always remember that to make changes, you need to challenge yourself.
And the first challenge is being willing to make the change. Positive changes might not be easy, but they’re definitely the most rewarding.
That’s what this blog is all about, so what do you say?
Are you ready to rewire your brain and live a better life?
Make it happen!
There's a secret to finding the best tea for memory, focus and brain health. I share my top teas for focus and how to find your best too.
You’ve got advanced Memory Palace problems and Don Michael Vickers has got solutions.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, we’re diving deep into his impressive memory competition experience.
And together, we discuss the differences between using memory techniques for short-term memory and long-term memory outcomes.
But you might be wondering…
What Kind Of Advanced Memory Palace Problems?There are a few you might encounter as you use the Memory Palace technique.
These include:
- Too much or too little space between your loci
- Dropping off parts of words when memorizing vocabulary
- Mishearing or misreading the target information
- Not keeping a journal for this form of self improvement or memory athlete specific journaling
- Not having a community with people who share your interest in memory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O7M2TZT8rA
Suggestions From Don Michael VickersOne thing I love about how Don shares his approach to using memory techniques is that he documents the journey.
You can check out a lot of what he’s doing on his YouTube channel and other media.
But that’s just one level or layer of journaling.
He also journals privately so he can see what’s working and what isn’t.
This is a solid tactic for one big reason:
It’s only through what scientists sometimes call “metacognitive learning recognition” that we can learn as fast as possible. It’s been demonstrated to help us see variables and define new strategies.
Journaling also helps us because it enables deeper levels of reflection than if we were to merely think about our memory improvement activities without writing them down.
How Specifically Does This Help You Solve Advanced Memory Palace Problems?The answer is easy:
As your perspective widens, you’re able to run new “experiments.”
In other words, every time you use a Memory Palace to memorize anything, you’re experimenting.
If you take the time to observe your results, you can always ask:
- What went right? And how can it go better?
- What went wrong? And what needs to improve?
These are the kind of questions that only you can solve and you need to be the scientist in the laboratory of your own mind to do it.
But there’s one more ingredient that I think really shines in this conversation.
Let’s talk about that next:
The Power of CommunityYou can also see in how Don talks about his interactions with fellow memory competitors like Katie Kermode that hanging out with others who love mnemonic strategies is key.
Communication is yet another level of reflection.
But there’s also the competition aspect.
As Don puts it, memory competitors are a lot friendlier than hockey players. Yet, you still get the chance to really throw down the gloves and test your skills.
I hope you enjoy this discussion with Don and please do follow him on his YouTube channel and social media for more exciting demonstrations and news from his activities in the world of memory competition.
Don Michael Vickers’ YouTube Channel
Don Michael Vickers’ LinkedIn
Don Michael Vickers’ Twitter
Don Michael Vickers’ Tiktok
Important Show Note Regarding The Shadow Memory TechniqueThere’s a technique known as the Shadow. I heard about it quite some time ago, and Braden Adams has discussed it with us on this previous episode of the MMM Podcast, and on this one.
During this episode, Don and I figured that I probably hadn’t understood the Shadow correctly.
But Ron Johnson from the excellent Craft of Memory Podcast posted this on YouTube below the video version of the interview:
This is an excellent example of the power of community, so if you aren’t yet part of ours, here’s what I suggest.
I have a free course you can download and get notifications about new podcasts like these.
If you’d like to register, please click the image below:
That way, you won’t miss a thing when new interviews like this come out.
And you’ll get some world class memory training too.
It’s a win-win!
Don Michael Vickers is an amazing Canadian memory athlete. Listen in as he shares his advanced Memory Palace tactics and strategies.
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John Graham surprised me twice on the same day!
And if you know me, you know I’m not easily surprised.
So, what exactly made my jaw hit the floor?
First, I found out that John had won the USA Memory Championship… again.
I mean… who has the time for all that memory practice? Especially during times like these?
Then John tells me that focus is so much more useful than memory… and more lucrative too.
And to make matters even more confusing… John keeps telling people not to meditate in the morning?
Huh?
As a practitioner of meditation for decades, I really had to get to the bottom of all these incredible (and sometimes shocking) things John was saying.
And so I did in this EPIC discussion of how John really succeeds.
Not only to win memory competitions, but to experience an abundance of time freedom supported by a fantastic business.
And you’ll be surprised to discover that memory improvement training doesn’t even get second fiddle. Not when it comes to the tactics you really need.
After hearing what he has to say and giving it some consideration, I think it all makes sense.
And I think it will help you too.
So dive in for an epic discussion packed with takeaways, and…
Don’t worry!
I ask John to share some feedback on a little memory issue with mnemonic images I was having. So there are some next level memory secrets in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxTpqc6OoDU
Who Is John Graham?John Graham is an entrepreneur, memory expert, memory athlete and winner of both the 2018 and 2022 USA Memory Championship.
In case you’re not familiar with what an accomplishment that is, let me explain:
You have to accurately recall a lot of information from multiple categories of information.
These categories change from competition to competition, but often include:
- Memorizing playing cards
- Memorizing long strings of digits using something like the Major System, Dominic System or PAO System
- Memorizing names
- Poetry
- Abstract images
The Memory-Focus ConnectionBut as John points out in today’s episode, memory isn’t so much the core of his success. It’s the ability to focus his mind that matters.
And the tactics and strategies that explain his ability to win also support his entrepreneurial success.
2x USA Memory Champion John Graham with competition founder Tony Dottino
If you’re an entrepreneur and would like to speak with John about your own focus, check out his Optimize My Mind page where you can book a time.
Obviously, John is very serious about helping entrepreneurs, and I know you’ll respect his wish to focus on your concentration, not your memory.
Because John’s right:
There’s an enormous amount of information about memory techniques out there. So if you still haven’t nailed memory techniques so you can use them in your business, it’s focus and concentration that are at stake.
Get that nailed, and so many other things will fall in place.
I second his argument completely because the same thing has been true for me.
And it always will be:
Focus first!
John Graham (USA Memory Champ 2018 & 2022) shares exactly why focus beats all the memory training in the world. Especially if you want to enjoy business and lifestyle success. Listen now.
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If you fall asleep while reading and want to make it stop, these tips are the best solutions. Learn how to stop feeling sleepy while reading.
If you fall asleep while reading and want to make it stop, these tips are the best solutions. Learn how to stop feeling sleepy while reading.
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Source: Flickr
Coronavirus. COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2.
It seems like you can’t read the news without hearing something about the latest global outbreak.
And with misinformation spreading faster than the virus itself, how are you supposed to know what’s truth and what’s not?
More importantly, how can you maintain your health (and sanity) during a time when everyone seems to be on the verge of panic?
Let’s take a deep breath…
And then look at 10 ways you can stay mentally and physically healthy during this worldwide crisis — by using your memory (and some helpful tips from the folks on the front lines).
Ready to do this?
Let’s go.
Want to skip ahead?
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Scrub-a-dub-dub
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Pretend your hands are on fire
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Don’t listen to Uncle Joe
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Do listen to the experts
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Stock up, modestly
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Memorize phone and other important numbers
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Meditate and get your Zzzs
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Save face masks for health care providers
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Memorize directions
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Don’t panic
Live Your Magnetic Life
As we begin, remember what the wise writers of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy would advise us…
Don’t panic.
One of the best ways to survive any crisis is to stay calm, be rational, and remember that nothing in life is certain.
Well, other than our first tip for staying healthy…
- Scrub-a-dub-dub You may be getting a little tired of hearing it, but properly washing your hands is one of the best things you can do to stay healthy.
Whether you sing “Happy Birthday” (twice) or some other song, be sure to wet your hands thoroughly, lather everywhere, clean under your fingernails, rinse, and dry.
Even better, Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, a pediatrician with Columbia University Medical Center, advises a new habit for everyone: wash your hands as soon as you walk through the door of your home.
And even if your hands are clean, remember: don’t touch your face. Even if you’re following these excellent self-isolation tips.
- Pretend your hands are on fire But, but, but!
“How can I keep from touching my face? That’s so hard to do!”
For the technique I’ve been using, I imagine I have gloves of fire on my hands and don’t want to touch my face.
If you don’t like the image of fire, try ice or some other substance. The point is to use a simple visualization that you link with your body.
To remind yourself, you can draw a small dot or even the word “fire” or “ice” on the back of your hand.
Lucid dreamers often do this to help them remember to do “reality testing.”
These approaches are linked to another kind of technique for remembering where you put your keys, such as imagining them explode when you set them down. You are simply adding an imaginary layer of multi-sensory imagery to a regular operation.
Here’s another related tip:
If you want to combat that effect when you leave your living room to get a pair of scissors in the kitchen, only to forget what you are looking for, you can imagine scissors in your hand and make a fist around the imaginary pair.
- Don’t listen to Uncle Joe No offense to Joe, but unless he works for one of the global health organizations whose work revolves around mitigating the effects of COVID-19… he’s probably not the best source of information.
The same goes for most of the internet. Seriously.
Most of the mainstream media outlets are driven by views and clicks. And what gets them the most eyeballs?
DRAMA! TERRIBLE THINGS!! THE WORLD IS ENDING!!!
Instead of allowing the media to drive your personal narrative and understanding of what’s (really) happening, choose your news sources wisely.
If you’re wondering who to trust, here’s a chart that breaks down media bias.
- Do listen to the experts For health-related issues, it’s also good to look to the experts. In this case, the World Health Organization (WHO).
Additionally, for readers in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For those of us in Australia, the national Department of Health. And for readers elsewhere in the world, your trusted regional or national healthcare organizations.
I’ve also been watching Dr. John Campbell’s detailed daily updates on YouTube, including this great one about washing your hands as soon as you get home:
https://youtu.be/1AGW3bbcb3Y
Tim Ferriss recently shared the following recommendations on how to stay informed:
- A Center for Health and Security newsletter
- And a curated Twitter list
The trick is to make sure your reading comprehension skills are strong. A lot of the panic comes from people failing to understand what they’re reading and the nature of scientific processes.
You can also talk with your own medical professional:
When I was booking my flights to go to TEDx Docklands in Melbourne (February 2020), I visited my family doctor to air my concerns.
As I told our doctor, even though speaking at the event presented a huge opportunity for me as a memory expert, I didn’t want to infect others should I become sick.
She said two things:
- We all have to simply go about our lives, and
- If you’re going to get sick, get sick early. Later, it could be very difficult to get help.
The second point involves a bit of dark humor, but if you really think it through, it does make sense. Although my heart didn’t feel 100% right about it, I went, and to my knowledge, none of the attendees has fallen ill.
And thanks to the memory techniques, I could relax and deliver because I know how to memorize a speech.
I did keep close to our hotel, however. We can visit the art galleries and museums next time we’re in Melbourne.
- Stock up, modestly I bought extra water, food, and toilet paper weeks ago.
This was especially important because I have multiple food sensitivities. I won’t be able to just whip into any old can of chili if I can’t make it to the grocery store.
As you prepare, think about other things you would need if you had to self-quarantine or practice social distancing for a week or two.
For example, do you have a fire blanket for every person in your home?
At first, my wife thought I was insane for buying them, but it only takes a second to put one over your shoulders in the event of an emergency — something you won’t be able to do if you aren’t prepared.
Health experts also recommend that anyone who uses prescription medication on a regular basis have at least a 30-day supply on hand.
- Memorize phone and other important numbers Sure, you’ve got everyone’s number stored on your phone.
So… what are you going to do if you lose your phone when you’re too sick to keep track of things?
Or how about your insurance number?
There are endless situations where you might need your bank account number, phone numbers of your immediate family, and credit card instantly on the tip of your tongue.
Remember, building mental strength is helpful in emergencies as well as your day to day life.
- Meditate and get your Zzzs It’s not just helpful for your memory — getting enough sleep, eating well, and practicing mindfulness meditation can also improve your immunity.
One simple body scan visualization that won’t necessarily protect you from a virus – but can be very relaxing and orient your mind on health – goes like this:
As you lay on your back, imagine a healthy color like blue or green entering your lungs and flowing through your body. Try to follow it through your lungs and veins all the way down to your toes.
Then, as you breathe out, imagine all the impurities this healthy color has picked up exiting your breath in a color like white. Imagine it disappearing into the atmosphere.
Repeat 5-10 times, until your body begins to feel relaxed. You can even come up with your own variations.
- Save face masks for health care providers Neither the WHO or the CDC recommend face masks for community use in healthy individuals. If you are healthy, the only time they do recommend wearing protective gear is when taking care of a person with a suspected or confirmed 2019-nCoV infection.
If you’re just trying to stay healthy, the jury is out on whether wearing a mask helps or hurts your chances. In fact, NPR has done quite a bit of in-depth reporting about the matter.
If you’re very prone to touching your face – and the visualization above doesn’t help – wearing a mask might help you stop touching your face. But for many people, it just creates another surface for infectious particles to get trapped on.
And remember: if you do touch your face, be sure to wash up.
- Memorize directions It’s one thing to consume directions — like “don’t buy masks,” or “call your doctor before visiting their office if you’re experiencing symptoms.”
But to really internalize the directions, you can memorize them. As mentalist Derren Brown points out in his book Tricks of the Mind, by memorizing to-do lists, he was more likely to actually complete them and follow the plan.
Here’s how to do it:
Create a Memory Palace that has enough space for the directions you want to memorize.
If you’ve never created a Memory Palace before, here’s a free training to teach you how:
Let’s say you’re memorizing the direction to call the clinic before showing up.
On Magnetic Station one of the Memory Palace, imagine yourself picking up a big red phone and calling the clinic.
To memorize the direction not to panic, imagine a giant cartoon version of yourself suddenly relaxing after panicking. Or, think of a pop culture character you know who tends to freak out, like Homer Simpson, and imagine him rapidly transforming himself into one of his more vegetative states.
Think these kinds of visualizations are unlikely to work?
Think again: Dr. Tim Dalgliesh is just one psychologist who has shown that pairing positive emotional states with a Memory Palace helps you not only act more positively, but also remember to do so.
- Don’t panic I’ll say it again. And again.
During a global health outbreak moving as quickly and evolving as rapidly as this one, the best thing healthy people can do is to stay calm, informed, and prepared.
If you’re having trouble keeping calm, the WHO compiled some good recommendations for coping with the stress of this outbreak:
Live Your Magnetic Life I’ll leave you with a few parting thoughts:
Be good to people now. Love your loved ones while you can. And don’t wait for things like coronavirus to be a wakeup call because as Michael Gusman reminds us, things can happen anytime.
Until the next time, take care and keep yourself Magnetic (and wash those hands)…
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Are you overthinking the Memory Palace technique?
If so, you’re interrupting your progress.
Worse, you’re delaying your ability to memorize information at lightning speed.
And no memory expert or memory champion wants that for you. That’s why we all keep working so hard for you to share in the miracle of life after you have the tools for memorizing anything.
On this page, I want to help you get out of the “analysis paralysis” problem.
If you take the right steps without getting caught in mental sand traps, I’m confident you can develop your first Memory Palace Network quickly and easily. If not, you risk having a skull that is still spinning its gears long after death, having missed out on so much fun and adventure.
Ethical “scare tactics” aside, here’s another reason to read this page in full:
I want to help you escape overthinking in other areas too. Having the tools to feel that something is complex and do it anyway is important because too much thinking has been proven to carry many ill effects.
The truth:
Thinking is involved in using the Loci Method, no doubt about it. But thinking without overthinking is achievable, and today you’ll learn precisely how.
How To Defeat The Over-thinker By Becoming A Mnemonic Mechanic The first problem with overthinking is how it slows you down. Usually, you can just use two questions to dissolve any such thoughts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvtYjdriSpM
To take this principle further, imagine walking into a business meeting.
You meet three potential investors. Learning their names, on the spot is pretty important, wouldn’t you say?
Well, if you want that ability, you don’t have the luxury of time to overthink the situation.
Instead, you need a system in place so you can deal with those three names, without thinking about the technique needed to memorize them. Everything should happen (almost) on autopilot. You just plug those names into your system and recall them effortlessly on demand.
To make this outcome possible, let’s start with a higher-order guiding metaphor:
Consider the mechanic and his toolbox.
A mechanic is so familiar with the contents of his toolbox that he knows exactly what he needs for each job. He knows which tool can perform which function and in which instance he would use each one. He just knows when he needs a 10mm socket or a flathead vs. a Philips screwdriver.
Memory techniques can be these tools in the toolbox of your mind. What’s the key to the mechanic’s innate knowing?
Two words:
Preparation and practice.
Prepare Your “Mental Lego” Before You Need It The speed of making associations in your Memory Palaces comes from not having to think about the technique and how it works.
How is this possible?
Easy:
The “thinking” part is already done before you need to use any of the tools. Your “in the moment” thinking is minimal.
It’s just like being a mechanic who has the right tools in the toolbox so he can perform the job onsite without a passing thought.
So, what are the memory strategies you need? If nothing else, I suggest you develop:
- A Memory Palace Network
- At least one alphabet list/celebrity list
- The Major Method/Major System
Think of the Memory Palace as a foundational field. The “Magnetic Imagery” of your lists and systems are the “Mental Logo” that you plug into place.
For example, if you meet someone named Rose and you put Axel Rose on her shoulder, Rose is the Memory Palace and Axl Rose is the Mental Logo.
If you have Axl Rose doing something memorable using the Magnetic Modes, then he becomes a Magnetic Image.
When you have these three components ready to go and practiced, you’ll be prepared to perform, every time the need arises.
Let’s look further at each tool.
How To Master The Memory Palace The Memory Palace, like a hammer, is the most basic of tools. Every toolbox has a hammer. Every memory technique arsenal has a Memory Palace Network.
What is this network?
26 Memory Palaces, one based on each letter of the alphabet. Would you like some videos and worksheets that walk you through how to develop this powerful system?
Mastery of the technique seems to occur about halfway between creating all 26 and filling each with approximately 10 pieces of information each.
Anything less just isn’t leading you to the “Magnetic” effect I have in mind for you.
Skeptical about this techniques? No worries. Here’s the science behind why this memory technique works so well.
Enter The Alphabet List Some people may call the alphabet list by another name, such a celebrity list, bestiary or “sun list.” No matter what you call it, the principle is generally the same.
An alphabet list is simple a list of figures that you’re able to draw upon that you have figured out in advance. It’s not unlike one of the four pegword systems out there.
Your Memory Palace Network can help to generate your alphabet list. Here’s how:
If you have one Memory Palace with 26 Magnetic Stations, place one Magnetic Image on each station in alphabetical order.
Remember Axl Rose?
He’s a perfect ‘A’ figure for station one of this Memory Palace.
How about Bill Murray for ‘B’? Christian Bale for C?
(Now, I know what you might be thinking:
“Didn’t he just use Axl Rose for Rose? Is he an ‘A’ or an ‘R’?!?”
My friend, I’d be dumbing this down too much if I didn’t tell you the truth:
Every Magnetic Image with a first and last name can be both. Is that too hard to grasp?
If so, I suggest you catch yourself, because it really isn’t that difficult. Every shoe lace is one shoe lace, but we still make two ears to tie a single bow, if you catch my drift.)
Go ahead and try this by simply writing out A-Z on a sheet of paper and filling in 26 celebrities.
Seriously:
Just get a pencil and some paper and make it happen.
Then, the next time you have to memorize something, look at the first letter of the information and use your “Magnetic Image” to help you.
This simple Celebrity List took 2.5 minutes to create. In medieval times, mnemonists called this technique the “Bestiary” and would have used primarily animals that symbolized concepts with which they were deeply familiar.
For example, I memorized a Chinese word yesterday that had ‘Z’ for the first syllable and ‘G’ for the second. I saw Zorro playing Sega Genesis, guided by several of my lists.
Should you create several lists?
Yes! Having more than one list is essential if you want to become a human mnemonics dictionary (recommended).
But there’s a catch:
Although you want fixed references that you draw upon, you also want flexibility.
For example, I might meet someone name Rose, but perhaps Axl Rose won’t appear that day (for whatever reason).
For that reason, I’ll want to be able to spontaneously come up with another, equally powerful version option.
How?
By practicing creating lists. That’s what makes it easy to come up with mnemonic examples spontaneously when something from your lists doesn’t appear.
Why The Major System Simplifies Everything (Even If It Appears Difficult At First) Let me be blunt:
Everyone needs a technique in place for number memorization.
Although the Dominic System is a strong option, I’ve always preferred the Major.
In case you’re not familiar with these terms, both help you transform numbers into sounds that you can turn into words. The grid you need to memorize is this:
Once you’ve got this in your mind, it takes just a bit of practice to spontaneously generate words for numbers.
For example, I might think of “chuck” when I need to remember the number 67.
However, remember the principle of preparation.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare… As with the alphabet list, it’s far better to have all of your possible characters ready in advance.
A list based on either the Major System or the Dominic System is often called a 00-99 list or a P.A.O. (Person, Action, Object.)
This is where you might think…
I thought you told me not to overcomplicate this process!
And you’d be right, which is why I suggest beginners focus only on the grid listed above in the beginning. I used it with no problems for a few years before assigning a character to each two-digit number combination.
It takes four minutes to memorize if you just notice a few things about each association:
- D and T both have a single downstroke that looks like the digit 1.
- N has two downstrokes, and Noah took the animals onto the ark in pairs.
- M has three downstrokes, and looks like a mustache or McDonalds logo on its side.
- R looks kind of like a rounded 4, but it’s facing the wrong direction.
- L is exactly the shape you’ll see your left hand thumb and forefinger make if you hold it out in front of you.
- Ships kind of look like the number 6 if they’re tipped on their side… especially if they’re hauling jars filled with chip.
- K is kind of like two 7s lying on top of each other.
- F and V are produced by making the same basic shape with your lips. Go “vroom” for a few minutes while thinking about a V8 engine.
- B and P either contain or look pretty much like the number 9.
Don’t make it more complicated than this – because it isn’t.
Practice until you’ve got it down pat and then start listing your words. Here are some tips for that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XTFYICzIbY
Next, practice memorizing real world numbers:
Go to the store and memorize the prices of the items you see.
Commit historical dates of movies to memory, or even the release dates of your favorite artist’s discography.
Whatever numbers are important and applicable to your life, make those your learning goal. Use these Memory Palace examples to help you understand how to store the imagery.
Practice Makes Progress Once you have your tools in place, what next?
Easy:
You must practice “snapping” your Mental Lego together. Your Magnetic Imagery has been doubled checked and organized. All the heavy lifting is done.
But seriously, where do you start?
Here’s what I suggest:
Names are the most essential information on the planet.
Why?
Because every piece of information, every item, every action and every place is assigned a name.
Even better:
There are several low-pressure, low-stress memory exercises that let you practice name memorization.
Try this:
Go through your CDs at home, or your records, or your tapes, if you still have tapes, and then think “Do I know every member in this band?” If not, practice with these names in the comfort of your living room.
If you like movies, you can work with movies.
For example, you can go through movie collection and think “Okay, what are the directors of these movies?”
What’s important about these kinds of practices is they’re all low stress. You’re not going into a room and memorizing a bunch of names and only stressing yourself out.
But when you’re ready for the challenge, go into restaurants and memorize the names of staff members. If you make a mistake, don’t worry about. They’ll forget all about it and you can analyze what went wrong with your Magnetic Imagery and Memory Palace strategy.
The Power Of Practicing With Vocabulary and Phrases Once you have a firm grasp of names, you can practice vocabulary and phrases.
You can either search out a Random Name Generator on Google, or take the exercise analog with a real dictionary if you want to avoid digital amnesia.
For phrases, this is where a larger memorization project comes in. Is there a particular famous speech you want to memorize, a poem, or other text? Break the entire piece down, phrase by phrase, and apply your memorization tools to this exercise.
Why This Time Commitment Pays Huge Dividends You might be asking, “How long should all of this take?”
It’s an okay question, but not the best one.
The reality is that only you hold the answer for how long memory mastery will take. After all, your definition of “good” may differ wildly from another person’s, depending on how laid back your practice is, or how many perfectionist tendencies you possess.
But let me be direct based on nearly a decade of teaching these skills:
On average, within two to five hours, most people have all of the tools we’ve talked about on this page covered.
Compared to other fields, this is only the amount of time it would take to:
- Run a marathon.
- Cook a stellar three course meal.
- Assemble a dresser from Ikea.
Isn’t your memory worth this truly insignificant amount of time?
Sure, it’s a couple of hours. But that’s not a huge time commitment considering the lifelong value you get out of the tools.
Plus, the development of your systems is as important as the systems themselves. It really all comes down to finding a starting point.
The Secret To Just Getting Started If you don’t know where to start, you need to come up with a learning goal. What is it you would like to achieve? What would you like to accomplish? If you can figure that out, then the starting point will become clear.
Here are some further tips on setting goals and crafting a Magnetic Vision Statement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFz31HpVkj0
Take the time to set a proper course, and you will be rewarded with focus.
But don’t just settle for goals.
Build the systems that enable you to make steady progress towards accomplishing those goals. It’s about bringing vision and step-by-step planning together. Speaking of which, here are…
Your Next Steps Once you have your starting point and the desire for creating your own systems, complete your first Memory Palace and Celebrity List. As we discussed, your Memory Palace will help you to memorize all the other tools. Consider developing these tools both the first and most important step.
With these tools in place your next step is to choose a meaningful learning project.
My suggestion:
Learn and practice these memory tools with something that will improve your life:
- What will lead to a promotion at your job?
- What doors will learning a new language open for you?
- What skills can you learn that will truly transform your life?
In sum, you will learn way more by doing and reflecting, than just overthinking the process in advance.
Think of it this way:
If you are tasked with walking a mile, what is the only thing that causes you to travel that distance?
Putting one foot in front of the other.
Listen:
Don’t stress yourself out over these techniques.
And don’t let your need for “success” stop you from taking action.
Need a “guaranteed” outcome is the biggest flaw of overthinking. It’s the worst kind of overthinking and leads far too many people to a standstill. Overthinking leads paralysis analysis, which is like being caught by the dark side.
And that is something we should all use the “force” of memory to resist.
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Don’t you hate that feeling every year as more fees and living expenses stack up… and it always seems like job prospects are plummeting?
If you’re nodding yes, let me tell you:
I’ve been there.
I remember one day during the depths of my deepest depressions receiving an ominous letter. It said that my loans were coming due much earlier than expected.
The loan people didn’t care that I had a documented history with mental illness and even won some scholarships just for people with medical issues like mine.
They didn’t care that they were sending the letter at the worst possible time as I my exam dates were drawing ever nearer during the dark of winter.
The Debt Collectors Don’t Care About The Stress On Your Memory And they certainly didn’t give a damn that my doctoral supervisor had recently given me a soul crushing reality-check speech. While on a walk, he told me how it was very unlikely that anyone graduating during my year was ever going get the job of their dreams.
Well, even though this letter hit me hard when I received it, I at least had one thing going for me that most of my fellow students did not. And this special strategy ensured that I had a high return on investment, even while going into debt.
Let me tell you all about it, along with a few other strategies that helped me keep my debt low that ANY student can put in place right now. I’m also including a powerful fact about student debt at the end you’re not going to want to miss.
The Tips Are For University Students, And Good For Anyone Struggling With Debt None of what I’m about to share with you is meant to make you think I’m an arrogant braggart.
Far from it.
I’ve just had a low tolerance for risk all my life. That’s a good thing. It’s made me productive and reduced a lot of problems. My hope is that these tips will help any student stop risking so much so you can focus on the lovely adventure of life without so much strain and pain.
Plus, I’ve made sure these tips will help anyone struggling with any kind of debt. You don’t need the stress on your memory.
The best part?
Low stress helps you preserve memory ability, the number one asset we all need to cherish and protect above anything else.
So here’s the first thing I want to share that helped keep my student debt incredibly low while making sure that my jobs weren’t a waste of time:
1. Get The Best Possible Jobs I always worked during university, and with a few rare exceptions, I found jobs that either directly supplemented my education or kept my mind free for contemplation.
The first institute of higher learning I attended and worked at.
In this first case, I worked in three libraries:
The Okanagan University College library on the Salmon Arm campus, the Prince George Public Library and as an assistant to the head research librarian at York University.
The Prince George Public Library is a great Memory Palace and workplace.
These jobs were great for one simple reason:
In each position, I could either listen to audiobooks while replacing books and shelf-reading, or do my own research while learning from a master.
Being able to spend time on my own goals while sharpening my skills helped reduce stress as well because these roles wasted barely a minute of precious time. Nothing bugged me more then, and nothing bothers me more to this day, than frittering away time on work that builds someone else’s dreams with out also developing my own.
Were these hugely well-paying jobs? On one level, no, but every penny helped me borrow less on my student loans. And each paid off incredibly well in terms of what I learned and how I could perform double-duty.
Plus, I would always find unexpected information that accelerated learning and memory techniques helped me rapidly remember and connect with my own projects.
My Secret Strategy For Getting Expensive Books For Free Even better, I was able to directly request these libraries order books I needed, and most of the time they would, and even speed up the process because it was an internal request. This simple benefit saved oodles of money in the long run.
Finally, library staff are usually very knowledgeable people, if not scholars themselves. That makes librarians a pleasure to be around.
Overall, these jobs were golden, so if you’ve never thought about working for either a university or public library, I highly recommend both.
The Public Film “Library” That Gave Me Heaps Of Memory Exercise Along these lines, I also worked for the legendary Queen Video in Toronto.
I worked at the Queen Street and Bloor Street stores. This one was my favorite.
Since Film Studies were a huge part of all my degrees, it was amazing to have direct access to what was then considered the biggest collection of VHS and DVDs in North America.
Although much busier than some of my library jobs, the endless questions about movies from the patrons kept me on my toes. Plus, the constant requests exercised my memory all day long.
And it really was all day because my shifts were from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with only three breaks!
The Neighborhood Debt Reducer More grueling jobs included my own little business of mowing lawns and shoveling snow across East York, or when I worked to assist the elderly in their homes through Community Care East York.
But I kept my eyes and ears open during this time and gathered dozens of Memory Palaces.
More importantly, I heard many stories about life from the senior citizens of our neighborhood. Their autobiographies were priceless because every time I went to work, I had multi-perspectives from stories of war and economic depression that helped me remember just how good I had things, even if my clinical depression legitimately felt like the hell it was.
Personally knowing many survivors of equally, albeit differently tough times was one of the greatest medicines.
Plus, if you ever find yourself working in the homes of the elderly, you might just find yourself getting fed. I don’t have exact stats on how much money I saved during those years, but it was impossible getting out of those places without being invited to dinner or leaving with a bounty of fruit and vegetables from the gardens I helped tend.
Gardening Advantages Beyond A Quick Buck And gardening not only reduces stress, but also gives you a skill set you can use for life. Tending tomatoes, mowing lawns and shoveling snow not only made me lots of money, but came with ample tips made from the currency of high quality homemade food. I was too stupid at the time to feed myself properly, so without these wonderful people, I probably would have died from malnutrition.
I have many more stories of the jobs I held, but in sum, if you can’t find a decent job to help keep your loans and spending down, make one.
There’s no magic to it. I just knocked on the doors in my neighborhood, the same strategy that ultimately led to me getting a major research grant after I graduated, a story for another time.
As an additional tip, you can explore the advantages of bilingualism by helping families that speak a language you’re learning. The extra exposure and practice will help your fluency and make you a more attractive candidate for hire in the future.
2. Budget and Monitor Your Expenses Even as I was accumulating student debt that drove me bonkers with stress, I followed a budget and allocated resources for the things I needed.
For example, I couldn’t concentrate during my depressions, so I had to buy a lot of audiobooks.
Back then there was no such thing as Audible, the library wasn’t able to get some of the exact programs I wanted, and in this case, there were crazy amounts of shipping.
But because I budgeted for learning materials, I was able to get what I needed and then sometimes resell the programs after siphoning the information into my mind.
I could do this because, except for wasting too much money on the booze I used to self-medicate my depression (never realizing it was actually worsening it), I walked or rode my bike everywhere I could.
Also, I figured out a few ways to reduce the trips I needed to take to campus. For example, a few times I arranged to be write additional research papers in lieu of attendance grades.
One course in particular had 20% of the grade weighted just on showing up.
How Negotiating Better Class Attendance Saves Cash On Commuting I told the professor I loved him and loved attending his course, but really needed an alternative arrangement. We agreed upon the length and depth of the additional work I would do, and bang presto, I completed the entire course without having to travel to the campus again from that day on.
And he really had no hard feelings. In fact, years later, he wound up sitting on my dissertation defense committee. This arrangement saved not only time, but also the transit fees.
The Zen Of Walking And Biking Towards Knowledge Likewise, I took two directed reading courses in grad school.
In both cases, I arranged to meet the professors in cafes I could reach by bike or foot. On the one hand, a directed reading course can be more intense and feel like more work.
To be honest, it also lays more scrutiny on the work you produce because the professor isn’t forced to split attention to other students. But this is ultimately a good thing because it sharpens you for the career yet to come.
Saving Tips From An Academic Monagamist Also, this next one might seem like a weird tip, but I found it useful for many reasons:
Have a steady romantic partner and treat it like a marriage.
All throughout university, I saw people driving themselves crazy with romantic pursuits instead of focusing on their studies.
Enjoying an inexpensive and soulful date in an amazing cafe that is also a powerful Memory Palace.
Look, I’m flesh and blood too, but dating is not only financially draining, but the many emotions drain energy too.
So I gave up the endless chase of the dating buffet for the less exotic, but ultimately more satisfying long-term game, even if I knew these relationships would ultimately not last.
I’m not really the best person to be giving relationship advice. But when it comes to everything that went into getting my PhD, purely through the observation of others (many of whom never made it to the finish line), I really do feel I spared myself a lot of drama and expense.
I circumvented a ton of pain by cultivating long-term romances, keeping them deep, but simple. And since they were usually with other university students, they were largely intellectual. Other than books and beverages, talking philosophy for hours on end is free and easy review and hardly costs a thing.
3. Use Memory Techniques The beauty of using memory techniques effectively and well is that you never fail exams. Absolute success means you never have to take courses over again or stack on additional years to complete your degree.
I saw many people fail courses and extend their stay at university, which ultimately stacks on more debt. The sooner and more directly you graduate, the less your education costs.
My first and second Master degrees, for example, were both two year programs and in each case, I completed them in just one, saving significant fees.
I also completed my PhD program ahead of and was even found eligible to pause the fees for an entire year while I waited for the dissertation defense committee to find a date for the great intellectual grilling.
This pause in paying tuition helped me leave Toronto, live in Manhattan and I even found a teaching gig over in New Jersey (at Rutgers) during this time.
In other words, you not only save tons of time you can direct at other activities when you can learn faster and remember more.
You can also find other jobs that pave the path to a better future. For example, it helped a lot that I had Rutgers on my CV and a great reference when I knocked on the door of a director’s office in Germany. But if I’d been learning like a slow-poke, I wouldn’t have had the time to accumulate more practical experience in my field.
So if you need to know how I memorized so much info so quickly, get started now:
You’ll love how it helps you strategize a full Memory Palace Network you can use to gobble down knowledge and keep it in your brain for when you need it.
About that fact I mentioned at the beginning, there is an interesting study showing that student loan debt is negatively influencing how often people get married.
This research suggests that if you want to have a better marriage, or even get married at all, keep your debt as low as possible. Student debt may also cause people to have fewer kids too, so keep that in mind if you dream about having a family one day.
Next, I suggest you watch these videos, hit the thumbs up, get subscribed if you aren’t already and keep the conversation going below. Thanks as always for the view, and until next time, keep yourself Magnetic!
Memory retention... what the heck is it? Is it worth worrying about? If so, can it be improved? We're going to cover memory retention in today's and make it blazing fast in today's post.
Bartosz Czekala from Universe of Memory joins us for an unfiltered conversation about language learning, memory and bilingualism advantages that fortify the health of your brain.
Nicholas Castle used memory training and memory techniques to help heal his PTSD. Listen to his incredible story and apply the knowledge to your own life, especially if you're haunted by memories of the past.
The pegword method is one of the most powerful mnemonic systems on the planet. Learn each with detailed mnemonic examples so you can get started right away.
Many people think you cannot improve short term memory. In truth, you can. In this podcast, I'll share 7 easy steps that will help you experience better memory for life as a result.
Having control over your mind and experiencing peace of mind is possible. Ben Fishel joins me on the podcast to show you how - and it's obvious just how much mental quiet helps with memory techniques. Listen in!
Katie Kermode, a memory champion and competitor from the United Kingdom, discusses her journey with memory competitions, memory training software and everyday mnemonics.
Is your flashbulb memory as accurate as you think it is? Read this post now to find out more about this kind of memory, eidetic memory and memory exercise.
Do you face problems remembering a series of numbers? Learn to use the Dominic System to train your mind and easily memorize longer numeric sequences.
Taking a memory course can be daunting. Read this post for tips on how to complete a memory training course quickly (or any course you need to learn from).
You can learn how to memorize scripture and verse numbers fast. The steps are easy, fun and fast. Learn how to memorize verses now.
If you've been looking for an aphantasia cure, you're in luck. Alec Figueroa of Aphantasia Meow has the best aphantasia test and the most likely paths you might need to find a lasting solution.
We don't usually think of sensory memory as something that can help us use a Memory Palace bettter. These 5 sensory memory exercises show you how.
Looking for Memory Palace training exercises? I've got 3 for you today, ranging from beginner, to intermediate and advanced level memory training.
Looking for Memory Palace training exercises? I've got 3 for you today, ranging from beginner, to intermediate and advanced level memory training.
Sunil Khatri returns to the MMM Podcast to update us on his incredible feats with memorizing Japanese vocabulary. We also talk about visualizing Memory Palaces with an app.
Would a few simple visualization exercises help you experience more success with memory techniques? Effecive visualization is possible. Here's how.
Renowned memory expert, memory competitor and memory entrepreneur Idriz Zogaj joins me to talk about the truth of the "Virtual" Memory Palace and his new memory training game, Memotopia.
Marno Hermann currently holds the top spot on the Pi World Ranking List. Learn how to memorize Pi and recite it in 10 minutes and 15 seconds flat!
The Wise Advocate shows you how cutting-edge discoveries in neuroscience can help you become a better leader of your memory and your life.
Mind mapping improves memory and creativity. These mind mapping examples for using the method of loci better will help you find more Memory Palaces.
If you want to know how to memorize vocabulary quickly and permanently, this step-by-step guide is your one-stop resource.
If you'd like to know how to study fast, this practical podcast shares the best tips from my experience as a PhD graduate with two Masters degrees and other certificates.
If you'd like to know how to study fast and still get substantial learning done, this practical podcast shares the best tips from my experiences with earning a PhD, two MAs, a BA and several other certifications.
Looking for brain exercises to improve memory? Put these 12 into action and you will experience memory improvement and mental clarity that goes far beyond what "neurobics" can provide.
Having trouble making sure you take action on your study materials? Edan Kertis of MyQuest explains how the AFT Learning Model Can Help (Action Feedback Trigger).
John Graham, 2018 USA Memory Champion teaches you the habits and strategies that helped him unlock his Superhuman memory through training with memory techniques.
Christian Fitzharris shares his experiences with mnemonics for becoming a sommelier and helping students avoid the "Oliver Cromwell Effect" when hunting for mnemonic examples.
Memory techniques for studying are a dime a dozen. They're also completely useless if you don't know how to practice them. Read this for real memory skills.
What if you could download a simple app that would help you learn twice as much in half the time? Edan Kertis from MyQuest tells us exactly how the AFT Learning Model can make that happen.
James Clear shares with us the Atomic Habits you can use for memory improvement, your Memory Palace Network and any goal in life that you wish.
Evernote and other productivity software programs can help your memory by freeing up your time and energy. Learn how to optimize Evernote for better memory.
When it comes to memory training, Phil Chambers is one of the best on the planet. How to Train Your Memory gives you real world and memory competition examples that will help you improve your memory quickly.
Looking for visual memory techniques?
And I mean truly visual.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, Nelson Dellis takes us behind the scenes of his new book, Remember It!
No kidding:
It is the most visual memory improvement book I have ever seen.
Even better, Nelson shares his unique way of using the Memory Palace technique to get the best results for both competition and learning.
All on an incredibly visual basis unlike anything we've seen since Bruno's On the Shadows of the Ideas (and then some).
I really appreciate the visual memory techniques in Nelson's new book for the way it will help so many people who get lost in the technical details involved in memory techniques.
No one is to blame for that. It does have it's "cerebral" aspects and we've needed people who can teach that.
But never before has someone both exposed the need for visual training we all need and taken so much care and attention into making mnemonic examples truly visual.
Seriously, Remember It! is almost like a visual mnemonics dictionary.
But you might be asking yourself...
Who is This Nelson Dellis Anyway? Some Kind Of Memory Champion?
As a matter of fact, yes.
And he's got some of the best memory improvement tips in town. Here's a quick summary of some of the best:
You see? Nelson's even inspired me to up my game and get more visual too. Hence this infographic summary. Thanks Nelson! More Reasons I Find Nelson Dellis Inspiring And Influential For The Life-Long Study Of Mnemonics
Nelson Dellis is a 4x USA Memory Champion, Memory Athlete, Memory Consultant, Published Author and highly sought-after Keynote Speaker.
Nelson is also the Founder & CEO of Climb For Memory, a non-profit charity that aims to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's disease research. He does this through mountain climbs all around the world.
Nelson approaches memory techniques scientifically and as part of living a good and healthy life.
If you’d like to learn more of the memory techniques Nelson has crafted for himself and how imagination can play a big role in your memory improvement, download this podcast now.
No. Wait. First do this:
Order a copy of Nelson’s new book, Remember It!
Oh okay... still not convinced?
Press play now and you'll discover:
Exactly what inspired Nelson to write down his approach to championship-level memory techniques How the visual memory techniques illustrated in Remember It can help you better understand memory techniques How to make use of all your senses for memory improvement The importance of establishing and keeping trust in your memory How physical objects can help your memory Different ways of managing Memory Palaces and making sure they are truly visual The true meaning of "Multiple Memory Palaces" and why you must create a number of them (never rely on just one) How to use the "Body Peg List" in an interesting way How the alphabet can help in remembering Tips on quick memorization for when you just have to Remember It!
If you want to see Remember It and just how visual it is, check out this video:
https://youtu.be/B1pyM4r1Ev0
3 Reasons Nelson's Visual Memory Techniques Are The Best So Far Let's face it:
- There are thousands of books and programs on memory improvement.
But never before has anyone gone to any great length to make their mnemonic examples leap from the page.
Nelson does.
And this is very powerful because you sense through your eyes what needs to be happening in your mind.
- Even if you have aphantasia, Nelson's book will help.
This is because Nelson makes it clear that memory techniques are always visual for all people, and all people are visual. Yes, no matter what.
But he also makes it clear that you need to make your approach multi-sensory. And he gives you great ways to dive in and experience memory techniques.
Olly Richards shares the background to his Teach Yourself language learning short story series of books.
Tony Buzan shares the 10 Laws of Mind Mapping in his excellent book, Mind Map Mastery. I go through each law in detail and share an idea for combining these laws with the Major System for combing your mind maps with the Memory Palace technique.
Tony Buzan shares the 10 laws of Mind Mapping in his excellent book, Mind Map Mastery. I go through each law in detail and share an idea for combining these laws with the Major System for combining your mind maps with the Memory Palace technique.
Lots of people want to improve memory like Sherlock Holmes. But what if there was a better [and faster] way? Just follow this Actionable 11 Point Checklist!
Here are 5 Memory Palace examples that will improve your memory training practice quickly, even if you don't use them for large learning projects.
If you want to know how to memorize numbers, you'll want the most powerful memory techniques for the job. This post includes the Memory Palace for PAO too.
What if I told you I can show you how to improve focus and concentration in less than five minutes a day?
Would you believe me?
If you’ve just said…
I’m not sure…
In fact… I’m downright skeptical!
Good answer.
Skepticism is good.
In fact, as you’re about to learn, it’s one of the best tools for creating lasting focus and concentration.
You can use the tool of skepticism (and others I’ll share on this page) to create laser-sharp awareness that not only helps you understand information better…
It also makes you feel fantastic!
The best part?
Everything you do to improve concentration and focus also improves your memory.
And that’s exactly what the Magnetic Memory Method mission is all about:
Showing you how focus, concentration and memory are all sides of the same dice.
Are you ready?
Great! Then let’s get the focus and concentration party started with my favorite ways to improve concentration and focus.
1. Learn How To Improve Focus And Concentration By Resting More Didn’t think I would start off with a wildcard, did you?
But it’s true.
According to Alex Soojung-Kim Pang in his book Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less, many people throughout history who displayed mounds of focus and concentration…
Took a lot of rest.
Charles Dickens, for example, wrote tons of books but spent huge chunks of his day walking.
And as Palle Yourgrau shows in A World Without Time: The Forgotten Legacy of Gödel and Einstein, part of Einstein’s success secret involved ample amounts of walking…
Just not walking alone. It’s actually hard to tell who was smarter: Einstein or Gödel.
Personally, I wouldn’t want to make any bets myself, but we know for a fact that both these men had these things in common:
-
They took lots of rest.
-
They walked a lot.
-
They were geniuses who changed the world.
The Two Secrets Of How Walking Increases Focus And Concentration… According to Pang and the mountains of cool research he cites, walking isn’t restful because it’s not working.
Rather, walking lets the mind wander.
But wait a second!
Isn’t mind wandering the opposite of focus and concentration?
Not necessarily.
In fact, when you let your mind wander, your brain chemistry changes.
Yes, we’re talking about “drugs,” specifically dopamine.
And from a scientific perspective, it’s important to understand that most people get their best ideas when their dopamine levels are high.
These are, ironically, when we are the most distracted.
For example, you are most distracted and experiencing high levels of dopamine when you are dreaming, running, driving, walking, or, the most classic example of them all, taking a hot shower.
Why do we get more ideas when engaging in activities like these?
It’s not just the dopamine.
It’s also that we’re disengaged. Speaking of which, I’d like you to be engaged, so let me ask you this:
For more information about this topic, please read Rest for more on the science of mind wandering.
Oh, and believe it or not, I didn’t just read this cool book and pass it on to you without trying the suggestions out for myself.
More on my results in a future blog post. For now, it appears that Pang practices what he preaches too. Just check out his blog.
In sum:
Walking works. Especially when you combine it with Digital Fasting, my own personal cure for Digital Amnesia.
2. Remove Distractions And Read From Real Books I don’t know about you, but I once had a love/hate relationship with Kindle.
It got so bad we ultimately broke up. I haven’t read a full book on Kindle for more than three years now.
The last time I tried, I gave up 1/4 of the way through and ordered the same book in print.
Why?
Maybe it’s because I’m getting older.
But I believe it’s partly because I never had a proper Kindle device.
I always used the Kindle app on an iPhone.
And that meant it was crushingly easy to open up a browser – or use the app itself – to fact check things.
Every disruption led to less U.S.S.R.
No, not the former Soviet Union! I’m talking about Uninterrupted Silent Sustained Reading.
You see, physical books are like focus and concentration “engines.”
If you can just get comfortable with them and stay the course…
They pull you along page by page, increasing your commitment to paying attention…
Indeed, increasing your attention span itself (which in no way resembles the sharpness and clarity of a twitchy little goldfish).
The trick is in carving out time to read.
How to do that?
It’s easy:
Put the spotlight on all the things you do that are NOT reading.
Then ask yourself…
Do I want to improve my focus and concentration (and memory)?
Or do I prefer to sit on the couch and watch Netflix?
Or have a thousand tabs open or drown myself with music as my friend Joanna Jast talked about when she shared her tips on improving focus.
Increasing Focus And Concentration Requires This Secret Ingredient In other words, the experts on these matters are talking about prioritizing.
Whether you prioritize with a calendar, a mind map, or even a Memory Palace to memorize your to-do list, this is how to get reading done:
-
Eliminate things that are not reading from your schedule. Things you really need not do.
-
Schedule time for reading. Even if it’s just 5 minutes a day, it’s a start that will do wonders.
(One neat book that takes just 5 minutes a day you can sink your teeth into is Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle. Highly recommended, especially if you want to memorize books.)
- Bonus: Schedule time for reading books about how to improve your focus and concentration. Or how about a set of books on how to improve focus at work?
Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe books like Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.
If you’d like other reading suggestions, check out why I make revisiting at least one book I’ve read before part of my Re-Reading Strategy.
3. Gamble Your Time With Focusing and Concentrating On Zilch There’s a long history of scientific research showing a paradox stranger than what we just learned about mind-wandering…
It’s that meditation improves memory!
That’s right.
Sitting down and staring at the wall can and will improve your memory. Walking meditation will help too.
You don’t have to work hard at it.
You don’t have to do it for hours on end.
You just have to sit down and breathe.
And you really can start with just 5 minutes a day.
Here’s all the best research on meditation and memory I’ve got for you so far.
Now it’s time to take you deeper into my own meditation practice specifically for focus and concentration.
Again, calibrating your attention to laser-sharp levels of focus connect with memory in multiple ways.
Here’s a shocking fact:
These connections are not always simple to explain.
However, they are easy to spot once you start feeling them. And all the more so when you have a flexible memory method.
How You Will Notice This Special Technique Is Improving Your Focus And Concentration Here are a list of some things you’ll notice when you start meditating:
- Less mental chatter. When the boardroom in your head settles down, your focus and concentration must improve.
Why?
Because you won’t get caught up in so much of what Gary Weber calls “blah blah blah.”
Please don’t expect it to disappear completely.
It seems possible that it can, but in my experience with what Jeffrey Martin calls Persistent Non-Symbolic Experience (PNSE)…
Complete silence in your head is not necessarily a desirable outcome.
(Kind of like how photographic memory is not really the blessing people think it is. As Jill Price’s story illustrates in that blog post, that kind of memory is much less a path to focusing help when you need to concentrate and can disrupt your life and sanity.)
- The world seems more vivid. Imagine if colors that used to be so boring you didn’t notice them now jump out at you.
Do you think that would sharpen your concentration?
It certainly did for me.
For example, after learning the Wim Hof Method and experiencing a breakthrough in my meditation practice, I remember heading to the gym one morning…
All of a sudden I noticed a traffic sign on a street corner in Berlin that I must have seen hundreds, if not thousands of times before.
Suddenly the sign itself and its faded green color leapt out at me.
I noticed every crack in its paint.
The rusted iron holding it in the air was suddenly so beautiful and precious.
I felt immersed in each and every detail.
And yet for some reason, although it must have been in my field of vision many times before…
Something so extraordinary had been completely invisible.
Of course, the goal when learning how to focus your mind is not to become autistic or continually overwhelmed by every little detail.
And that’s not at all what happened to me.
But this experience transfers directly to paying attention to what I’m reading in books.
I’m aware of both the characteristics of the page and the information at the same time.
And I’m aware of using memory techniques to remember dates and names and facts…
All without skipping a beat because meditation has helped me keep my brain focused on information. All while my awareness of the beauty of the material world feels blissful.
(Okay, I’m human too and sometimes slip from this bliss, but thanks to regular practice, it snaps back in place mighty fast.)
Would you like to know how to train your brain to stay focused?
In a word:
Meditate.
- Feel Less Bothered By Worldly Events You Cannot Control You know how it is, right?
You’re humming along. Everything’s great. Your mood couldn’t be better…
Then…
Bam!
Something happens that completely ruins everything.
All of a sudden you feel horrible, hate everything and it seems like the end of the world.
Believe me, I’ve been there.
But it happens less and less.
And the more I focus on how to increase focus and attention span (and memory) through meditation, the more I can let go.
There’s a cool quote in The Fire of Self-Knowledge by James Swartz on why this might take place:
“To clean the mind, an inquirer needs to abandon gratuitous activities, dedicate essential desire-prompted activities to the field of life and take the results as a gift.”
To be fair, Swartz says in this commentary on Shankaracharya’s Atma Bodha that meditation should not be your only strategy.
Far from it!
But when you meditate, you’ll find you can let go of one of the most gratuitous activities of all:
Grumbling at things you cannot change.
And because everything is so much more vibrant, you’ll see the results of actions you take as a gift, no matter what form the results take.
How To Bring Rest, Reading and Meditation Together For A Focus And Concentration Triple-Whammy Could I take another few moments of your time and share my own daily ritual?
I promise that it will help you, even if only to give you some ideas to play around with for your personal development.
Assuming you’re cool with that, here’s basically how I suggest anyone can improve their focus and concentration while developing their memory skills:
- Remove all devices from the room where you sleep.
If you struggle at first, learn savasana. That’s a fancy yoga-word for lying still without moving.
I wrote a whole book about it called The Ultimate Sleep Remedy, but seriously, just lay without moving and train yourself to be comfortable with it.
I wander my Memory Palaces as I lay there and focus on breathing and some of the other things I’m going to share with you in this list.
- Read physical books and use memory techniques (like the Magnetic Memory Method) to remember the information.
I’ve suggested a few books already, and here’s one I’m actively memorizing from at the moment.
At the end of Evolving Beyond Thought, Gary Weber has included something extraordinary:
The best “self-inquiry” phrases from the Ribhu Gita.
Remember when I was talking about skepticism at the top of this page? What a powerful tool it can be for improving your focus and concentration?
Well, now you’ve hit pay dirt.
So far I’ve memorized the Sanskrit for:
How do my thoughts behave? Are they useful?
Just how unreal are my thoughts?
(I recited a bit on a recent podcast all about binaural beats and memory, which may or may not help with the focus and concentration issue.)
Why does this skepticism help improve my focus and concentration while enhancing my memory?
The answer is simple:
When I catch the boardroom in my mind running along, I remember to ask in BOTH Sanskrit and English these skeptical questions.
I’m exercising my memory while correcting course back to focus and concentration!
Because the answer is usually, “No! These thoughts are impeding my concentration!”
And when I realize that, thanks to meditation, I can let them go.
Even better:
Sometimes, thanks to persistent skepticism, I get the opposite the answer to the question. Sometimes I get to say, “Yes! These thoughts are useful!”
In fact, sometimes my thoughts are especially beneficial, such as when I’m thinking about how to teach you memory skills and better mental habits.
And how “unreal” are they?
Well, they are never unreal when people like Robert Martínez emails to say:
Dear Anthony,
Just to let you know that I’m really happy as I used my first Memory Palace to memorise 41 criteria for a teacher assessment scheme I work with and it took me only 1.5 hours to encode.
I then asked one of my colleagues to test me by asking me random criteria e.g. what’s 5d, 4m, etc. and it was exciting!
I was able to decode all the information and my colleague was really impressed. I told her about the MMM too. Anyways, I just wanted to share my excitement with you!
Bye for now,
Robert
Of course, I don’t let it get to my ego (much).
I just teach more.
And learn more, so I have more to teach.
Just like I recommend you do.
Because here’s the thing:
At the end of the day, you are in control of how you improve your focus and concentration.
There are lots of ways to get there, but all of them involve changing your perception of the world.
And resting, reading and meditation are the finest ways I know of making that happen while improving your memory.
The Truth About Perception According To Oliver Sacks And you don’t have to take my word for it. Just listen to Oliver Sacks laying down the truth:
“Every act of perception is to some degree an act of creation, and every act of memory is to some degree an act of imagination.”
When you follow the three suggestions in this post, you’ll find that you use perception to create better habits.
And that leads to better thoughts.
Thoughts that shape better behaviors.
Rest or do whatever healthy things switch your dopamine on to improve your focus and concentration.
Read real books and memorize the materials.
Then meditate. Wander a Memory Palace while you’re at it.
I have more steps you can follow related to the journaling elements and language learning if you want to really go for gold.
Do these things and the improvement of your focus and concentration will happen practically on autopilot.
The post How to Improve Focus And Concentration Using 3 Memory Boosting Habits appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Dr. Christina Till shares her scientific research on memory, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's disease and other areas of mental cognition using Cogmed. The truth about this brain exercise software will surprise you.
Memory improvement gurus promise you can use their "memory systems." Here are 8 reason why a memory method is better and how to get started fast.
What if I told you that recovered memory is a skill that you can use to create a better Memory Palace Network?
And what if you had a simple autobiographical memory test you could give yourself again and again to keep improving your memory?
If that sounds interesting to you, you’re in luck.
Tap or click play now and discover:
- Exactly how to unpack memories from your past you may have lost – and turn them into a Memory Palace Network!
- How I memorized the dates in Walter Ong’s Ramus, Method, and the Decay of Dialogue
- More on Lynne Kelly’s amazing account of memory and memory techniques of the Aborigines and other prehistoric groups in The Memory Code
- The simple steps of this incredible memory training exercise you can use to help recall more from your past
- The significance of juggling information in your mind without the aid of technology and the quest of balance in the age of computers
- How to map out a simple Memory Palace using your elementary school
- The right questions to ask yourself while completing this autobiographical memory and episodic memory training activity.
- How you can benefit from these brain exercises over the long term.
- How these kinds of memory recovery exercises can help you deal with depression in ways that improve memory
- The importance of taking consistent action along your memory improvement journey
And that’s just the beginning!
The Profound Reasons Why You Have A Super Autobiographical Memory In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I introduced a Memory Palace training exercise with Olivia.
Olivia had a blank spot in her mind when I met her.
So I took the opportunity to teach her a quick Memory Palace training exercise that anyone can do.
It will let you experience recovered memory at a profound level that helps you learn languages.
And when you unlock all of those Memory Palaces lying dormant in your autobiographical memory…
Recovered Memory Can BecomeThe Most Powerful Memory Training Asset In Your World Autobiographical and episodic memory involve personal memories from the past. However, they are not exactly the same.
If you’re interested in improving your episodic memory, check out the links in the resources section below.
You can also watch this video version of the session with Olivia:
The Truth About Your Magnetic Repressed Memory Symptoms Okay, okay, I’m being a bit dramatic.
But having worked with thousands of people over the years, I’ve noticed something.
People are afraid to use Memory Palaces.
I call this fear “Memory Palace Scarcity.”
When so many people around the world just want to remember what they learn…
Only to get hung up on not having enough Memory Palaces…
Well, then, yes! I do think this problem counts as “repressed memory.”
You see, many people are chasing after a solid flashbulb memory definition.
The True Path To So-Called FlashBulb Memory That search will never end unless you create multiple Memory Palaces and Dive in to the exercise I gave Olivia on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.
It’s powerful because it completely eliminates Memory Palace Scarcity.
Kind of the same way using The Freedom Journal for language learning keeps you focused on making the most out of your time.
Give the quick autobiographical Memory Palace training exercises you’ll learn on this episode a try.
This process will improve your practice in creating and finding more Memory Palaces.
But you’ve got to use them for the future as well as the path.
Sure, the exercises you’ll learn will help you recover some of your past.
But the most important element is how you use your Magnetic Memory Palace Network to easily learn and remember information for the future.
How Accurate Are Your Memories? I hope that Olivia’s openness to learning about brain exercises and the Memory Palace exercise I gave her inspires you to dive deeper into your autobiographical memory.
I’m confident too that you’ll be amazed by how learning more about your episodic memory helps you on your journey to remembering numbers, facts and vocabulary.
They are truly all intertwined.
And from there, you just need to give yourself simple memory tests.
Oh, and if you’re a parent, combine this episode with these memory improvement techniques for kids.
Let me know in the comments below how you fare!
Oh, and if you haven’t got this yet:
… don’t you think you should?
It will be useful for you if you master the basic foundations and fundamentals of creating Memory Palaces to make the most out of it.
Further Memory Improvement Resources: Episodic Memory And How To Improve It: A Step-By-Step Training Guide
The Memory Code: Prehistoric Memory Techniques You Can Use Now
How to Find Memory Palaces
Ramus, Method, and the Decay of Dialogue by Walter Ong
3 Shocking Ways Smartphone Addiction Erodes Your Brain And Memory
The post 2 Powerful Recovered Memory Palace Training Exercises With Olivia appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Looking for an extensive Magnetic Memory Method review? Listen to Jesse Villalobos show you how he got a raise and promotion by using the Magnetic Memory Method.
Want to know how to improve your memory for studying? From the Memory Palace technique to the Major System and acronyms, these 7 ways will help you learn more faster.
Have you heard that binaural beats help improve memory? The truth is that music really can help improve your memory. But the truth about binaural beats for memory may shock you.
Brain training exercises are for everyone, including those suffering from mental illness. Alex Moore created this post based on his experience to share with the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast fans. Be sure to check the video for 4 more brain exercises!
Bilingualism is said to enhance your better problem-solving abilities, and improve your concentration and focus. That's the focus on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, including the pitfalls you'll want to avoid.
Can stress cause memory loss and confusion? You bet, but oddly enough, stress memory loss isn't the only angle. Stress can in fact help you remember certain details. In this post, you'll learn why and discover how to reduce the impact of stress of your memory.
Christopher Huff shares his Stoic secrets for using memory techniques when learning a language. You'll learn now to set limits on your use of mnemonics and tackle the "Stubborn Quintile." Plus, he sings the prepositions in English in alphabetical order!
If you've ever struggled to create mental images, you might have aphantasia. Aphantasia and memory is a huge topic, so I've done some aphantasia research and teach you image streaming, something you can benefit from, whether you have aphantasia or not.
Smartphone addiction harms millions of people. And it's ruining the memory abilities of everyone it touches. Here you'll find solutions.
4x Australian Memory Champion Tansel Ali talks about memory improvement and the role of gratitude in effective visualization. Plus, we talk about reading, memorizing cards and focusing on the right things to maximize performance in your memory and life.
We all make mistakes in life. Here are 4 that were burned into my memory over the past forty years. They come to mind as I celebrate my 41st birthday. I hope these thoughts help you avoid making similar mistakes! :)
Have you ever thought about using a journal to help you be more accountable as you learn a language? The Freedom Journal is the best I've ever seen, and here's a 10-step guide for how to use it to help you learn any language.
Episodic memory loss is a terrible thing, but luckily there are easy and fun exercises. Read this now to learn a 4-step process you can use to exercise your episodic memory and improve it fast!
Is coconut oil good for memory and memory improvement? In this advanced study, you'll discover the truth about coconut oil and memory.
Ambidextrousness and genius are often placed side by side. The question is... does developing dual handedness provide any memory improvement? Let's find out.
Mental exercises are essential to developing rapid fire memory abilities. If you want to learn faster and remember more, these 7 mental exercises will help.
People use powerful memory training techniques around the world. The best part: Anyone can learn to use them quickly. Learn memory training techniques here.
Looking for ways to learn anything fast and remember it in 2018 (whatever it may be)?
You’re in the right place.
Why?
Because 2017 was a landmark year for the Magnetic Memory Method blog and podcast.
To sum up the year, I’ve gathered 18 of the most highly-shared and impactful posts from 2017.
Scroll up and click play to hear me sum up the year on the podcast.
Then get busy downloading each of these episodes and make yourself an audiobook so that you know how to study without forgetting what you have studied in 2018.
For the first category of memory-boosting material from 2017, we begin with:
The Biggest Learning Problems And Their Solutions 1. How To Stop Google From Ruining Your Memory Digital Amnesia: 5 Ways To Stop Google From Ruining Your Memory
Yes, the threat is real. Please make sure you pay the closest attention to this special message because the “Google Effect” is something we all face.
In order to overcome, measures must be taken. This blog post and podcast provides the deep-dive you need to preserve your memory for the long haul.
2. Beware of Apps 5 Memory Improvement Exercises That Don’t Require Another Annoying App
I know, I know. Apps are attractive.
The idea that you can download an app that will help you remember or train your brain is seductive.
But as this post demonstrates, there are better brain exercises you can use to improve your memory.
And if you want more, here are five additional brain exercises that will benefit anyone.
3. Recycle Your Reading 11 Reasons You Should Reread At Least One Book Every Month
I’m so glad I started a solid rereading strategy. I’ve learned so much and really fortified a lot of things I wanted to remember.
The best part?
Discovering all the things you didn’t notice the first time. This can help you avoid many life mistakes that harm your memory improvement journey.
Remember:
You can’t recall information you didn’t notice, so have a rereading reading strategy is really important.
4. Know What Really Counts As Memory Loss The Most Important Difference Between Memory Loss And Forgetfulness In The World
I survey thousands of people every year.
One thing is clear:
Many people don’t know how to distinguish between every day forgetfulness and the kind of memory loss that should send you running for the doctor. Please check this material out.
5. Destroy Memory Mythologies 3 Reasons We Must Destroy The Human Goldfish Attention Span Myth
Nothing is more dangerous than the lies we tell ourselves than the lies we allow to shape our behavior.
If you’re sick of being told that you have the attention span of a goldfish (and you should be), we took a look at the origin of this silly myth.
Better:
We learned to replace that destructive myth with an empowering metaphor that serves our memory instead of tearing it down.
6. Make Memory Easier And Faster 4 Easy Ways To Learn Faster And Remember More
We all have a need for speed.
But if you want to know how to make your brain stranger and train it for focus, you need strategy. Like knowing R.A.M.S. and which one to avoid:
Good news:
You’ll learn everything you need to know about how to attract information into your memory on that video and the learn faster post. Please check them out.
7. Use A Pencil 5 Note Taking Techniques That Force You To Remember More
Of course, I realize that we want to siphon information directly from our eyes and ears into our brain.
But the reality is that old technology like paper and pencil still play an important role.
And not necessarily in the way you think.
I gave you some of my best tips for note taking from the viewpoint of someone who has been both student and professor.
Memory Improvement Lessons From Experts & Other Warriors Of The Mind One of the my favorite roles as the host of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast is to:
1) Interview world class memory experts
2) Invite world class memory experts and students to take over the show.
For example:
8. Learn From Those Who Really Face The Pressure 7 Killer Memory Improvement Tips From The World Of Conference Interpreting
Lukas Van Vyve guest hosted the Magnetic Memory Method podcast and wrote everything down for its fans.
You will definitely want to get the full run down on how conference interpreters work their magic.
9. Learn How To Take Online Language Learning Courses Properly How To Consistently Get Quick Victories With Language Learning Courses
A lot of people fail to remember information because they don’t know how to take courses.
Olly Richards, who had just released his new Spanish course, came on to discuss the problem and give many powerful solutions.
10. Know Your Memory History For Some Of The Best Tips The Memory Code: Prehistoric Memory Techniques You Can Use Now
Lynne Kelly wrote the best memory improvement book of 2017.
Why?
Because in The Memory Code, she connects memory techniques for our deep past and shows how they’re just as relevant to human survival today as they were in prehistoric times.
Learn the tradition and use it traditionally.
You’ll be glad you looked to the elders for guidance.
Why else would they have worked so hard to preserve all that knowledge except for your benefit?
11. Get To The Root Of Your Memory Loss Problems Memory Loss Story And Memory Recovery Tips With Jennie Gorman
If The Memory Code shows us the link between memory and survival, Jennie Gorman’s visit to the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast extends it to modern medicine.
If you’re struggling with severe memory loss, her story will give you tips for a simple checkup that most people never consider.
12. Get Back On The Horse The Perfect Learn Japanese App With Kevin Richardson
Kevin Richardson was looking for the perfect app to help with Japanese.
He found it in the form of the Magnetic Memory Palace.
Yet, after a short attempt, Kevin gave up.
This is the epic story of why he came back to the Memory Palace and what happened next.
His story is inspiring, insightful and will give you many tips on how to make memory techniques work for you if you’re struggling.
Your Memory Mindset & Preparing Your Attitude & Brain For The Future In all my years teaching memory improvement and memory techniques, one thing never changes.
I’m talking about the importance of mindset.
The truth is that the human brain is designed to give you negative messages.
It does this not because you’re bad, unworthy or lacking in the wit needed to make memory techniques (or any other skill) work.
It’s just trying to conserve energy.
Rest assured, you’re more than skilled enough.
The best part:
Your most unlikely thoughts are actually a power.
13. A Little Skepticism Goes A Long Way 3 Reasons Why Skeptics Succeed With Memory Techniques Better Than Anyone Else
It’s true.
Those who succeed with memory techniques the most tend to start off as the biggest skeptics.
Lynne Kelly talks about this experience herself in The Memory Code.
It’s mentioned throughout the memory improvement cannon of literature.
And it was certainly the case for me.
So if you’re feeling skeptical, no worries. That skepticism has the potential to be a special power.
Just…
14. Don’t Let Skepticism Become Poisonous Two Truly Evil Spells People Cast Against Memorizing Vocabulary With A Memory Palace
Lurkers must be connected to the Digital Amnesia problem.
But it’s not just lurkers. Even people willing to use their own names come along who are ready and willing to claim that because something didn’t work for them…
It couldn’t possibly work for anyone else.
We set that negative lie to rest in 2017 and hope it stays resting in 2018.
In case not, it’s important to remember that the negativity comes from the human desire for quick wins.
15. Learn To Love Delayed Gratification By Using These… 3 Powerful Ways To Destroy The Cancer Of Instant Gratification
It’s normal to get frustrated when you don’t get immediate results.
But the Internet has created a world filled with people who have unrealistic expectations.
According to Will Self, that might be the result of the Gutenberg Mind having said bye-bye in the age of Digital Amnesia:
That is very compelling, but as far as most of us are concerned, even without a history of reading novels, memory techniques work super fast and fine.
But what I like about Self’s critique for those who come to memory techniques is this:
Depending on your age, level of interest and exposure to depths of plot and imagination, picking up mnemonic skills can require varying degrees of take time.
And that’s a very good thing, I venture.
Why?
Because no matter who you are or where you come from, you are the only person who can experience memory techniques in quite the way you will experience them.
When you get in touch and share your experience, we learn more about how these memory techniques work with greater specificity about for whom and under what conditions.
In other words, learn to love delayed gratification. It rewards all of us when you arrive and send your report from the frontier of your own imagination.
And yes, as you can see on this live version of today’s blog post, those of us who belong to the Magnetic Memory Method Family are practicing long form discussions about memory improvement using the available technology. And loving it:
Make sure you’re subscribed to the Magnetic Memory Method on YouTube and have clicked the bell icon so that you’re notified the next time we go live.
16. Learn To Shift Mindshift: 3 “Time Travel” Secrets From People Learning How To Learn
The question is…
How do you change yourself when old habits die hard?
We start by thanking our lucky stars for Barbara Oakley.
And if you haven’t read Mindshift yet, you are missing out on something truly special.
You may need an especially big mindshift if you believe Aphantasia is the reason you can’t use memory techniques, for example. (Hint: It’s not the reason.)
17. Keep Abreast Of New Topics Forcing Mindshifts Mastering The Memory Demands Of Bitcoin And Cryptocurrency With Jonathan Levi
Yes, change is coming.
Including how we use our wallets.
That’s why I was delighted when Jonathan Levi created this free trial of his new Bitcoin Academy for Magnetic Memory Method fans.
Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are currently one of the most challenging, and yet most important topics on the scene. I’m grateful Jonathan stopped by and created this course to help us all out.
Of course, I’m not 100% in favor of all technological change.
18. Keep Your Brain And Memory Organic 7 Reasons Having A Memory Implant Would Really Suck
I’m a techno-positivist.
I see mostly only good things.
But as I hoped to demonstrate in the podcast and post on why memory implants make no sense to me, if you want a properly functioning brain and memory in the future, you’ve got to keep a healthy division between your brain and technology.
Will my opinion change in the future?
Perhaps.
I’m a scientist, after all. New evidence always plays a role in shaping – and reshaping – my convictions.
But as of the end of 2017, I can tell you this:
As with my 2016 State Of Your Memory Address, journals, friendships and learning a new language remain the most likely ways to experience optimal brain health and superior memory.
Stick with the fundamentals and keep clear of smartphone addiction if you want to learn anything fast and remember it, Memorizers, and you’ll do just fine. Here’s a free course to show you how:
More than having your learning accomplishments be just fine in 2018, your mind and memory will become truly Magnetic.
Happy New Year and thanks for all the great memories of 2017!
The post 18 Ways To Learn Anything Fast And Remember It in 2018 appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Kevin Richardson gave up on the Magnetic Memory Method at first. But when he came back to it, he started learning Japanese at a rapid pace. Why? Because the Magnetic Memory Method is the perfect learn Japanese app. Kevin explains why in his own words.
Would you like free tickets to participate in or watch the upcoming Memory Games in Las Vegas?
If so, hit play on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.
This is a tremendous opportunity for Magnetic Memory Method fans in the Las Vegas area.
Of course, even if you’re not in the area, you can help spread the word about memory techniques by sharing this page.
If you know anyone who would like some free memory training and an opportunity to practice them, please pass this information along to them as well.
You can also watch for all the details about getting free tickets in this video:
https://youtu.be/1sYnE7P1_6Y
Hosted by Dave Farrow, these Memory Games present a great opportunity to learn new memory skills, practice the ones you already know and challenge yourself to a friendly and fun competition amongst fellow memory training enthusiasts!
This competition will teach you the memory techniques used in the games in a low stress environment. You’ll develop courage and confidence with your memory while making new friends.
This event is a precursor to the annual Pan American Memory Games in Florida and the annual US Memory Tournament held at eBay in San Jose, so if you’d like to be informed, make sure to get in touch with Dave so you can be notified.
Is This Memory Games Event Just For Adults? Not at all.
Of course, memory games for kids help young people develop skills that will be useful throughout life and this is a great entry-level opportunity for all ages and skill levels.
Also, tune in to this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast to learn about:
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A forthcoming book with contributions from Alex Mullen and myself.
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The major reasons entrepreneurs and professionals need memory skills more than ever before.
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Why memory games are a great way to learn these techniques.
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Why the spelling bee competitions may be slowly disappearing and why competition might be one of the best memory activities for students.
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Options you have for using memory techniques, even if you’re not visual or experience aphantasia.
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And much, much more!
If you’d prefer to pay for tickets, please grab your Memory Games in Las Vegas now. More information about the event, including time and location are on that page.
To contact Dave Farrow directly, please email him using the link provided in the video and podcast or go directly to the contact page on Farrow PR.
About The Host Of The Las Vegas Memory Games https://youtu.be/Xi7RtnDGleQ
Dave Farrow earned his second Guinness World Record for memory by recalling the exact order of 59 decks of shuffled playing cards.
He created ‘The Farrow Method’ to help combat his severe dyslexia and ADHD and this is now a certifiable memory system backed by a double-blind neuroscience study at McGill University.
Dave has been a featured guest on Dr. Oz, Steve Harvey, The Today Show, Discovery Channel and many others.
Most recently, Dave won the grand prize on episode 5 of the hit FOX TV show, SuperHuman.
For More On Brain Games And Brain Exercises… Brain Games: The Truth You Need To Know For Memory Improvement
Crossword Puzzles For Brain Fitness: Fact or Fiction?
5 Brain Exercises That Ensure Memory Improvement
Brain Training: 3 Unconventional Techniques Guaranteed To Help You Conjure Your Best-Ever Ideas
3 Memory Games You Can Play With Your Childhood
Tansel Ali on How Gratitude Can Help You Remember Almost Anything
Thank you for attending this event if you can make it.
If you can’t, we deeply appreciate you helping spread the word about the 2017 Memory Games in Las Vegas. Your involvement in keeping this tradition alive is as central as learning and using the techniques themselves.
Let us know in the comments below how you found the games or were otherwise able to participate!
The topic of bitcoin and cryptocurrency places huge demands on your memory. Jonathan Levi and I discuss these demands and shed light on the most important details about this learning topic to remove confusion and make the future of money easier for all.
It is generally assumed that crossword puzzles help keep your brain young and active. But is it true? Not exactly Read on to find out why.
Many people around the world dump thousands of dollars per year on the hope that pills in a pretty package will lead to a boost in memory is a common habit. Here's how to avoid becoming yet another victim of one of the health industry's biggest scams.
Are you sick of taking language learning courses and falling flat on your face?
Let’s face it:
Language learning is a multi-million dollar industry, ranging from online video courses to books to slips of paper you can flip in your hands.
And not all of them are designed to help you succeed.
In fact, there’s a delicate balance between general language learning skills and the tangible results you get from second language acquisition with the help of a skilled teacher.
The questions you might have are numerous. They might include…
Are any languages easier or harder than others? And which language learning courses truly and authentically help, regardless of real or imagined difficulty and your current level?
These are all great questions, and in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, Olly Richards joins me to discuss how he’s using story and experience to make language learning courses more immersive.
Not only that, but Olly’s devoted to creating multiple quick victories that create motivation, remove obstacles and keep you moving even when they arise.
For a taste of how Olly’s courses works, checkout what I’ve found to be the best free Spanish language learning video series out there:
I suggest you click the image above now and register for Olly’s new course even if you’re not learning Spanish. You’ll learn great principles that apply to any language you might be studying, online or off.
Once you’ve registered, click play on this episode as Olly shares:
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Exactly when shared characteristics between languages gives you “short cuts” and when they create obstacles.
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The ultimate answer to “what is language acquisition?” (By understanding how the similarities between language acquisition and language learning can help your journey towards fluency, you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches!)
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Why quick victories help you compound your activities and keep your energy high during the language learning process.
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The truth about “cognate rules” and why Olly never introduces them into his language teaching.
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Why you need to spend time with the language you’re learning.
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Why not having time is rarely the real problem for most language learners, certainly not in the way they think.
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Why the struggles most people experience with language learning have nothing to do with the language.
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The different kinds of “emotional turmoil” Olly has experienced and how to understand them when – not if – they happen to you.
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How do to deal with the consequences of learning hurdles people face so you don’t have to give up.
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How to find and enjoy language learning experiences that don’t force you into panic mode.
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The real reasons why the Michel Thomas recordings may work for some people, but don’t for others.
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The importance of listening and reading in ways that allow you to listen and observe naturally without the need for rules.
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Why story is the root of all human communication and learning.
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How story can connect you to all elements of the culture of your target language.
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How to structure your week so that you have time every day for learning with a language course online.
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How to model yourself after a great linguist to learn any language.
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Why taking long breaks does not help in learning a language.
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Why “conquer the morning, conquer the day” is not true for all people and how to find other times of day for consistently showing up to accomplish your learning goals.
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How Digital Amnesia plays into the language learning experience and how Olly thrives by keeping a healthy majority of his learning offline.
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The only two apps Olly uses in his language learning and why they’re useful.
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The true path to “deep focus” with simple study tools that immerse you in the task.
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The truth about the scientific evidence for how and when language learning takes place.
https://youtu.be/YnesW3kL5cY
Further Resources From Olly Richards Olly Richards on Crazy Language Learning Goals & Mastering Motivation
Olly Richards Talks About Language Tech & Real Communication
Olly’s Fluent Spanish Academy Channel on YouTube
https://youtu.be/5slVHy2JmcQ
And if you’re interested in teaching languages yourself, make sure you check out Langpreneur. I’ve been following some of the incredible topics they cover and learned some new tricks myself.
Now then, how about you? What’s your experience with online language learning courses? How have you balanced them with offline materials and avoided some of the “Digital Amnesia” issues we’ve discussed in this episode?
There are 3 major causes of forgetting. Sadly, science never mentions any of them. If you'd like to remove the causes of forgetting forever, then read this.
Are you looking for ways to use a Memory Palace network for memorizing human anatomy? Let me help you out with these mnemonic examples.
Looking for a mnemonics dictionary? Stop wasting your time and start learning how to become a mnemonics dictionary yourself. The memory power feels amazing!
Tired of calling yourself an idiot (or worse)? Learn how some simple memory improvement tools can help you stop self punishment fast and forever.
Hate flying? I sure do, but with a solid walking meditation, all aspects of the flights I take go much smoother.
Same thing with going to the dentist or making your way to the surgical table. Having a go-to walking meditation method takes the edge off.
Oh, and walking meditation helps create everyday stability too.
And since most of us walk at least a little every day, why not use that time to experience memory improvement?
The question is…
What is walking meditation?
It’s a means of practicing mindfulness and presence.
And how mindfulness and presence help your memory is about to be revealed…
3 Reasons You Should You Develop A Walking Meditation Practice 1. Meditation reduces stress and causes your brain to release healing chemicals.
- Meditation has also been shown to improve concentration and memory, likely because of how the practice makes you more attentive throughout each day.
And since you can’t remember what you haven’t registered, anything that increases your present-moment awareness is worth every second you spend developing it.
- Meditation is a form of rest. In my own experience, a solid meditation of just 9-15 minutes can feel just as restful as a good night’s sleep.
Yes, meditation is that powerful.
Why Walking Meditation Is Bliss On Wheels And the fact that you can meditate on the way to the grocery store makes everything about the practice even better.
Instead of frittering away the time on useless thoughts and worries, you can focus on your physical being in the present moment. You’ll enjoy life more and experience increased health.
Both of which can lead to more time in which to enjoy your improved awareness.
To help you out, here are three relatively unheard of ways to kickstart one of the best habits you’ll ever develop.
1. Breath Counting Meditation One of the easiest ways to start a walking meditation practice involves nothing more than tracking and counting your breathing.
Every time you breathe in, give the breath a number. Likewise, give each exhale a number.
I like to count each number twice, i.e.:
In 1
Out 1 …
In 2
Out 2 …
In 3
Out 3 …
You can count to as high a number as you wish.
Take note of anything that distracts you or causes you to lose count.
Then gently bring yourself back and start over at ‘1’ anytime you wish.
Leave Judgment At The Door No matter what happens along the journey, it’s important not to judge yourself or cast evil spells against your memoryif you lose count while practicing.
Simply allow yourself to practice.
If you choose to see it as a challenge, always do so in good spirits. If you set meditation of any kind up as a game, you will find it frustrating because if it’s a game, random thoughts will always win.
But meditation is not a game. If it were, the only way to lose is by not practicing it at all.
2. Syncing Counting With Steps And Breathing Another way to count your breath as you practice walking meditation is to sync each breath with a step. You can create a number of patterns starting with a one-to-one correspondence.
To begin, inhale and step and then exhale and step.
Next, take two steps per breath. As you inhale, take two steps and then exhale as you take two steps.
Increase the number of steps you take per breath up until 10 steps per breath or until it feels uncomfortable.
The goal is to maintain focus on the practice, not pass out, so take care that you increase your steps slowly.
Follow your instincts and enjoy the process. Pay attention to everything happening to you, including heart rate changes and thoughts that arise.
3. Sensory Style Walking Meditation You can practice the next approach on its own or in combination with breathing. The goal is to focus intensely on your physical body and its connection to the surrounding world.
Beginning with your feet, notice each area and how it contacts the ground.
Notice how your feet handle your weight and explore placing different levels of emphasis on various parts of your feet as you move. (You can also practice meditatively studying the way your feet contact the world while standing.)
From your feet, scan your entire body. Notice the sensations of your clothing on your skin.
Then, narrow your attention on the feel and temperature of the air.
Instead of hearing environmental sounds, practice experiencing them as physical sensations in your ears. (You can practice sound as a physical sensation with music too.)
The more immersed in physical sensation you become, the less random thoughts control your mind. You’ll find the world unbelievably peaceful when you take it as a physical reality without thinking about it or making judgments.
Take It To The Next Level With Impromptu Memory Palaces Once you’ve had some experience with walking meditation, try using the same immersive and breathing principles while reading, eating and even conversing with other people. You’ll be more involved with your life in the present moment.
You can also use the technique to help you create impromptu Memory Palaces:
It’s a super-simple technique and one you can use any time you wish in just about any location.
The Ultimate Walking Meditation Benefit In a word?
Presence.
Presence is the most precious thing in the world.
Why?
Because it helps you encode more information into memory.
But please note that meditation works best with regular practice. Many experts agree that a minimum of 4 sessions per week are required to experience substantial benefits.
I would suggest going in with an abundance mentality and meditating daily. The trick is to take it small at the beginning and enjoy the ride. Meditation is best learned by doing and walking meditation requires doing above all.
Like when you’re walking to your next flight and feeling anxious…
Or taking a trip down to surgery…
Don’t overthink the process. Don’t give in to analysis paralysis.
Instead, take action.
I’ve shared these three practices as a guide for exploration so you don’t have to do anything but implement the techniques.
And after you’ve taken action, then let analysis have a cameo.
Analyze what happens after you perform a walking meditation.
That way, you can improve your practice over time.
And do feel free to report your results. I’d love to hear what happens!
The post Walking Meditation: 3 Memory Improving Ways to Walk Yourself Into Bliss appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
If you've ever wondered how to memorize the Zodiac and commit information about horoscopes and star signs to memory, this quick training shows you how.
If you've ever wished you had an app that would remove the "busy work" from language learning so you can get the memory benefits of SRS, then Gabriel Wyner and the Fluency Forever App might be just the ticket.
Don’t you hate it when people spew nonsense about YOUR attention span?
I sure do. Especially when it comes to games of comparison that don’t hold water.
Like the terrible story people keep repeating about your attention span being shorter than that of a goldfish.
Oh, Is It Now… Really? Who on earth comes up with these ideas?
Certainly not people with short attention spans.
In fact, it must have taken a good deal of consideration to come up with the attention span calculation of this long suffering species of fish.
In fact, the Great Gold Fish Attention Span Myth has quite a long history.
And what, dear Memorizer, should we suppose goldfish have in life so worthy of attention?
After all…
Goldfish Float Around In Glass Bowls! Of Course They Have A Short Attention Span! You, on the other, live in a world filled with all kinds of vibrating and exciting things to which you can direct your attention.
And you do.
- Novels…
- Movies…
- Books…
- Video games…
- Singing a song…
- Concerts…
- Sports…
- Looking at your pay stubs…
- Gazing into someone’s eyes…
- Pillow fights…
- Making coffee…
- Talking about yourself…
- Eating chocolate…
My point?
When you’re interested in something…
You Have An Abundance Of Attention! Not only that, but when you’re interested and motivated or the stakes are high, your attention span is tremendously elastic.
The trouble is…
People are gullible.
They hear that their attention span is shrinking and start repeating it.
To themselves.
To others.
In fact, so many of us are willing to spread nonsense as far and wide as possible that…
The B.S. Quickly Becomes A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Well, I’m here to tell you that this false story needs correcting.
And since it’s B.S. that harms the human race, we need to correct and eliminate the myth.
Fast.
Here are three reasons why:
1. Your Attention Span Is Defined By One Person And One Person Only You.
Seriously.
It’s your brain.
Your eyes.
Your lips.
Your lungs.
Your tongue.
And you can train your brain to focus and concentrate on having the most profound and bulletproof attention span on the planet.
All you have to do is train it. Stop giving in to Digital Amnesia (check out that link and start practicing Digital Fasting today).
Own it.
Cultivate it.
Craft the attention span that you want to have.
If you can’t practice with your own sunrise, try mine:
https://youtu.be/UBXZ6WA_2-k
No matter how you practice extending your attention span…
Here’s the truth of the matter:
You’re the only one who can do it.
And if at the start, you find that you can’t focus or concentrate…
A simple meditation practice with a bit of memory training will help.
Don’t take my word for it.
All the science supporting meditation is here on my post about How to Improve Concentration and Memory.
2. Unlike A Goldfish… You Can Observe Your Attention Span Okay, to be fair, we really don’t know if goldfish are capable of self-observation or not.
But chances are the last thing they’re doing while floating around their little bowls has anything to do with self-reflection.
As a human, you’re unique.
You can observe yourself.
You can measure your assets.
What you can measure, you can improve.
Example:
Let’s say that you’re in lecture and struggling to pay attention. In addition to learning the Magnetic Memory Method approach to note taking…
You can also keep an Attention Span Journal.
You can journal about lectures you’ve attended, or books you’ve read. Like how about one of these?
https://youtu.be/Z6iP72OZ6GY
As you fill out your Attention Span Journal, think about what’s triggering the problem.
Is it your REALLY your attention span?
Or is it the fact that your smart phone is on and you’re either being interrupted by notifications…
Or on the alert for notifications?
Be Honest About It You’ll probably find that there’s nothing wrong with your attention span.
Quite the opposite. Your attention span is fine, but it’s primed to pay attention to the wrong things.
3. You Have A Trillion Interesting And Exciting Things To Learn Yes, we sometimes have to learn topics that bore us. But there are strategies for coping with the boredom. Here are five ways to deal with boring topics you might have to study.
Even better than the self-hypnosis I teach for dealing with boring information:
You can feed your brain with topics that DO interest you.
If you’re so bored with the information you’re consuming that it can’t hold your attention for longer than six seconds…
Simply switch it off and study something else instead!
The cold, hard truth is that many people seek careers that will never fulfill them.
They’re after financial security.
They’re trying to please their families.
They’re Playing Not To Lose Instead Of Playing To Win That’s no good.
It goes against your normal and natural human impulse to do the things you really want to do.
And here, right now, in the 21st century, you can create systems that will let you live the life you want to lead.
Yes, you have to play to win.
And that means taking on some risk.
But what would you rather have at the end of the day?
The attention span of a goldfish because you’re bored senseless by the life you’ve chosen to lead…
Or A Razor-Sharp Attention Span That Cuts Through All The Clutter? I hope you’re ready to choose yourself and the path to personal power.
Why?
Because when it comes to the Magnetic Memory Method, oh sure… memory techniques will help you.
It’s actually impossible for them not to help you, even if you’re a skeptic of memory techniques.
But the reality is this:
They’ll help you even better if you align them with authentic goals. That dream life whispering or screaming at you from deep inside.
Many people have silenced that voice…
Others can’t shut it up, and suffer deeply as a result…
Yet others have channeled that beautiful energy into amazing careers.
You Too Can Fulfill All Your Dreams Using The Simple Power Of Your Memory Here’s a simple exercise demonstrated live:
https://youtu.be/9CQ0wr-0AyQ
Start exercising your autobiographical memory.
As I go through my early memories, I’m unpacking so much creativity, so much energy, so much joy.
In your past, you’ll discover so much about yourself.
You’ll discover so many people you’ve known. So many places you’ve been.
Even better, you’ll realize that you always have all the assets you need to accomplish any goal or need.
Right now.
But if you don’t mine your past for the gold…
You’ll Be Stuck Swimming With The Fishes Of Your Own Invention Frankly, I find that outcome unacceptable.
It goes completely against all ethics, morality and the Paradise of Multiple Intelligences we learned about from Tony Buzan brimming inside each and every person in the world.
What must you have to do to unpack your glorious multiple intelligences?
The answer is easy:
Use them!
Often!
Proudly!
The Number One Reason People Stay In The Goldfish Bowl You know the answer, don’t you?
It’s confidence.
People lack confidence for a number of reasons.
Maybe they had poor childhood experiences…
Maybe some disease crippled their bodies…
Maybe they have a speech impediment…
Whatever.
None of those issues have stopped the best of the best from succeeding.
And yet when you accept a limiting story about your attention span, you’re the most crippled person on the planet.
How To Gain Confidence In Anything Faster Than The Speed Of Light Two steps:
- Understand D.O.C. D.O.C. is an acronym.
It stands for:
Doing is the Origin of Confidence
https://youtu.be/RkJ1Lw9P0OA
It really is that simple.
If you want to gain confidence in an activity, all you have to do is get started.
Most of us are spooked by unfamiliar territory.
Me too, quite frankly.
But if there’s one thing that distinguishes those who playing to win from those playing not to lose is this:
They enter the darkness.
And simply being in the darkness sheds more light on the unknown than you’ll ever need.
Then comes the next trick I’ve got for you:
2. Don’t Give Up At The First Sign Of Trouble You know why it’s so lonely at the top?
Because 99.9% of people who enter a field of mastery give up at the first sign of trouble.
Why? Barbara Oakley cites evidence in Mindshift that it has a lot to do with the insular cortex.
That scientific fact creates one illuminating and elucidating power:
The pain you feel when something feels hard or doesn’t go right the first time?
Completely Normal! And all you have to do to get accustomed to it is simply try again.
What you’re looking for is something quite simple.
It’s called a “quick victory.”
Sometimes you get them straight up. Other times, the quick victory doesn’t come so quick.
To be fair, there may be times when the quick victory isn’t coming at all.
When To Cut Your Losses Without The Shame Of Giving Up Look:
I’m not preaching that you should bang your head against the wall.
There’s no use in doing that. Ever.
But as you give things several good tries and observe yourself in the process, you’ll know that it’s time to back out based on one simple metric:
The Magnetic Memory Method P.I. (No, Not ‘Private Investigator’) Basically, you have to learn a bit more about what gives you pleasure, and the different kinds of pleasure available to you and your brain.
For example, there is the satisfaction of a hard day’s work.
Or there is the feeling of being in “the zone.”
It could also be the feeling of progressing towards a goal by knocking off milestones, one at a time.
And as you knock off those milestones, you’re documenting the process like an artist in a sketchbook so you can see your progress.
(One reason I highly recommend The Freedom Journal.)
Whatever you do, you need to create a Pleasure Index. Know what turns you on. What rattles your cage. Discover the signs and symptoms of growth and celebrate each and every one.
This Is How Attention Span Grows And Grows Nietzsche pointed out that the human species will always need myths.
But we don’t need to blindly accept them.
Rather, we can choose the myths we use to guide our progress through life.
In place of the goldfish attention span myth, why not pick something more empowering?
Be like an arrow flying toward a goal.
Or be like the hawk, observant of every movement in the field, hunting only those objects that sustain self and family.
Otherwise, we all risk living a disempowered life.
And the moments that filter past while we’re spinning circles in the fishbowl?
They’re never coming back.
I’d rather be up in the sky, soaring over the world and basking in the fullest possible attention span the human brain can achieve.
It’s so quiet up here where the better myths of human psychology fly free.
Join us.
If you've ever felt like you're losing proficiency in a language - including your mother tongue - you're probably suffering from linguistic deskilling. Don't worry if that's you. This post from my own struggles with linguistic deskilling gives you three powerful solutions.
Although techno-dystopia probably isn't coming, we need to look at how computers are already ruining our memory. And if the technology ever does become part of our bodies, these are just 7 of many reasons why having a memory implant would suck. Big time.
Note taking doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, with these 5 note taking strategies, you'll take better notes and remember more for total success.
Memory loss is frightening. However, the solution may be simpler than you think. Jennie Gorman's incredible story demonstrates how you can fight against memory loss, recover completely and possibly prevent it in the first place.
You know that instant gratification is the real reason you struggle to learn and remember information, don’t you?
Good news:
If you’d like the cure, let me instantly gratify you and jump right in. Here are three:
1. Understand the Sickness of Instant Gratification For What It Is That’s right:
Instant gratification is a disease.
Think about it …
What building gets to scrape the sky overnight?
What skill worth having leaps into existence in a flash?
None do.
And if any ever penetrate this instant gratification psychology … it’s really only a very few.
If there are examples of instant gratification, well …
One exception is the Magnetic Memory Method, a rare memory skill you can learn fast and experience quick victories with …
But these happen so fast only because the Magnetic Memory Method harnesses the power of information you ALREADY know.
And even then, let’s face it: You’ll still need to practice a bit before you really hit your stride.
So settle in and make sure you’re trained up:
Go ahead and click that big blue image and take my free course. I’m confident you won’t regret spending the time.
2. Practice Long Form Learning Now that you’ve admitted that you’ve got the instant gratification sickness, it’s time to combat it.
How?
First, know your MMM Learning Hierarchy. You’ll discover what this is in a new book I’m releasing soon. For notification, please keep your eyes open for an announcement soon.
Once you’ve got that covered, learn how to memorize a textbook properly and read books in a traditional manner for good measure.
Watch long videos and take notes. Listen to podcasts and audiobooks without 2x-ing the content. Stop training your brain to consume everything faster.
3. Balance Input With Output Consuming information is important. It’s how we learn.
The problem is …
Few people balance their consumption with production.
As a result, they never really learn anything.
If you want to learn … REALLY learn …
Then you’ll need to process that information through multiple channels.
The Professors Who Forced Me To Balance Input With Output Back during my M.A. and Ph.D. years, I completed a lot of directed reading courses instead of taking seminars.
These directed readings were a great alternative to attending class and watching the other students pretend they read the books and articles.
Plus, I got to have the professors I studied under for some precious one-on-one discussion of learning topics at levels deeper than seminars allow.
The catch?
Two of my directed reading professors DEMANDED summaries of everything on the reading lists.
And not just one or two fruity little paragraphs …
They wanted two to three pages!
Well, let me tell you …
It Was The Most Worthy Work In The World! By keeping good notes and processing the information through writing summaries …
… Followed by verbal discussions in meetings …
I remember so much more from those books than any other.
And because I used the textbook memorization technique I linked you to above for some of these books …
I had a ton of Magnetic fun too.
The Shocking Truth About Instant Gratification Here’s the truth:
When you stop letting instant gratification corrode your ability to learn and remember …
You’ll find that all learning becomes much more gratifying.
Having a plan for building and enjoying discipline in your life helps too:
https://youtu.be/wCKuMAKezyY
Once you have discipline on your side …
The gratification you need comes …
Instantly!
So the true path to instant gratification requires just a simple shift in perspective.
Just like when you Mindshift your perspective about memory techniques and the use of a Memory Palace.
The shift in perspective creates an instant victory that makes all learning thereafter much more gratifying.
It truly is that simple.
And if you’d like to experience true instant gratification that lasts forever, make sure you’re subscribed to this website so I can show you just how gratifying using your memory can be.
Next time … something different.
In fact, I’ve got a …
Quick question for you:
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Have you ever wondered why on earth anyone would focus on memorizing individual words?
A lot of people not only wonder about this, but some are utterly convinced that focusing on vocabulary instead of complete phrases is …
The Worst Thing You Can Do The problem is …
It’s simply not true. And …
Frankly, it’s time to settle this argument once and for all.
The verdict:
If you want to learn a language you do need to memorize BOTH words AND phrases.
But here’s the problem, one that this commenter on the Magnetic Memory Method YouTube channel makes oh so obvious to point out:
Do you see what’s happening here? Can you guess why I might have hesitated to approve the ironic snark lurking in this comment?
The problem is this:
Macovei assumes that … because he learns a particular way … everyone else should learn that way too.
That’s poor logic.
Worse, Macovei seems to think that …
Because He Hasn’t Found A Faster Way … A faster way …
… couldn’t possibly exist.
Here’s the ugly truth:
These two logical errors amount to crimes against humanity.
And thanks to the Primacy Effect and Recency Effect, people get pushed into limiting corners of negative belief thanks to logically fallacious comments like these.
Sadly, there are enormous mountains of them floating around.
Like evil … hypnotic spells.
Don’t let them catch you!
Evil Spell #1: The Lie That Sentences Shouldn’t Be Broken Down Into Pieces A lot of critics say that you should just go ahead and learn entire phrases.
Yeah, go on. Spend a couple hundred hours stuffing your spaced-repetition software with long strings of words …
BEFORE you’ve developed the ability to use memory techniques to remember even one single word.
Sorry, Macovei, but there really is an alternative.
One that teaches you how to memorize individual words. One that appeals to enough learners that it’s worth all that I do just to help them.
The skill is easy, fast, elegant and fun.
The best part:
It’s a skill you can extend to entire phrases very soon. But you’re much more likely to get there faster if you start with memorizing one word at a time first.
The Memory Palace Alternative For example, imagine you get really good at learning how to use a Memory Palace. (Hint: It takes only about 2-5 hours. After that, you stand a chance at becoming a memory champion if you wish).
Make a Memory Palace.
Don’t worry if you’re skeptical. Making and using Memory Palaces is 100% scientific. Here’s the proof.
In it, memorize ten words.
Yes, just ten.
Make them cornerstone words. Really know them inside and out.
And then (and only then), go back to the first word. Add a phrase to it.
Then add a phrase to the second word.
The third.
And so on.
By starting with individual words, you really can scale much more quickly.
What makes the difference is the NATURE, QUALITY and UTILITY of the words you choose.
And let’s be frank:
How To Make The Right Choices Isn’t Always Easy! But on this Live Call, the Magnetic Memory Method Global Family and I buckled down to the truth:
To sum up that Magnetic Memory Method YouTube Live for you, here’s what we concluded:
You find the right vocabulary and phrases along the way by …
Cultivating curiosity …
Mental independence …
And generating your own curriculum as a language learner.
How To Deal With Conflicting Language Learning Advice You’ll come across a lot of different opinions.
Ignore the bulk of it. Especially when the come from the kind of self-proclaimed language learning gurus like I take to task in this video:
A lot of people give in to negative self-hypnosis and pass it on to others in an attempt to hold the rest of the world down. They don’t want to be lonely down in the bottom of the crab bucket, after all.
Their attempt to hold you down isn’t necessarily evil or even malicious.
But it is infectious. Negative messages draw the attention of the eye and take hold in the brain.
The good news?
Simply by knowing this fact about them, you can weaken their power.
You can also release yourself from their hold by learning memory techniques and buckling down to the truth that you need both skills:
Vocabulary memorization AND phrase memorization. Unlike those crabs pulling each down into the bucket, when it comes to memorizing vocab and phrases …
One Helps The Other! But here’s the problem:
Many (but not all) human brains get overwhelmed by entire phrases. That’s why I free them to the power and glory of finally making some headway into learning a language. One word at a time.
Just as I did when I used the Magnetic Memory Method for German (full story with tips). Richard Gilzean did much the same, but with his own Magnetic twist.
Not to mention what Amanda Shaw accomplished when using the Magnetic Memory Method to help her learn Arrernte.
Want results like that?
Don’t take my word for it. Just follow the evidence. Repeat the experiments. Enjoy the results.
If it’s not for you … well, like Wittgenstein once said:
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen.
(Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.)
Evil Spell #2: The Memory Palace Is Hard, Slow and Boring Check out this interesting exchange from last week’s The Only 4 Memory Improvement Systems You Need:
What’s going on here?
A person who provides evidence of having memorized one word is using the Magnetic Memory Method discussion area to call Memory Palace use for language learning slow.
As far as I can tell, this person hasn’t even tried the technique.
And if that’s the case …
How On Earth Can You Cast Judgment On Something You Haven’t Tried? I’m not a psychologist, but when I read flat out dismissals like these, I see, hear and feel … pain.
Exhaustion.
Fear.
At some level, I think these people are like muscleheads at the gym who are afraid to be seen lifting smaller weights …
… Even though the body has many muscles you can develop if you’re willing to put your ego aside and master a few simple moves with lighter weights first.
That’s how I’ve developed a lot of muscle at the gym and it’s how I’ve won the war against overwhelm in language learning on a daily basis.
The Big Five of Language Learning helps too.
And you can just go ahead and wind up the clock and time yourself if you don’t believe how fast it can go.
Just like Noel van Vliet did in his Judgment Day report on the Magnetic Memory Method.
I could be wrong about all this …
But what else other than ego-based fear could be driving the certainty behind such convictions and hypnotic spell casting?
Truly? What else?
And in case you’re thinking …
Hold On There, Magnetic Cowboy! What’s driving YOUR certainty, Dr. Metivier? Could it also be some kind of fear and pain?
Nice. Try.
But I have no certainty. None.
And that’s the point. This is the art and science of memory. There’s nothing to fear so long as you’re true to the craft and the evidence.
And like most of the best in the memory training game, as both a lifelong student of memory techniques and teacher, I too started as a skeptic.
The reality is that skepticism is a power – but only if you’re testing it.
And you need to begin with the only skepticism you can test – YOUR skepticism.
My suggestion:
In the time it takes to graffiti the Internet with yet another argument against something you haven’t even tried …
You could have memorized BOTH a new word AND a new phrase.
And anyone who has spent any time learning a new language knows that you have to do both.
You Should EMBRACE Both And you should understand that memory techniques for language learning lovingly encourages both.
That’s true for other realms of vocabulary memorization too, such as anatomy.
But my core message that all your struggles end when you put your ego at the door and learn to develop your memory … one word at a time …
That message shall remain.
Why?
Because it works for those who struggle to find any other way.
And it works for the mega-polyglots too, even if they save the Memory Palace just for the Stubborn Quintile or other words worth remembering, like the ones covered in my How to Improve Vocabulary With Mnemonic Examples Playlist:
You don’t have to make the Memory Palace the cornerstone of your practice, after all.
But since the technique is useful for so many other things in life you might want to commit to memory …
Assuming you’re making your Memory Palaces properly Magnetic …
You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
In sum:
Be Wary Of All Spell Casters Who Speak Without Experience Ignore the fearful critics who speak without experience. Follow your interest and bliss instead.
But please, spare the world your time and energy whenever you feel the need to wax messianic about why things you’ve never tried can’t and won’t work.
We’re busy freeing people from The Matrix of lies and illusions here, not holding them in prison with you.
Free your mind.
The post Two Truly Evil Spells People Cast Against Memorizing Vocabulary With A Memory Palace appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
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Have you ever said out loud or in your mind, “I can’t learn a language!”
Well … guess what?
You’re fooling yourself!
And it’s the worse kind of lie.
Why?
Because every minute you’re not fluent in at least one other language, you’re keeping yourself locked in a monolingual prison …
The same prison that deeply dissatisfies billions of people around the world!
And instead of doing something to improve their lot in life and memory, they simper and whimper in the unnecessary depression and suffering that the following lies, illusions and problems created by people perfectly capable of success.
Avoid the following traps and you will grasp success and suckle from its nourishment for life – guaranteed!
#1: The Lie That You’re Too Busy To Learn A Language That’s how most people see themselves:
Busy.
REALLY busy.
In some cases, this is true.
But for most of us, being “time poor” has a core root. And that root is rotten.
These days its lots and lots of time WASTED on social media.
Don’t blame yourself, though. A lot of the problem isn’t your fault.
But you can do something about the problem. And to ignore it means just three things:
-
A lack of discipline.
-
An unwillingness to learn and practice focus.
-
A complete and utter lack of prioritization.
The good news is you can change this sorry state.
And You should! You want discipline.
You want results.
And you know that learning a language is good for your brain.
The secret?
Stop Splitting Your Attention As I shared in my post about morning rituals for language learning, you can use Magnetic Habit-Chaining to get more results in 15-30 minutes per day than most language learners will accomplish in a month.
It’s fun, easy to do and you’ll like yourself better.
Why?
Because you’re moving towards your language goal, not cheating yourself out of it by wasting time on unnecessary social media.
Whatever you do, stop running around as if your hair's on fire.Click To Tweet It isn’t. And you’ve got languages to learn.
Bonus: How to maintain quality in your daily language learning ritual:
Have a space in your home dedicated to language learning. For tips on how, check out these 15 memory care home solutions.
2. The Lie That You Don’t Have The Adequate Language Learning Tools A vital component to learning a language is knowing what to use and how to use it.
Here’s a Magnetic-sized tip:
Use just one book, just one audio program and just one video course at a time. No more than that, though always with the option of using less.
Use this “rule of three” in combination with The Big Five Of Language Learning to structure your learning sessions:
Memory
Reading
Writing
Speaking
Listening
Here’s my three and a quick summary of how I’m using them:
That’s my beloved Chinese character book. It’s presenting the material in German, which is great because it helps me maintain that language.
It also has a special feature in the back that bolts Magnetically to the Magnetic Memory Method – stay tuned for news about that.
I’m currently memorizing phrases from Pimsleur, more or less as discussed in this video:
https://youtu.be/ulEmB1lDjoA
It’s a golden technique.
But nothing is better than the Real Spoken Chinese Vault. Here’s one example of how I’m using it:
https://youtu.be/p0-JXNgl35g
What a blessing this course has been! If you’re studying Chinese, you’ve simply got to check it out and grab my MMM bonuses.
In each case, I’m using Memory Palaces in combination with The Big Five of Language Learning.
This multi-step process is important because it moves the language through multiple representation centers of the brain: audio, visual and kinesthetic.
And if you get in some language learning practice in restaurants that feature the language you’re studying, you can squeeze in your gustatory and olfactory rep centers too.
What Matters Is Consistency And you're much more likely to master consistency if you limit your tools. Don't forget the rule of three!Click To Tweet 3. The Lie That You Must Learn Lackluster Vocabulary & Phrases So Boring You Wanna Tear Your Hair Out Although you occasionally do have to buckle down and learn some boring words like he, she, if, then, but and … AND …
… most language learners struggle because they stick too closely to the boring stuff.
Let’s face it:
We need a textbook, audio and video program.
But we also need more. We need to learn vocabulary and phrases that connect with our interests.
For me, it’s movies.
And books.
And the topic of memory.
Knowing what I like makes the pursuit of vocabulary and phrases easier. Knowing what you like will make it easier for you too.
Plus, regularly meeting with native speakers who share similar interests means those interesting and exciting terms will keep popping up.
Case in point: I’m still sad about leaving Berlin, but delighted that there’s a German book club here in Brisbane.
And so that means I get to hang with literature enthusiasts who use really cool words and phrases – all while reading and discussing books that include amazing vocab and linguistic flair that excited me page after page.
Bonus: Focusing on words and phrases connected to your interests creates energy.
As language learners, we need all we can get for the long haul, so make sure you’re feeding yourself plenty of relevant things to say and understand. That’s how you create a powerfully consistent engine that builds and fuels itself for a lifetime of voyages on the highways of fluency.
4. The Lie That Language Learners Don’t Need A Positive Mindset & Welcoming Attitude I’ve learned a lot over the years about why some people learning languages don’t have much success.
A lot comes down to the fact that they don’t make new words and phrases feel welcome. They don’t make their mood and memory like a warm living room. They don’t come out with freshly baked cookies and they certainly don’t serve milk.
And that’s sad.
Look at it this way:
New vocabulary and phrases are the backbone of your language learning progress. Without acquiring them, you’re left bored, frustrated and alone in a boat without a paddle. Those delightful islands of fluency become less and less reachable without a constant flow of the new entering and remaining in your brain.
But so many people prefer negative attitudes and the conviction that their language is the most difficult in the world.
How about a different tact? How about a positive and welcoming attitude that says:
My language is the best and easiest language in the world!
I love it and I’m going to do everything in my power to welcome its parts in so that they want to stay forever.
My language is the best and easiest language in the world!Click To Tweet Sounds more inviting, doesn’t it?
Well, of course it does, but you’ve got to do more than just think welcoming thoughts. You need to prepare your mind to actually be welcoming.
And that’s as simple as creating and using Memory Palaces. It’s no more difficult than dreaming up pictures you associate with sounds so you can place them strategically in your Memory Palaces for recall later.
What you’re doing is so much simpler than people who insist on calling memory techniques for language learning difficult fail to understand:
You’re simply having a conversation with sound and meaning in your mind. But if your mind is an unwelcoming dungeon filled with torturous tools of negativity …
… Of course all the vocabulary and phrases you want to remember runs away fearful and screaming!
Instead, show the language you want to learn love and appreciation. Create an environment it actually wants to stick around and enjoy living in.
Bonus: One of the best ways to make new words and phrases feel welcome in your mind is to use them promptly.
Seriously. A huge secret of memory success is just to get the words and phrases you use into operation immediately.
Oh, and drink water. Dehydrated brains shrink. The smaller your brain, the less room for vocabulary and phrases.
5. The Lie That Leads To Lack Of Gratitude This next point might sound a bit crazy, but I believe it to be 100% true:
People privileged enough to even think about learning a language are rarely thankful about the privileges they have.
Seriously.
All the whining and crying out there about the difficulties of learning a language makes me want to puke. Most of us should be on our hands and knees thanking our lucky stars that we even have the opportunity to learn anything.
And please do not waste any time feeling offended if you think I’m pointing my finger at you. Believe me, I sometimes get whiny myself about the difficulties in life. We all do.
But the difference between those who make progress and those who get stuck in a rut comes down to the simple ability to recognize when you’re feeling sorry for yourself.
And then pick up your chin and move on.
But the question remains:
How so you show that you’re grateful for learning a language?
One way is to write about it every day in your gratitude journal.
That’s what I do.
Every morning, I acknowledge at least 10 things I’m grateful for, sometimes more. And everyday, I acknowledge that I’m grateful for my progress with Chinese and the maintenance of my German.
When I get a chance to speak any other language I’ve learned something from – or even just remember a language learning experience – I jot that down too.
Showing gratitude is simple, easy and fast. And if you don’t think it will make a difference …
Go ahead and try to prove me wrong. I admire your skepticism and can’t wait to hear what happens when you apply sincere gratitude practice to your language learning activities.
Bonus: You can easily complete your daily gratitude exercise when you use The Freedom Journal for language learning. It’s an exceptional tool for breaking everything down into 10-day sprints, so make sure you’ve got one on your side in support of your language learning goals.
Magnetic Conclusion Be bold and outrageous when learning a language. So many failures come down to the simple fact that people bore themselves to death.
Worse, they hypnotize themselves with negative messages and don’t prepare their minds for success.
Sadly, that’s the status quo. That’s what passes as “normal.”
But this sad portrait of normalcy and language learning destitution doesn’t have to be you!
Instead of being busy, make time …
Instead of feeling helpless and piling on more useless tools, recognize that you already have more than you need …
Instead of choosing lackluster phrases and vocabulary …
Sex Things Up! Instead of forcing the language into a hostile jungle of negativity, welcome the language into a well-rested and well-cared for brain …
Instead of griping and moaning about how tough everything is,be grateful that you have the opportunity to learn in the first place.
And above all, recognize that you’re on a journey. You’re playing the long game. You’re in it to experience amazing returns on your investments and wonderful adventures.
But nothing’s going to happen if you let these 5 barriers hold you back.
So what do you say? Are you ready to drop the dark chains holding you down and release the language learning force within you?
I hope so, because time sure is ticking. And none of us know how much we’ve got left, so it’s important to seek the fulfillment of fluency with all engines blazing.
Are you with me?
Do you ever go hunting for music you can use to increase your focus and concentration?
I sure have. But over the years, I’ve experienced diminishing returns.
That got me wondering about what benefits it ever had in the first place.
So here’s an idea that might help you stop wasting time and energy on the hunt for external cures that promise to increase your focus.
Start by watching this video:
Now then … Why is all this business about concentration so important?
Here’s a wake-up call:
The problem with finding music and apps and other gadgets to help improve your focus and concentration is this:
Those efforts will always fail.
Why?
Because they never address the core problem.
And the reason you can’t focus and concentrate is simple:
Your Concentration Muscles Are Weak And Pathetic! Trust me. I’ve been there. I’ve felt both sides of the coin while learning how to improve focus and concentration.
I’ve gone through periods where my concentration was so poor I couldn’t finish a single sentence in a book.
And this lack of concentration and the ongoing need to improve focus caused me a lot of pain.
For one thing, I almost dropped out of my Ph.D. program.
Imagine that!
Spending all those years of your life and thousands upon thousands in tuition …
… only to find yourself in a concentration rut.
Well, there’s a way out.
And the first step on that journey to freedom from poor concentration starts with saying Yes! to the alternative. And that involves nothing more than getting your ego out of the picture.
Laser Sharp Concentration Begins With A Little Death Do I have your attention yet?
I hope so, because death is no laughing matter.
But here’s the thing:
If you’re willing to sit and meditate, you’ll be engaging in the most profound activity invented by humanity (next to memory techniques):
You’ll Be Murdering Your Ego! And that, my Magnetic friend, is a wonderful thing.
Because every goal and desire you haven’t achieved is likely being held hostage by your ego.
It sounds crazy, but true.
So much of the focus and concentration we need to get things done flees from us due to simple biology.
You see, your brain conserves energy as much as possible.
Sure, some people are lazy and unmotivated.
But most of us struggle to focus and get things done because we have a brain telling us that it’s okay to be lazy and slothful.
And the worse thing is …
Your Lazy Brain Isn’t Necessarily Wrong! Because here’s the thing:
Way back when we lived on the savanna, our brains learned to conserve energy. At least, that’s one historical interpretation of the anthropological data.
Seriously.
Whereas some people prefer to fantasize about early humans as big bulky caveman conquering the world …
… it’s more likely that we were weaklings hiding in the shade of trees most of the time.
What were we doing there?
Two things:
1) Conserving energy
2) Waiting for better predators to kill animals and leave their carcasses behind so we could scavenge the remains.
Sounds like a bleak interpretation of history, doesn’t it?
Not If You Let This Simple Fact Of Nature Empower You! When you realize that it’s very likely humans evolved to conserve energy. That means to also limit spending it. And when you realize this, all that laziness suddenly makes sense.
When things make sense, you can start to engineer change on the basis of some solid understanding.
That’s important because for many of us, we simply can’t learn without knowing why we are the way we are and having some context around it.
So there you have it: You’re forgiven for being lazy. It’s in your genes.
No Ego, No Enemy But what does all this have to do with the ego?
This is important:
As human psychology developed, language and stories arrived on the scene.
And that meant chatter.
A lot of which takes place in your mind.
Self-talk about the past, mostly inaccurate descriptions and alternative versions of the present, memories of the past …
It just goes on and on.
And it’s the constant talk that makes focus and concentration difficult to achieve.
Because now instead of conserving energy …
You’re Spending The Lifeblood Of Your Brain On Nothing! But when you meditate, you create an escape hatch.
And you can make it bigger and bigger in a relatively short period of time.
Not only that, but you can approach higher levels of “awakening.” These are really cool because you understand …
Oh Wow! I’m Free From All That Floating Junk! And that leads to something extraordinary:
You realize that you’re concentrating at a higher level.
Your focus is sharper.
You’re on fire for the present moment and letting it burn you up in all its glory.
How An Unusual Way Of Counting From 1 – 10 Will Increase Your Focus 100x … Or More! Listen:
You don’t have to take my word for the bold claims I’m making. There is so much scientific research backing this up that you could build a new planet from it.
But like a lot of science, all the evidence in the world sometimes fails to make people budge in the right direction. Take the struggle to stop smoking, for example.
In any case, when you meditate at least 4 days a week as recommended here (daily is better), you’ll find that your memory improves automatically. And it’s directly correlated with improvements in your focus and concentration.
Then try this:
As you sit and meditate, count from one to ten.
But instead of doing a straight-up count from one to ten …
Skip the even numbers. Repress them in your mind.
The Incontestable Truth About Red Cats Have you ever heard of that question they teach new hypnotists?
It goes like this:
Don’t think of a red cat.
And, of course, it’s nearly impossible to hear that phrase without negating the word “don’t” and thinking of the thing you’re not supposed to think about.
Well, that’s what’s so odd about meditating and counting from one to ten but repressing the even numbers.
You’ll find at first that it’s very difficult to complete this simple exercise.
And that’s because it’s not so simple.
Just as it’s difficult not to think of a red cat when someone commands you not to do so, it’s really hard not to think of the numbers two, four, six and eight when you’re counting to ten.
This simple exercise, when practiced over time into the double and even triple digits, will improve your concentration significantly.
Why?
Cross-Fit Training For Your Mind Never Felt So Good Because you’re basically giving your brain a few kinds of exercise at the same time.
First, you’re focusing on the present activity in a state of stillness. You’re practicing the concentration of governing the body.
Then, in counting, you’re practicing concentrating on tracking a behavior and accurately completing a task.
Finally, in doing all these things, you’re also monitoring your ability to repress things that you don’t want to think about.
And so you’re developing the ability to shut distractions out of your mind.
Best part:
You Can Use Your Newfound Focus And Concentration To Use Memory Techniques Better Seriously.
We’re living in an age where people are so worried about the future.
Unemployment runs rampant and an entire generation raised solely on the Internet is running around with brains destroyed by Digital Amnesia.
The solution?
Sit just to sit.
Count from one to ten.
Learn memory techniques.
Apply them to learning a new language.
Do things that are good for your brain so that you can eliminate any and all fear you may have about the future.
No, the things you need will never come pouring out of the sky.
But the power to manifest everything you dream of rests firmly in your mind.
If only you could concentrate.
Now you know how to make your concentration muscles super-strong.
And it hardly requires any heavy lifting.
Now isn’t that cool?
The post The Ultimate Concentration Combo For Memory Improvement appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Don’t you hate that sinking feeling?
You know the one.
You crack open another memory improvement book.
You’re excited to take your memory training to the next level.
You’re hungry for the next-level techniques that no one has ever shown you before.
And yet there it is again …
Another Useless Memory Improvement Exercise! Seriously. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve read a memory trainer promising the world only to start things off with something like this:
“Now that you know how to use your memory, practice with your shopping list.”
Yawn.
But …
I get why they do it.
It’s called giving the student a “quick victory.”
But there’s a problem with quick victories.
Especially when they’re attached to gains that simply don’t connect.
To your heart.
Your soul.
That part of your mind that craves conquering even the toughest information in the world.
For achieving that, I recommend these books instead:
https://youtu.be/Z6iP72OZ6GY
In other words, you want memory improvement books that give you the ability to …
Remember Information That Instantly Improves Your Life! And unless you’re memorizing the shopping list in another language for developing fluency or helping your brain thrive … life improvement is unlikely to happen.
That’s why you need to forget every memory exercise you’ve ever encountered and try the following instead.
Instead of applying the memory skills you’ve developed to meaningless information or meaningless brain games …
Apply them to information that will make an immediate difference!
How To Perform The Magnetic Memory Method LifeBlood Test Chances are that the shopping list exercise isn’t going to go away anytime soon.
For that reason, let me teach you how to replace it with practice material that actually matters.
The first thing you want to ask yourself is …
What’s the number one thing I could add to my memory today that would make my life better tomorrow?
Think seriously about this.
Go through all your problems and pains and find the ones where memory is the culprit.
When I first learned memory techniques, it was loud and clear:
Philosophical concepts and specific terms.
Things like …
- Pregnans constructio
- Architectonic tautology
- Anagnorisis and peripeteia
Then there was Biblical Hebrew.
The alphabet, vocabulary, phrases.
And I was real bad with remembering the names of authors and information like historical dates.
And I remember one of my professors hated when said, “back then” or “in the past.”
And she was right to hate that.
So I determined to be more specific when speaking about yesteryear in my seminar contributions.
All These Improvements Make Life Instantly Better! And I don’t use the word “lifeblood” loosely.
It make my heart pump with pride, accomplishment and inspiration to learn even more.
Because it’s no longer about half-remembered facts clouded by opinions and beliefs.
It’s absolute historically scientific certainty that I knew what the hell I was talking about.
And it’s so great to know the dates of philosophers and when their books appeared. Your brain makes more connections.
Even without the memory techniques, these mental and Magnetic links help fortify memories further.
And the more you learn, the more you can learn.
And the coolest thing of all is that the brain feels so much clearer. The fog dissipates. A laser intensity emerges.
Magnetic Memory Method Lifeblood (TM) = 100% Pure & Concentrated Focus For you, it might not be any of these things.
Your life might improve by appearing at work by knowing more about SQL for an IT certification.
Or you’re a medical student who needs to know both specific terms about the body, information about side effects and number-based data. You have to be able to look at a person and cross-reference their age, height and weight against dosage guidelines.
Wouldn’t it be great to process and …
Remember And Access Information Faster Than The Speed Of Light! Or you might just want to cultivate greater awareness of the world around you by improving your memory.
Maybe you’d like to give presentations better or you’re a salesperson dying to remember those smooth patterns of persuasion your competition knows so well.
You might be a Mason or an actor looking to remember and recall long lines of text.
Or you’re a perpetual student, tired of forgetting. You want to decipher the information you’re studying, but you can’t process the logic of it all.
Why?
Because you haven’t got enough information in memory to contemplate the topic.
And that’s, frankly, what most of us need.
Contemplation.
The contemplation of connections.
The deep connections.
Because when you look at a genius like Elon Musk or Einstein or Frank Zappa or Da Vinci, you see balance.
The balance of the tiny details with the bigger picture.
You need the ability to process both and that level of processing only happens if you’ve got your memory abilities intact.
Take some time and think this through.
Your Most Sincere Desire To Improve Will Guide You If you really want to accomplish your life’s most important goals, the facts and figures matter.
But so does remembering the things you do for fun. It’s not all professional reading. There’s remembering the details of stories that you read or watch on a series.
Whatever you do, you need to find the Lifeblood.
It will drive everything.
The only reason why people ever find anything challenging is because they’re not tapped into their true passion and desire.
But get that sweet fuel at the front of your mind, and it will help you sail past any and all challenges.
How To Make Your Lifeblood Impossible To Forget Here’s a friendly tip:
Don’t just think about your lifeblood.
Write it down.
Get it in front of your eyes.
Then talk about it.
Ask for feedback from the right friends (i.e. be careful that you don’t share your Lifeblood with negative people).
Process it through all the representation channels your body and mind have at your disposal.
That will make it more real.
And what’s real gets done.
Is This The Secret That Will Launch Your Memory Improvement Success? In Christopher Marlowe’s excellent The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, we hear the famous line:
“Was this the face that launch’d a thousand ships, / And burnt the topless towers of Ilium.” (Act V, Scene I.)
https://youtu.be/JMWI-THrn2g
I’ll leave reading this play up to you, but give you the quote because Helen of Troy’s beauty inspired some of the clearest battle tactics of legend the Western world has ever known.
Faustus is referring here to the war that involved the Trojan Horse. And in many ways, that strategy is a great metaphor for what we’ll use to slip any information you want into your long term memory.
But You’ve Got To Have The Desire To Win! And the fuel comes from knowing what you’re losing each and every minute you delay on taking action.
Poor Faustus sold his soul for access to knowledge and paid a terrible price.
But you have only the work of knowing what you want and using the tools of memory like a Trojan horse to slip beyond all objections. Straight into the center of your core desire.
To all due respect to my fellow memory trainers, that’s not likely to happen often by memorizing a shopping list.
But information for college?
For enjoying the ins and outs of wine?
For recovering from brain damage so you can have a medical career?
For passing the LSAT, MCAT, SATs or other qualifying exam?
For mastering complex topics and remembering the key contents of 100s of books so you can comprehend them like a pro?
Follow your gut and link learning the memory techniques with the information that matters most.
And always complete this simple recovered memory Memory Palace exercise to make sure you never run out of tools for using the method of loci.
The Information That Matters Now The information that will launch all the passion and energy you need to thrive so your hopes and dreams finally become a reality.
And I don’t just mean “now.”
I mean RIGHT NOW!
Can you dig what I’m saying?
Sincerely,
Anthony
P.S. If you’re looking for my best memory improvement recommendation, it’s this:
The book you actually sit down, read from cover to cover and use (inserting info that matters in place of the shopping list/random items stuff, etc.)
Seriously. That’s the only memory improvement book that matters. The one you use.
P.P.S. And this one reading suggestion could be the most important one you make in your memory improvement life:
https://youtu.be/IFrpFENqGis
Reading a book once is kind of like writing a first draft. But if you have these powerful rereading strategy ideas, you will enjoy knowledge much faster!
If you're skeptical about using memory techniques ... good! Skeptics get more success faster than anyone else. These 3 reasons will explain why your skepticism is so good and convince you to get started right away!
Ever feel frustrated by people with strong memory abilities?
You know the kind. They rattle off names. They know all their credit card numbers. They say, “April 10th, 1972,” not “back then” or “in the past.”
They’re specific.
And make no mistake:
Specificity Makes Your Life Better They feel good when they call restaurant staff by name. They seem to know everyone in a deeper way. Their capacity for human interaction shines.
And when they have to do something with numbers, they do it with confidence. They’re in control. They’ve got it together.
Even better:
When it comes to conversation, they know how to hold their own. They don’t mess around with loose generalities. They don’t waver on the facts.
They’re detailed. Specific. Precise.
And let’s face it:
It Annoys You To Your Core That You’re Not Like This! It’s a real problem too.
All that time you’re losing at work. Looking up the same procedural information again and again.
Nothing you do solves the problem. You’re trapped in a prison of repetition, and nothing ever seems to sink in.
In conversations, you continue to flounder. You can’t remember the names of actors, authors, even the titles of books you know you read.
And the brain fog crushing your memory every time you sit down to do some math …
It’s downright, depressing, isn’t it?
Of course it is.
The Simple Memory Improvement Solution Even A 10-Year Old Can Master Good news: You don’t need memory championship training to remove these pains from your life.
You just need these 5 brain exercises and a little bit of meta-level understanding of just what makes memory techniques so powerful.
Here are a few reasons.
1) Memory techniques are diplomatic.
Seriously. If you look up the meaning of diplomacy, you get a definition like this:
Diplomacy is the conduct by government officials of negotiations and other relations between nations.
That’s all memory techniques are:
An understanding of the official parts of your memory and getting them to negotiate with one another.
For example, when you use the Magnetic Memory Method, you’re learning a completely new way to think about spatial memory.
And then you harness the power of spatial memory and get it to talk diplomatically with your episodic memory.
There are other “nations” of memory in your brain that the Magnetic Memory Method taps into, but it’s all about getting them to negotiate.
2) There’s no discrimination.
It doesn’t matter if you’re 8 years old or 88. The memory techniques simply don’t care.
If you learn how to use them so the different parts of your memory can discuss diplomatically, you’ll amaze yourself.
And if you need any convincing, check out Tap The Mind Of A 10-Year Old Memory Master.
3. They’re Honest.
There’s no better art in the world than the art of memory.
Why?
Because there’s no wiggle room.
You either remembered the information, or you didn’t.
And the Magnetic Memory Method helps you embrace the power of that radical honesty.
And to do so in comfort while you learn faster and remember more.
Because there are only three things that stand in the way of you and getting amazing results from your memory.
Efficiency Is Doing Things Right. Effectiveness Is Doing The Right Things. That’s a quote from Peter Drucker.
And it applies directly to the biggest mistake that even the best memory champions make.
They don’t practice as well as they could.
Now, you don’t have to aspire to memory competition to enjoy benefits from these techniques.
In fact, as much as I love all the memory competitions out there …
I sometimes worry that they discourage people who stand to gain the most from memory techniques.
After all, if you’re struggling with passing math exams in school …
What’s More Likely To Help Both Memory Champions And… Anyone? Images of a kid just like you rapidly memorizing complicated formulas …
… or someone wrangling long lists of numbers from the depths of a Memory Palace.
Same skills – same diplomacy – but it can be hard for some people to see the connection.
But there is a connection.
And if you buckle down and practice with real information you might actually use in the world, your memory will transform into the most powerful asset in the world.
Take language learning. It’s not only a great way to use memory techniques. Bilingualism also makes for a healthier brain.
And You Will Be The One Who Owns The Asset! Of course, having great power leads to great responsibility.
And there’s no question that this can make you nervous.
After all …
Once you’ve spent a bit of time learning and practicing memory techniques …
You Actually Have To Use Them! Seriously.
There are lots of parallels between memory improvement and martial arts.
But unlike a lot of martial arts where you learn “fight to the death” techniques you never want to ever use in real life …
When it comes to memory improvement …
Not a day will pass without an opportunity to win!
And that can lead to the third big mistake:
Lack of Faith In Your Memory As The Most Perfect And Beautiful Possession You Must Honor With All Your Love And Attention Some will say I’m being dramatic.
But those who have lived a life of memory, even if only for a short while, know exactly what I mean.
Yes, we can talk about levels of accuracy and the black and white certainties of getting it right or wrong.
And yes, we know from the descriptions of even the best memory champions that they experience doubt even when they’re at the top of their game.
And as former World Memory Champion Ben Pridmore has said, his number one tip for anyone using memory techniques is to simply get out of your own way and trust your memory.
https://youtu.be/GT0wQcGU0rg?t=2m18s
Let memory techniques Do The Heavy Lifting For You And never forget the wisdom of Bruce Lee:
No ego. No enemy.
Because memory techniques aren’t working, it’s not about the techniques.
It’s about you.
Remember, this is a black and white art.
There’s no one who can’t use them and there are no excuses.
And if you get past your limiting beliefs, there’s so much more that living a life in tune with memory can bring.
Because when you learn to use memory techniques and carry them with you throughout life, you begin to experience a depth of conversation with yourself and the world that eliminates all fear.
Every problem, every pain, ever doubt you’ve ever had melts away.
And all because you experience a complete and utter shift in thinking about the nature of your mind. You experience that thing called “you” in a new way.
A diplomatic way.
A way that governs the discussions between spatial, episodic, semantic and other “countries’ of your memory.
You rise above it all.
You are the Magnetic King or the Queen of all things that pass in the realm of your memory and your mind.
And all you have to do is surrender yourself to a simple process.
Are you in?
Home is where the heart is, right?
Judging by my inbox and all the pains and frustrations with memory I hear …
Maybe not.
I mean, think about it:
You pour all that hard-earned money into rent or your mortgage, and yet …
You’re Living In A Memory-Toxic Dump! It really doesn’t matter how much you like your home. If you don’t set it up for memory success and sufficient memory care home solutions, you’re leading yourself down a path of mental destruction.
And yes, there are things worse than Alzheimer’s.
Such as letting another moment slip by without the extraordinary powers available to you now for improving your memory based on Memory Palace Science.
In addition to all the memory techniques you can learn here on the site, here are 15 more ways that your home is crushing your memory. Avoid these issues and your memory abilities will soar.
1. Your Fridge Is Filled With Memory Destroying Foods Here’s a rule of thumb you must not forget:
If it comes with a list of ingredients, it’s probably wrecking your brain.
I know it’s hard these days. Almost everything comes wrapped in plastic and there are additives in everything.
Heck, you can’t even trust your local farmer’s market.
But sticking with foods that improve memory isn’t hard. In fact, it’s one of the easiest things you can do.
And yes, it’s the one time Magnetic Memory Method fans know I think it’s okay to memorize your shopping list.
So drop the sauces and start eating well. Your brain and memory will thank you for it.
2. No Mat, No Enlightenment, No Memory Improvement Getting sick of hearing about meditation?
Don’t.
In study after study, scientists keeps piling on all the benefits of meditation for your memory. And the good news is that memory is good for all kinds of other life areas too.
Don’t believe me? Just listen:
https://youtu.be/zP20eBfp2oM
3. No Dedicated Study And Memory Location People say they want to get smarter, but do they act like it?
Just take a look around your own home and point to all the places you go to FOCUS.
If you can’t even come up with one, then you and your memory are in trouble.
Don’t you think it’s time to fix it?
4. How Scribbling Can Save The Life Of Your Memory Once you have a place to focus in, it’s good to have rituals. My morning rituals for Mandarin have changed a bit since I first shared them, but the basics are the same.
And a huge part of getting my language learning done involves having an if-this-then-that chain of events.
To help, I’m currently using The Mastery Journal, which is John Lee Dumas’ follow-up to the excellent Freedom Journal.
Why not just use an app?
Digital amnesia, for one thing. It’s killing your memory and your brain.
Kind of like reading from screens is sucking your brain dry of the life it used to have.
5. Not Enough Dead Weight Two words.
More books.
Real books.
It’s true:
People can’t remember nearly as much of what they read from a digital device as they can from physical books.
Why?
I have a lot of pet theories, but the important thing is that you make sure you’ve got physical books in your home. Even if it’s just a couple, so long as you actually read them, you’ll be doing your memory and brain a favor.
6. Not Enough Playful Romance (And Yes, Sex) If you want to keep your brain and memory healthy, you’ve got to do it.
Often.
But more than just get physical with your partner, you’ve got to be romantic and make love in memorable ways.
How?
Ask questions.
Tease.
Remind your lover of the things you remember and prove that the past of your relationship matters.
Because it does matter, doesn’t it?
And if you can’t imagine it mattering, maybe you need to get checked out for aphantasia.
7. Too Much Idiot Box Okay, everybody knows the truth here:
TV has gotten better. And you can improve your memory by watching long form series and making a network of Memory Palaces from them.
But here’s the thing:
No matter how good TV gets, it’s still twitchy.
Instead of helping you extend your attention span, it’s constantly shrinking it.
https://youtu.be/LACQXxOeV1k
Not only that, you’re continually being exposed to bad news that create the perception of a negative world.
Well, guess what?
That world doesn’t actually exist.
And if you don’t believe me, just read The Better Angels Of Our Nature by Stephen Pinker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5X2-i_poNU
‘nuff said.
8. Too Many Interruptions From Mobile Devices If the TV isn’t interrupting your attention, instant notifications from a dozen or more less than useful apps are probably yapping at you.
Seriously, does the latest post on Facebook really matter that much to you? Wouldn’t you rather be experiencing the benefits of learning a new language instead?
Listen, I use social media too, but there’s a time and place for it and the home isn’t one of them. Try digital fasting and use social media only when you’re out at a cafe or some other place.
My prediction:
You’ll enjoy where you live more than you ever imagined possible.
9. No Wheels, No Memory Skills Crazy, but true. I know all kinds of people who prefer driving to work when they could ride.
A bike. They’re not only great exercise, but you can use bikes as Memory Palaces too.
And driving instead of cycling means a few things:
You’re robbing yourself of exercise while polluting the environment.
You’re also robbing yourself of experiencing the world at a deeply infinite level.
You see more when you go slower and that means you have more interesting thoughts to think.
Plus, you’ll discover you have more Memory Palace options in your environment than you ever realized before. These will come in handy when you know how to improve memory for studying.
10. Only One Language Spoken At Home This one’s a kicker.
Far too many people live monolingual lives.
Worse, they’ve hypnotized themselves into thinking that learning another language is hard.
It costs time, energy and maybe a bit of money. No doubt about it.
But hard?
That’s just negative self-hypnosis.
Check out The Big Five Of Language Learning and put this nonsense about language learning being difficult to rest.
Your home will become so much more vibrant when you have multiple languages flowing through it.
And that can’t help but be super-healthy for your memory and your brain.
11. Clutter, Clutter Everywhere And Not A Thought To Think Okay, I’ll admit it. I’ve got a fair amount of clutter around me a lot of the time.
But I also spend a few moments every morning clearing it up too. It’s written into my Mastery Journal as part of my morning routine.
And not just the clutter around my physical desk. I spend at least 5-10 minutes arranging the files on my desktop into folders too.
It does a lot to create focus and peace of mind, not to mention a heightened ability to find things fast.
12. No Musical Instruments Like language learning, studying music is incredible for your memory.
Not only that, but you can explore music and mnemonics together in many fascinating ways.
Plus, you’re already probably familiar with the music mnemonics they teach in schools.
Why not revive them and put them to some use?
13. Not Using Your Home As A University Campus Did you know that you can get university level certifications for free?
Welcome to the wonderful world of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). For more information about these, check out my interview with Barbara Oakley.
Why should you listen to what she has to say about Massive Open Online Courses?
Simple.
She’s the creator behind the biggest MOOC in the world!
She’s also the author of several great books, including the wonderful Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential.
That library I was suggesting you should build in order to ensure that your home stops crushing your memory?
Add MindShift to it.
14. Not Teaching The Kids How To Use A Memory Palace (And Then More Than One Memory Palace) If there’s one crime against humanity that gets the hounds of hell howling louder than any other, it’s this one.
Memory improvement techniques for kids are easy to teach and do so much good for everyone in your home.
Whether it’s learning history, the multiplication table, or just the simple ability to memorize the names of new people, your kids will be much more delightful to be around if you give them the gift of memory.
And let’s be clear:
Introducing your kids to memory techniques shouldn’t be done on a whim. It’s kind of like a Martial Art, especially if you do it the Magnetic Memory Method way.
They don’t call me the Bruce Lee of Memory for nothing, after all.
One of the key reasons for this honor stems from the MMM’s concentration on making meditation part of the memory process.
And meditation, provided it’s free from dogma and mythology, is very likely good for your kids and their memory too.
15. Not Using Your Home As A Memory Palace Of all the ways your home is crushing your memory, the quickest thing you can do to break the trend is the easiest:
Turn your home into a Memory Palace!
Not only is Memory Palace creation one of the best brain exercises on the planet, but it does something remarkable:
It instantly quadruples the value of your home!
Why?
Because now instead of just living in the place, you can use it to learn, remember and recall anything.
And that’s more valuable than anything else in the world.
Bonus: 16. You’re Not Using The Solution! But then again …
… if you haven’t given memory techniques a try, you wouldn’t know.
That makes me sad, so let me extend this simple invitation.
Grab my FREE Memory Improvement Kit now and start the process immediately. You’ll learn how to create a Memory Palace in 4 simple steps.
After that, you’ll be amazed by all the wonderful things you can do with the simple power of your natural imagination.
Have fun and keep me posted on your progress.
Talk soon!
Sincerely,
Anthony Metivier
If you've been wondering about the difference between memory loss and forgetfulness, this post reveals the 5 biggest REAL problems of memory loss and the 8 best solutions.
They say that knowledge is power. But when it comes to your memory and improving it, you need the full story. This Magnetic Memory Method post tells all.
Ever wanted to work in conference interpreting, but feared you don't have the memory for it? These 7 tips from Lukas Van Vyve of The Polyglot Life will solve all your worries - free. And they help with other aspects of memory too. :)
If you're looking for information about learning and memory techniques and wonder why on earth mnemonics aren't taught in schools, here's the honest answer.
Did you ever fantasize about dropping out of high school?
I sure did.
So much so that I wound up taking the leap into the unknown.
Stupid as it was, I dropped out and left Canada’s free education system without a high school diploma.
(Don’t get distracted now …
… but for the full story, right-click and open a new tab to read What To Do If You Or Someone You Love Wants To Drop Out Of High School.)
The question is …
Given all the amazing information I found myself learning on my own without interference of schools, boring teachers and their rules …
Why On Earth Go Back To School? It’s a simple story, really.
I went back to graduate with my friends … even though I wasn’t graduating.
Actually, as cool as all my friends in high school were …
There was a girl named Kelly. I had a huge crush on her!
I don’t remember all the circumstances, but somehow I wound up taking her to a prom to celebrate a graduation I wasn’t completing!
Everyone but Kelly thought it was awkward and weird.
I mean … just imagine:
One of the most popular girls in school was going to attend high school graduation with a dropout.
It Was A Year Of Living Dangerously! In reality, I was the obvious choice. After all, I’d gone through an entire encyclopedia during my time off and listened to educational radio programming every morning.
Whereas most others had sat in desks and tapped their pencils against textbooks they found exhausting, I’d left disgusted by what I saw as an epic waste of time.
But as smart as that move may have been, I was still a Heavy Metal Moron with barely two nuts rolling around in my head. No one in their right mind drops out of high school.
Even so, I’m glad I did. And because I did, I could make my return as a Heavy Metal Renaissance Man armored in everything but the Magnetic Memory Method.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Oh, my … Kelly … I remember her so well.
Kelly wore a tight blue dress.
The Kind Of Dress That Should Be Illegal … Then again, it’s the illegal character of her dress that made it so memorable! 😉
For my part, I dressed like James Bond.
My white Tuxedo jacket made me stick out like a sore thumb, but it was fun.
Different.
Totally my style.
Together, Kelly and I looked like we were trying to be undercover spies in a high school espionage movie.
Only Sheep Need A Leader But at some point during the evening, Kelly squirmed away from my protective grip and I found myself hanging out with Sophie.
Background: Sophie and I became fast friends in Grade 10 and worked on a Western Civilization project together. It was called Only Sheep Need A Leader and involved an alternative history of Ancient Egypt.
I won’t get into it the entire assignment, but just imagine Moses battling aliens after discovering that the pyramids were actually interstellar space ships.
Somehow we got an A on that project, even if we completely rejected factual history in our reports.
Whatever. We had weird teachers …
The thing is this:
I wound up spending a lot of time with Sophie and often went with her on trips to her mom’s place near Vancouver.
Her mom was a professor and made a HUGE impression on me.
After all, she was an author of a book you actually came across in bookstores in Canada and always seemed to be writing or traveling somewhere to give a speech.
But that kind of future as an author and professor was beyond my imagination …
Especially As A High School Dropout! That’s why it must have been an act of fate when Sophie’s mom found out on graduation night that I was attending only to celebrate, not walk away with a Dogwood like everyone else (Dogwood = fancy talk for “high school diploma” out in B.C.).
I wasn’t using memory techniques back then, so can’t rattle the exact discussion off the top of my head.
But it started with dismay …
Then shifted to refusal …
And ended with persuasion.
Persuasion so strong I did exactly what Sophie’s mom told me!
You must finish your high school degree, Sophie’s mom told me. You’re exactly the kind of guy who should become a professor.
Stay In School Until You’ve Reached The Very Top! That was her ultimate message.
Get every degree you can until they won't reward you any more.Click To Tweet Even though it wasn’t easy …
Even though I wound up experiencing a long series of mysterious twists and turns …
And even though I don’t teach at a traditional university outside of the Magnetic Memory Method Online University these days …
Memory Techniques Helped Me Get Every Degree You Can Get (And They Will Help You Too!) And don’t think for a second that it wasn’t painful. I had to go back and sit with a group of kids younger than myself for an entire semester to get that Dogwood.
But here’s the thing:
Even though I was embarrassed and felt totally out of place when I went back to high school …
I was never bored. Not anymore.
You see, Sophie’s mom had installed within me a picture of hope and triumph during an uncertain time.
A time during which, no matter how smart a kid I may have been, without a degree I probably would have wound up cleaning toilets or flipping burgers.
Having done both … I know just what a nasty fate that can be.
That’s Not The Fate I Want For You! Wherever you are, whatever your current state of education, no matter how you feel about your memory …
Each of us needs someone who believes in us. Someone who can see exactly what we need.Click To Tweet My feeling is that people need memory training on an ongoing basis. Someone to help them along on a monthly basis
Even though I’m quite good with memory techniques, I still continue studying and practicing on a daily basis.
I don’t have to. I could just continue talking about memory. Lots of people on the Internet talk and talk about memory techniques without actually using them.
You, like me, can instantly see through them.
But here’s the thing:
Even with all the ruffians, lurkers, haters and trolls …
Memory Improvement Never Ends But back when Sophie’s mom challenged me to return to school … it was a difficult choice to make.
Not just because of the shame involved in going back to high school.
But because school wasn’t that much fun.
Far from it!
And it was a long time yet to go before I would find the memory techniques that made it a blast.
Learned them to the bone.
Fashioned them into something I could own.
Used them every day.
Set up elaborate online teaching systems so I can offer them to the world.
For you:
No need to take such a long journey through educational hell.
School never has to be tough for anyone again.
Never.
Just learn and use memory techniques. You’ll be more than fine.
You and your memory will be Magnetic.
Ever fear that you or someone you love won't complete their high school diploma? Read this and stop worrying. There's hope.
Tired of downloading apps promising memory improvement exercises? Try these powerful - and Magnetic - memory improvement exercises instead. You'll love them! :)
There's a reason you forget names. It has to do with the meaning of names, and all too often the lack of meaning that names that makes names easy to forget. Not any more.
Digital amnesia stinks. If you're tired of all the problems that come when you can't remember simple things you've Googled, this post is for you.
If you're an entrepreneur, today you'll get a stack of memory techniques you can use to improve your life in business, including one of the most game changing meta-reasons. Listen in, take notes and take action!
Was 2016 as amazing for you as it was for me?
If you did anything to experience memory improvement, I’ll bet it was great.
Maybe even … Magnetic.
My top highlight?
Getting interviewed on my own show by none other than SuperLearner Jonathan Levi.
So even there though’s a lot of groovy things to read on this page and year end links to explore …
Scroll up and hit that play button. Jonathan helps me dig deep into the Mind of a Memorizer.
And it’s all kind of fascinating, because when you think about it …
Who Knew You Could Still Improve The Ancient Art Of Memory Improvement? Hard to believe, but totally true.
And you can do it even if you were a “delinquent youth,” which is just one of the topics we touch upon in the interview.
We also talk about dealing with Manic Depression without medication …
The nature of truth and memory …
And my top book and movie recommendations, including:
Books
The Republic
The Nichomachean Ethics
Better Never To Have Been: The Harm Of Coming Into Existence
Movies
Lost Highway (best memory quote in cinema history)
https://youtu.be/5xIKG3lG4Ok
eXistenZ
The Matrix
And while you’re jamming your way through those great movies, I have to say that my all time favorite video course from 2016 has been SuperLearner 2.0:
Thanks to my friendship with Jonathan, you can now take a free trial of the SuperLearner Academy. Thanks for that, Jonathan! 🙂
Speaking of friendship …
The Magnetic Memory Method 2017 Predictions For Your Memory A lot of people are making 2017 predictions about a lot of things.
As far as I know, none of them involve the state of memory improvement.
Here are my top predictions for how things will go with some tips about how to make memory improvement part of your 2017 adventure.
Why Friendships Improve Your Memory Friendship and memory, you ask?
You bet. And as more and more social groups form online, the more “real life” friendships will matter.
For example, a recent memory improvement book demonstrates that we just don’t remember a lot of what we experience online all that well.
Of course, you can develop techniques that help (check out Jonathan’s course!), but my bigger concern is that you get the memory benefits of spending time with real people.
In the world.
Some ways to make sure you get your memory-friendly time with people in the world include:
- Daily walks with a friend
- Weekly lunches or dinners
- Meeting to memorize cards together
- Shared language learning challenges
- Just getting together to shoot the breeze
I know you heard me talk a lot about him in 2016, and that’s because the favorite new friend I made in 2016 is Tony Buzan.
I have a prediction that there will be even more amazing stuff coming out from him in 2016, and I’m going to suggest to him a quarterly feature on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast called Buzan².
He reads so fast … I wouldn’t be surprised if he already knows about it before I’ve had a chance to ask him. 😉
For now, my favorite pic of the year:
Why The Pen Will Remain Mightier Than The Sword in 2017 Penmanship used to be a preoccupation of mine. I predict I’ll be returning to it in 2017.
Maybe I’m old school. Or maybe I just like Da Vinci.
Either way, there’s no arguing that there’s a thing called penmanship and developing it is good for your brain.
It’s tempting to say to hell with it. People type, tap and swipe now.
But in watching April wrangle pinyin and hanzi out of my iPad on the same day I watched some of the beautiful Chinese calligraphy in Devils on the Doorstep:
https://youtu.be/AWJI3AOAo5Y
As I study Chinese calligraphy a bit myself, it seems clear to me that it’s not just the multiple intelligences and muscular activity we’re losing.
It’s a kind of art.
And I predict that individuals and nations that hang onto it will outpace those who do not.
Journaling Will Improve Your Memory Even Better Than In The Victorian Era John Lee Dumas is an entrepreneur on fire.
And The Freedom Journal is just one aspect of his genius.
I’m not ready to share yet how it helped me on a massive project in 2016, but I can tell you that the The Freedom Journal has streamlined my daily journaling down to the essentials.
Even better:
The Freedom Journal has given me the means of tying those essentials to making huge strides toward an ambitious goal I had left dangling.
Here I am using The Freedom Journal in Zürich. I carried it with me all around Europe while working on a project I predict I will tell you about in 2017.
My favorite part is that The Freedom Journal is also a memory tool. So I also predict that in 2017 you’ll hear me sharing more about this exciting tool in relation to memory techniques.
Oh, okay, one more prediction about this:
I predict that if you join me in being a Freedom Journal user, you’ll massively upgrade your life while contributing to a great cause.
Language Learning Will Increase In Importance It doesn’t require any psychic powers to predict that knowing more than one language will be even more important in 2017 than it was in 2016.
The question is …
Will it be any easier in 2017?
The answer is easy, but …
The ease of that answer depends.
It depends on the decisions you make and the tools you use.
My 2016 recommendations won’t change:
1. Know and use The Big Five of Language Learning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR15aAXv-F0
- Use your memory
- Read
- Write
- Speak
- Listen
Every day.
2. If you’re going to use apps, use them intelligently.
Olly Richards is definitely your man for figuring out how to do that. Make Words Stick gives you some cool insights and I predict there will be many more interesting language learning and memory insights coming from Olly in 2017.
3. Speak with native speakers.
My biggest recommendations for finding great speaking partners boil down to italki and Skill Silo. I’m expecting great things from both, but liked Skill Silo the best in 2016 thanks to a streamlined process that puts only one core language learning text on the screen with your teacher.
But you still need to teach your teacher. Olly again has lots of ideas to help you get the most from that.
N=1 Experiments And Competition Alex Mullen continues proving that human memory moves at least as fast as the human hand and eye.
I’ve spoken with him and his results clearly come from the same processes all memory athletes and experts use.
The real difference is in how you apply the techniques to your memory improvement goals.
It could be winning the World Memory Championships.
Or it could be learning a massive topic related to science, computing, philosophy or some interesting combination you make in a course of study of your own.
How To Design A Learning Project That Works In 2017 To get the most out of any learning project, four elements will be key:
1. Use Magnetic Memory Method Memory Palaces.
This is kind of a no-brainer, but if your Memory Palace strategy isn’t bulletproof, you risk wasting time and energy.
2. Dive in and go all the way.
The map is never the territory, so action is key. (Note: Getting yourself into the picture can and most likely will involve making changes to the map as you go along.)
3. Track your results.
Stay tuned for some more information about tracking your results in 2017, particularly in combination with The Freedom Journal.
4. Refine Your Approach
Once you have data on what’s working and what isn’t, I predict that all people serious about using memory techniques will be capable of learning faster, remembering more and having an amazing 2017.
2017 Will Be The Year Of Memory And Sleep Research My biggest memory improvement surprises in 2016 came from experiencing great memory wins despite way too much sleep deprivation.
As the author of The Ultimate Sleep Remedy, I still stand behind everything I taught in that book.
However, I also wrote the book during a period of time when I took lamictal every day. I had also done a huge course of research in sleeping 12 hour days and dream recall.
But since becoming an entrepreneur and giving up the pretty pink pills as part of “Project Wolverine” …
Things Have Been Different! I don’t think the pretty pink pill ever helped me sleep any better. But I think it did give my like a machinic quality.
And that consistency has been replaced with something more akin to the classic and cliche Bipolar Rollercoaster described in psychology textbooks.
To combat the suffering that comes from Manic Depression, I’ve been experimenting with raw cacao and coffee, sometimes Bulletproof Coffee. There is no doubt in my mind that the swapping of these substances in for lamictal has changed the nature of my sleep.
But overall, despite tons of exhaustion, my mnemonic memory has never been better. I find this amazing, especially since recent research has shown that the older you get, the less likely you are to get memory consolidation during sleep.
My Mnemonic Calendar Will Come Back Into Use That said, the tasks to which I direct my mnemonic memory need refinement. I have a mnemonic calendar, for example, but need to use it more often so that I don’t forget appointments.
Or even better, remember when appointments have been cancelled. Sometimes the ghost impression of an appointment made can override the attempt to remember that it has been canceled. This is The Ugly Sister Effect in full force as too much competes for your attention.
There is also the pressure of absentmindedness on memory. For this reason, it is important to place as many things on autopilot as possible so that remembering is unnecessary.
Funny, right?
But it’s important to note that a great way to improve your memory is to remove things from it that stress it out.
HumanCharger Light Therapy And Memory? Light is an increasingly important topic to me.
In fact, light exposure has become a way of life. Since February of 2016, I’ve been using a unique light-therapy device to explore the topic.
The benefits of using the HumanCharger have been clear, measurable and amazing.
Basically, the device addresses a simple reality:
The human brain is sensitive and receptive to light.
There’s a lot to that statement. Especially if you can find a way to let light reach more of your brain.
Of course, your eyes have a means of doing that.
But what if your ears were a pathway light could use to reach your brain too.
I predict that I’ll be part of spreading the good news about exactly how you can use the HumanCharger to bring light to your brain.
I’m also excited to explore the relationship between memory and light as well. My initial n=1 conclusions are that feeling more alert and in a brighter mood definitely adds to the arsenal when you’re living the art of memory improvement.
The Magnetic Memory Method Will Be Enshrined As The Martial Art Of Memory Improvement I predict that I will continue extending my feeling that mnemonics are a kind of Martial Art.
I’ve long felt that my background with Systema has helped my memory. Apart from meditation techniques derived from Alan Watts and Eckart Tolle, Systema continues to provide the basis for how I connect relaxation to memory.
Ego-depletion will also remain important.
Yet, ego is so crucial to memory techniques because you draw on what you know based on what you know about yourself. You tap into what you like, what makes you emotional, sometimes even what makes you mad.
Case in point:
I was filming myself learning some Chinese in a bank when I got some attitude from a guy. He basically told me I shouldn’t get him on camera (a camera that was in no way pointing at him). But he did it so indirectly that I wasn’t sure if he worked for the bank, was representing the bank’s interest or … trying to audition for my YouTube channel …
https://youtu.be/Q7wV3m1Tm6Q
Anyhow, I was trying to remember how to say, “I am lost” using memory techniques in real time.
But in the moment of conflict, I not only had to maintain calm to avoid getting into a fistfight. I needed calm to make sure I could create Magnetic Imagery to attach to the Magnetic Station I’d created on the fly in the impromptu Memory Palace.
My images were Mini-me from Austin Powers and Jennifer Lopez.
No, the phrase isn’t epic in length. No is it particularly difficult.
But neither is it extraordinary. And in a field of Chinese words and phrases, I needed to make it stand out. So while I’m managing my ego in the face of a potential attacker, running the camera and thinking about how I’ll edit it, AND memorizing this useful Chinese phrase so I can get it into long term memory …
It really does require Martial Arts-level memory to manage all of these elements and not forget the core information.
Physical Fitness And Memory Will Remain Mutually Supportive In 2016, I dropped a lot of weight and built a lot of muscle. My trainer, Lars at Ignite.Fit, taught me a lot about my body, discipline and the nature of life. We also became friends and talked a lot about education, technology, business and how all three intersect.
As I worked to heal my body in the gym, I started drafting “Project Wolverine.” I can’t say much about it now, but I predict that memory and physical fitness will remain important to me and all who care about the quality of their memory.
Brad Zupp agrees on the connection between health and memory in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast. I can’t wait to speak with him again on the matter and predict that I will.
My Year Two Of Chinese Prediction It’s one year since I started learning Chinese.
Fluent?
Hardly.
And I know for a fact that I’ve got a long way to go.
But it raises the question of how exactly I define fluency.
Context decides.
When I asked my father-in-law permission to marry his daughter, he understood my request. I was fluent.
When I sang her a Chinese love song I’d memorized on our wedding day, I was fluent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCyPV6qfKkI
When I got an email from one of her friends expressing his amazement with my Chinese and memory techniques, I was fluent.
But …
… When I went to make dumplings during the 冬至 Dongzhi Festival …
I was in the limbo every language learner knows so well.
It feels like you must have been studying all the wrong things. Although you recognize dozens of words … It’s still hard to penetrate even 10% of what’s going on around you.
But I am fluent in memory. I zone in on what I do recognize. I isolate what I want to memorize. Then, provided I follow the MMM to the letter …
I’m on the road to fluency, which is the present moment, the only place anything is to be found.
The Toughest 2017 Prediction To Uphold … Tough, but I still predict that I will maintain my love affair with German. It’s actually kind of easy.
All it will take is dedication to The Big Five of language learning to maintain my current level.
Yes, even as an upper-level student of German, maximum attention must be paid to reading, writing, speaking, hearing and continuing to memorize German.
I know, because I remember just how quickly it faded the last time I left Germany. I don’t want to feel the fade of disuse ever again.
What Are Your Predictions For Your 2017 State Of Memory Address? So that’s my 2016 in a nutshell.
I’m grateful to everyone who contributed comments here, left reviews on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast or joined the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass. It’s been an honor and delight to improve the ability of people around the world to learn, remember and recall anything with greater ease, fun, passion and high levels of accuracy in their recall.
Like how about this amazing win from Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass member James Gerwing:
And you know what’s really great?
James Gerwing is now the 2019 Canadian Memory Champion!
That huge win for James inspires me to keep helping action-takers like Daniel use the Magnetic Memory Method:
And then there’s this short note from a great MMM Masterclasser:
I received hundreds of emails and messages just like these in 2016.
So when it comes to 2017 predictions and the state of your memory, tell me …
Are you in?
Have a great New Year and talk soon! 🙂
Sincerely,
P.S. If you think you don’t have time for memory improvement in 2017, here’s how to memorize things fast from my friend Tor.
Have fun!
Except for the threats, the sirens and the guys with guns … last night was amazing for my memory.
First, April got invited to make dumplings to celebrate the last day of Autumn and the first day of Winter on the Chinese calendar.
I love the Magnetic Memory Method because I was able to remember those words in Chinese …
秋天 qiūtiān (Autumn)
冬天 dōngtiān (Winter)
Crazy thing is … I’d only heard them once in my life and used an impromptu Memory Palace to memorize them.
Months later …
They Were All Still Intact! As was this song that took really just a few minutes to memorize:
Sure, I had a bit of a pronunciation problem here and there, but that’s easily solved by developing muscle memory. It’s understandable that words you don’t use for months that you only heard once don’t exactly snap into place.
But what a GREAT feeling to be able to remember them! And all by doing something I really love:
Using my memory.
After that, we were shooting video and getting into more of the particulars about how all this works.
We Got Lost! We wound up getting a bit lost and keeping warm inside the bank machine area of a building.
And that’s when the threats and guns appeared.
Turns out, that a guy didn’t like me having the camera on while April was teaching me how to say, “I’m lost” in Chinese.
Good thing the Magnetic Memory Method teaches relaxation as part of the memory technique …
You certainly need to be calm when a stranger starts telling you what you can and cannot do.
It’s hard managing your defensive instincts and memory at the same time.
(You’ll laugh when you see my reaction in the video and the guns that were there to keep us safe all along).
So yes, April and I survived.
Perfect Recall … Even Under Duress And the coolest thing is that I was still able to memorize “I am lost” in Chinese.
I can still remember exactly how to say it this morning.
Not to mention a couple of other words and phrases.
Like, “Smells good!”
And “garbage can.”
Instantly Memorized! No sweat.
No tears.
No index cards.
No software.
But as I was editing the video this morning … it occurred to me that not everyone learning Chinese has access to native speakers.
And in the video I was talking about some solutions. They’re all part of The Big Five of Language Learning.
But then I remembered something really special I’ve been following for awhile.
It’s a website called MandarinHQ.
And when they released a course on real spoken Chinese, I jumped at the chance yesterday to grab access to it.
It’s called The Real Spoken Chinese Vault.
Yes, I laid down some cash even though I have a Chinese native speaker in my family.
Why? Partly because I like to support awesome people out on the Internet who do good work.
But also because I do memory research.
Lots of it.
And I also want to support because what I’m about to tell you helps solve a huge problem for people learning Chinese.
It’s the “Can you please repeat that?” problem.
Chinese Native Speakers On Demand Imagine having a video course where you get access to vocabulary and short phrases that lets you …
Instantly click a button …
… and then instantly hear that phrase again.
That would be cool, wouldn’t it?
Well, The Real Spoken Chinese Vault isn’t just about audio.
You Can Hear Them And See Them The Real Spoken Chinese Vault also has video.
And you get strategically placed buttons so that you can see and hear 4-5 different native speakers repeat key phrases you’ll need to learn.
It’s the kind of button I wish I had in real life when learning a language.
For When You Can’t Put Life On Pause Because, yes, I can memorize information in real time.
But sometimes it’s nice to be able to slow the world down and repeat things so I’m sure I’ve heard it right.
In fact, most of my memorization errors from real-time memory work come from now having heard it right.
What you’re about to learn about solves that problem.
Again, you get to SEE and HEAR native Chinese speakers.
A Lot In The Form Of Important Questions And Answers Just like you’ll need to know in every day speech.
But there’s more.
Not much more, but just enough more to make this powerful package a no-brainer:
Because the program really wants to help you learn Chinese without overwhelming you …
Imagine a progression of exposure to the language in each lesson.
You start with seeing and hearing the speaker.
Progressive Exposure Reduces Cognitive Overwhelm You can repeat each one delivering the phrase as many times as you like.
Then, when you’re ready, you can see the pinyin.
Same principle applies.
Click that magic repeat button all that you like as you watch and listen.
And then move on to the next stage.
When You’re Ready … Then, and only then will you see the Chinese characters on the screen.
Your magic repeat button is right there, ready for use.
This program truly is one of the only times I will support hard-repetition. It’s very smartly done.
It’s not boring.
It’s not painful.
And you learn in a way that doesn’t waste your language learning time.
I also like that each module ends in a quiz.
You Get To Test Yourself So far, I’ve done really well and LOVE this program.
Here are some Basic Chinese examples with my own tailor-made (and Magnetic) Mandarin Mnemonics:
And you can get lifetime access now at a HUGE discount (time is running out, though!)
(Note: The following offer expired at 11:59 p.m., December 26th, 2016. To let me know that you’re interested in studying Chinese using memory techniques, please get in contact.)
Let me introduce you to my friend Angel to explain her “listening framework” in detail.
If you want to join me in the course, before the deadline …
I’m going to do you even one better:
I’m going to make you a short video course of what I’m doing to memorize the material I need from the course using the Magnetic Memory Method.
But here’s the thing:
This bonus is only for people who take Angel’s course and keep it.
She’s being VERY generous with this discount for early adopters on LIFETIME ACCESS.
And I only want to reward people who take it for 30-days along with me.
So that means I’ll be sending you your access to the MMM Chinese Vault Supplemental 30-days after you grab The Real Spoken Chinese Vault before the deadline.
Can’t wait to share more of my Chinese memory journey with you soon!
Sincerely,
Anthony
P.S. Remember: This amazing opportunity for LIFETIME access to Angel’s The Real Chinese Vault with its unique listening and viewing framework closes soon. You should at least look it over.
P.P.S. You’re right. One bonus from me isn’t enough.
I’m also going to throw in a video I’ve already made about how that I quickly memorize Chinese poetry.
The poems are usually only 4 lines long, but I only need to hear them once. Recall is so strong that I am delighted by the response of native Chinese speakers.
Just check out this email I received after dinner the other night:
“Dear Anthony,
It was definitely happy time having dinner with you.
Especially, I checked out your website, that’s amazing. Those techniques, please forgive me that I call them techniques, help people memorize things. Actually, I was shocked that day, with your Mandarin.
As you know, not even all of real Chinese people speak 100% correct mandarin. And the way you were trying to memorize the few Chinese poems is cool. When I was trying to memorize the same poem at very young age, I don’t know what those words/characters mean. I just repeat it again and again. Those are ancient/classical Chinese words and very different from nowadays.”
If you’d like to get emails like that yourself from native Chinese speakers, don’t miss out on my bonus. Scroll and click that link for The Real Chinese Vault now.
P.P.P.S. Oh, okay, yes after 30-days in The Real Chinese Vault, you can also get access to my Secret Chinese Vocabulary Facebook Group.
Unlike some of the other FB groups I run, this one isn’t free and the fun for language learners who use memory techniques is only getting started …
Scroll up, click the link and check out The Real Spoken Chinese Vault now.
Bonus Update For Action-Takers: How To Use The Real Spoken Chinese Vault With The Magnetic Memory Method If you joined us for the Chinese Vault special offer, here is your first bonus video:
Your password will have been delivered to you via email, so please be sure to check your spam and/or promotion folder if you haven’t received it.
Tone Control The Ultimate Language Learning Secret Also, be sure to have requested access to the Secret Facebook group for access to the 30-day Chinese Vault MMM Challenge. Can’t wait to share my mnemonic images with you!
The post An Easy Way To Learn Chinese That Works For People Bored By Mindless Repetition appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
In the past, having to memorize information was not optional because information wasn’t easily accessible. But just because we've got all the info we need at the touch of the button, that's no reason not to use a Memory Palace. Proof regarding why awaits!
Reigning World Mindmapping champion Phil Chambers joins us to talk about Mindmapping and how to bring mind maps together with a Memory Palace for maximizing your memory, learning and productivity.
Are your bad habits getting in the way of using memory techniques? In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, Joanna Jast, author of Hack Your Habits will help you eliminate that problem.
Chinese poems thrill poetry fans around the world. They’ve been translated into umpteen languages and create wonderful images in the mind.
Here’s something even cooler:
As a student of the Magnetic Memory Method, it’s easy to encounter a new Chinese poem just once and memorize it with a high level of recall.
We’re talking 92-95% accuracy after 24 hours, with 98-100% accuracy thereafter using MMM Recall Rehearsal.
And the best part is:
Each Poem Is Easier To Memorize Than The Last! So by now you’re probably asking …
How does the Magnetic Memory Method work for memorizing Chinese poems? And how can I do it too?
I’m glad you asked because the steps are clear, crisp, clever and concise.
1. Get some Chinese poems (Duh!) In this regard, I’m the luckiest man on the planet. I’m married to a woman who knows a bunch of Chinese poems by heart.
But even if you don’t have a Chinese speaker in your life, it’s easy to find someone using a learn languages online service.
The important thing is to choose poems that are short, sweet and simple. This helps reduce the cognitive overload at the beginning.
Songs work too. Like this one:
2. Have More Than One Memory Palace On Hand It’s no secret that I teach the Memory Palace technique as a skill of multiples. One is the most dangerous number when it comes to memory, so make sure that:
1) You always have more than one Memory Palace ready to go.
2) You have the ability to create an impromptu Memory Palace on the fly.
With these two abilities, you can either use a pre-existing Memory Palace or just whip one up on the spot.
In this case, each of the Chinese poems I’ve learned are only four lines each. I used a new Memory Palace for each.
I created the first two Memory Palaces on the fly, one in a hotel room, the other in an AirBnB. The third was in my current kitchen, a Memory Palace I’ve been using and reusing for Chinese since I started learning the language.
3. Create Your Associative-Imagery Word For Word, Line By Line Nothing creates more fun than creating associations that let you recall information like the lines of Chinese poems.
I like to get a sense for the word and let my mind do the work without force. Daily meditation helps because I’m relaxed, but I also tell April to give me a second when she feeds me the lines. In that second, I’m breathing and accessing the deepest reservoirs of relaxation I’ve cultivated over the years.
I also do a quick body scan and squeeze all my major muscles. This calms and centers me. My ego gets out of the way and all forms of resistance slip away.
Please don’t laugh at the meditation and relaxation. They are key to the success of most memorizers and memory competitions incorporate a version of it into the events.
The “Buttock Squeeze” Memory Technique You Should Not Dismiss I’ll never forget the Amazon reviewer who dismissed one of my books because I talk about relaxation and memory – including squeezing your buttocks. It was a seriously strange review.
But here’s the thing:
If taking a second to clear the mind and body good enough for memory competitors who demonstrate intense memory feats like memorizing a deck of cards in under 20 seconds, it’s good enough for my simple goal of memorizing some Chinese poems.
Don’t discount the power of relaxation in your memory practice. It makes a huge difference.
And yes, squeezing each muscle in your body – including your rear end – helps. Try it before you knock it.
4. Keep Your Mindset Intact As April feeds me the lines, I see Han Solo, Dee Snider and Shania Twain interacting in uncouth ways with Horton from the Dr. Suess book. I see my friend Shayne strangling Jar Jar Binks and Bruce Lee fighting a Chia pet. And that’s just for starters.
Are all these images a lot to juggle?
Not really. I do it all the time, as you can see on my Basic Chinese Phrases and Mandarin Mnemonics playlist:
And the truth is … I don’t even really see the images. It’s somewhere between sight and sense using all the Magnetic Modes.
I made this infographic to help explain what I mean:
In such, the Magnetic Modes are entities of thought that have specific locations in a Memory Palace. Like Carl Jung dumping sand on my mom’s old friend Sandy. Where else could that be taking place except over the garbage can in the kitchen?
That where else question is one of the most powerful tools in mnemonics you’ll ever use.
But even if this jumble of characters and actions were challenging to keep moving in the air, it’s all a question of mindset.
Think of it this way: If the people who built rollercoasters said, “Woah, that’s WAY to much track to erect in the sky,” there would be no amusement parks.
Same thing with using a Memory Palace. If you tell yourself it’s too much to handle, it will be. But if you take it just one Memory Palace Station and one word at a time, you’ll have no problem memorizing Chinese poems.
5. Make Sure The Images Are Strong Enough When memorizing Chinese poems in a hurry, it’s tempting to use the first images that come to mind. But that’s not always a good policy.
For example, in one line I saw a guy I used to know named Dan doing …
… something.
The reason I couldn’t see what that something was?
Because the image wasn’t strong enough. I had to crank up the volume on whatever forgettable image I’d seen before and see him stomping on a record from The Who with Roger Daltrey and crew screaming in protest.
Yes, screaming. It’s the exaggeration that makes it more memorable. Plus, Dan’s a big music fan, which makes the image incongruous. Because he would never actually destroy music, the image of him harming an album is that much more memorable.
6. Rehearse According To A Plan Sometimes I can get away with just encoding the Chinese words and leaving it at that. But usually not and it’s stupid to take the risk.
Instead, I rehearse the words of the poems according to a plan. In the Magnetic Memory Method, it’s called Recall Rehearsal.
Recall Rehearsal is based on a few things:
1) The Primacy Effect
2) The Recency Effect
3) Von Restorff effect
4) Dominic O’Brien‘s Rule Of Five
5) My stubborn insistence on using internal repetition cues rather than SRS to learn.*
- The exception is that, in the spirit of Ebbinghaus, I sometimes complete n=1 experiments with various software as part of my memory research. So far, none compare to the power and the glory of memory techniques – at least not for me.
7. Speak And Write The Chinese Poems Although I rehearse the Chinese poems quietly several times, nothing beats reciting them. Getting them out through the mouth creates muscle memory and helps with general pronunciation practice.
Likewise, writing puts the words into the muscles of the hands, arms and eyes as you see the words. Together, you are giving your memory the highest possible chance to succeed.
8. Memorize More I also memorized Chinese phrases, individual words, some numbers and an English poem during the same period. This extra activity is not necessary, but I like to do it.
Why?
Because it’s like being a chef. Normally, I’m an expert with cooking eggs, but to get better at cooking eggs, I also need to make the occasional soup or steak or some other complimentary dish. Variety enriches and enlivens the core skills.
And that’s important for all of us as we live our lives using memory techniques. Memory improvement is the most critical activity in the world, especially now that we’re relegating so much of our memory needs to machines.
Be it math, Chinese poems or some other information that will make a difference in your life, following steps like the ones I outlined above will keep you in good stead.
Memory improvement is fun, easy and you can use it to recite Chinese poems – or anything you like – at any time.
Isn’t that exciting?
The post The Steps I Took To Memorize 3 Chinese Poems In 2.3 Weeks appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
A lot of people have been talking about moving to Canada lately. If you're going to do that, you might want to take time to memorize the Prime Ministers of Canada so you know what you're getting into. In this episode, you'll learn how.
Do you hate wallowing through "dry" information? Here's how to never be bored with your study materials ever again.
Sure, art galleries let you practice Memory Palace creation. But they can also amplify your visual imagination abilities beyond belief. In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you'll learn how.
Having a system for remembering cards can seem like a waste of time, unless you're a magician or memory athlete. But here are 13 reasons why everyone can benefit from having a system for remembering cards. It pays off big time!
Travel is awesome, right?
You bet it is.
The only problem is that most people don’t maximize the value of their vacations. Instead of going in prepared to remember as much as humanly possible, they accept what they can get from the default settings of the muscle sitting between their ears.
Well, it doesn’t have to be that way for you. Here’s how to travel differently so that you remember more, enjoy more and get to take your vacations again and again with the vibrant recall of an intense dream.
Infinitely Increase The Value Of Every Hotel Room With A Simple Memory Palace One of the first things to do is draw out a quick sketch of your hotel room. It’s simple to chart a well-formed Memory Palace journey using such a small space.
Even if the Memory Palace only has four or five stations, you’re already ahead of the game because your mind is in memory mode. Here’s an example of a quick hotel Memory Palace in room April and I shared on our honeymoon. We were taking the ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm:
As seen in the video, you can also create a Memory Palace of the lobby, the hotel restaurant, gift shop and any other rooms you spot that look manageable. If you’re comfortable using outdoor Memory Palaces, parking lots and the hotel entrance can be powerful resources.
Of course, to draw Memory Palaces, you’ll need a Memory Journal.
How To Keep A Memory Journal Memory Journals are great for a number of purposes:
- Drawing Memory Palaces
- Describing mnemonic images
- Testing recall
- Troubleshooting
- Tracking results
- Recording thoughts and impressions
When traveling, your Memory Journal will also let you make notes about what you did on each day of the trip as you make quick sketches of the places you visit.
To get started, buy a simple notebook. It can be lined or unlined. I recommend that you decorate the cover and then get started listing out as many potential Memory Palaces as you can. If you need help, check out the episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast called How to Find Memory Palaces and make sure that you have the MMM Worksheets that come with my FREE Memory Improvement Kit.
Gather Maps, Floor Plans And Think Strategically You’re traveling to enjoy yourself, right? Who wants to sit around drawing squares all day? (Except me?)
Luckily, when visiting many parks, museums and historical locations, you don’t have to spend your time this way. Instead, you can grab up brochures with mockups and floor plans of museums, churches and art galleries for reference later. If your Memory Journal has a storage pack, you can bomb these inside for reference later.
The important thing is that you think strategically when entering the location. Note the corners of rooms and the best areas for Memory Palace creation. You can already start constructing it in your mind.
If you’re experienced, you can also start using the Memory Palace right away. For example, using the Major Method, you can memorize the date of a painting along with its name. If you’re learning a foreign language, this is a great way to pick up new vocabulary.
Use The Memory Improvement Power Of Photography Taking photos of your loved ones and the main attractions is an important part of traveling. But you can get your camera into the Memory Game too by taking photos of building layouts. Hotel beds, for example, make excellent micro-stations in Memory Palaces.
Using PowerPoint software, you can reconstruct the Memory Palace from your photos. For many people, this simple process makes their Memory Palaces much more vivid and useful. You can also use the software to impose information directly onto the Memory Palace stations for Recall Rehearsal.
However, please note that although this kind of activity is acceptable at the beginning stages, it will not strengthen your memory in the same way that drawing Memory Palaces and then using them from your imagination alone achieves. Work towards creating and using tech-free Memory Palaces and your skills will soar.
Think of it as the difference between doddering along with training wheels and the freedom of riding a bike assisted only by your instinctual knowledge of balance, velocity and the physics of pedaling. The only difference is that in matters of memory and the mind, you never need to work up a sweat to get the benefits.
But if you do need some assistance, here’s an example of a Memory Palace station and directionality I created using the Midland Hotel where I stayed during the New Media Europe convention in 2015. As you can see, it’s easy to place the station number and a direction signature for later use as you scroll through the PowerPoint (I used Keynote in Mac):
As a final camera tip, photograph street corners and use them as Memory Palaces for memorizing street names. It’s a wonderful feeling when you can recall intersections, not just for finding your way back to places, but for giving recommendations to other travelers.
Yes, it’s an ego boost too when you can show off your knowledge of cities around the world. Just don’t let it get to your head and never forget that with great power comes great responsibly. Teach what you’ve learned about memory techniques to others by telling them how you memorized street names.
Make Videos For Review Later If you’ve been following my YouTube channel, you’ve probably seen some of the videos I’ve been putting out about creating Memory Palaces along the way.
I even got April into the memory improvement game while visiting Prague:
Part of what I’m doing by making these videos is teaching what can be done to create an impromptu Memory Palace. But I’m also practicing my own memory as I teach.
You don’t have to do anything so elaborate as posting your personal travel videos on YouTube, but the act of shooting the Memory Palaces you want to create will not only make your trip more memorable, but aid you in the creation process. It’s also a fun way to create images of yourself that ideally won’t lead to the corrosion of your memory.
The Forbidden City: My Most Challenging Memory Palace A lot of historical sites offer fodder for Memory Palace creation, and many are straightforward to navigate and commit to memory. Other historical locations, however, are so sprawling and complex, it’s difficult to know how to use them.
I found this to be the case with the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. It’s not just that the Forbidden City is labyrinthine. There are also many large spaces inside matched by contained areas. The temple structures within each area differ in shape, size and purpose. A few sections feature trees, ponds and fountains. Plus, there are gift shops throughout, many difficult to distinguish from each other.
Rather than take the Forbidden City as one entire Memory Palace, it made more sense to prepare for the creation of three individual Memory Palaces:
- The front entrance
- The largest structure (name)
- The exit
By breaking the Forbidden city down in this way, I can capitalize on two of memory’s biggest assets:
The primacy effect and the recency effect.
Although not always true, we tend to remember the elements of a sequence we encounter first and last the best.
For example, the one and only time I participated in a memory competition with Dave Farrow during the playing cards event, I remember to this day the first few cards and the last few I memorized. I can pick out a few in the middle, but most are hazy. (If I’d used Magnetic Memory Method Recall Rehearsal, I could have overcome the forgetting curve that wipes out the middle part of sequences, but I normally save that process for important info like foreign language vocabulary and names).
Study The Layout In Advance To Maximize Memory Potential Knowing that I’ll be limiting my choices to these areas in advance, I studied the layout on the map before entering the Forbidden City. With a plan for using only a few select spots, I released my mind of the burden of capturing it all and absorbed most of the site on autopilot.
For the entrance, core building and exit, however, I photographed and sketched the layouts to help substantiate them in my memory.
The most important step?
Follow-up.
What does follow-up involve? Rehearsing the Memory Palace right away using the tools of Recall Rehearsal, followed by using the Memory Palace to memorize some information.
For example, as soon as possible after leaving many Memory Palaces on our honeymoon, I asked my fiancee to help me understand some new Chinese vocabulary and then used the new Memory Palaces to encode the sounds and meanings of the words. I sometimes did this fully impromptu without creating a Memory Palace first, which is also an option:
This Memory Palace Technique Is Good For the Entire Family Whether you’re going to the Acropolis or the Empire State Building, there’s a way to efficiently turn these locations into Memory Palaces without disrupting the flow of your vacation. If you have children and are interested in memory techniques for kids, you can set the foundation for a life of learning with greater ease by helping them maximize their impressionable minds with the global real estate travel puts in their hands.
And if you use the Memory Palaces to learn elements of the local language while visiting the city, all the better. Bilingualism is good for your brain, after all.
Heck, even if you just learn how to say good morning, good afternoon and good evening to the hotel staff, you’ll make your vacation much richer.
Seriously. Memorizing a few niceties for use in restaurants will endear many staff members to you and this leads to better advice and more patient explanations when you have questions. You’ll also have more fun on your trip.
Or you can follow the steps I took to memorize 3 Chinese poems in 2.3 weeks for other interesting things to memorize.
The trick is not to get nervous about making mistakes and simply open your mouth and speak from your beautiful powers of enhanced recall while your newest Memory Palaces are still fresh.
I hope you take these tips to heart and start enjoying your future vacations at a deeper level by making them both more memorable and more suitable for servicing your Memory Palace needs for years to come.
The post How To Remember More Of Your Vacations With A Memory Palace appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Learning How To Learn is one of the most popular online courses in the world. Barbara Oakley gives her best learning and memory tips and we discuss the relationship between altruism and memory. Fascinating and useful!
Everyone has a life worth remembering, but not everyone spends time optimizing their daily experiences. Here are 3 simple exercises that will show you exactly how.
A lack of memory training plagues every nation. It’s true.
And as far as I know, no country on the planet includes dedicated memory training in its educational programming.
The result?
We have all experienced unnecessary pain and frustration thanks to forgetting precious information.
But That’s Not The Biggest Problem! The biggest problem is that we don’t always know the signs related to our memory problems. Without that critical insight, we can’t make proper decisions about taking memory training. (Worse, you might wind up wasting time on memory training software that you really don’t need if you have a solid understanding of mnemonics and other memory techniques.)
Here’s the good news: I know the signs that you need memory training. And I have the solutions, none of which involve wasting time on tedious memory training games or the fraud of photographic memory training.
Interested?
Let’s go through each of the 9 signs you need memory training in detail so you have a better grip and know exactly what to do. You’ll find a tip included with each sign that will help ease each problem. Work on improving just one issue per month and well within a year, you will be the owner of a superior memory you’re proud to call home.
Sign You Need Memory Training #1: You Can’t Remember Names You know the scene:
Two seconds after hearing someone’s name and shaking hands, you’re looking into the eyes of a stranger. And now instead of paying attention to the conversation, you’re paddling around the pond of your mind …
“Was his name Ross … or Roger … or Tom?”
The feeling is tiring and exasperating. Most of us have grown so accustomed to it that we laugh off our forgetfulness instead of getting memory training to take care of the problem.
The fix is simple: Learn and practice the simple art of association. When you meet someone named Lars, instantly see Lars Ulrich from Metallica drumming on the top of their head with drumsticks made of “lar”d. If you meet a Betty, see Betty Crocker pouring flour into her ear while midgets “bet” on how Betty is going to react.
The associations don’t have to be celebrities. One John you already know can help you remember the name of another.
Associations are just the beginning of memory training for how to remember names, a quick tip that will serve you well. There are other memory techniques in this department of the art of memory you can use to memorize names for which you have no immediate association.
Sign You Need Memory Training #2: Your Mind Goes Blank During Exams Stress and pressure cause havoc on memory. The higher the stakes, the more we quake in our boots, especially after weeks of diligent study during which we’ve dreamed of a great post-exam future.
In addition to taking basic memory training based on the principle of association, you can add relaxation to your memory exercise. A lot of people skip this step in memory training (assuming it was included at all), but relaxation is one of the most critical tools in remembering.
Meditation before studying, including progressive muscle relaxation, can be repeated before sitting for your exam. Reproducing the same calm physical state will help your memory in exams a great deal because you will have reduced fight-or-flight syndrome.
In some cases, you can also get access to the examination room and study in it. That way you’ll be entering a familiar environment. And as Scott Gosnell talks about in this interview about mnemonist Giordano Bruno and memory techniques, you can even use that room as a Memory Palace.
Put relaxation and a Memory Palace together as part of your memory training profile and you’ll never need to sweat through an exam again. And here’s more info on avoiding 17 other student fails related to your memory. I got you covered.
Sign You Need Memory Training #3: Your Memory Gets You In Trouble At Work There’s nothing worse than having your boss mad at you because you still can’t remember simple data points or you need your password reset for the umpteenth time.
But countless are the ways having reliable memory skills at work can keep your boss off your back. A good memory based on solid memory training can make you the boss.
Your work undoubtedly involves a lot of numbers, so you’ll want to learn the Major Method. It lets you quickly associate images with numbers so that they’re easy to recall. With a bit of practice, you’ll be rattling off not only budgetary figures but also the complex formulas used to manage them in no time.
Sign You Need Memory Training #4: You Struggle With Dates, Appointments, Birthdays & Anniversaries When you think about it, putting together the day, month, year and hour of the day is a lot of information. Sometimes we get it all together right away, but usually … not.
You now have a link to the Major Method, but you’ll also benefit from having a mnemonic calendar in your mind. To get started with this aspect of memory training, associate an image with each day of the week. For example, for Friday, see a giant frying pan, an opera-singing satellite for Saturday and a massive Ice Cream Sundae for Sunday.
Once you know the Major Method, you can interact any combination of hours and minutes with any day of the week. You just need to create vignettes or stories using your imagery.
Sign You Need Memory Training #5: You Start And Give Up On Language Learning Goals Due To Poor Memory People around the world dream of learning a second language, but so few ever do. There are a lot of moving parts involved in language learning, and that means multiple bumps on the road.
But the biggest barrier to entry is memory. You can’t practice a new language without a growing profile of information stored in memory and available for access. And contrary to popular belief, repetition a.k.a. rote learning is not enough on its own.
Rather, you need a dedicated means of creating memories and actively helping your brain access those memories. To do that, this memory training video about The Big 5 Of Language Learning is highly recommended viewing:
Sign You Need Memory Training #6: You Find It Hard To Concentrate Concentration might not immediately seem like a memory training issue. But in reality, it’s the crux of memory because remembering and recalling information requires focus.
The beautiful thing is that developing your memory automatically increases concentration and focus. Plus, the better you get at one, the better you get at the other.
One great and very light concentration exercise was suggested by Dr. Gary Small. He talks about noticing four aspects of a person you see on the street and then recalling those details a few hours later.
That’s great as a memory training exercise, but as a concentration exercise, practice noticing four details of EVERYONE you see. You’ll find it difficult at first, but soon you’ll find that you’re much more observant of the world around you.
Even better, this increased concentration will spill over into other areas of your life, including paying attention to the details of conversations.
Sign You Need Memory Training #7: You Suffer From “Senior Moments” There’s nothing worse than walking into a room and then forgetting why you went in there.
The reason this happens seems to involve an overwhelm of new stimulation. When you move from one room to the next, for example, you’re suddenly bombarded by new:
- air quality
- light levels
- sounds
- textures
… and potentially people and a whole host of other variables that hold zero connection to the reason you entered the room in the first place.
To combat senior moments like these, try closing one fist tightly while repeating the reason you’re leaving the room. Do this with emphasis as you cross the threshold of the door when you’re first facing a rush of new information.
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how quickly senior moments disappear from your life once you start using this unique memory training technique.
Sign You Need Memory Training #8: You’re Constantly Afraid Of Alzheimer’s & Dementia You have every reason to be worried about brain diseases that rob you of your memory. Alzheimer’s is one of the biggest threats besides brain trauma and no one in their right mind wants either.
Although there’s no hard and fast proof that memory training prevents such conditions, it’s a worthy investment because you live in the here and now. Plus, it’s more likely that people serious about their overall brain health will also eat foods that improve memory. That’s an even surer path to protecting your brain as you age.
Once you’ve felt the power of memory improvement, you’ll be inspired to play higher order brain games and do all kinds of things that not only ward off Alzheimer’s and Dementia. The memory training activities help you experience an incredible life so that even if you do face those conditions in the future, you’ll have enjoyed an amazing mental life until that time.
Always remember this: Memory is the now. Always, and yours can be the greatest.
Sign You Need Memory Training #9: You Kick Yourself For Not Doing The Exercises In That Memory Training You Bought You know you need memory help when you’ve started taking memory training, but never follow through.
However, you have indeed started investing in memory training and that’s a great sign that you can pull through. You just need to create a plan of action based on those memory training books and courses.
Then, commit to reading the entire book from cover to cover or watching all the videos. A lot of people want interactivity and learning by doing is super-important when it comes to memory training exercises.
By the same token, it helps many others to have a global overview. The art of memory has some technical aspects and it really helps to go through everything before getting started.
Either way, complete the exercises.
All. Of. Them. The reason memory training resources come with exercises is so that you can see the techniques in action and get results. But if you don’t do them, you won’t fully understand the techniques and your skill set can’t build.
It’s as simple as that. So crack open that memory training book on your shelf. Read it from cover to cover and then do everything it says. Yes, it requires a bit of sacrifice, but it will be the best time, energy and money you’ll ever spend.
Heck, this doesn’t even have to cost you a dime. Libraries still exist, you’ve got my Free Memory Improvement Kit and the Internet is filled with information.
No excuses. Take action and you’ll be rewarded.
We All Need Memory Training Believe it or not, even the most accomplished memory champions need help with their memory. Even of the most impressive winners are no better than anyone else without memory training.
And we all need to make memory training, memory exercises, memory techniques and mnemonics an ongoing part of our lives. And just as with any aspect of physical fitness, we need to maintain our gains.
Luckily, just like going to the gym, memory training is fun. It makes you feel great and you can experience a rush of accomplishment whenever you want simply by using the tools your memory training has given you.
If you’re ready to give memory training a try, or if you’re already on the road, take a second to leave a discussion post and let’s get busy remembering everything and anything we want.
The post 9 Signs You Need Memory Training, Memory Techniques And Mnemonics appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Would you like to be able to give a speech directly from memory?
It’s an amazing skill, after all, and something many people in business need to be able to do in more than one language.
Since ancient times people have been using Memory Palaces to give their speeches. In fact, as Jim Samuels has talked about, we get the convention of saying “in the first place” in a speech from the Roman orators who were using Memory Palaces.
Well, let me ask you this:
What If You Don’t Have To Give A Speech From A Memory Palace On Its Own For Your Speech To Benefit From Using Memory Techniques? Sunil Khatri raised this question in my mind when he wrote to me after giving this speech:
I was so impressed by Sunil’s explanation of how he used the Magnetic Memory Method and Memory Palaces to help him with the speech, that I asked if he would record an episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.
He agreed! As you’ll learn, you can get great benefits from memorizing a speech in advance, even if you still recite it from the page.
The same thing is true of reading from a teleprompter, which the best directors and producers always advise people giving speeches to do: Know where you’re going, but don’t appear like you’re recalling during delivery. It looks weird.
I’m super-excited by Sunil’s results and look forward to hearing your stories of triumph when you use the Magnetic Memory Method to help prepare for your next big speech.
Episode Transcript
Anthony, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to talk about some of the things I’ve been doing with the Magnetic Memory Method. I just also wanted to also say thank you very much for the support that you’ve given me directly through email interaction has been really, really useful and amazing.
I started learning Korean maybe a little over a year ago I would say and mostly for work purposes. I’ve been traveling back and forth to Korea, and it is a really tough language in my opinion. When I started studying, I would read things like verb conjugations. There could be up to 500 verb conjugations based on the level you are at in society, in your office, your age group, all of these different things come into play in the written language and speech. It was pretty tough.
I started learning and for the 6 months it was through rote memorization, flashcards, and things like that. Then I was trying to figure out is there a better way. Because I had spent the better part of 6 to 7 years learning Japanese and it was all through rote memorialization and talking to people and so forth.
I came across your website and from one link to another to another and it ended up being at your site. I took your intro classes and so forth and it was actually pretty good. Then I started reading up on Memory Palaces more and things like that.
“Korean Words Just Sort Of Magically Appeared In My Brain As I Was Talking … I No Longer Use Flashcards” What happened was about 6 to 7 months ago, I think that was the first time we communicated, I basically started building a small Memory Palace and expanding that. Korean words just sort of magically appeared in my brain as I was talking, as I was remembering to the point where I gave up using flash cards. I no longer use flash cards.
I put everything into an Excel spreadsheet and categorize them based on my Memory Palace. I come up with a mnemonic picture, crazy picture, whatever it is and associate the word to that crazy picture and there it is. I go through my Excel spreadsheet once a day to put it into long-term memory and it’s been amazing.
“Even My Teachers Are Freaking Out.” Even my teachers are freaking out. How am I learning all this stuff so fast? But that was vocabulary. Then I started looking at grammar and things like that. Really in about 6 months I achieved over 500 words through the Memory Palace techniques. It was amazing.
Then I was handed a request to do a speech for my office to a bunch of our clients. Essentially what happened was I said, okay and this was about a week and a half prior to me giving the speech. They said, okay you can do it in English. We’ll have a translator and everything for you. I said well, that’s great thank you. Then I thought about it. I said, wait a minute let me try this in Korean and see what I can do.
“Actually A Lot Of This Was Beyond My Vocabulary” The speech was about 3.5 to 4 minutes, 5 minutes long. Rather than say, “Oh my god, I don’t know any of these words,” because actually a lot of this was beyond my vocabulary. It really focused on a lot of different types of grammars that you would use in a very formal setting. I didn’t know that. I didn’t know any of these structures or things. Some of the words were quite new.
What I basically said was, I said all right I am going to think about doing this in Korean. Let me try and see if I can break this down. I guess when I said I think I’m going to do it, it really meant I’m going to do it and there was no looking back for me.
I took the words, basically got the meanings of what the speech was in English and then took the Korean statements and broke it down into an Excel spreadsheet. So rather than reading everything as you would normally do, I took small phrases and put them in a cell in the Excel spreadsheet and then I created the mnemonics associated with that. Those wordings and so forth.
“It Was Pretty Daunting” It turned out to be several hundred cells in the Excel spreadsheet with phrases and so forth. Then I started memorizing, and I did this in about a week. I got about 70 percent of the way through it, and then started working with a person on my team to kind of walk me through how to say the phrases. Where are the emotions, where are the intonations and so forth.
Then from there I kind of build up what I say, how I say it, where I would put the stresses and so forth in a natural language type of view. It really was quite amazing. Then I just went through the Excel spreadsheet and started practicing over and over and over again to get that into memory. The remaining 30 percent was sort of rote because I just didn’t have time to do the mnemonics. Because it was only in about 5 days I put all this stuff together.
The day of the speech came, and I got in front of couple hundred people, all Korean. I started talking and I used the notes. Because it was pretty daunting. Standing in front of a crowd and just trying to remember all these things and the stresses of speaking. Speaking in front of a crowd is difficult anyways.
I had my notes but what my notes were the Excel spreadsheets. It was basically two pages just printed out, and I started just working through it. It was incredible. The crowd reaction was great. Everything was good. I just had a great time because all of this stuff was right there. The way that you pronounce things, even though I was referring to my notes. It was really amazing.
How To Experience Boosts In Confidence From Your Memory It just gave me a huge new level and boost in confidence. I’m nowhere near fluent but I can guarantee you that this is all I’m doing now. I don’t use flashcards. I don’t do anything. All my learnings, not just in Korean but even beyond Korean, are based now on how I use Memory Palaces and your teachings and so forth. Really, really amazing.
I’m continuing to focus on Korean but I’m also looking at other languages later. I really want to look at Mandarin Chinese as you’re doing. This is, again, I feel only after about 6 months of working with the Memory Palace techniques.
It took me years to get to be able to speak in Japanese in front of people and even now I’m hesitant. But I’m going to back and apply these techniques to that too. Really amazing stuff. Thank you for the opportunity and I will continue to converse with you and get your advice on all the problems that I know I’m going to continue to have. Thank you so much.
============
Anthony, just one more thing I wanted to add if it is possible to edit it in or do something.
I had mentioned about 70 percent of the speech I had done using a Memory Palace and 30 percent because I just did not have the time. I just sort of started reading the end of it.
There was actually a noticeable difference in that 70 percent versus the 30 percent that people were telling me. They said, “Oh, the 70 percent that you did, the first part of the speech sounded so good, rhythmic, everything was there. The 30 percent sort of trailed off a little bit.”
I owe that to the fact that I didn’t go through the mnemonics for that last bit. Even though I was able to continue doing it, reading it and kind of working through and people were still excited that I was being able to do this whole thing in Korean.
So the application to Memory Palaces and so forth is really critical, I think, from a grammar perspective as well as from a comfort level. Because once you ingrain those things in your head, whether it’s subconsciously or whatever, when you’re reading it, those emotions and that structure come out.
I just wanted to add that statement. But once again, thank you so much. Take care.
Sunil’s Speech In Korean
안녕하세요. AKL HQ의 IT를 총괄하는 순일 상무 입니다.
여러분들의 뜨거운 열정과 도전으로 한국 암웨이가 25주년을 맞이 하였습니다.
한국 암웨이와 함께 걸어온 25주년을 축하하고자, 대구경북 ABO 리더님들을 모시고
암웨이 프라자에서 ‘A Happy Birthday Festival’ 행사를 개최하게 되었습니다.
많은 ABO 리더님들께서 이렇게 말씀하십니다.
“ 암웨이 사업은 분위기를 타는 사업이다. 요즘은 그 어느 때 보다도 사업하기 좋은 분위기이다 “
실제로 한국 암웨이는 25년 전 오픈 당시에 비해서, 제품 수는 5개 에서 500 여개로,
매출액은 50억원 대에서 1조가 넘는 마켓의 독보적인 리더로서 지속 안정적으로 성장하고 있습니다.
아마도 이렇게 지속 안정적으로 성장 할 수 있는 원동력은
여기 참석하신 ABO 리더님들의 열정과 도전 정신을 기반으로, AKL과 함께 일구어낸 소통과 화합이
있었기에 가능하다고 생각합니다.
이번 25주년 기념 행사가 또 하나의 소통과 화합의 장이라 생각합니다.
암웨이 프라자에서 일주일간 진행되는 다양하고 신나는 이벤트에 많이 참여하시고,
마음 껏 즐겨 주시기 바랍니다.
내가 먼저 우리 함께 !!! 신나는 암웨이!!! 감사합니다.
What About You? Do you have a story of using a Memory Palace to give a speech?
Or how about your struggles with speeches in public? How would better memory skills help you in this area? Take a moment to leave a comment below and get the discussion started.
As Sunil’s experience demonstrates, memorizing even a speech you intend to read from the page improves your delivery beyond belief. Keep that in mind the next time you need to give a speech either in public or on the screen.
The post Speech Success Story Using A Magnetic Memory Palace appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Brad Zupp, author of Unlock Your Amazing Memory: The Fun Guide That Shows Grades 5 To 8 How To Remember Better And Make School Easier, talks about memory techniques for all ages. We also get into cultural and philosophical issues that you'll love!
Tony Buzan, the man behind Mind Mapping and the World Memory Championships, takes us through the peaks and valleys of our multiple intelligences in this birdsong episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.
Do you struggle with concentration and memory?
Maybe even because you’ve been labeled with manic depression or A.D.D.?
I hope you don’t have those conditions, but either way, there’s hope for clearing up any and all brain fog from messing up your memory. And it’s great honor that Rob Lawrence, host of Inspirational Creatives Podcast has allowed me to share his interview with me.
In it, we talk about creativity, concentration, musicianship and how all of it ties into living a life of superior memory.
Note: Quite a few things have changed since recording this interview. Olly Richards helped me fix a Spanish pronunciation problem created by the power of mnemonics and there have been a number of Magnetic Memory Method podcast episodes on Music Mnemonics For Guitar And Piano that have shown development and huge promise since recording this talk with Rob.
With all that said, here’s the transcript for this interview to go with the audio. Enjoy and be sure to read more about Rob Lawrence and get subscribed to the Inspirational Creatives Podcast on iTunes!
Psychic Brain Surgery Rob: So do I call you Dr. Metivier or Anthony?
Anthony: Well that’s always a very interesting issue. I really don’t know. I mean get a kick out of being called doctor, and it certainly circulates around but it’s not necessary. My dad gets a kick out of it too. Actually, it’s funny that you mention brain surgery. Because for years and years he didn’t really quite understand what I did in my Ph.D., so he used to call me a brain surgeon, which there are some elements of that involved in what I do. It’s just psychic brain surgery.
Rob: Yeah, there’s some technical accuracy in that. Have you always been interested in memory and imagination?
Anthony: In a roundabout way. I basically wrote my first story that I remember, when I was in grade four. By story, I mean something that had a solid beginning, middle and an end. I had an ability to remember stories, as we all do, and loved to retell stories, tell jokes and retained stories in my mind. I’d often watch a movie and then try to rewrite it from memory. Yeah, I’ve always had this interest from a very young age.
Rob: Stories are a fascinating concept, something that we tell our children and seem to be something that we’ve done since the beginning of time. Do you think we’ve lost our ability to remember in the way that we used to?
Why You Have Not “Lost” Your Ability To Remember Anthony: I don’t believe at all that we’ve lost it. But the extent to which we use it has certainly changed.
There is a kind of running myth that back in the day in Ancient Greece and in Matteo Ricci‘s era everybody used these memory techniques that I teach. They all memorized thousands of books and this kind of thing, which isn’t true. I would say that the ratio of people who use memory techniques then and in comparison with now is relatively the same per capita let’s say. It’s really just a growing thing.
We’re in a renaissance of memory techniques right now. It seems to be happening at the precise moment that technology appears to be taking over or our memory needs, which I find deeply fascinating that this renaissance is taking place now at that technological moment. There are reasons to believe that actually technology is expanding our memory abilities rather than diminishing it. That’s a topic to be explored. It’s very conceptual, and I don’t have any hard data behind it but it’s something that I feel is being enabled by technology rather than the common statement that our memories are being eroded by technology.
Rob: That’s fascinating, an absolutely fascinating thought there. So what are the key factors necessary to be able to succeed in improving your memory and using these Magnetic Memory Techniques that you teach?
Anthony: Well there are a number of factors, but it all begins with the desire actually to improve your memory because without that there is nothing to ground it upon.
Lacan, the French psychoanalyst, always said that the fantasy is better than the reality. That’s not exactly true in this case because you use fantasy in order to create reality, but nonetheless, there is an effort involved. A lot of people don’t have the necessary drive in order to get into it.
One of my jobs is to give them that drive. So that’s a key factor there. In many ways, that is what my job is. It is simply to open the door for people, give points of access and points of entry.
Beyond that, there’s the willingness to experiment, which is a key factor, the pleasure in imagination is a key factor and also a kind of wish or desire to have this information and to use it. Because if you’re not going to use it, you can have memorize all the things in the world and it won’t do anything for you.
Memory champions, for example, can memorize thousands of digits that they forget half an hour later, but they have that particular use value in the competition in of itself. It’s always got to have some sort of use and some sort of pay off. The more you can identify with that use and that payoff is, then the more you have that necessary key factor to succeed.
Don’t Miss The Motivation Train! Rob: You’re talking about motivation there, and you’re also talking about trying to find ways to get started exploring these techniques.
Anthony: It’s not particular to the field of memory training. All areas need points of access and entry points. With music for example, people who would be perfectly capable of becoming very good musicians don’t get the point access that enables them to enter the kingdom. It could be that they didn’t get the right teacher or they didn’t get enough sleep or enough Cheerios or whatever the case may be.
They just missed that train which is very sad because we all have musical capacities. That really is, I think, one of the key factors of all education is helping people find that entry point, as many as possible, because it’s really sad. We all have the ability to do anything really. We just need the prophets and the leaders who are able to show the way.
Rob: I’d love to come back to that point about music because I’ve heard you’re a musician. Before I do, with your work, what are some of the key access points that you help people with in terms of being out to get a footing on these Magnetic Memory Techniques?
Anthony: Well for me the big thing is the Memory Palace. The reason why I focus on it so specifically and teach so much about it is because it’s not only the fundamental memory technique, but it is the memory technique that you can use all of their memory techniques inside of. If you can get going with that, then you have enabled yourself really to have a success with every other memory technique.
One of the other reasons that I focus on Memory Palace is because everybody knows where their toilet is. Everybody knows where their bed is. Everybody knows where their kitchen is. Because of that innate ability to recall locations with great detail, just conceptually knowing the distance between different areas and where they’re located in space in your home or in your workplace, you can then leverage that power and place information by the sofa or on the desk and recall it at ease by simply mentally going to that location.
That is a major point of entry if you can learn how to use that technique correctly, instantly use it for something that is interesting to you and makes a significant difference to your life. Because so many people encounter memory techniques and they say well memorize your grocery list. Nothing in the world could be more boring than memorizing a grocery list, which is another reason why people don’t find a point of entry.
But when you say memorize the lyrics of your favorite song that somehow evade you are using a path from your sofa to your office desk to your dinner table, well then that’s interesting because you get a great deal of pleasure out of it. Now you can sing along with that song. Now you can annoy your spouse or your friends by singing it over and over again or whatever the case may be. That makes a difference in your life. Those are two points of access, the very specific technique and then how you’re going to use that technique to get a victory, that make you feel good. You see the possibilities for what else you could memorize.
Two Kinds Of Memory Palaces … Take Your Pick! Rob: That’s fascinating. So there is this concept here of Memory Palaces and are they real places or these places that we make up in our minds?
Anthony: You can make them up in your minds or people use video games. There are all kinds of possibilities in what I call virtual Memory Palaces.
I typically do not recommend that people use them at least not at the beginning stage. Yes, you want to ground your Memory Palaces on real locations, places that you’re familiar with and generally places that you have a positive association with. I have worked with people over the years who suffered abuse in a home, and they just keep coming up against those memories when they’re trying to use it as a Memory Palace.
You could use a Memory Palace technique to help cleanse those bad memories, but until that that has taken place it’s really best just to use places with positive associations or at least neutral associations, which is another technique that you can use to have a clinical approach to things so that positive and negative memories don’t really play. For example, high schools have both positive and negative memories. If you can get a neutral approach or a clinical approach, then they’re pretty safe to use and very detailed so that you can get a lot of action out of them.
Familiarity Is The Key Rob: Is there an advantage to using places that you already know you know?
Anthony: What you are going to do is actually create a journey through a home, or a school, or a church, or a movie theater or whatever the case may be. You’re going to follow that journey the same way every time.
It’s not exactly like following a movie through your mind, but it’s more like following a play through your mind because you restage it every time. It’s going to be slightly different. But nonetheless, a movie or play, you’re going to move on that journey in the same way.
I mean there’s later techniques were you leap frog around in order to overcome what’s called the forgetting curve but in general you follow that same path just as you would basically follow of the same path from your door to your driveway. I mean you could walk around in circles around your car, but normally you just go from the door to the driveway to the door of your car. Because that is so ubiquitous, so every day and so commonplace, there’s nothing to remember or forget about it.
You just know that intuitively and intentionally because it’s what you would do in real life anyway. Instead of just walking passively alongside the rosebush, now you have a giant clown who is eating your slippers to remind you that they need to go buy new shoes, or to help stimulate a line of poetry, or a foreign language word, or whatever the case may be, you’re actively using that location instead of passively. It’s just something that you pass by every day anyway.
Rob: It sounds to me like something we intuitively do as children when we’re younger and we recount stories. That thought is inspired by something you just said there which is the clown eating the slippers. It’s part of the technique to exaggerate and create these kind of images in our minds.
How To Experience Cartoons In Your Mind Anthony: That’s a fundamental part of it. So on top of the journey through a Memory Palace, every place that you want to memorize a target piece of information you create an image in order to encode it. Then when you go along that journey again in your mind you, decode it.
The way that you remember the coding is by making it big, large, bright, vibrant and colorful, and on top of that, including some kind of zany crazy bizarre action. The more that you can focus on doing that, which in the beginning can be a bit of a challenge for some people, but gets very easy very quickly with some exercises and just practice, you can shock yourself into remembering anything.
The more that you have cartoon-like silly engaging actions between characters, like an action with a reaction the way you would have in Wile E. Coyote cartoons with the Road Runner, or Pinky and The Brain or whatever these cartoon characters are. They are actually quite rigorous with one another. One would even say violent, but in a cartoon way, then they’re going to capture the interest of your mind’s eye in the way that a car wreck on the highway causes the rubberneck effect and you have to see it. Then you decode it and you get your target information back. If you do it a sufficient number of times, then you don’t need the image anymore. You have affectively learned and memorized the information and it’s yours.
How To Harness The Memory Power Of Emotions Rob: Wow! That’s pretty fascinating. So it sounds to me like these techniques are more objective than they are subjective. What I mean by that is you were talking earlier about positive and negative emotions. I guess one of the assumptions I made automatically before I spoke with you today is that you use some kind of emotional power to help you remember certain things. Would that be an accurate reflection or is it a bit more complicated than that?
Anthony: Technically you’re using an objective process to create subjective experience that relates to an object memory or some piece of information that is a kind of object. It’s a living breathing object. Yes, emotions are involved. I mean if you see your spouse smashing something with a hammer, there’s going to be an emotion involved.
That emotion can be anger. Some of the images involve kissing which can involve romantic elements. You do want an emotional element to it, but you want it objective in the sense that there is a strategy involved. So in the same way that Hugh Grant might not be in love with Drew Barrymore and yet they’re kissing and projecting that emotion, you’re going objectively to create an emotion through deliberately rigging images in your mind.
The Real Reasons Why Anyone Can Improve Their Memory Rob: Got it. So is this something that anybody can develop in your experience?
Anthony: Everybody can experience memory improvement. They’re already doing it at some level anyway. So it’s just a matter of understanding how that your imagination works, which is pretty simple and easy to do, then leveraging it and then developing it in certain directions. But even if you don’t develop it, you still have the ability to do this at an intermediate level.
There’s no elementary level to it whatsoever. You can go from intermediate to an advanced level. Anybody can do it. I mean I have podcast interviews on my podcasts with 10‑year-olds, 8‑year-olds who are using these techniques. I have personally trained 88‑year-old individuals and people in their 80s, 70s, 60s and 50s. There’s even very interesting research going on right now by someone in Kasper Bormans who is using the Memory Palace technique to help people with Alzheimer’s remember the names of their family members and getting results with this which is absolutely incredible.
So there are curative properties for people who have brain damage. They’re also using Memory Palace techniques for what’s called chemobrain when cancer patients have to take a lot of chemotherapy and they lose their memory, and they lose general cognitive abilities. So they are getting results with this kind of memory exercise as well. So anybody can do it.
Rob: Wow! That’s pretty incredible and something I was going to ask you about. But it is pretty inspiring to hear that these techniques can be used, or similar techniques to this, can be used to help improve the memory of people that have health conditions, which are affecting their memory. That’s pretty inspirational. What are the common applications that your students tend to use? You’re talking about very young people there and very old people. In your experience, what do people tend to use these Magnetic Memory Methods for?
The Most Common Applications Of Memory Techniques Anthony: The biggest application in my personal experience as someone offering these is with foreign language vocabulary and to a certain extent grammar principles. This has been tremendously successful because it’s one of the hugest pain points in the world. People want to learn new languages. They want to improve their own language, but words just don’t stick without either massive amounts of repetition or some kind of technique. There are all kinds of techniques in the world for using your memory to help you better recall words. But there is no specific strategy that was developed just for word retention and recall. So I developed it. I developed it out of my own personal need, shared it and it just became wildly successful because so many other people have that pain point. That’s really the largest part of my training is specifically for the purpose of learning languages.
Rob: So I’m guessing you speak different languages?
Anthony: I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise because I just don’t have any kind of natural ability the way some people do. But of course, some people don’t have a natural ability. They are just using certain techniques in their minds that relate to what I teach, but without a kind of actual apparatus. I never it was very successful despite a deep interest in languages throughout my life.
But being able to build a number of Memory Palaces and put large amounts of vocabulary with a basic understanding of grammar, vocabulary being like a kind of petrol or gas that you put into an engine, and grammar being a kind of engine, then you can get very far very quickly. You just need to add speaking, reading, writing and listening to the mix. Things happen very quickly.
Rob: So can you give me an example of perhaps one of the languages that you’ve begun teach yourself, and can you talk me through how you’ve perhaps memorized the phrase or something like that with these Memory Palaces in mind?
Anthony: One thing that I’ve been developing for some time now but that I really love is Spanish. So imagine you came across the word abuela. Abuela means grandmother, and you wanted to memorize that. There are really not any cognates with English. There’s no relationship grandmother and abuela. So you’ve got to find a point of access.
One thing that you can do is split the words in different pieces. So there’s ab-u-ela. One thing that I like to do is use famous people. So ab reminds me of Abraham Lincoln and ela reminds me of Ella Fitzgerald. I imagine that Abraham Lincoln encounters Ella Fitzgerald dressed as his grandmother and she is saying boo like a ghost.
So now, you have ab-u-ela. You can add abuelo for grandfather just by having some Jell-O or whatever the case may be. Now you’ve got that word and that is on the bed in a Memory Palace that I have. Then just move to the next one, the next one and the next one so that you’re collecting words.
Just imagine that there are a number of words in Spanish that start with “ab.” Abraham Lincoln moves from place to place to place interacting with different other people. You can pick up a lot of words really quickly. Then again, using them in speaking, reading, writing and listening, you’ll encounter them, you’ll hear them, and you’ll use them. Everything is just absolutely fantastic. You might even call it Magnetic.
How To Memorize Grammar Concepts Fast Rob: How does it work with grammar without getting into too much detail because I imagine that’s a slightly different ballgame.
Anthony: It is and it isn’t. A lot of grammar has to do with conjugations.
I mean grammar is a big world. One of the things is verb conjugations, which are very difficult for people. So imagine that you create a Memory Palace for say the “to be” verbs. Spanish has two, so let’s just deal with one. You would have ser. For me, I used Hamlet serving desert because ser is in desert.
It’s not a one-to-one correspondence but it works for me. You’re rarely going to find one-to-one correspondences. There are a number of conjugations of “to be” like you are, I am, they are. You have a sufficient number of stops or stations in a Memory Palace and you just see Hamlet helping you remember all of those different conjugations. So ser is to be. Yo soy is I am. Tu eres is you are and so forth.
So yo soy, Hamlet is injecting the cake into a bathtub of soy. Tu eres is this giant statute of Aries and he is throwing the cake at that statue’s face and so on. So that’s one way for verb conjugations. You pick any verb that you and you conjugate them. But you also generally pick up the way that the regular and irregular verb contributions work. So after a while you really don’t need to do that for every verb. You just need the verb.
How To Develop Unconscious Competence Rob: I’m guessing that over time through practice that you become unconscious competent at this. I guess the language just starts to come naturally does it?
Anthony: Yeah, especially if you do a kind of alphabetization that I was suggesting because, not in all languages but in many languages, you get a feel for how the structure works. So in German, for example, there are a lot of words that start with ent.
That generally, but almost always, suggests something about the next part of the word. Also with words that start with ber. Whatever follows that generally has something to do with what that ber characterizes about the language. That works in English as well with endings and with some beginnings.
You get a feel for it. You get to a point where you can guess with some accuracy what a word means. Of course all language learning is experimentation, testing. Do you get a result from the use of a word or is it making sense when you read. Of course, words have multiple senses. But language learning, like memory itself, is not a fixed piece of glass. It’s something that is wet and movable. You just go with the flow, and you use memory as a kind of surfboard to navigate through torrid waters.
Mnemonics for Music Memory Hacks In Development Rob: Got it. I’d like to turn our conversation towards creativity, and come back to this point about music and appreciate that you’re a musician. How long have you been a musician? Have you been a musician your whole life?
Anthony: I played guitar in my dad’s lap. It is one of those classic images where the father is helping you press down your fingers on the guitar.
After that, it’s kind of a long story, but when I got to band class in grade six they didn’t want to let me into band class because I didn’t pass the proper tests. I persisted anyway even though I was tone deaf or whatever those tests were that they had. I persisted. I wanted to play bass guitar and they said you can’t. We’re not going to buy an amplifier for the class just so you can play bass guitar.
I said well what’s the next closest thing and they said trombone. I went with it. Then I played trombone until I got grade nine, and I was able to finally able to get a bass. Then I just started in bands and went from there. I ultimately wound up playing in a band in Germany and going on tour and having lots and lots of fun as a result. Bass has always been my thing, but I’ve also played sitar, flute, banjo, a bit of piano and a little flute that I got in Prague once upon a time.
Rob: I read, I think it was on Amazon actually, that you were memorizing Bach’s compositions on cello. Can you describe to me a bit about how your methods apply to creative endeavors, for example, playing or more writing music?
Anthony: I’m learning the Bach cello pieces on bass guitar for performance on bass guitar. One of the things that really help is if you are able to create an image for each string.
So E is for Ernie. A is for out Al Pacino and so forth.
Then you can have each fret have a sound attached to it or an image. There’s something called the Major Method where each number is a sound. So 0 is “sa,” 1 is “ta” or “da,” 2 is “na,” and so forth up until 9. Then you can create combinations. So if something where at the twelfth fret, for instance, that would be tan because 1 is “T” or “D”, and 2 is “N”. You don’t even have to be as specific as the string if you don’t want to.
But if you know something’s on the twelve fret, and it’s on the E string, then that is Ernie getting a tan. Or it’s Al Pacino getting a tan. It’s just a quick thing where you can look at a piece of sheet music and you can navigate quite quickly and establish not needing to look at the sheet music and not really needing as much dedicated practice looking back and forth, closing your eyes, playing, and looking back and forth.
It really helps. But you need the basis first. If you are trying to do this while you’re learning the memory techniques, then it probably would be more of a barrier than anything, or if you were trying to use it while you’re learning music it would probably be more of the barrier than anything. But if you have both of those things in combination, then it’s a beautiful thing.
The Real Secret Of A Solid Memory Is Sleep Rob: So get some music theory first, learn the memory techniques, then try and put the two together.
Anthony: Basically, but I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone from trying to do both at the same time. My feeling is that having learned music myself and having learned to do dedicated practice playing with that rote learning style, I can see that they would jar with each other.
Rob: Yeah and how reliable have you found these techniques in terms of your music and being able to memorize such compositions?
Anthony: Well I’d say that it’s basically an 88 to 98 percent success rate. A lot has to do with how tired one is, how well fed one is, how much the bodily needs are taken care of so they can use your attention, which is going to be true one way or the other. Also, it has to do with motivation and intensity. When I was playing, I just came back to Germany from Canada and I needed to be prepared to go on the road with The Outside.
Rob: The band.
Anthony: There wasn’t a whole lot of time for me to think F, G sharp and all that stuff, and try and get it. I just needed to know that those were the notes and as quickly as possible. So it really helped in that in that case rather than feeling around. Plus we were tuned in C#, and that doesn’t really go with my ears that well. I really needed to know what the notes were, I couldn’t hear them as well, and as I mentioned, I sort of have had historically a difficult time with learning by ear. It’s really helped me out to pick up things fast that way. It also helps build concentration.
The Bare Minimum Time Investment In Memory Techniques You Need To Make Rob: So for somebody very new to these techniques, how long would it take you to start learning and to start implementing them and getting results?
Anthony: Well you really could be pretty well master level by the end of the day if you want to.
Rob:Wow!
Anthony: This is this is well known. There have been all kinds of people. In the UK there is Mark Channon who used to have a TV show. He would have regular people learn these techniques, perhaps not in a day, but over a week, and then they would go on his show.
They would compete against taxi drivers with the knowledge. They would do better than taxi drivers who have been on the streets for twenty years reciting routes from their minds after a week’s training or so. It’s really not rocket science.
It’s just actually wanting to learn the memory techniques, wanting to use them and having a good instructional basis upon which you can learn them. That’s really ultimately the problem. Because people just don’t find the right teacher, and there’s all kinds of people who are the right teacher. You just kind of need to read multiple books sometimes, or take multiple trainings in order to get it, but you can get it. Once you’ve gotten it, it happens real fast. Most of my people are ready to go within two to five hours and get great results.
How To Overcome Memory Challenges Rob: Amazing! What are the common challenges that people new to these memory techniques face in your experience?
Anthony: One of the challenges with respect to how I teach them is with getting enough Memory Palaces. People feel that they don’t have enough because one just won’t do it.
You really need at least two dozen Memory Palaces for the kind of language acquisition method that I teach. But unfortunately, people feel a kind of Memory Palace scarcity. I try my best to remind them that everybody has been to more than one school, or at least most of us have been. There are shopping malls all over the place. There are stores all over the place, restaurants, cafes, etc. You just need to go out in the world and you’ll find more than enough Memory Palaces.
To this day there are Memory Palaces on my street that I haven’t had a need of, but if I ever am I’m running on street screaming because aliens are attacking, and I need some special formula to create a death ray gun for them, there’s a bakery that I’ve never been in, and I’m going to go use it.
To me it’s a non-issue but people do struggle with that. Then the other thing has everything to do with are they relaxed. That’s one of the hugest barriers to creativity. I always include a module on using relaxation techniques. Because the mind wants to create barriers, it wants to say this doesn’t work. It wants to say I’m not creative. It wants to say that I don’t have an imagination. It’s wants to say I’m not visual. The ego comes up again and again and again. Relaxation is a very key tool for just overcoming the voice that says this is impossible. That has helped a lot of people.
Why Relaxation Solves All Struggles With Mnemonics Rob: That’s really interesting you say that because about the relaxation techniques there, and the mind creating barriers. I think there is a whole conversation in itself that we could have there. You mentioned earlier health and well-being. How do these methods help to improve concentration and creativity?
Anthony: Well they are fantastic. I mean they saved my life because I was in grad school and I couldn’t concentrate.
I still have concentration issues because of a medical condition, which is bipolar disorder. I had to take a lot of lithium at that time. It was just unbelievable the cement that was in my head. I was responsible for very technical French philosophy and literary theory. It just wasn’t getting in.
That’s when I really discovered these systematic memory techniques and started to use them. What I found is that it was irrelevant how good or bad a day I was having, because they were grounded on that relationship between where my coach was and where my cupboard with cookies was.
It just didn’t matter what my mood was. It didn’t matter how sick I was. It didn’t matter how healthy I was. I could just recall the information because I could lean upon the simple architecture of my house.
This new level of focus and concentration happens for all kinds of people. They find that this is reliable regardless of how they feel. Because you learn to concentrate differently, and like I said, you lean upon leverage what you what you already know.
That’s the basis of all memory techniques because you’re using where you are already know. It helps improve concentration simply by using what you are already concentrating on, and then just amping that up a little bit.
Rob: How did you discover these Magnetic Memory Methods?
Anthony: I’m not aware that I was aware of them before that I needed them. I don’t have any distinct memory of knowing about memory championships or memory techniques.
What had happened, as I mentioned, I was in this really deep clinical depression, having to take these medicines I was unfamiliar with, and completely thrown into a storm because of it, not only from the condition that required the pills, but the pills that address the condition.
I was avoiding life basically. I was going back to an older love of mine, which are card tricks. I found that, as many people do, I could concentrate just fine on something that pleased me. You don’t get far in advanced card tricks before you encounter the holy grail of memorizing a deck of cards.
There are two types in magic. There is the kind where you make it appear like you have memorized a deck of cards. Then there is the kind where you actually have memorized the deck of cards. There’s a third kind where you have memorized a stack, which is a preordered arrangement. It also makes it appear that you have memorized the whole deck but you have actually memorized just a portion of it.
Now I got fascinated with the idea of memorizing the whole deck because I really like to do advanced magic tricks. As it turned out, what I thought was impossible was incredibly easy.
I learned card memorization and from there I never really looked back at it again as a form of study. I just started using it. I saw instantly how I could apply that to my graduate studies. Then years later, I saw instantly how that I could apply it to learning a language.
I also used it to learn Biblical Hebrew, which was part of my graduate studies and needing to show proficiency in another language.
But it wasn’t really something you could become fluent in, Biblical Hebrew. So it was some time later when I was in Germany. I thought wow if only I could find a way to use these techniques to get a lot of speed going for myself with German because I love this language and I want to be able to speak it.
One day it came to me, I was sitting on the porch (a favorite place for concentration), and I thought what if I had a Memory Palace for every single letter of the alphabet. That’s where it all began. That was where my first book began. Sometime after that, when I was teaching some students how to do this, and they said oh you have to write this down for us. So I did and then that became the first book. That’s basically the journey. It’s just been incredible. But it all came from deep, deep need. It really did save my life. It turned things around in a big way.
Why Memory Techniques Improve Everything In Life Rob: Yeah and how’s it improved your life in terms of you were talking earlier about your bipolar. How has this improved your life in that aspect?
Anthony: Well it’s a confidence thing in many ways. It’s reported often the frustration with feeling better, and probably better said feeling like a normal person, because you can feel pretty good when you bipolar disorder.
But feeling better in terms of being able to contribute to society and maintain a normal life from lithium, but the cost is a certain zombie effect and certain straight-line nothingness.
Also, this poor concentration and sludge in the mind, and also some of the antidepressants that go along with that, or the antipsychotic medications that go along with that also do devastating things to your personality. I managed to get onto a different medication altogether called Lamictal or lamotrigine that is for people with epilepsy but it also helps maintain mood.
That has limited those side effects, but they’re still there from the condition itself. These techniques are amazing in terms of the confidence. Because I know no matter what mood I’m in, I can walk into a place and if I need to, I can not only recite some poetry, but I can tell you what page it’s on.
That’s an incredibly empowering thing. It’s not necessarily as fast as I would like it sometimes because I still have to access these images and so forth, but it is there. As long as I’m relaxed, I am 100 percent confident that I can do it. Spring is a really bad time, but I’m going to be presenting at the polyglot conference in May in Berlin, and I’m going to do it basically from memory. They require that I have a PowerPoint presentation, which is a bit sad.
Nonetheless, I know that no matter how turbulent the spring is for me, I’m going to be able to go there and do that speech. That’s incredibly empowering. There are other things. I mean just being able to memorize a Buddhist meditation ritual, which incidentally ancient Buddhist rituals seem to have used something like a Memory Palace technique in and of themselves.
That’s great. It was a path for me into meditation. I’m not really spiritual in the sense of beliefs or anything like that, but spiritual in the sense of taking care of myself and connecting with nature and meditating and all of these things. That came from memory and developing approaches where there is a clear enough state of mind to use them at their highest possible abilities. I’m really grateful for memory and to memory for introducing me to all those different areas.
Rob: How different is your life now compared to before you knew about these men techniques and developing these memory techniques?
Anthony: I’m a lot less stressed out, and I’m much more creative. I was always creative, but the creative capacities have increased incredibly. Some of that is due to the fact that I write. I’ve written several novels. You just simply can’t get help but get more creative when you continuously write.
Often when you have these burned out periods where you feel like you’re not being creative at all and everything is off, and when you look back, they are the most creative periods of all.
But memory has really helped with that because one cool thing that happens is that I can remember what I’ve written a lot better, which I never used to be able to do. I used to have to go and look back. What was that character’s name? What were they wearing? What town were they in and so forth?
But with improved concentration, I’m able to manage my own stories a lot better, which is really great, the metaphors and turns of phrase that characters use. It doesn’t have to be fiction writing either. You can memorize copywriting headlines, for example. You can have a cheat sheet, a crib file, or a swipe file in your head, and that really helps with writing headlines or writing sales letters. It’s just fantastic. That’s one very practical application.
The Future Of Memory Techniques For Concentration And Creativity Rob: Fantastic. I’m losing track of time actually talking with you here. What’s the most exciting aspect of your work for you right now?
Anthony:Well, really, it is when people who have joined the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass or read one of my books email me and they say I was really skeptical about this. I didn’t think it was going to work. Now I’ve got two hundred words in my head.
People have reported much more than that. They use very specific figures like 70 percent more fluency. Some guy wrote me a couple weeks ago and it said thanks for the donuts in the subject line. He had added another notch to his belt because he bet his coworkers that he could memorize some extraordinarily dry codes that have to do with hookup parts for RVs or something like this in the United States, and he bet them donuts that he could.
I don’t think that’s good for his health, but nonetheless, it’s an absolute demonstration of what’s possible. I love, not just the actual accomplishments, what it has done for the people and their confidence. What it has done in their ability to take that now and apply it to any goal that they want to achieve.
You just hear it when I speak to them over Skype. You can see it in their emails with the exclamation marks and the all caps and just the phrasing and the excitement in how that they write about it. You know that they have been transformed and that is the most exciting thing is transformation. Also, knowing that it’s not short term is that if they want to continue using these techniques it just gets better and better and better from here and there really no ceiling to it. That’s really the best thing of all.
Rob: Yeah, that’s pretty inspirational actually. Just hearing how it transforms people’s lives in that way and how it can help them with their work. I can think of multiple ways it could just make your life more efficient and more enjoyable in the sense. What has inspired you most recently?
Anthony: One of the things that has really inspired me, even though I have left the band that I was playing in, is just watching the development of how that they are constantly getting gigs, constantly out on the road and promoting the new album and making videos. Also, bass players and guitarists have a special connection.
Sergio Klein is the guitarist at The Outside, and just watching him develop as a teacher and what he does with respect to creative problem solving.
He’s moving into the online field where he’s making videos and putting a course together about arpeggios. Just watching him also learn marketing and some of the packaging that you need to together in order to offer trainings to the world is just really inspiring because he’s taken to it in an extraordinary way. I know that he is such an amazing teacher. He’s such an amazing guitarist as well.
He recently joined Criminal, which is a great South American medal band. He’s just accomplishing his dream. He told me something so extraordinary. He went played with them in a festival in Spain. He said that for the first time in a long time he came home with money, which you know is just awesome. He was in London also recording with them. He doesn’t have to pay to go there. It’s just a real testament and an acknowledgment of his skills as a guitarist. I really see a great future for him.
Where Preparation Meets Opportunity, There Is No Ceiling Rob: They say success is preparation plus opportunity. You mentioned developing marketing online products, which is something I know you do. How has that aspect of the journey been for you?
Anthony: It’s been great. I mean that’s what I do. I don’t have a job or anything like that. I had to learn it and have to experiment. Every day is an experimentation and in one way or the other. Being able to have multiple levels of trainings available for people has been great because there are so many different learning styles. I have audio books, Kindle books, paper books and video courses. The video courses contain audio. Basically, being able to serve a wide spectrum of learning styles is really incredible and helps spread that reach much farther than it would go if it were just a book. That’s really great.
Rob: What’s next for you? What are you working on right now?
Anthony: Well I’m putting together some new video courses. One of the things that I’ve experimented with that I didn’t think was going to be as successful as it was, is to go and make video courses about older books on memory that are in the public domain.
I started with Aristotle. I thought, oh this is just for me it’s not going to be something that is anything for anybody else but I want to do it anyway because I love Aristotle’s essay on memory. So I’ll make a video course about it and see what happens. It was a wild success. I had never launched a course that did more business than any of my others on the first week. It was just unbelievable.
I’m going to continue making these little mini courses about some of the ancient writings on memory and keep doing that because that’s obviously of interest to people. Of course, I’m able when working with Aristotle’s essay on memory I’m able also to talk about Plato on memory and different aspects of the philosophy that go along with that.
So in other words, I have never been able to use my Ph.D. much. As a professor, I did have a couple gigs here and there and a teaching research grant. But I sort of got off that track. Now through video teaching I can use a memory as the basis for teaching philosophy in the things that I trained for.
That’s what’s coming up next, more of that and more memory training. I have endless amounts of work that I can do. I have a mastermind group where I’m starting to do monthly webinars just for the people who belong to that and go really deep into many of these areas that aren’t in any memory training books and extend out into other areas where memory touches our lives which just about everything. So I got my life’s work now. It’s just a matter of what am I going to do next.
Rob: Fascinating. That’s fantastic. You mentioned Aristotle. Have you read Brian Clark’s post about Aristotle and writing?
Anthony: No, but I’ve got to look it up!
Rob: I read it last night and I thought it was quite good.
Anthony: Yeah, I’m looking it up. Aristotle’s Top Three Tips For Blogging?
Rob: That’s it. Yeah, Top Three Tips For Blogging. That’s was the one. For anyone that’s interested, where’s the best place for them to be able to find out more about you and your work?
Anthony: Well the best thing is go to the special video course I have for you.
Rob: Great. Well thank you so much for your time today Anthony. It’s been absolutely fascinating to speak with you.
Anthony: Thank you very much for having me. Let me know if you ever need help with your memory.
The post Improve Your Memory And Concentration With Creativity appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
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Be honest about your experience with mnemonics.
You’ve read a book or two, maybe even taken a video course. And yet …
You’re Still Scrambling To Recall Information! If that sounds like you, then here’s the sad truth: You’re suffering from “memory improvement randomness.” That’s what happens when people read a book on mnemonics, take a stab at the techniques and then … give up … only to pick up another book by someone else and try all over again.
Fortunately, there’s a cure.
In fact, there are 7 of them.
Why Most People Are Allergic To Mnemonics First off, let’s look at one big problem.
The word “mnemonics” isn’t all that sexy, is it? And it sounds an awful lot like “pneumonic,” in the singular “mnemonic” form, which makes it sound even more like this beautiful art relates to pneumonia.
“Mnemotechnics” is nicer, and definitely won’t make you sick. But the “technics” part makes the whole thing sound like hard work.
That’s no good.
Because the truth is that mnemonics are not only easy, but they’re the most exciting activity in the world.
And that’s the key to falling in love with this special field of personal improvement.
How To Find Excitement In The World’s Oldest Mental Art To locate and embrace the excitement of using mnemonics and memory techniques, you first need to get rid of the notion that any of this is “hard work.” It isn’t. Never has been. Never will be.
Unless you decide that it must be. That’s all mindset and this podcast on developing better mindset will help you with that.
Bookmark those resources for later as we dive into the 7 Eternal Laws Of Memory Improvement. Follow each of these laws of mnemonics and you will quickly find the fun in using memory techniques and never forget what a wild ride the art of memory can be.
1. You Have The Duty To Go Insane With Your Mnemonics The trick to remembering anything is association. You take a piece of information you don’t know and associate it with something you do.
For example, I had no idea the word 感到 (gǎn dào) meant to feel. But I do know of a character named Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. And in my imagination, I know how to hurt his feelings.
So that’s what I did. In the craziest way possible. Then, using the drawing skills I have, I got it down on paper to make the learning process even faster and easier.
Of course, the trouble with teaching mnemonics is that I can’t exactly show you exactly what the imagery looks like in my mind. I would need a Hollywood film crew and a Spielberg-sized budget for that.
But rest assured that what happens when Gandalf feeds the Tao Te Ching to that black horse isn’t pretty. But it helps me remember not only the sound and the meaning of the word, but also its tones in Mandarin.
If you’d like to get better at making crazy imagery in your imagination, check out the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode called Mindshock: How To Make Amazing Visual Imagery And Memorize More Stuff.
2. Every Building You’ve Ever Been In Is Infinitely Valuable To get the most from mnemonics, you need to locate the crazy images you come up with in a Memory Palace.
Unfortunately, a lot of people think that Memory Palaces take too much work, and that’s probably my fault.
You see, I’ve used the phrase “build Memory Palaces” when talking about mnemonics thousands of times. What I really mean is “create” Memory Palaces – or whatever word you need that involves spending 2-5 minutes creating a fantastic tool you can use to organize and store your mnemonics.
If you don’t already know how to ~~build~~ create a Memory Palace, I suggest you register for my Free Memory Improvement Kit right away. If you’re already a pro when it comes to this realm of mnemonics, then kudos to you. Send me a scan or picture of one of your Memory Palaces by email. I’d love to see it.
The important point is that you have learned the Memory Palace skill. It is the ultimate form of mnemonics because it lets you use every other kind of memory technique inside its walls.
And since the most efficient Memory Palaces tend to be based on actual buildings you’ve visited, that means you can increase the real estate value of them all. Instead of just handing over your rent or paying down a mortgage so you can store your stuff while working, why not store your memories their too? It’s a great way to make every building you’ve ever known invaluable using mnemonics.
3. Always Begin With A Clear Picture Of The End In Mind One thing that trips up just about every beginner with memory techniques is planning. Each memory project is unique, which means you need to take stock of the situation and work out a few things in advance.
For example, if you like to learn languages online as opposed to from a textbook, you’ll have different amounts and kinds of material to memorize.
When I work with a Chinese teacher, for example, I have different Memory Palaces than I do for Spanish. When I’m memorizing music, my use of mnemonics differs a great deal, and in that case, the Memory Palace is the instrument itself. See Memorize Bach on Bass for some preliminary music memory explorations and my discussion with John McPhedrine for his current music mnemonics ideas.
But no matter how you approach mnemonics (and even when you learn without mnemonics), you need a plan.
4. Know Your Passion Inside And Out It breaks my heart when people struggle with learning.
The problem usually isn’t with them, however, and it’s never with the information.
It’s always THE COMBINATION of the two.
Let’s face it: some people just don’t like some of the things they wind up studying.
Yet, for various reasons, they feel stuck with a topic or simply have to fulfill a commitment.
For most of us, most of the time, we can skip the problem altogether by finding topics to learn that we’re truly in love with.
Because when times get tough – and they always do eventually – passion will pull you through.
5. Believe In The Natural Abilities Of Your Imagination And Nurture Them If there’s on thing that gets newbies and old pros with mnemonics in a rut fast, it’s a sudden drop in self-confidence.
It happens to the best of us. Even I avoided tackling Japanese and Chinese for a long time because I worried mnemonics wouldn’t help with these languages.
The solution for when confidence dries up?
Certainly not dinky software brain games to which some people run.
No, we want to nurture our mind with simple creativity exercises at which we cannot fail. For example, the Creativity Kickstarter is a great way to return to the basics by coloring while recalling some information you’ve already confidently memorized.
For example, when I go to the Creativity Kickstarter when I find a current Memory Palace and its mnemonics too challenging. This happened a lot with my Chinese C Memory Palace – probably because of the Memory Palace I chose for it.
To reduce my frustration, I got out the Creativity Kickstarter and while working with it, I practiced Recall Rehearsal by firing off the mnemonics in Chinese Memory Palace B. My success in that Memory Palace boosted my confidence back up to the top and the C Memory Palace no longer felt so challenging.
6. Close The Deal By Knowing Your Numbers Can you remember the 3rd Eternal Law of Memory Improvement? If not, scroll back up and take a peek.
If you do remember it, good work! What mnemonics did you use to memorize it?
The point is this: A huge part of knowing where you’re going is determining how you’ll know if you got there.
For me, I currently have a goal of memorizing 3 new Chinese words every morning before I turn the computer on. Why only 3?
It’s because Chinese is different than other languages I’ve tinkered around with. Whereas a German word is just sound and meaning with spelling so intuitive it makes my Macbook Pro ashamed, Chinese vocabulary involves:
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Sound + correct tones
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Meaning
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Characters
In my mind, each word is actually 3 words and each requires 3 mnemonics. (Or more. At the moment I’m using the Major Method for the tones.)
How do I know if I’ve successfully memorized 3 words at the end of the day?
Easy. I test.
If I can recall them at the end of the day and the next morning and correctly use them in a sentence, then I’ve memorized them.
In other words, I don’t leave recalling what I’ve memorized to chance. I test as a matter of course to ensure that when the time comes to use the word or phrase in actual context, the mnemonics are there for me.
Skip this Eternal Law at your own risk.
7. You Must Keep Going Unused talents die and turn to dust with alarming speed. Once you join us mnemonists who practice the art of memory and make mnemonics a way of life, you have to keep going. Like any skill you can hone, to keep it sharp, you’ve got to use it.
How? Easy. Make sure that you’re follow all 7 of the Eternal Laws of Memory Improvement. Each feeds the other, making a bullet proof shield that no sword of forgetfulness can penetrate. Not only will you be able to learn, memorize and recall anything, but you’ll accomplish goals that have evaded you and feel amazing.
Never forget that memory and confidence connect at the hip. The more confident you are in your memory, the more confident you’ll be in all areas of life. This leads to rich new experiences that give you more exciting memories.
And the more experiences you have to draw on in life, the more associations you can make when using mnemonics. Isn’t that exciting?
Quick Recap 7 Eternal Laws of Memory Improvement When Using Mnemonics
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You must create insane associative-imagery that is impossible to forget.
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You must locate that imagery in specific and easy to find Memory Palace locations.
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You must have the end goal in mind. Knowing where you’re going will ensure you have as Memory Palaces as you need (or at least keep you creating them as you go along so you never run out).
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You must be passionate about what you’re learning. If you don’t value the topic or the larger topic it belongs to … what on earth are you spending time on it for?
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You must believe in the natural abilities of your imagination and nurture them.
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You must test and track your results.
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You must keep going.
The post Mnemonics And The 7 Eternal Laws Of Memory Improvement appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
You’ve thought about getting fluent in at least one other language, right?
In fact, you’ve already imagined yourself speaking fluently with native speakers. You even feel a wave of pride wash over you. And you want to feel that wave of pride wash over you.
But you can’t travel at the moment and the idea of commuting to a class and sitting with strangers horrifies you.
The good news is that you know you can learn languages online. You’re just not sure how.
3 Rock Solid Reasons To Learn Languages Online Before I tell you about how to use Skill Silo, let’s take a quick look at why learning language is a smart move.
1. Learning a language is the king of all brain games.
A lot of people look for mental exercise, but nothing pays off more than packing your mind full of foreign language vocabulary and phrases.
2. You make back your investment in droves.
Learning a language costs three things: time, money and energy. As you develop fluency, over time you get an amazing return on your investment. Memories that last forever. Greater chances at meaningful employment. Boosts of energy-creating confidence.
3. You make new friends.
People love it when you can speak their language. Not only that, but you can be a better friend. You can teach your monolingual friends cool words, phrases and elements of another culture.
You also get to introduce the friends you meet in your new language to aspects of your mother tongue and culture. It’s win-win and you get to be the hero.
And if you’re a parent searching for ways to learn languages online for kids, your children will not only make friends through language learning online programs. They’ll also find mentors who teach them how to learn. Plus, language learning is great memory exercise and you can use the language learning environment as an opportunity to teach your kids memory techniques.
There are many more reasons why you should learn a language. You’ll find another 15 Reasons Why Learning A Foreign Language Is Good For Your Brain here.
Why Most Online Language Platforms Are Distressingly Bad There are dozens of places you can learn languages online. Some are really awesome and I still use them. Italki.com, for example, has oodles of great features. With some sift-sort-and-screen skills under your belt, you can find really great teachers.
But a lot of places have confusing payment plans. It’s not clear why their teachers have the privilege of teaching online and there seems to be no standard. Plus, you get a wash of language learning materials that you always have to hunt for.
3 Things I Love About Skill Silo Skill Silo solves a lot of the problems I’ve just mentioned. I’m a big boy, for example, so I like when I see the cost of my language learning sessions clearly expressed in a real currency. I don’t have to translate money in my head so I know exactly what I’m paying.
This transparency helps me evaluate the value of the teacher I’m learning from as well because it feels like real cash I’m spending, not Monopoly money. On other platforms, I’ve felt like the payment structures are deliberately obscure so that I don’t really know how much I’m spending or how much I’m getting for my investment.
I also like that I can choose whether I want one hour or 30-minute sessions. On some other platforms, it’s up to the instructor what length of classes they offer. However, I like to vary the session lengths each time depending on my goals with different teachers. When I do “vocab-en-masse” blitzes, then an hour is great. But for theme-based lessons for developing skills with a verb and some nouns, 30-minutes is plenty to get the jist and do the homework myself.
One Textbook In One Place Skill Silo also has the advantage of providing you with a textbook. This feature has saved me a lot of time. Yes, I’m a memory expert, but I work sometimes with dozens of language teachers in the space of a year and when each one has their own worksheets and file-naming styles … It can be a real mess. I love that Skill Silo offers a central textbook.
When the teachers do offer supplementary worksheets, they are just that: supplements to a core textbook I can access anytime online through my Skill Silo account. Having access to the textbook in full also means I can pace ahead and think about what I would like to focus on during the next session.
This feature helps maximize the value of the time, energy and money invested because the best learners are self-directed learners. But on some other platforms I’ve used, it feels like the teachers use their learning materials like a gateway drug. It’s as if they imagine that if they dole it out once dose at a time, you’ll keep coming back for more. Not necessarily.
Mistakes To Avoid When You Learn Languages Online At the end of the day, no matter what platform you use, the teacher can only be as good as the student. That means you need to come prepared to your lessons.
The question is … how do you do this?
It’s a bit of a puzzle to figure out because when you learn languages online, the answer involves having the right teacher. In order to find the right teacher, you’ve got to dive in and try a few out. In fact, it might be necessary to have more than one teacher. Both Olly Richards and I tend to meet with several teachers in rotation and you can hear Olly’s reasons why along with his crazy language learning goals and mastering motivation secrets.
Here are some general tips:
1. Don’t delay.
As this Guardian article points out, the question “Can I successfully learn a language online?” puzzles a lot of people.
Don’t let it.
Just pick a teacher who looks good and book a session. Far too many people hum and haw over this step. But that’s just an evasion tactic. You want to learn a language, so you need to dive in somewhere. And don’t let perfectionism stop you. Chances are you’ll need to try at least two teachers before you find a match.
2. Invest in screen recording software.
I use Screenflow, a software which lets me review each session if I wish. I’ve cut my voice out of the recordings and made audiobooks of lessons so I can listen through them quickly, make notes and use the Magnetic Memory Method to memorize the material.
A lot of people don’t think to record their language learning sessions, but doing so is golden. If things get overwhelming or you zone out, it’s never a problem. You can go through the lesson again as many times as you like.
3. Come to the session prepared.
Always come with the material from last week ready so you can quickly review before diving into something new. Even if you haven’t memorized all of it, you should have your homework ready to share with the teacher so you can go over it.
4. Think ahead.
As you work on new material, consciously use what you already know from the previous week.
For example, if you learned about aunts and uncles last week and you’re doing fruit this week, talk about how your uncle likes strawberries. Your teacher might not think to make the connection, but you can.
And to succeed, you must. Ultimately, you’ll be the one out in the world speaking, so it’s great exercise to already have in mind what you want to speak about prepared for each lesson and make connections during the sessions. You’ll be doing that in real life too, so consider it training ground.
5. Mind your manners.
Always be on time, always say thank you and speak as little in your mother tongue as possible. It’s good to be able to ask questions in your mother tongue, but move to the language you’re studying as soon as possible.
6. Schedule multiple sessions in advance.
If you book sessions in bulk, you create milestones that help you organize your daily language learning activities. If you don’t have a daily learning ritual, check out these morning memory secrets.
7. Understand and use the power of motivation.
There’s a science to keeping your energy and enthusiasm high, so don’t feel like you have to slog through the process. Also, learn to balance the level of challenge. As James Clear discusses, The Goldilocks Rule is the key to success in life and it works in the business of language learning too.
8. Make a blog that documents your journey.
Have you ever noticed how often I talk about my language learning stories on this blog? Well, it’s not by accident. When you talk about what you’re learning, you process it through different representational channels in your brain. Writing about your language learning experiences sinks what you’ve learned into deeper channels.
I remember 办公室 (bàngōngshì) better than a lot of other words, for example, because I took the time to teach other people how I learned it. I’ve talked about it on the Magnetic Memory Method podcast, written about it and even shared a drawing of what I saw in my mind so that I could instantly memorize the sound, meaning and tones of the word:
If blogging isn’t for you, simply tell other people what you’re learning and explain why you’re remembering it so easily thanks to the Magnetic Memory Method. As you’ve heard me say a zillion times before, when you teach others what you’ve learned, you learn it better yourself.
My poor roommate, friends and fiancé have to listen to endless explanations of the bizarre imagery I use to create mnemonics that work, but it’s part of getting the highest possible levels of success. Fast.
And that’s an important point. Even though you can learn languages online, you also want to speak what you’ve learned at every possible opportunity – even with people who aren’t studying your target language.
If you don’t have any friends, explain the mnemonics you’re using to your teacher. I’m sure they’ll be amused and enthused that you’re remembering the lessons and love knowing more about how you’re pulling it all off.
9. Never stop learning.
Fluency is not a destination. It’s a way of life.
To this day I work on improving my best language, including memorizing German phrases. Just as you need to keep doing pushups to keep your muscles strong, you need to keep speaking with people in order for fluency levels to remain high. When you can learn languages online, there’s no reason not to keep up this practice for the rest of your life.
Free Online Language Courses Are A Supplement To Speaking (Not An Alternative) It’s tempting to think you can learn a language by playing around all day with language learning apps. There are many out there and they do help get words and phrases into your long term memory.
However, with some of them, you’re hearing the language spoken by a computer. They’re also often not giving you words and phrases that are even remotely useful to you. Finally, when it comes time to speak a language, you have a human in front of you. Not a mouse and keyboard.
You might also think you can get to fluency with a “learn languages online chat” mission. Chatting certainly can help, but the same principle applies. You need to speak and you need to speak often.
But if you are going to chat online, then with whom better than a dedicated language learning teacher? They’ll know a lot about your current situation, have spoken with you and if you’re using Skype, you’ll have an easily accessible track record of your discussions.
Just make sure that you actually speak about what you discussed during your online chat. Get the words and phrases into the muscle memory of your mouth, not just your fingers.
When Will You Make The Leap From Dreamer To Speaker? Learning a language involves making a lot of mistakes. The sooner you get started the better.
The cool thing about how we can learn languages online in today’s world is that you can make those mistakes in the comfort of your own home. Only one other person has to know – and that person can be a trained professional.
Or you can be a bit more public and share words you’re learning on YouTube, like I do with playlist on how to improve vocabulary with mnemonic examples:
No matter how you proceed, now that you know why you should be learning a language and have some solid tips for getting started on solid footing, there’s really only one mistake you can make:
Not getting started.
But if you’re ready right now, Skill Silo offers lessons in:
- Arabic
- Chinese
- English
- Farsi
- French
- German
- Hebrew
- Italian
- Japanese
- Russian
- Portuguese
- Spanish
Their teachers are professional, dedicated and the system is easy to use. If you’ve ever wanted a simple way to book instructors, a brain-dead simple means of accessing one core textbook so you’re not swamped with learning materials and sessions you can record and refer to again and again.
Why not schedule your first free session now? This is what you’ll see when you visit Skill Silo now to book your first session:
If you’re ready to experience live sessions with language teachers in the comfort of your own home, then then I know you’re going to love learning your dream language with the help of Skill Silo. Just click the image above, select your desired language and you can easily get started right away.
The post Learn Languages Online With Skill Silo And These 9 Fluency Tips appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Before you dump another moment of your life into searching for brain games that improve your memory, please realize one thing:
Your Brain Exercises Need To Be About Something … Here’s the deal:
A lot of memory games and other brain-enhancing apps try to help improve your memory by giving you abstract or arbitrary memory tasks.
For example, you might be asked to remember the locations of a detective’s cap, magnifying glass and a detection kit behind a set of tiles.
The Sherlock Holmes theme is certainly clever, but exactly what kind of memory skills does this exercise train? The answer is easy:
General memory skills.
That’s it and nothing more. Or …
… maybe even less.
After all, general brain games help you get good at remembering the location of imaginary objects hidden behind squares on a tiny computer screen. And you have to ask yourself …
Does That Sound Like A Useful Skill To You? Is there anything wrong with this kind general of brain exercise?
Not necessarily. This Scientific American article finds no harm in playing them (few demonstrable benefits either).
But if you want to get better at remembering the information that matters …
Play Games With Information That Matters! Seriously. If you want to harness the power of neuroplasticity, give your neurons toys that are congruent with your end goal.
Yes, a basketball player completes some training drills that don’t involve a basketball for general fitness.
But when it comes to developing skills and having the REAL fun basketball offers as a game, you need the ball itself in your hands. You need to practice navigating it around the court and sinking it through the hoop.
The Benefits Of Brain Games Do Not Last First off, have you looked into any of the studies to which many of these software companies refer? Chances are you won’t even find any because they often don’t exist. This was the finding of one major FTC case that led to a $2 million lawsuit again sellers of a popular brain training program.
Look:
No one is saying that these games don’t have some effect.
But exactly how they provide measurable benefits is far from clear. Nor can it be clear. The skills one develops in the games, apart from concentration, rarely, if ever, appear in real life.
This lack of necessity for the “skills” supposedly developed by brain games again brings us to one important fact. To get long lasting effects, we need more than games. We need to link the brain games we play with the information we want to get better at handling.
Which Of These Information Types Do You Tend To Forget Most? * Foreign language vocabulary * Names and faces * Facts * Numbers * Equations * Lyrics * Dates * Recipes
If you want to get good in any of these areas, the best thing is to play brain games that involve these kinds of information. That way, you associate the information with fun while you get better at learning, memorizing and using it in practical situations.
If you’re finding you still struggle, please consider understanding the most important difference between memory loss and forgetfulness.
Plus, you’ll get long-lasting effects because the more you know about a particular topic, the more you can know.
For example, if you’re studying history, knowing that the important memory artist Giordano Bruno died in 1600 creates a hook upon which you can hang other pieces of information.
Would you like to know that Hamlet was (probably) written or being in written in 1600?
No problem. Just imagine Kenneth Branaugh or another actor you associate with the role of Hamlet strangling the Bruno statue in Rome.
Would you like to know that the Bruno statue in Rome is specifically located at Campo de’ Fiori?
Again, no problem:
Just add an image like a Ferrari digging ore from beneath the statue using a camping tent.
In this fascinating brain game, we’re compounding information by linking one thing with another. You can make a tower of knowledge using just that one location in Rome. There’s so much more you can add because knowing one thing enables you to know yet another.
Here’s How To Make Your Own Brain Games I get it:
You look to software and apps so you can instantly download games to your device. You want to immediately start enjoying the benefits of memory improvement right away. You’re probably also looking to improve focus and concentration too.
But here’s the thing:
You’re just creating digital amnesia.
Worse:
If the brain games on the market only improve your memory on a general level (if at all), then you’re only going to get general results.
And if the game doesn’t involve information that’s even remotely interesting to you, finding hats and magnifying glasses behind rotating tiles is going to get boring fast.
To create your own games, ones that will make an impact on specific areas where you’re weak, you may have to create your own.
Let’s say you’re learning a language and keep forgetting words and phrases. To make a game that will help you improve, you need only a goal, some rules and an antagonistic force.
Good News: The Enemy In Your Brain Games Comes Built In Time. Everybody has too little, so when time deadlines appear in games, it’s a metaphor for real life.
But in this case, the real antagonist is forgetfulness. And that’s the beast we’re going to beat.
Here’s a game you can try. All it requires is one Memory Palace. If you’d like to learn how to make and use one, there are a number of full memory improvement training options in the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass.
Using a Memory Palace, take 5-10 words you want to memorize.
Put on a timer and start memorizing using the tools of associative-imagery. Again, you can register for my The MMM Memory Improvement Kit if you don’t know how to create associative-imagery.
Some of the basics were demonstrated in the example with Hamlet and Bruno given above.
Very briefly, using Magnetic Imagery is part of the art of memory that involves taking something you don’t know and attaching it to something you do.
For example, if you want to memorize German vocabulary like “abartig,” you could see an image of Abraham Lincoln tossing a piece of art like the Mona Lisa into the washing machine where Tigger is doing something … abnormal. (It’s up to you what that weird thing is!)
Already Sounds Fun, Doesn’t It? Associating the “Ab” in Abraham lets you remember the beginning of this word and the painting reminds you of “art” and the “Tig” in “Tigger” helps you recall the end of the word.
Ab + art + Tig = Abartig.
Remember, Tigger is doing something abnormal in the washing machine and that’s why you know when you put the pieces of the puzzle together and say “abartig,” the word means “abnormal.”
Make Sure You Have The Right Tools To play this brain game, have your Memory Journal open so you can see your Memory Palace as you play and write out the associative-imagery you create.
Just like you did with the first word, go as fast as you can. Create one tight and vibrant image for each word to leave at each station on your Memory Palace.
At this point, don’t worry about anything other than coming up with images for each of the words you’ve selected. You just want to see how long it takes you to create associative-imagery for 5-10 words. Once you have your baseline time established, you can start challenging yourself to break the record for new sets of words.
The Magic Happens During The Testing Round Once you’ve made a pass over the information, make a two minute pause and then test how much you can remember.
Do this by going to each station in your Memory Palace and “decoding” the associative-imagery you’ve created and placed there.
Don’t worry about total accuracy or stress yourself out. It’s just a game and you’re only competing with yourself. You’re going to get better quickly and soon be breaking your own records. All while increasing your episodic memory.
And because the information you’re using is drawn from something you want to learn, you reach goals in addition to memory improvement. And when you share the rules of this brain game with others, you become a better human too.
Play This Game With Any Information … So Long As It’s Info That Counts I’ve given German vocabulary in this example, but you could use anything. Song lyrics present a different kind of challenge, for example, because they involve full phrases. Song lyrics in a foreign language offer even more of a stretch. Either way, it feels so great when you walk away from playing games with your brain with the ability to create pleasure at any time by singing a song you’ve always wanted to learn.
You can play with information about geography, biology, literature, film studies and medical terminology. Or if you’ve always wanted to know the Kings of England and their historical dates, you can do that, along with the American Presidents and Canadian Prime Ministers. You can have fun learning, memorizing and recalling anything.
The Secret Sauce To Real Results From Real Brain Games As we’ve asked today, how does getting better at finding objects you’ve been shown behind tiles on a memory game help in real life?
Who knows? That’s hard to quantify.
But when you spend your time playing brain games with the information you need to succeed, everybody wins.
Here’s the real way to get massive results: Go for small and consistent improvements using information that matters. Make sure that you can measure what you’re doing so that you see the results in tangible ways.
To accomplish this, play your newly minted brain game on a schedule. Believe it or not, it’s in human nature to establish daily routines and we respond well to doing the same things at the same time on a training schedule. Write down the nature of your game and the results using a dedicated Memory Journal. Involve your hands and colored pens and pencils to bring in more creative parts of your body and brain for best results.
How To Make Playing Mind-Nourishing Games A Priority As I detailed in Mandarin Chinese Mnemonics And Morning Memory Secrets, the best way to get in regular learning and memory fitness is to spend time playing with information first thing before the computer goes on.
Seriously, why risk squeezing your memory improvement in when you can make it a cherished part of your day?
Works For Highly Committed Learners Too Please don’t make the mistake that the game I’ve just shared with you is only for beginners or for those who struggle to fit regular learning and brain exercise into their schedules. People already dedicated to using memory techniques benefit from playing self-made games for the mind too. In fact, this kind of activity can really help you avoid getting into learning ruts, so you can also think of them as a preemptive measure.
The Real Problem With Downloadable Brain Games If you’re as excited as I am about getting real results from the time you spend training your brain, I invite you to make a public declaration below. Talk about the game you’re going to create for yourself and feel free to pop back often with updates on your results. I respond to every post.
But after you commit with your comment below, turn the machine off for awhile. The real problem we face in today’s world is the encouragement to be wired all the time. By taking a walk without your smartphone, you may already be giving your brain a massive advantage, even if you don’t play a memory game of the kind I’m suggesting.
Mental rest is just as important as mental training, so until we speak again, see if you can’t fit in less screen time, not more. You’ll feel Magnetic.
And if you have any questions about what puts the “Magnetic” in the mnemonic techniques taught here, here’s more about the Magnetic Memory Method.
Further Resources
I share an other brain game in this video “trailer” for the post you’ve just read:
Also check out:
3 Memory Games You Can Play With Your Childhood
3 Effective Brain Training Exercises For Mental Illness Sufferers
11 Empowering Things About Memory You Probably Do Not Know
The post Brain Games: The Truth You Need To Know For Memory Improvement appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Listen in as two memory geeks go over their experiences with memorizing German and music with a few notes on beginner's Chinese.
Magnetic Memory Method user Richard Gilzean takes you through how he memorized a new German phrase every day for an entire year.
This quick start guide teaches you how to remember names quickly and easily. Never forget other peoples' names again.
Do you hate that slump you get after flying?
How about that dumpy feeling that comes when winter takes hold? Not the greatest of friends, is it?
But just stop and ask yourself …
What If Suffering Like This Could Be Reduced Or Eliminated? In my brief experience with an amazing new invention, I believe that it can. It’s called Human Charger and this is my story using it.
As a Canadian currently living in Germany, I’ve spent more than a few days in the miserable dark. Winter temperatures rarely stand a chance, but gray days take a lot out of me, especially since I have Bipolar Disorder.
But no matter where a person lives or what conditions they might face, there are solutions to the winter blahs.
And if you’re a frequent flyer, the very same solution applies to jet lag too. All you need is light.
As always, the science is divided. In general, light is essential to the creation of Vitamin D, though it’s not entirely clear that Vitamin D plays the role we think it does. Nonetheless, light definitely affects mood and energy. And since it takes a feeling of well-being to tolerate long, dark winters, arguably, more exposure to light will ease that burden.
The 3 Best Ways To Get More Healing Light I’ve tried a number of ways to get more sun during the winter in Berlin.
Travel is the simplest: Pick a sunny place and go. Travel is great because you not only get more light, but you can challenge your mind by learning a language and enjoying the culture. In addition to getting more “happy rays,” here are another 15 Reasons Why Learning A Foreign Language Is Good For Your Brain.
Definitely chase the sun if you can. I’ve enjoyed warmer temperatures, boosts in fluency and warm sun in places like Greece, Spain and most recently in China where I shot a video course and did some research on the great mnemonist Matteo Ricci.
While at home, my trainer Lars Rosenbaum at Ignite Fit recommended one 15-minute session per week in what he called the “assi-toaster.” That’s a Denglish (German/English) word that combines asocial with toaster to joke about the anti-social activity of laying in a tanning bed.
I’ve found that he’s right. That small blast of light once a week helps keep the blues away. It’s not enough to create much of a tan, but a sufficient amount for creating the desired effect.
Just Like Storing The Sun In Your Pocket? Even before the package arrived, I was skeptical. After all, the idea of shooting light into your ears sounds a bit fantastical. I also worried about burning holes in my eardrum or developing tinnitus.
Not only that, but I had no upcoming trips with flights long enough to merit trying the Human Charger. So I let one of the most miraculous technologies I would ever use just sit there.
Then Jari got in touch to ask if I’d given the Human Charger a try. I told him that I had no reason to do so but might the following year. He suggested giving it a try, citing its use for dealing with Seasonal Effective Disorder (SAD). My interest peaked and so I finally opened the package and gave it a try.
It’s simple to use. About the size of an iPod, it comes with two earbuds that you pop into your ears before switching it on. It makes a beep and soon after you feel warmth inside your head.
Eureka … It Works! After the session, I immediately felt different. I felt better. And of course I figured it was probably a placebo. Nonetheless, I stuck with the device and still use it every day during my meditation sessions.
The device is set at 100% power when you get it for a 12 minute session. That felt too much for me so I reduced it to 75% for 9 minutes.
The 9 minutes matches almost exactly how long I like to meditate and gives my meditations a frame without having to set an alarm. It’s also pleasant to meditate with the warmth in my head, something definitely worth experiencing.
I also enjoy using Humancharger when completing The Freedom Journal, which is another great Memory Improvement Tool.
Imagine Flying Halfway Around The World Without A Shred Of Jet Lag For me, the real test would be an international flight. So when I finally went to China, I followed the instructions precisely and flew with anticipation of a jet lag free experience.
To my pleasant surprise, I got it. More precisely, I felt like my body wanted to go into jet lag, but it couldn’t. There was just a whisper of that holiday-destroying condition that didn’t disrupt a thing.
I wasn’t the only one surprised either. People kept asking me why I was so chipper, which gave me the opportunity to share the good news about the Human Charger.
Like others, I too felt skeptical.
Nonetheless, both during and after my visit to China, the post-flight experiences created amazement in myself and others as I strutted around with my usual impenetrable energy.
The Best Meditation Hardware On The Market With respect to overall well-being, the best part of using the Human Charger apart from solving jet lag is the experience of using it during meditation. Many people use apps to help keep them focused as they practice and I’ve certainly tested my share.
At the same time, I’ve always felt that using sound-based apps weakens the mental effects one is trying to create. After all, shouldn’t we work to meditate unassisted by anything? Isn’t that where the real power of creating concentration at will lies?
I still think so, but the Human Charger is different because it’s not software. It enables light to reach a place inside your body light normally doesn’t get to go. There are no sounds, no fantastic strobe effects, nothing more than a steady blast of exposure as if your ears had opened up and let the sun in.
The reason the Human Charger adds so much to meditation is not only that the device adds a time frame to the experience.
It also creates a physical sensation that you can focus on. I find kinesthetics more beneficial than sound during a meditation because touch is always happening anyway. Your body touches the floor and itself. You can create physical effects with your breath and the temperature can be noted and focused upon.
Warmth in the ears then becomes another tool of physical immersion that further cements you in the moment. Computer-generated sounds, on the other hand, usually have a transportive effect, immersing you in the technology rather than the world as it is unfolding around you.
Yes, you can argue that the technology is part if the unfolding world around you – but you know what I mean! … 😉
But … Does It Help With Memory? That’s obviously the most important question, right? We’re here for astonishing memory tricks, after all.
The answer is simple:
Any time you can remove suffering from the equation, you help your memory. Simply having the ability to pay attention better already gives you an advantage. And when using mnemonics, having a clear head and energy makes the entire process much easier.
Along with meditation, the Human Charger is a Light Saber that cuts through the darkness and gives your imagination a boost so that you can better learn, memorize and recall anything. Check out the Human Charger for yourself today.
About This Episode Of The Podcast When you download this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you’ll hear an interview with one of the Human Charger’s founders, Timo Ahopelto of Lifeline Ventures.
Timo has worked in several industries, ranging from biotech to apps, digital media and process technology. He earned his entrepreneur MBA from CRF Health, a software and services company that he co-founded, developed into a global market leader and successfully exited in 2015. Timo spends his free time with family, ice hockey, iron and in Lapland skiing-hikes.
Timo is also an author. He published his first book in 2013 (in Finnish). The books is called “Sand Hill Road” and is an action-packed report based loosely on the true story of two Finnish entrepreneurs who moved to Silicon Valley to make their mark.
My favorite parts of the interview involve our discussion about Zen Robotics, the fact that jet lag is not classified as a disease in the US and the ways that startups now have the ability to give medical technology to regular people instead of locking it up in medical buildings.
Be sure to look up Timo on Twitter and let him know what you think about his work in technology and medicine!
Further Resources
Human Brain Reacts to Transcranial Extraocular Light (Scientific Paper)
Want to stop smoking and improve your memory? It might not be easy, but these 7 tactics will help.
Unlock your amazing memory with these tips from Brad Zupp.
You’ve read about browser control software, right?
You know. The kind that blocks ads or logs you out after you’ve procrastinated too long.
All fine and dandy, but not the solution. Here are some low-tech things to try instead:
Get The Important Stuff Done Before You Switch The DumbPhone On “Yeah right,” I hear you say. “My computer IS the important stuff!”
Really? What about learning a language, or even just developing motivation for learning one? Believe it or not, people have learned languages for a long time without the aid of machines.
But even if you still need software, you can model what I’m doing for Mandarin Chinese. Technically, it still involves using a machine, but I use it like an ugly old Walkman.
Which leads us to:
Digital Fasting: Stop Carrying The Internet With You Everywhere Sometimes I worry about becoming a Luddite. I do not have a single device that accesses the Internet unless I find wireless in a cafe. And even then, I’ve designed my life in a way that I rarely need it.
Friends and strangers alike ask me how I survive without it, a question that perplexes me. From ages four to twenty-four, I managed to meet people all over the world without having an email address or a cellphone.
Heck, I even used to arrange meetings by post.
The point being is that if you can’t figure out why you’re not achieving your goals, look to the roaming Internet first. And then consider the following life-changing activities:
- Use an app like Plain Text to write a book, blog post or article (like I’m doing right now) instead of scrolling through Facebook and clicking the Like button. That’s a fast path to nowhere.
But all wealth comes from writing, including social, intellectual and financial wealth. I guess the occasional “LOL” might add to the pool, but I’m certainly not counting on it.
-
Create a mind map with (gasp!) pen and paper while using your spayed or neutered DumbPhone to listen to a podcast or lecture. You’ll remember more and come up with incredible ideas as you work. I highly recommend Mind Map Mastery for tips and advice on this practice.
-
Meet a human being and have a conversation with no devices on or near the table. Switch it off so it doesn’t buzz, beep or otherwise bang its way into your attention from within a bag or pocket.
And above all, learn and love this phrase: “I’ll look it up later.” Then use your to-do list to create a Memory Palace that helps you do so.
Speaking of which:
If You Create A Memory Palace, Use It Many people tell me they’ve created one or more Memory Palaces. They even send me excellent drawings that demonstrate substantial knowledge of the Magnetic Memory Method.
The only problem is … They never use them.
Regarding today’s topic, failing to use your inner mental technology opens you to more information pollution because you’re not spending time massaging the right stuff into your memory.
Stuff like:
-
Facts that build general knowledge.
-
Names and dates of historical figures and events that develop your understanding of how and why we got here.
-
Critical Information from a textbook so that you can ace exams.
-
Poems, quotes, plots and jokes so that you always have something interesting to say. Heck, if you’ve got good poems, stories or philosophical ideas memorized, you’ll always have something fascinating to think about even when you’re on your own.
-
Passwords and credit card numbers so that you’re not pouring time down the drain looking stuff up.
You can memorize all of these things, even if you have aphantasia.
Memorizing These Things Could Make The Difference Between Being A Mouse Or A Millionaire But if you’re tootling your time away consuming and creating blasts of info pollution, good luck making it to the top.
But … How? How do we avoid all this nonsense and the digital amnesia it brings?
Frame Your Day With Time Boundaries It’s not just about doing the important stuff before you switch on the computer. It’s about spacing out time across the day.
Luckily, this is easy to do. It’s called “setting a timer.” How it works is this:
- Decide how long you want to work on a high margin task. When it comes to your memory work, that might mean the design, memorization or recall parts, as described in this video:
https://youtu.be/XODZWrz_bsI
-
Set the timer. If you’re studying from a lecture or audiobook, use these 5 Note Taking Techniques That Force You To Remember More.
-
Work until the timer rings. This simple device will help improve focus and concentration.
-
Take a computer-free break to avoid noise pollution. Do push ups, take a walk or, dip into a Memory Palace.
If you can’t develop the discipline needed to do this on your own, find a co-working team.
My friend Max Breckbill hosts the most amazing group sessions and serves as the MC.
He starts and ends each session and manages a spreadsheet that lists the activities of each attendee to help create accountability.
And in the memory world, this is how my students go from being mnemonics beginners to Memory Palace Masters quickly.
Set Activity Boundaries And Hold To Them At the beginning of 2016, I performed a life assessment with the help of my friend Jonathan Levi.
One of the huge gaps I found involved the withering of my music life. Somehow I just wasn’t playing bass often enough anymore. Same thing with my language learning and memory experiments.
So then I did a severe time analysis and found that I’d unconsciously slid away from my tried and true time-tracking technique. Once I got that back on track, I quickly spotted the culprit.
Here’s What Happens When You Look In The Mirror You thought I was going to say Facebook, right?
Almost. The actual answer is “me on Facebook.”
Why?
Because blaming software, hardware and online platforms for siphoning our time amounts to technological determinism.
The truth is that the machines don’t make us spend our time on them. We determine our own way onto them and into their forests of noise pollution all on our own.
And it’s tremendously exhausting both psychologically and physically.
Those dopamine boosts feel good, but that’s just because there’s sugar on the blade. We’re oozing precious lifeblood each and every second we spend in states of media-induced excitement.
The solution?
Use The Simple Power Of Arithmetic Rules To Set Yourself Free At the ThinkBuzan memory training I attended, Tony Buzan said something very important that applies to many things in life: “Rules set you free.” When it comes to eliminating information pollution to your life, try setting these into action:
Starting tomorrow, count the number of times you find yourself on Facebook. If you use browsers exclusively, you could use the history function at the end of the day, but if the FB app doesn’t track it, you’ll have to do it manually.
Yes, yes, I know that there are apps that show you graphs of where you spend your time. But I don’t think graphical readouts spit out by the same machine you’re trying to avoid will create quite the same shock ad awe as the graph you create on your own.
Once you know your numbers, set a rule.
For example, you can cut the number in half and use a Memory Palace and the Major Method to track the number of times you’ve popped in.
Everybody Knows That The Dice Are Loaded Or roll dice and subtract that number.
Better yet, go for broke and determine to visit your favorite noise pollution sites once a day. Maximum.
That’s ultimately how I got mounds of time back into my life.
At first, I didn’t know what to do with it all, even after reinserting bass practice and language learning.
But I soon found ways, such as reviving my passion for reading novels and even created my own coloring book so I could dive into a form of guided creativity so many of us have lost since childhood.
To seal the deal …
Journal Your Progress And Tell Others About Your Accomplishments “Hell,” Sartre wrote, “is other people.”
And when it comes to getting tied up in information pollution, this might be true. Especially when the excuse for multiple exposures comes down to not wanting to lose touch with friends.
Frankly, if you can’t keep up with friends by visiting Facebook just once a day and scanning their feeds, then you need to find a way to get paid for the labor of liking their posts.
Instead, use the power of mathematical rules to set yourself free and then report on the experience. I use The Freedom Journal to help me in this regard.
Encourage others to do the same.
Fight The Noise Pollution Get your power back.
Learn, memorize and recall more. Maybe take up a goal like Marno Hermann, who memorized 1200 Digits of Pi and recited them all live.
Trust me, if you implement what you’ve read in this post, you’ll not only reduce the info pollution in your life. You’ll win back the time you spent reading it back in droves and become one of the smartest human beings on the planet.
Now go forth and Magnetize.
There's a moral element to memory and you can use these 5 rules from Albertus Magnus to make better Memory Palaces.
I went and got certified as a ThinkBuzan Licensed Instructor. Here are 13 reasons why you should too.
It’s no secret that students want to succeed. They really do.
Even a former dropout like myself dreamed of getting all A’s during all those years goofing off took precedent over serious study. I just didn’t have the guidance and strategies talented young people need to get the most out of their education.
So pay attention, because whether you’re in high school, college, university or taking training for certification …
Every Student In The World Can Be The BEST Student In The World! But first, you need to overcome a few problems, such as …
The Failure To Make A Cozy Little Study Nest Far too often, students all over the map. They try to read The Canterbury Tales in cafeterias, do math at the mall and even work on programming logo-rhythms in the loo.
With rare exceptions, none of these places support extended concentration (more on that topic in a bit). But even if you do study well in a variety of noisy places, having a dedicated and protected area can work miracles for your memory.
Why?
Humans are creatures of habit, and none of us are stronger than our habits. But when we consistently engage in powerful practices, they guide us to amazing places.
How To Find Your Comfort Zone In truth, I don’t know. You’ll need to experiment. And you may need more than one,
For me, one of my best study places was Joanne’s closet. She was my main squeeze during my BA years, but for a long time, I was her best-kept secret.
One day I didn’t leave her place in time to miss the people who weren’t supposed to see me, however. The only solution in our intellectually intelligent but emotionally immature minds was to hide me in her closet.
And that’s where I stayed for a very long time after she threw in my backpack, a blanket and a few pillows. Later, she brought me a flashlight so at least I could read.
Over the course of the day, Joanne kept me fed and watered and facilitated the odd trip to the washroom. (Very unusual trips these were indeed!)
The Most Unusual Productivity Hack In The World Anyhow, the whole ordeal turned out well because not only was I very comfortable, but I wound up reading a challenging book from cover to cover and getting key points down on index cards. I didn’t know how to memorize a textbook (infographic) back then, but getting that work done in a focused place was such a boon, I’ve been reading in and even writing in closets ever since.
Heck, when I was in Gran Canaria, I even recorded two episodes of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast in the closet of my hotel!
The point is, you can find a perfect place to snuggle in and get stuff done. If that means hiding from the family of your lover in a dark place, by all means do it. You’ll be pleased by the results that your regular homework, writing and study space brings.
Next, don’t fail to …
Rack Your Study Schedule Shotgun I know. That’s a slightly violent image.
But the reality is that we as students and lifelong learners often fail to follow a planned schedule. And went that happens, it’s impossible to set ’em up and knock ’em down.
I’m talking about writing essays with enough time left over to edit them. I’m talking about giving yourself enough time to take a warm up exam before sitting for the one that counts. I’m talking about planning time for fun, relaxation and rest so your brain consolidates all you’re learning.
The problem is, so few know …
How To Create A Bulletproof Action Plan And Consistently Implement The best tip I know to help you with this one involves two simple sentences.
Conquer the Morning. Win the day.
Remember when I told you about my Mandarin Chinese Mnemonics And Morning Memory Secrets?
Well, I didn’t invent that strategy just for studying Chinese. I’ve been using morning routines for years to get the most important tasks out of the way first.
But You’ve Got To Know What Your Most Important Tasks Are! To do that means identifying and setting priorities. If your teacher is any good, you’ll have these loud and clear.
For example, with the Magnetic Memory Method, it’s simple: organize the target info, create Memory Palaces or select existing Memory Palaces, encode the info and then use Recall Rehearsal to place it in long term memory.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
But not all teachers know how to help you understand your priorities, so you must make sure you …
Stop Failing To Communicate With Your Instructors I know, I know. They’re the teachers and it’s their responsibility to guide you.
But in reality, that’s only 50% correct. Every top-notch student needs to meet their instructors halfway. You need to observe where they are failing you and get what you need.
Avoid This Student Plague … Like The Plague! Have you ever sat in class with a burning question and yet … you didn’t raise your hand?
If so, you’re in the majority.
Don’t feel bad. It’s part of the human condition not to want to stand out, or feel stupid or be the first to say something. You might also be wrongly assuming that the teacher will get to what you want to know later anyway. Or maybe you fear that the teacher might be annoyed.
Maybe the teacher will show some agitation, but who cares? Their position obligates them to serve you and if you’re worried about the opinions of other students, stop. They’re worried about your opinion of them too. It’s a vicious circle and will get you nowhere.
If nothing else, talk to the teacher after class or by email. This low-profile tactic was my favorite and always served me well. It made sure that I never suffered …
The Failure To Ask For Special Treatment It’s a little-known fact that you can influence the course of your education and tailor much of it to your needs.
For example, one of the most exciting third-year courses I ever took was also … dreadfully dull!
It was called Shakespeare’s Contemporaries and the professor taught with such passion, that I couldn’t wait to hear him speak about weirdo playwrights like John Webster and Thomas Kyd. I admired him so much that I asked him to serve on my doctoral defence committee many years later. To my honor, he did.
The only problem during that seminar course was … the other students. I’m sorry to say this, but many were duds. They showed up unprepared and didn’t interact with this most excellent professor. As a seminar course, there were no lectures as such and the purpose was to have student-driven discussion.
Anyhow, as much as I loved listening to the professor, it also pained me to see him wrestle with my unprepared peers. One day after class, I approached him with trembling hands and asked him one of the most important and powerful questions of my academic life:
May I Have Alternative Assignments? Instead of showing up for class to get my participation grade, I wanted to write extra essays to make up for the missing marks. Otherwise, I would need either to skip class or drop the course altogether.
Well, the professor seemed to understand exactly my needs and I wound up completing most of that course on my own. I even passed with an A+.
I went on to ask that question of professors again and again, ultimately customizing my entire undergraduate and graduate programs entirely to suit my needs – such as spending hours of study time in dark closets. 😉
Speaking of talking with your instructors, you also need to avoid …
The Failure To Speak With Other Students About Your Studies Yes, I know. Most of the time, the last thing you want is more of the same after a long session in class.
But if you do it right, you can learn more by revisiting your topic with others in some pleasant and exciting ways.
For example, after I dropped out of high school and returned, I had my first study partner. We took the advanced literature course instead of normal English 12 and it had so much reading, we split it between us.
Leslie would read, for example, John Donne and unpack it for me. I would read the extract from Paradise Lost and lay out all the cool things Satan says when he first lands in the pit.
https://youtu.be/GINzUBvQ5nw
That way, when I finally got around to reading her half of the load and she to mine, we knew exactly what we were looking for. It was kind of like seeing a movie again for the first time after many years. Plus, we had notes from class to round out our studies and guide our discussions.
When it came time to take the tests and write the in-class essays, we were both in top form. We knew the material inside and out. In the years since, I have done this with study groups large and small and we teach each other the key points from books we read.
Heck, it even happens in a certain way through the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, such as when people tell me about the best parts of books they’ve read and I zip out my own study notes. You have heard The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci episode, right?
Without Study Groups, Students Fail To Encourage And Motivate Each Other Look, you don’t need to exaggerate it. But if you’re not meeting with other students outside of class, it’s impossible for you to notice when they’ve explained something really well in a relaxed environment. Of course, you can pat each other on the back for things said in class, but it’s not the same thing.
Plus, there’s power in generating ideas together. You also get to frame time by meeting on a predetermined schedule and using something like Roberts Rules to control the flow.
Study groups can also help you avoid …
The Failure To Be Clear And Realistic Yes, it sucks cold beans, but when you’re a student, you’re being measured. And whether you pass or fail, the metrics make a mark and condition your confidence.
In this world, you need all the confidence you can get!
But by studying together, you’ll also be talking about deadlines and the conditions of the game. This process will keep your eye on the ball and guide you to the target. You just need to avoid …
The Failure Of Letting Worry And Stress Rule Your Mind If you’ve been following along, you’re already way ahead on this one. You’ve got a cozy study place, the shotgun of your schedule racked, your teachers in the palm of your hand and a powerful study group.
These conditions themselves will reduce stress to a bare minimum. You probably won’t even feel it.
But why not take preemptive measures to make sure stress can’t rise up unnoticed? It’s easy if you’ll just meditate, sleep and eat a memory friendly diet.
Speaking of diets, to help you sleep, eat better and have way more time, don’t fall prey to the …
Failure To Hit The Kill Switch Do you want to choose how to live your life? Or would you prefer to have it chosen for you?
Keep watching TV and farting around on social media and you’re giving up your right to be free.
I know that sounds harsh, but all appearances suggest that TV, social media and other digital delights like video games and instant messaging create dopamine spikes in the brain. Unfortunately, we get addicted to these, which can reduce concentration and create impulsivity that makes it difficult to get things done.
The best way around this?
Put Borders Around Your Mind Candy Binges Here’s a simple trick:
Just as you should get all the most important activities finished before you switch on the computer and get tossed by the sea of email messages and social media, vow to stop all of it by a set hour.
My preference is 9 pm with 10 pm as the absolute maximum outer limit. Sure, I break this rule once in awhile of something needs to get done, but rarely by more than 30 minutes. The rule itself helps to contain any attempts at breaking it.
Plus, I watch programs with limits and check Facebook only once a day. Email gets a bit more attention, but even that I try to limit to three sessions per day.
Not only that, but my iPhone doesn’t receive calls, receive or send texts or have roaming Internet. It is simply for writing, reading and language study. It truly is a smartphone and I have a tiny old Motorola for handling the rest.
You may not want or need to be that extreme, but please, above all, avoid …
The Failure To Realize That Focus Is Your Number One Asset As A Student And Lifelong Learner More than that, focus is the future. As more and more things compete for our attention, those who can avoid all the failures discussed in this post will rule the world. Those who sink in the mire of unproductive lives and disorganized confusion will be their slaves.
That’s why the penultimate failure is so important to avoid.
The Failure To Be Mentored Most students chase after tutors – or get forced into having them by well-meaning parents. Sorry to break it to you, bit most tutoring is a waste of time, money and energy.
Why?
Because most tutors look at your work and explain it to you. Or they babysit you while you complete tasks you should be able to do on your own.
A mentor, on the other hand, doesn’t bother with any of that. A mentor shows you how not to need a tutor at all by modeling effective study skills, lifestyle habits and teacher management. A mentor lives the way you want to be and will never be caught dead lapping up a pay check to tutor others. A mentor is too busy modeling others higher up the ladder and helping those a few rungs down.
How do you find a mentor? Well, that’s a topic all on its own, but I recommend taking (Jimmy’s course with Martin). That’ll put you in good stead, and if you execute, you will succeed beyond your wildest dreams with the help of a carefully identified individual who has the qualities and accomplishments to which you aspire.
All these things said, above all you need to avoid the most tragic failure of all:
The Failure To Develop Your Memory Abilities The most shocking thing in the world is that the simple memory skills that help students the most are taught in schools the least.
One can go on and on about why, and perhaps it really is a capitalist conspiracy.
But at the end of the day, what matters is that memory improvement help exists. And you can get it right, right now and right here from this website with my FREE Memory Improvement Kit.
So what do you say? Are you ready to take action and stop failing as a student?
Of course you are. Start using the tips you’ve just learned and achieve the success you deserve. I’m rooting for you! 🙂
Further Resource
What If I Wanted To Memorize Entire Chapters From A Textbook
https://youtu.be/h0nRcFFn680
Starting over all over again? Keep these top insights at the top of your memory and you'll be just fine.
The author of Fooling Houdini tells all about about using memory in magic.
If these 15 reasons don't convince you to start learning a language, I don't know what will.
Do the young people in your life a favor and secure their future with these simple memory techniques tailored for kids.
You probably know the name of memory improvement expert Harry Lorayne. But do you know these amazing stories from his life?
There’s No Way Of Learning Chinese With A Messy Mind! Or …
Is there?
Actually, yes. There is.
No matter how manic, no matter how depressed, no matter how much I’ve got on my plate, ALMOST every day, I fit language learning into my schedule.
One of my best tricks is this:
Win The Morning, Win The Day Do you reach for your cell phone first thing?
And are you making the mistake of using it as an alarm clock so that you have no choice but to check it first thing?
If you’re serious about learning a language, checking your messages and farting around on social media first thing in the morning is a big no-no. That’s true even if you want to learn languages online.
Think about it. How many times have you gotten caught up in the “Twilight Zone” of Facebook only to notice that 15 minutes … 30 minutes … even an entire hour has slipped past.
For nothing!
So don’t do it.
Here’s How To Get Language Learning In First Thing So You Feel On Top Of Your Progress All Day Long I hate having that feeling throughout the day that I’m neglecting what I love: memory and language learning.
So in addition to winning back oodles of time by not looking at my “dumb phone” and not turning on the computer, here’s what’s going on right now:
On the floor beside my bed, I have Langenscheidt’s Chinesisch Schreibübungsbuch.
It’s a book written in German that teaches how to write the Chinese characters. Tucked inside the book is the notebook I’m using to draw the characters.
I don’t get out of bed until I’ve spent as long as it takes to practice drawing 8 characters 8 times.
Why 8?
No idea. That’s just the number that came to mind. It’s just part of what I’ve learned from Olly Richards:
You Must Have A Language Learning System! Seriously. You must. Languages don’t get learned Helter Skelter. They get learned based on consistent efforts executed consistently.
That’s the first part of my system and a huge part of The Big Five Of Language Learning.
Next, I pop in my Human Charger and meditate. I do this for exactly 9 minutes.
Why 9 minutes?
Because that’s how long it takes for the Human Charger to shoot its light into my ears. You may have heard me talk about other, more relaxed meditation approaches in the past, but I’m experimenting with this one and it works really well.
Next, I knock off another of The Big Five language learning activities:
Spend Time Listening To Your Language Every Day Listening to Pimsleur language learning programs (Pimsleur for Mandarin Chinese no less) used to bore the snot out of me. Sorry to be vulgar, but it’s true.
Think about it: You listen to this guy promoting you in English to say stuff in the language you’re studying again and again and …
… again.
It’s Like Pounding Nails Into Your Head! But then I had an idea:
What if I “fuse” listening to Pimsleur recordings with the Magnetic Memory Method.
Oh ho ho, Magnetic friend. That’s when Pimsleur started to get really interesting.
This might sound complex, but it works.
Get a notebook. Reserve it for your MMM Pimsleur experiment. Then get out a pen and pop on your headphones.
Next, make a couple of columns:
English (or mother tongue)
Homophonic transliteration
Mnemonic Imagery
Words
Notes
Also, leave space to draw a Memory Palace on the page. Draw one out using all the principles of the Magnetic Memory Method you’ve learned from one of my books or video courses.
If you don’t know how to make a Memory Palace, get this:
It’s all very easy peasy and, yes, even lemon squeezy (as one MMM student once put it).
Now you’re set. Keep the pause button handy and then press play.
When the man introduces how to say: “Excuse me, may I ask?” pause the recording and write this down in your English column.
Then, after you hear the native speaker say it in your target language, write out what you hear in your own spelling. Say it out loud and spell it in whatever way seems best to you.
Don’t Make The Mistake Of Overthinking This For Mandarin Chinese (Or Any Other Language) Like Jesse Villalobos told us in his recent Magnetic Memory Method review, just do it.
And don’t worry about standardizing your homophonic transliterations. You’re just helping your mind understand the sound and meaning of the phrases using multiple senses and muscles.
Seriously. I can’t tell you the dozens of different ways I’ve spelled different phrases and it doesn’t matter. I can speak them in the target language, in this case, Chinese.
Next, think up some imagery that helps you memorize the words. Whatever comes to mind.
And if you’re following along, the brief meditation will have you calm, relaxed and juiced up with creativity.
Once you’ve got that whipped up, stick it on, at, beside or even under your first Memory Palace station.
Finally, press play again and carry on.
What Will Happen To You Next Is A Language Learning Miracle Soon the Pimsleur guy will ask you to say that phrase for which you just created mnemonic imagery.
Press pause and then look into your imagination (not at the page!) and “decode” the image you placed on your Memory Palace station.
Got it?
Of Course You Get It! Because the reality is that if you know mnemonics, there is never any problem with them.
Never.
Anyhow, I do this until I’ve filled out one page of my notebook.
Can You Guess How Much Time This Costs Using Mandarin Chinese Mnemonics So Far? Go on, have a guess.
Nope.
Still no …
Getting closer.
Oh, all right, I’ll tell you.
15-20 minutes, more or less.
All thanks to cutting out morning social media and 3 little systems:
8 x 8 characters
9 minutes meditation
1 page of MMM-ified Pimsleur
Do this for a month and you’re further along than most people will get in a lifetime of starting and stopping.
But Wait! There’s More About Memorizing Mandarin Chinese I Want To Teach You! So far we’ve covered 4.3 of The Big Five. We’ve got:
- Writing
- Reading
- Listening
- Memorization
… and a touch of solo speaking.
That’s where my Mandarin Chinese speaking partners come in.
You Can’t Expect To Learn A Language Without Actually Speaking It Now, sometimes what I do with my Mandarin Chinese speaking partners is rather elaborate. More on that in a minute.
The important thing is that I speak with these people. Plain and simple.
Doesn’t have to be perfect. Doesn’t even have to be right. It just has to be time spent speaking.
I do this at least two times a week, ideally three.
I sing in Chinese too:
All fantastic. All following the principles of motivation for language learning based on memory techniques.
The only problem is …
This Approach To Learning Mandarin Chinese Is Almost 100% Introverted! Yes, okay, talking with speaking partners online is technically communicating with other human beings.
Technically.
But it’s still too solitary.
This is why I propose that there’s a sixth component that needs to be added to the Big Five:
Socialization
Think about it.
Are you going to go through all the work of learning a language just to speak with people online?
Of course not.
You want to be able to strike up conversations with the locals when traveling. Order a memory-friendly drink in a restaurant, either in a local restaurant or abroad. Flirt with cute members of the opposite sex, maybe even find the partner of your dreams.
I know I do. So please stay tuned for more language learning for introverts and socialization secrets coming soon.
Further Resources
In the meantime, check out some of these previous Magnetic Memory Method podcast episodes with other great language learners for in-depth tips and training:
The Steps I Took To Memorize 3 Chinese Poems in 2.3 Weeks
Luca Lampariello On How To Master Any Language
Mindset, Memory And Motivation With Sam Gendreau
Noel van Vliet Talks About The “Back End” Of Language Learning
Chinese Vault From Mandarin HQ
Plus, here’s my Basic Chinese Phrases and Mandarin Mnemonics playlist on YouTube:
The post Mandarin Chinese Mnemonics And Morning Memory Secrets appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
If you've ever wanted to bring efficiency to how you learn, use your PAO system, memorize and recall information, Alex Mullen has your back.
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If you've ever wondered how the Magnetic Memory Method began, here's the story (with solid tips on how to memorize German vocabulary).
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Matteo Ricci sailed the oceans blue in the 16th Century to bring memory techniques to China. How cool is that?
Wanna learn fast and optimize every area of your life? Listen to this guy.
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Have you ever wondered if mnemonics and memory techniques are for everyone?
Or maybe they just didn’t feel right for you?
Here’s the thing:
They might not be.
That’s just one of the unexpected answers you’ll hear in this podcast and read below. Let’s get started with a wonderful letter I received from a student in the Netherlands:
Let me introduce myself. I am Timo, a Dutch high school student. Nowadays I am preparing for my finals, but besides that I am also working on a final paper about the human memory. To be honest, last year I failed to pass my exams, so I decided to learn differently this year. During my summer vacation, I came across your website. While listening to your podcasts, I realized that this would be the best way to learn for me. That I eventually picked out this subject for my paper was a coincidence.
Back to the story. The last months I have read many books and scientific articles about the method of loci (or the Magnetic Memory Method). There are not many articles about this matter. These articles suggest that the method of loci is an effective way, but they are written by psychologists. Most of them are sceptic to use this in classrooms. You are, on the other hand, the expert for teaching this method to students. I assume that you use this method almost every week.
My practical part of my paper is an experiment with high school students. (This is required in The Netherlands.) Last week I finished teaching them the basics and how to apply the method to a list of random facts and vocabulary words. Now they are preparing to make a test, which I prepared. A university researcher helps me to process the data from these test results. However, I met some resistance with some of the students. They think that this is too time consuming. The teachers are, however, enthusiastic about my research. They want to know more about this subject.
Therefore I am considering writing a much shorter paper for all the teachers to explain my findings. Assuming that you are the only one, who gives these kind of courses, could I ask you humble opinion. Most of the books and articles do not give a clear answer, whether or not this method is effective on large classes and is better for the knowledge of the student (long-term memory). So here are my questions:
Is the Magnetic Memory Method a skill that everyone can develop? No. The Magnetic Memory Method, any mnemonics or set of memory techniques are exclusive to a particular kind of person.
First, the person must be open to experimentation and implementation.
These personal characteristics appear not to be present in everyone. They require learning a set of tools that must be used in order to truly understand them.
Think of a computer keyboard, for example. Anyone can look at the keyboard and understand a description of what it is supposed to do. But without putting their fingers on the keys and learning to press the keys to produce words, words will never form.
And the exciting thing about typing is that, once you’ve started learning it, you can learn to write very fast. Not only that, but you’ve become so familiar with the keyboard that you can type entire books without even looking down at the keys or your fingers.
Memory techniques are like that, especially if you’re using Memory Palaces. The Memory Palace is a kind of keyboard you build yourself based on a manual like the Magnetic Memory Method. The information you want to memorize forms the keys and the associative-imagery are the sentences you write on the paper of your imagination.
And of course, no one types an entire book without making mistakes. But editing is a minor feat and quickly accomplished simply by scanning the record and compounding your associative-imagery or making the necessary changes.
The keyboard metaphor is not perfect, but it gives a sense of how mnemonic approaches like the Magnetic Memory Method work. Other metaphors have been given, such as the wax tablet and bird cage metaphors given by Aristotle.
In sum, not everyone can develop memory techniques because not everyone will take action.
Seriously. Some people prefer crossword puzzles.
But even with games and puzzles, a large percentage of those who do get started with memory exercise and other forms of mental training will, unfortunately, abandon the task at the first sign of mental effort. This premature departure is unfortunate because incredible successes are usually just around the corner.
Again, memory techniques are best learned by doing. The real job of an instructor in the art of memory is, therefore, inspiring people to take action by learning the techniques and then continuing to take action as a kind of scientist.
As a scientist, you create the basis for an experiment based on a clearly defined outcome and track your results. When the results don’t match the desired outcome, you analyze the mnemonic procedures you used and the Memory Palace itself and make the necessary changes, try again and once again track the results.
Like many things in life, they who test win.
Is the Magnetic Memory Method worth learning? Yes, but ultimately that is not up for me to decide. Learning is just one part of the process. You must implement the memory techniques, not just learn them. Knowing what they are and how they work without using them is like holding your fingers over the keyboard but never typing anything.
The same holds true of any other memory training you might pursue. I personally believe that everyone should read as many books on memory techniques as possible, but only if they’re willing to try things out.
To this day, I continue reading every book on mnemonics I can find. Almost every single one of them has a new angle on an old technique or something entirely new. I always give these new approaches a try and sometimes they become part of what I do in my personal memory practice.
How much time does it take to master the Magnetic Memory Method for tests (and eventually final exams)? Mastery is not the issue. It’s results that matter and these often arrive fast and hard when people learn the techniques, follow the instructions and implement based around topics they’re passionate about and that will make an immediate difference in their lives.
When I say “instructions,” I’m not talking dogma. The Magnetic Memory Method is called a method precisely because you need to come with a spirit of experimentation. It’s not a system and it breaks my heart every time I hear someone talk about their “memory system.”
There are no universal systems and you cannot truly use the approach of someone else. Rather, people need a method that helps them create their own, highly personalized system , remembering that flexibility is a requirement as they experiment with making the Magnetic Memory Method their own.
You need to understand that the map is not the territory and results only happen when you’re with the rest of us mnemonists down in the trenches and doing the spadework.
All that said, people typically learn and prepare themselves for the Magnetic Memory Method
Are there any requirements to make the Magnetic Memory Method easier to learn? The only requirements are a willingness to learn and experiment with the techniques. It helps a great deal if you also come with a topic you’re passionate about, but that’s not strictly necessary. Even the most boring information from the driest topic in the world can be made thoroughly exciting using a Memory Palace and the other tools mnemonics offer.
How can someone test, whether or not the student has learned the Magnetic Memory Method? Testing is simple. The student either correctly produces the memorized information or not.
That said, unless you’re competing, 100% accuracy is not always necessary. You can create a huge advantage for yourself simply by covering 50%, 35%, 25% or even less of the material on a test.
The important point is that you direct the memory techniques where they are needed. Some people pick up lots of information without the need of any technique.
Others, for various reasons, are desperate for something – anything – that will get more information into long-term memory.
Whether one uses memory techniques or not, testing offers the only means of discovering how much and how deep into long term memory information has gone.
The best part is that we know that as memories age, they move into different parts of the brain. (Gary small link). These memories may even be segmented into different pieces that are stored in different places. In this way, the remembered material becomes connected to other pieces of information, leading to what can be considered the formation of knowledge.
So it is not uncommon that a person using mnemonics will seek a single piece of information and wind up uncorking a powerful flow of related information. This effect takes place often when the remembered information involves philosophy, history and material from subject-based textbooks. Here’s a quick training on how to memorize a textbook.
Testing is a tremendously exciting part of the Magnetic Memory Method because it not only demonstrates that the techniques are working. Merely by testing recall, you strengthen your memory. You also discover more about the techniques and create deeper familiarity with them, ingraining them deeper in your being.
In principle, without testing, which amounts to recall, you aren’t really using memory techniques. This is why I talked in this video on card memorization about how memorization really only takes place during recall, and we must take the time spent during memorization and recall together to form a proper assessment of the time investment.
Is your method age restricted? Is it easier for younger students? I do not believe that memory techniques are any easier or harder for younger students than any other age. The one advantage young people have is a lack of inhibition and a fresh connection to play.
However, adults, when they can get their egos out of the way, have the advantage of discipline and focus. They can, by and large, sit still at will and channel their energies towards the imagination. They can also practice meditation and analyze the kinds of imagination they have at their disposal with greater insight.
Could information that someone learns, interfere with other information? For instance, would Latin vocabulary interfere with biology terminology? One kind of information can interfere with other kinds. This possibility is called either “ghosting” or “The Ugly Sister Effect.” These tend to arise when people use the same Memory Palace more than once without cleaning it first.
If the information is too similar – such as when memorizing French and Spanish vocabulary – the interference can be severe. However, Spanish and Russian vocabulary are sufficiently different, something that reduces, if not eliminates jarring effects and confusion.
In either case, with a bit of practice, neither need be interruptive. Once you understand the Ugly Sister Effect, you can bend it to your will and make it advantageous.
Do you think that this method is an essential skill in our digitalising world? People are nowadays more depending on their mobile phones than their memory. Is it really true that people are relegating more and more information to their memory? Or is it possible that they are freeing it up so they have more space and time to learn and memorize more important things?
Long before computer technology, people suffered from unexercised minds. We sometimes have a false vision of the past in which all kinds of people were running around with superior memory abilities. Many scholars, yes. But the average Joe? Hardly. More everyday people use memory techniques around the world than ever before.
No, it is a lame and technologically deterministic view that blames technology for human laziness. It is the same technological determinism that blamed cars for more sex amongst teenagers and now blames cell phones for sexting. Believe me, young people had lots of sex with each other before cars appeared and many lewd notes were passed from student to student in the absence of cell phones.
What is interesting about technology is that it is at the precise moment that it became so central to our lives that a mnemonics Renaissance took on full force. I believe there is no mistake that the World Memory Championships, mind-mapping and a global interest in memory techniques surged as computers grew in popularity.
But I do not believe this occurred because human memory was being replaced and weakened. I believe the mnemonics Renaissance began because technology has freed the human mind to remember much more valuable things.
For this reason, I often berate those who teach the memorization of shopping lists. What a waste of human imagination and mental energy!
No, if you want to truly learn mnemonics and feel their awesome power from the first moment, memorize something that will immediately improve your life, or at least please you. Memorize something in line with your passions, something you cannot relegate to pen and paper or a computer. It’s for remembering these daily concerns that technology exists. Save your memory for the information that matters.
Do you think that the Magnetic Memory Method is a necessity for all students around the world? No. Some students do perfectly well without mnemonics. I believe they would do even better with them, but what matters is the results they want and the results they get.
Should education institutes implement the Magnetic Memory Method in the classroom? How could teachers successfully teach this skill? Yes.
However, I do not think the MMM or any form of mnemonics should be crammed into the classroom with other subjects.
Mnemonics is a subject on its own. It has history, and like math, has different forms. If math has addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, mnemonics has linking, association, rhyming, keywords, abbreviations and the mothership that bears them all, the location-based Memory Palace.
If schools were to create a semester-long, or even a year-long course in mnemonics, our world would be a much different – and better place – almost overnight. We would be faced with an information revolution far more powerful and interesting than the computer revolution because more people than ever before would be using the software in the hardware of their heads at the highest level ever in the history of humanity.
How often do you use the Magnetic Memory Method, and what for? I use memory techniques nearly every day of my life. When I meet people, I memorize their names. When I study a language, I memorize vocabulary and phrases. When I read books, I remember dates and facts. When I study music, I memorize scales and lyrics. When I sit in lectures, I memorize the messages in real time. When I warm up for memory projects, I memorize short runs of playing cards.
Above all, I spend the first minutes of nearly every day practicing dream recall. Even if I can’t remember a single dream, I make a note of it to help stimulate recall the next night.
And nearly every day, I spend a small amount of time writing in my gratitude journal. It is a powerful means of never forgetting just what a wonderful life I’ve got.
No matter where we live or who we may be, our existences are tied deeply to memory. And where memory is absent, the mindless void of forgetfulness and repetitive fantasy and negative messages persists. Only by focusing on strengthening our memory can we remember to be present with higher and higher levels of clarity. In this way, using memory techniques are a powerful form of meditation and perhaps the ultimate path to enlightenment.
Further Resources
If you’re interested in developing your memory by using Memory Palaces so that you can create genuine knowledge and achieve your most precious goals, you’ll love the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass that you can try completely risk-free. I’d be honored to be the one who helps further your education in mnemonics and get you the results you seek.
The post 11 Unexpected Answers To Your Questions About Mnemonics appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Have you ever thought about putting your memory to the test? If so, Nelson Dellis shows you how. And even if not, you can learn a lot about memory improvement from learning how champs approach competition.
You forget where you put your keys. Your car disappears from the parking lot. You left the stove on again. There's a cure for that.
Do you know why you're not achieving your goals? It's because of the natural forces of resistance. Here's how to easily overcome it.
Would you like to turn your mind into an self-perpetuation idea machine? Find out how in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.
Exactly what to do when you have to memorize 500 books or more. Happens to you all the time, right?
Ever wanted to unlock the extreme power of your memory? Meet this man. Nelson Dellis. He memorizes playing cards underwater and uses his memory talents to create good in the world, but more than that... he's on a mission to help and inspire you to do the same. Tune in to find out how...
Have you ever purchased something and hated it? And yet, for some reason, you gradually …
… started to love it?
Or have you seen a movie that thrilled you, only to find that your opinion suddenly sours?
If so, then it could be that …
Someone Is Seriously Messing With Your Memory! And there’s bad news. The people involved in changing how you feel about products and media you’ve consumed hold more than one weapon of memory destruction.
Let’s look at just one of the ways advertisers manipulate your memory. But please understand that I am in no way talking about subliminal advertising. The tools we’ll explore rely solely on images and procedures that rehearse, train and retrain how you think by accessing your memory in particular ways.
https://youtu.be/YQXe1CokWqQ
One tool, for example, involves …
Blatant And Phoney Misinformation About The Competitors Do you remember the Pepsi Taste Challenge? How thinly they disguised the fact that they were testing Coca Cola with the poor citizens they ambushed on the streets with Coca-Cola? How Pepsi used to call Coke, “the leading cola?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7lw_vhxtNc
By representing their main competitor in these challenges by association, Pepsi was capitalizing on the fact that human memory is constructed. Our memories don’t come from one location in the brain, but several.
This means that as our memories come to the fore, they can be changed by the catalyst responsible for summoning them. And because the advertisements make use of nostalgic images, rousing music and cleverly placed sound effects that also invoke nostalgia (the sound of a soda can being cracked open or bubbling pop snapping against ice), they create feelings.
These feelings cause your brain to associate positive experiences with the product and negative feelings with the competition.
Because as this documentary reveals, it’s not about selling a product. It’s about selling an idea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fluoWku6Vw
At least, that’s the theory. Scientists and marketers call this effect “memory blending.” At its highest level, the injection of blended memories into your mind makes you think that you’re the one who formed your preferences.
And if advertising can change how you feel about something you’ve purchased in the past, you can be led to buy more and …
… Think It Was Your Idea! Soda companies aren’t the only ones to use product comparison and misinformation to create blended memories. Many companies do, including airlines, stereo and speaker manufacturers and fashion designers.
The craziest part of all is that in so many cases, the difference between the products is marginal to none. If information is to be perceived by consumers …
It Must Be Done By Advertising And because what matters most in these advertisement campaigns rely on how we feel about past experiences, advertisers constantly make references to childhood experiences. Playing with toys, camping in the woods, munching on cereal. You might see a mother with a child, a doctor with a patient or athletes with their trainers.
Or the ads may feature running on the beach, playing tennis or eating in a restaurant. These iconic, universal cues apply to almost everyone living in the West. Even when traveling in countries like Egypt, I have seen ads nearly indistinguishable from those we see in North America and England.
Two Routes To Radical Memory Change Let’s look deeper at how all of this memory change works.
As we’ve already discussed with the Pepsi Taste Challenge example, the ads work at altering your subjective experiences if the past.
Secondly, the ads change how you think about an objective experience from your past.
Many ads, especially the Pepsi challenge, blend the two together.
To take another example, let’s look at an interesting experiment conducted by Kathryn Brown and reported upon in 1997.
In the experiment —- demonstrated that consumers will take second-hand information and use it to reconstruct memories of past experiences. They will do this completely outside of conscious experience.
Here are the basics of the experiment:
2o female and 30 undergrads at a university in Iowa were shown the trailer for a Johnny Depp movie called Nick of Time.
https://youtu.be/3ylx6aTM2hU
The researcher chose this movie because:
-
The plot and marketing were shaped to appeal to Generation X.
-
The movie had not been released in Iowa, reducing the likelihood that students were aware of it.
After viewing the film, the researcher asked the students to give their opinion of the film. They were asked to rate the trailer on traits such as acting, directing, pacing, etc. Brown also asked the participants if they would like to see the film in the future.
The researcher then thanked the participants for their time after a twenty minute period given for watching and rating the film. For all intents and purposes, the participants thought the experiment was over.
Next, however, the students were given reviews of the film to read. Although the reviews were professionally written, students were not given the names of the reviewers or the names of the newspapers or magazines from which the reviews were taken. Students, for example, might have a positive association with Rolling Stone magazine that could influence the experiment.
The reviews given to the students were either thumbs-up with 5 stars or thumbs-down with 0 stars.
After reading the reviews, the students were given a surprise memory test. The test asked them to reevaluate the movie trailer and then talk about how much they felt the reviews affected them. Although it was an option to say that they couldn’t remember their previous evaluation, less than a measurable percentage took this option.
As a result, students who received the positive reviews shifted to more positive evaluations the second time around. Likewise, students who received the negative reviews downgraded their opinion of the film.
Overall, when questioned, most participants believed:
-
That they had been consistent with their original evaluation.
-
Their original evaluation had not been affected by the second-hand information.
The results of the experiment suggest one thing:
Your Memory Of Opinions You Once Held Can Be Eradicated! Not only that, but in addition to changing your thoughts about past opinion, your future choices can be altered too. Those who said they would like to see the film based on the trailer but were given negative reviews tended to change their mind.
And we’ve probably all had this experience. I remember being very excited to see Jupiter Rising after watching the trailer at the Sony Center Cinema in Berlin. But the reviews completely decimated that desire and to this day, I’ll never really know whether I might have liked the movie or not until I maybe one day watch it.
All this said, there’s one big fat white elephant in the room …
Is This Experiment Valid? It seems so, but we need to question:
-
The likelihood that they would not have seen the trailer on a national TV station. They do not appear to have been quizzed about their television viewing habits.
-
They were university students, so we can assume that at least some of them came from another state. We do not know when they might last have traveled to another state.
-
When people can’t properly remember their previous opinions, how can we trust them to remember whether or not they’ve seen a movie trailer before, let alone the entire movie?
Nonetheless, as worthy as these considerations are, I don’t think these problems affect the experiment too deeply.
But everything we learned about today does raise one very important question …
Is Selling Evil? One of the world’s most successful marketing “gurus,” Dan Kennedy, often says that people selling products need to come to grips with one essential fact:
Marketing is always manipulation.
However, the extent to which manipulation to buy through the use of product comparisons, nostalgia and reviews is unethical or even insidious has much more to do with the product than the marketing.
Joe Polish sums it up best when he said in a video that …
https://youtu.be/2fTOCLoO2js
And so if the product is crap – and let’s face it, soda pop does rot your body – then the marketing of the product may well seem to be evil.
But if the product is awesome and makes your life better, than you may have had that experience of saying, “I’m glad I saw that ad.” And in fact, here at the Magnetic Memory Method Headquarters in Berlin, hardly a day goes past when I don’t get an email that starts something like, “thank god I found you.”
So even if the quality of products may differ, the tools of effective marketing – the written ads, radio jingles and video presentations that get you itching to buy …
These Tools Of Unabashed Manipulation Are Exactly The Same! And so at the end of the day, you’re truly on your own. You can do nothing more than decide for yourself.
And that’s why guarantees are so essential in today’s world. Whether it’s Amazon’s 7-day return policy or the Magnetic Memory Method 1-year guarantee, not trying items is that interest you is relatively risk-free in today’s world. Just don’t be a jerk and ask for a refund when you’ve used a product and gotten value from it.
In the words of the Fonz and one of my favorite marketing mentors (Frank Kern) …
Always.
Be.
Cool.
And if you’d like to grab my four free video series and Memory Improvement Kit, then you’re more than willing to do that. I promise, I’ll improve your memory, not bend it. 😉
And once you’ve done that, I guarantee that between now and the next time we meet, it will be easy-peasy for you to keep your memory 100% Magnetic.
Memory is not what you think it is.
Here’s what I mean:
We often use the word “memory” as if it’s a singular, globular entity.
But memory is more than one thing. It’s a collection a multiple entities that deal with different kinds of information, even …
Information About Things That Haven’t Happened Yet! First we have, prospective memory. Prospective memory is that wonderful device that helps you remember tasks you need to complete. It also helps you remember events you’re booked to attend in the future.
The only problem is …
… prospective memory isn’t necessarily all that good.
For example, how many times have you forgotten an appointment, to take a pill, to wash the shampoo from your hair?
These slips happen. But even more problematic is how prospective memory tends to fail us most in areas that it should be the most reliable.
I’m talking now about routinized tasks.
For example, most of us do our own shopping. Yet, why is it that we so often forget items we need and know we need?
Even pilots have this problem.
Without checklists, even the most routine – and absolutely necessary operations for flight safety – would be forgotten as easily as you can forget eggs or milk.
Spend One Dollar And Benefit From This Memory Exercise Forever For prospective memory to work, you also need retrospective memory.
Retrospective memory, which may or may not relate to semantic memory, helps you recall information that you learned in the past:
Your home address, directions to a restaurant or where you put your medication all rely on your ability to recall where things are located in space. Without this kind memory, even if you do remember to take your pills, you won’t have a clue where they are.
Prospective memory and retrospective memory work together, and it’s quite easy to keep them fit. Here’s a fun exercise:
Go to a dollar store and buy an object. It could be a ball, a pack of clown stickers or hair elastics.
Next, visit a friend. Ask them to let you hide the object in the back of a closet or somewhere deep beneath a bathroom sink. The more of the home you must navigate to reach the object, the better.
In other words, don’t put your object in the hallway closet directly inside the entrance. Put it down in that creepy basement bathroom where a hole in the wall exposes all those rusty pipes.
Then make an appointment to come the next day, the next week or even the next month to reclaim the object.
When you get home, replay the entire journey in your mind. See the entire path from your home to the store to the creepy basement in your friend’s home.
At the same time, try this:
Mentally imagine the object you placed in the home and nourish that image. Make it big, bright and colorful. Infuse it with a crazy energy, almost to the point of bursting.
Then, use the Major Method in combination with Dr. Jim Samuels‘ method for memorizing appointments and associate the object with the date and time of the appointment you made for pickup.
To complete the exercise, keep your appointment and claim your object. Then go hide it somewhere else and repeat the exercise as often as you like.
Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
Not really.
It’s the way you use to exercise your memory as a kid, after all. Sensory Memory Exercises will help too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rUi7LNPHSA
Personally, I don’t think of these tools as “work.” It all feels like a game, more specifically like a treasure hunt.
And Now For Another Episode Of The You Show On The Brain Channel Having gone to the store and the secret hiding place, you now have a nice little story in your head.
Your ability to recall that story is called episodic memory. Always connected to time, episodic memory makes a number of things possible. It allows you to:
- Recall elements of your last vacation
- Going to the movies
- Birthday parties
- Anniversaries
- Any event that features a beginning, middle and end
More Details On Semantic Memory This kind of memory trades in general facts that aren’t bound with time.
Vancouver, for example, is a city in British Columbia, one of several provinces in Canada.
Of course, if you’re a historian and can rattle off the dates of when Vancouver was founded and when British Columbia became a province, then you might be blending in a touch of imaginary episodic memory,
For example, when I think of places like Vancouver becoming a city, a little flash of story enters my mind. I see stiff European dudes with quills and parchment. They’re tricking the Natives into giving up all that precious territory for a few bottles of whiskey and a stack of shiny dimes.
To take a more practical example, if you know that Vancouver is in British Columbia, Canada. Seattle is in the American state of Washington, and you’re also aware of the fact that a ferry runs between them …
… you can take the ferry and then use episodic memory to recall all the beauty you saw along the way.
But here’s the weird thing …
Episodic Memories And Semantic Memories Are Stored In Two Completely Different Parts Of Your Brain! Do you remember that interview on the Magnetic Memory Method podcast with Dr. Gary Small?
In that interview, he told us that our memories go into different neighborhoods of the brain. In those neighborhoods are tiny little houses in which parts of memories live.
In order to simultaneously remember facts about places and episodes of time that you may have experienced, here’s how to think about the process:
Your memories have to leave their respective neighborhoods and come together in yet another part of your brain. It’s like having a family reunion where everyone comes in from different cities to eat at Recall Restaurant on the tip of your tongue. (link to tip of tongue podcast)
And last but not least, there’s a very strange kind of memory, a kind of memory that often …
Doesn’t Require Your Conscious Awareness! We call this mysterious form of recall “procedural memory.”
Some experts disagree whether it is a kind of memory all on its own, or a subset of semantic memory.
I don’t know about you, but the ability to ride a bike without thinking about it seems quite different than the semantic knowledge of how and why bicycles work as they do.
The same thing goes for guitar. Knowledge of where to find notes on the fretboard and how to form chords requires a different kind of memory. Even then, procedural memory takes over when some maestro is ripping it up on the stage. It will for you too when you know how to memorize a song.
Of course, even though procedural memory can be accessed without conscious awareness, episodic memory can intervene.
For example, your mind can wander during rehearsal or performance. This breaks the flow of the song and causes you to mess up.
Likewise, bike riding on autopilot while daydreaming can cause you to sail through a stop light. Worse, you might crash into another cyclist.
Then, these experiences themselves become episodic memories. Maybe you’ll learn from them or maybe you won’t.
I’m thinking of the times I was hit by a car crossing an intersection on my bike. Or the time I vomited into my mouth the last time I performed on stage because my joint pain had gotten so bad.
I did learn from the latter example. I finally quit drinking alcohol and eating the foods responsible for my pain. Memory can help you learn and improve!
Fun Stuff All This Memory Business, Isn’t It! It sure is. And all part of effective memory care each of us needs to perform throughout life.
And now that you know about these different kinds of memory, you are truly empowered. You can exercise each of these special memory types and improve them.
And if you already use the Magnetic Memory Method, here’s what I predict:
You can already see exactly how my unique approach to encoding, storing and recalling information lets you harness the power of each kind of memory you’ve just learned about.
But if you don’t know about the Magnetic Memory Method, why then now is your chance to avail yourself of my special Memory Improvement Kit and 4 FREE video series. Grab hold of the magic of these truly special memory techniques right here.
And until next time …
Keep yourself Magnetic! 🙂
Wouldn't it be great if you could experience memory improvement almost on auto-pilot? Guess what? You can.
There are problems in the world of memory improvement. But there are also solutions. This post covers one of the biggest and how to get rid of it forever.
Have you ever had a past life experience? If so, you might be wondering about the memory connection involved in it this strange pseudoscience.
Anthony Metivier is interviewed by Jonathan Levi of SuperLearner. Learn how to develop Superhuman memory skills now.
These 3 memory games will give you a memory workout that is fun. Learn how to make your memory better and stronger than ever before.
Use these simple techniques to keep a journal that will increase your experience of time and improve your memory.
Use this simple reading technique - without skimming! - that prepares your memory for learning and memorizing anything.
You'd like to have psychic powers, wouldn't you?
Go on. Admit it. Life would be easier if you could read the mind of your friends and lovers. And you could be rich overnight by divining the insights of the best stock pickers alive.
But the reality is that psychic powers do not exist. Or at least, there's no meaningful evidence to suggest that they do.
Yet the question is, why do so many people believe in psychic powers? Why are tarot readings and crystal divinations and all kinds of claptrap so attractive to so many people.
Perhaps some of the answer to these questions involves working memory. So in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, let's talk about how.
What is working memory?
Working memory is the system that is responsible for holding and processing new and already stored information - for a short time.
Having working memory is important for reasoning, comprehension, learning and memory updating.
As a term, working memory is generally used synonymously with short term memory. Yet, the two concepts are distinct and should be distinguished from one another.
Whereas working memory is a theoretical framework that refers to structures and processes used for temporarily storing and manipulating information, short-term memory refers to the short-term storage of information, and does not entail the manipulation or organization of material held in memory. Given these facts about working memory, it seems clear that it plays a roll in why people believe the psychics and their readings.
Here's why ...
First off, psychics overwhelm their clients with questions. By asking them to access so much about their past, it can be difficult, if not impossible to remember the questions the psychic asked.
As a result, the person sitting for the psychic reading will only remember the hits and not the misses. "Hits," just to define this term, is the word used to describe any time a psychic gets something right. "Misses" refers to any time the psychic gets something wrong.
As we'll see, talented psychics use language as a tool for increasing the recall of hits and obliterating our memory of the misses.
Magicians know how to use this effect as well. For example, they use what is commonly called misdirection. But in reality, they use ...
Focused Attention
By using focused attention, you are not misdirected but rather directed to pay attention on the wrong things. The audience then remembers only the big moves the magician makes, and should they have spotted the small moves in which the dirty work is done, the cognitive overload of the big moves erases the memory of anything else.
In fact, the most rewarding compliment a magician can hear is, "but he didn't do anything." In these cases, the big moves have been so natural or ordinary that they have no meaning for working memory to grasp onto.
But "misdirection" isn't the best word for this technique. A better term would be focused attention. To "misdirect" is to draw attention away from something. But sleight of hand works best when concentration is so focused on innocent movements that it cannot pay attention to the dirty ones.
Psychics use the exact same process, but in this case, instead of calling it sleight of hand, we should call it ...
Sleight Of Mouth
https://youtu.be/qKy8kCLPYR0
Psychics often hide their moves by asking questions that for most people will generate "yes" answers.
Drawing from Ian Rowland's excellent The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading, here are some of those questions. Follow along and think about how many of these questions would generate a yes from you.
Have you recently come across some old photographs, some in albums, some that still need to be properly arranged? Have you recently thrown out some medical supplies that had gone out of date or expired? Have you recently thrown out or donated some old books, toys or clothing?
How To Use Your Emotions To Memorize More Instead Of Letting Them Take Over Your Life And Make A Big Fat Mess Of Everything
You're an emotional person, aren't you?
Those uncontrollable feelings well up from time to time, perhaps even taking over the show. In other words, emotions replace the you that you know with someone quite different.
At least, that's one way of looking at it. Emotions are different versions of ourselves. The self that becomes overwhelmed by laughter is different than the self who drowns in sorrow and misery.
But then eventually you find your way back. You become you once again.
The Only Problem Is That You Don't Become You!
Strong emotional states change you, and I'll bet you remember at least a couple of times that you've been changed so strongly by an emotional state that you've had no means of going back. You're as chemically changed as toast is to bread.
The question is, to what extent is this change due to memory? Has the experience of emotion changed you as such, or does it impact your memory so much that you literally remember to be a different person.
Certainly, post traumatic stress disorder provides some examples of people affected by memories so strongly that constant recall of the traumatic event causes that new version of the person to hold fast.
But that state does have to be renewed. Even if the person feels that the memories are coming back of their own accord, they must at some level be participating in the reconstruction.
And such events don't mean that trauma has improved memory in that instant so much so that the person remembers everything in sparkling detail. Traumatic memory in no way ensures accuracy and it can also lead to the repression of memory.
The Return Of The Repressed
Repression and suppression of memory is really intense because it is essentially an attempt to obliterate memories from the mind. But as Sigmund Freud made himself famous for saying, what we repress returns, usually in the form of a monster.
Post-Freud, we have some interesting research about the suppression of memory. For example, test subjects asked to repress feelings of disgust while watching a horror movie remembered far less about the story and with much less accuracy than those not asked to repress their feelings.
And plane crash survivors who remain calm have been said to remember more than people overwhelmed by hysterics.
I've experienced this memory effect myself following a near miss trying to land in Toronto. I was going there from New York to sit for a field exam when the plane suddenly pulled up and circled over the city. We late learned that another plane had still been on the runway ahead of us, and thank goodness the pilot pulled us out of there in time enough to avoid a fiery collision.
Although I didn't go crazy in terms of screaming or crying out, my inner life went nuts, something that affected my memory for days and days after. While sitting for the exam, for the first time I felt a real disruption in accessing my Memory Palaces and mnemonics. All the more so because one person on the committee was in the warpath and doing her best to see me fail.
But luckily, I had relaxation on my side and calmed myself. I reminded myself of the combined power of memory and relaxation and without suppressing or repressing the feelings of terror I remembered from the previous days's adventure in the sky, I managed to handle that remembered stress and the current stress at the same time.
And this is interesting because I could have broken down into tears or hysterics in that examination room because I was so fragile. But according to some theories, memories and the emotions tied to them don't force us to act in particular ways. But these emotional memories do influence our actions.
And that's good news because with the exception of hungry lions and tigers and bears (like during that examination),
How Cool Would It Be If You Could Hypnotize Your Way To A Better Memory?
Well, good luck. As you’re about to learn, there’s no scientific basis or reason to believe that hypnosis can cause memory improvement.
But to look at this issue, it will be helpful to focus on one area where hypnosis has been used in the attempt to improve memory: court cases.
So our question is, can hypnosis really improve the memory of witnesses? Read every word of this post if you want to learn several key ways that you can still make strides with your memory improvement goals even if hypnosis turns out to be a dud when it comes to enhanced memory.
Would You Believe That Hypnosis For Memory Improvement Goes This Far Back?
Hypnosis in the courts has a long history. If we can focus solely on America, I've read that hypnosis to improve the memories of witnesses was first rejected in 1897 by the Supreme Court of California.
After that, there's a dark spot until after World War II. Given all that happened during this war, officials wanted reliable ways to enhance the recall of witnesses.
But despite all kinds of testing, to this date, no meaningful evidence supports hypnosis as a reliable means of improving memory. Especially not for providing testimony in a court of law.
Let's break this issue down into parts so we can get both a broad and specific perspective.
This Is The Truth About Memory And Hypnosis The TV Shows Don’t Want You To Know About
First off, hypnosis of this kind sets itself up for failure.
Why?
Because you can't improve something that mostly doesn't exist.
Think about it. You're walking down the street and you see a crime. You weren't expecting anything would happen, but then something does happen. The memories you do form are based on information that you have learned incidentally.
For example, I was riding my bike last Sunday to the Mauerpark. There's a wonderful Flea Market and I was going to look for some cool postcards to send new members of the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass. I usually find something cool there, often old cards with interesting buildings are memorable art that helps stimulate creativity.
Anyhow, I was stopped at a light when all of a sudden two guys ran into the street in front of a car. They asked a group of maybe three people, "This one?" and the group of people said yes.
Rage-Fuelled Vengeance On The Streets Of Berlin!
Then the two guys approached the doors of the car. One went to the passenger side, the other to the driver's side. I think the car was blue, but I don't quite remember. It may have had four doors.
What I do remember is that the guys opened the doors and started yelling.
The driver and the passenger were clearly in shock and didn't know what to do.
Finally, the passenger pulled out a wallet and in a Russian accent, the guy standing in the street said, "Give it me!" He ripped the wallet out of the guy's hand and slammed the door.
As the other guy slammed the driver's door, the colliding air created a puff of ash from the ashtray. After the two men got back onto the sidewalk, the light turned green and the car sped off.
It might seem amazing that I remember all these details, but actually stress and memory can fuse together to help you remember more in certain circumstances.
Which Of These These Facts Prove That Hypnosis Has No Chance When It Comes To Improving Memory?
What I've done just now is to recall an event that I "learned" incidentally.
As I'm telling it to you, there are oodles of things I'm not telling you because there aren't enough words in the universe to explain:
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The urgent voice in the back of my head telling me to get the hell out of there.
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The fact that the two guys in the car were either Turkish or Syrian.
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The hot girl on the bike in front of me with people who may or may not have been her brother and father.
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My thoughts following the event,
How To Memorize Even The Most Difficult Words In The World Using World Class Memory Techniques Hey everybody, this is Daniel Welsch. And I’m here today as a special guest host for the Magnetic Memory Method podcast. Anthony invited me to do the podcast today about using memory techniques for Basque and it’s a great pleasure and enormous honor for me to do so, also in Spanish in a general way: https://youtu.be/g9iH-GYthKw I’ve been following Anthony’s work for about a year and I’ve been corresponding with him for nearly the same length of time and he’s been a great inspiration to me, not only in my memorizing ventures but also in my own work as a teacher and writer here in Madrid, the beautiful capital of Spain. So when he offered me the chance to do an episode of the Magnetic Memory Method podcast on memory techniques, of course I jumped at it… So first I’m going to tell you a bit about my language learning journey. And then I’m going to tell you how I became acquainted with Doctor Metivier and his work with memory techniques. And finally, I’m going to take you through one of my Memory Palaces to show you exactly how I memorized some very difficult material from a language that’s like no other language in existence. Now… A little bit about me.
Aprende Más Inglés You probably don’t know me, because most of the work I do is in Spanish. But I have my own website called Aprende Más Inglés, which you can find at aprendemasingles.com. There I teach English grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation—and now, learning memory techniques and how to be a more effective student and person in general. You might want to know a bit about me. Well, I was born in the US, specifically in Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the middle of the Sonoran Desert a couple of hours from the Mexican border.
Filling In Blanks On Worksheets Has Never Been One of My Passions In school I learned Spanish but never took it too seriously. After that I ended up working in a kitchen with some guys from Mexico and found that speaking languages was a lot more fun than learning them in school. Filling in blanks on worksheets has never been one of my passions. When I was 21 I moved to Madrid, Spain, which is kind of a long story, and ended up, one way or another, teaching English. And at the same time I was learning more and more Spanish. I was doing it organically, for the most part. I had some free Spanish classes, which I barely ever went to. And the rest of the time I was walking around, talking to people, reading the newspaper, watching TV, things like that. At the same time, at work I was teaching English. And I was kind of startled by how ineffective language learning in Spain was. Of course, back in the US it wasn’t any better, but in Spain learning English is just hugely important for a lot of people. Now that Spain is in the European Union and with the massive amount of international business and tourism that goes on, almost everybody needs to learn English. It should almost be a strategic objective for all of Spain, to get the general level of English up to the level where they could compete with any country in Europe. But unfortunately, the system wasn’t very effective at actually creating bilingual Spaniards. And after a few years I started to discover why. But we’ll get back to that…
Couldn't Speak, Or Even Worse, Refused To Speak While I was teaching, I had a website where I was writing about grammar and vocabulary. And in the meantime, my Spanish was getting better and better. I eventually got the highest level diploma in Spanish offered by the Instituto Cervantes, which is an international organization that teaches Spanish like the British Council teaches English. And the thing about it was that I never felt like learning Spanish was a chore or an effort. I did the minimum possible in school, and later learned working in a kitchen with some guys from Mexico. And my Spanish really took off when I moved to Madrid and discovered tha...
Sometimes Learning Is As Simple As Asking The Right Questions Were you one of those students?
You know the kind I’m talking about.
The kind of student whose mind is brimming with questions.
And yet …
You never asked any of them.
Instead, you sat behind your desk, gripped by curiosity, but forever reason, kept quiet.
How To Train Your Memory To Memorize Any Word It all begins with getting out of your comfort zone and asking those questions.
But before that, you’ll need to read and test how well you’ve understood something on your own.
And that’s what I admire so much about Jordan.
He sent in this question and really took his time to think things through.
Because here’s a little-known secret for you …
The Answer Is Almost Always In The Question! To prove this point, take a moment to go through the following question. Note just how many times Jordan’s fantastic questions create the basis for a powerful answer.
You should do the same whenever you have questions. Write to explore and you’ll find that you know so much more than it might at first seem.
Hi Anthony,
Everything about your associative memory methods is exceptionally clear. I actually developed a near-identical memory system for myself to learn basic Hebrew and Farsi, years ago …
However, what I didn’t include at the time was my own “spatial / palace” dimension. My images were going ‘into the void.’
For that reason, I’m having a bit of trouble understanding just how it is you use your Memory Palace – in combination with your Excel sheets etc. – when learning a new language.
I’m now learning Russian, so let’s use that as an example here. Sorry for the questions to follow. Just bear with me a moment, and maybe this can help you clarify your method to other future learners.
I’m curious how it is you build your palatial repository, sequentially speaking. Here’s how i understand it… please let me know if I’m getting any of these steps wrong or missing out something crucial.
1) Create one Memory Palace for your new target language (e.g., Russian), and begin by subdividing into 33 ‘locations’ within that Memory Palace (i.e., one location per letter of the alphabet).
The path you walk through the palace at any point in the future will now be by location, by alphabetical order. (I.e., start with ‘A’ location, then ‘Б’ location, then ‘B’ location, etc., linearly, without crossing or doubling back or boxing yourself in)
2) For each ‘location’, identify at least 10 ‘stations’ (i.e., sub-locations?) … These stations are where you’re going to store the associative images for your first 10+ vocabulary words. Respectively, each of which starts with the respective letter of the alphabet corresponding to the location. For instance, in my ‘A’ location I have 10 stations, where I store the words ‘арка,’ ‘афиша,’ ‘аптека,’ etc. (i.e., one word/associative image combo per station).
3) I continue to populate all my locations and stations this way, i.e., organized by initial letter.
4) I write each of my vocab words down in an Excel file, noting the words itself. Plus, the location, the station and/or the image … ? (please advise if I understand this correctly)…
5) Continue ad infinitum and practice my walk through regularly…
Assuming I have that right, above (please correct me if not), I have a few questions:
i) As you learn any new word, you must create a new station within the appropriate location, and store it there for organizational purposes and ease of access … correct? … So, theoretically, each ‘location’ grows in terms of volume of ‘stations’, infinitely (i.e., it grows by one newly invented station every time you add a new word that begins with the location-relevant letter).
ii) Assuming what I just said in (i) above is correct, do you subdivide the ‘location’ into ever-smaller, more specific ‘stations’, as your vocabulary grows? Does this result in a sort of infinitesimally divided ‘location’ …
If so, do you have any tricks or techniques for finding ever more, or increasingly small/minute, stations to create and use within your locations as your vocabulary grows? … If not, and I have this wrong, please correct me.
iii) Assuming (i) and (ii) are mostly correct, what do you do to memorize key phrases, as opposed to just words? Do you store each one in a new station, within a location that corresponds to the first letter of the first word of the phrase (e.g., ‘Что нового’ gets its own new station within the ‘Ч’ location)? I realize this may be different for everybody, but I’m curious how you do it, particularly in terms of Russian, but also for any language, generally.
iv) Assuming i have the general storage hierarchy system understood correctly, do you tend to store new words/phrases in new stations in alphabetical order within your locations? E.g., if you already know and have stations for ‘аптека’ and ‘афиша’, but then you learn the new word ‘арка,’ do you create a new station for ‘арка’ in-between the stations for ‘аптека’ and ‘афиша’? (I.e. because the letter ‘р’ comes after the the letter ‘п’ but before the letter ‘ф’ in the Russian alphabet.) .
Or do you just add a new station at the end of all your other ‘A’ stations each time you learn a new ‘a’ word (i.e., within each location, new words get stores in stations ordered sequentially by when you learned them). … Please let me know which system you use/have had the most success with.
v) Assuming most (i) to (iv) is correct in spirit if not in detail, each time you do a mental walk-through of your Mind Palace, are you actually revisiting every single station within every single location in your palace? If I understand correctly, this is basically like walking through a dictionary from front to back, in your mind, with each word represented by its own station, nested within one of 33 (e.g., in the case of Russian) sequential locations. … That seems like a lot of walking/remembering!! … maybe I’m missing something here (or maybe its just not as daunting as it sounds) … Do I have this right?
Generally, I’d just like to know if I have this all understood correctly. I do realize everyone can and will make their own personalized modifications to the system/principles based on how their own minds work, and on their specific target material. That said, I’m very curious to know how you, specifically, structure your Mind Palaces for language acquisition, and–to the degree relevant–specifically in the case of Russian.
Apologies for the epic email, but I want to make sure I’m building this palace–and these habits–the most effective and adaptable way possible, from the ground up.
Thanks for any insight!!
Cheers,
Jordan
How To Avoid Disaster, Make Your Own Discoveries And Find All The Memory Palaces You’ll Ever Need Hi Jordan,
Thanks for your note.
Yes, you’ve understood everything more or less. I think a re-read of the book will cement things further.
On to your questions:
1) I do not recommend that you create your stations as you go along. This is a recipe for disaster.
Instead, go in with your Memory Palaces prepared in advance. If you want to memorize ten new words, have a Memory Palace with ten stations. If you have to build it as you go along, then you’re going to create cognitive load. Dig your wells before you get thirsty.
2) Subdivision is possible, but you shouldn’t need it because proper use of the MMM will get the words into long-term memory. You can then reuse the Memory Palaces. If you want to hold onto them, which is often the case and perfectly okay, then you can create new Memory Palaces per letter. Easy-peasy.
There’s more help here:
How To Find Memory Palaces
3) Phrases are best memorized by attaching them to words you’ve already got reliably stationed. If you’ve memorized the word for “first,” then later, go back and memorize the equivalent of a phrase like, “first things first,” or “in the first place,” or “first of all.” You can often memorize a number of phrases, assuming the word is actually in the equivalent phrasing of the target language (it isn’t always, but often enough it is).
4) See 3
5) If your Memory Palace is built correctly, you’re not revising every station. You just go there. It’s the same thing as walking from your bedroom to the kitchen. You don’t revise that journey. You simply move to it on autopilot.
Sure, there’s some part of your mind responsible for moving you from place to place and observing everything. But good Memory Palace construction reduces the effort.
As for this being a lot of memorizing and revising, I suggest that anyone time their effort, time spent and results in comparison with rote learning. I doubt that anyone seriously using the Magnetic Memory Method in the right way will be able to say that spaced-repetition software or any other form of rote learning will be faster or easier.
And you don’t have to take my word for it. Check out Noel Van Vliet’s results using the Magnetic Memory Method. He was very skeptical, and yet it worked gangbusters for him:
Judgment Day
As for whether you understood everything correctly or not, here’s the thing:
Go in with the spirit of experimentation using the understanding that you already had and some of my clarifications. If you get results based on that understanding, awesome.
If you don’t get the results you’re looking for, go back to the book for more study and analysis of what you’ve been doing and make changes based on your needs and preferences. When you get results, awesome.
Since this is a method that teaches you how to build your own systems, then it’s really not about how I use the MMM. It’s about how you use the MMM.
The books and video courses already tell you how I use it. I’ve never made any significant changes to how I use it and I doubt I ever well. The basic nature of memory, the nature of the techniques and the nature of language will never change – at least not much. These features of reality really are one of the few things that are impervious to the old rule that change is the only constant. Not memory techniques nor the basic rules of language (words and grammar “rules” might transform over time, but the fact of words and grammar as such most likely never will).
The only thing that ever changes is the extent to which people get busy using these techniques. And I’m very pleased to see that you’re poised to do just that.
And it truly is the best of all worlds because as you learn Russian with the MMM, you learn about your memory and how to use it. As you learn about your memory and how to use it, you learn Russian.
Just make sure that you also read, write, speak and listen to Russian everyday. Otherwise, all the Memory Palaces and memory techniques in the world won’t help you get fluent. Memory techniques are a tool of fluency and the MMM is an imaginative and organic alternative to the old school hammer of rote learning. But both require the same level of daily reading, writing, speaking and listening.
So memorize forth and prosper with this in mind.
Thanks again for your note – hope to correspond again soon!
Further Resources
Download the above as a printable PDF
Memorize Foreign Language Vocabulary With Big Box Stores
The post How To Train Your Memory To Memorize Any Word appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Sam Gendreau is an incredible language learning expert. He has even competed and his experiences will teach you a lot about becoming fluent.
Who Else Wants To Get Rid Of Stress-Induced Memory Loss Forever? Have you felt stressed out lately?
I’ll bet you have.
Me too.
Stress sucks, and worse than being a drag, it’s a memory killer too.
But not always.
On occasion, stress can make certain things memorable. Car accidents, terrorist attacks and riots can make many things impossible to forget. Such events can can even lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Usually, though, stress punishes our bodies and minds without the need of catastrophe. Work, relationship problems and health can all create stress.
How Safe Are Your Goals And Dreams From The Destructive Powers Of Everyday Stress? Stress gets in the way of goals and dreams. Important professional missions like:
- Studying for exams and professional certifications.
- Learning a language.
- Remembering the names of the important people you meet.
But stress distracts from these activities. Stress makes paying attention difficult and learning new information becomes almost impossible.
If anything, all you learn is how to be more stressed out.
How To Increase Your Chances Of Getting Dementia or Alzheimer’s So we’ve established that stress can create memory loss by making it impossible to pay attention. In other words, you’ve lost what you wanted to remember because you couldn’t pay attention to it in the first place.
But isn’t it strange that memory loss is one of the symptoms of stress that far too many don’t know about?
How about these symptoms that also seem to have fallen off the radar:
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Tension
- Panic
- Anger
- Confusion
- Depression
- Impatience
- Irritability
Worse, you might experience pain, insomnia, develop heart disease, and elevated blood pressure.
Even just one of these can lead to diseases like dementia or Alzheimer’s.
8 Signs That You’re WAY Too Stressed So how do you know if you’re stressed?
Chances are you already know when you’re stressed. You don’t need a checklist.
But just in case, here are some of the symptoms so you can see how to improve memory and concentration power starting today.
Loss of appetite More than just losing the desire to eat, stress can make it impossible to eat. Swallowing even a mouthful can become difficult.
Overeating On the other hand, stress can make you eat too much. Some people use food as a coping mechanism, something that places even more stress on your system. The heavier you are, the harder your bones and organs have to work. Plus, not feeling positive about how you look is psychologically draining.
Headaches and Backaches Think that pain in your head or at the base of your spine is just part of life?
Maybe, but it could also be the symptom of stress.
Indecision Having a hard time making decisions? It’s not necessarily just part of your personality. People who can’t define a clear path and follow it could be experiencing stress.
Pessimism It’s little wonder that stress makes it hard to see the cup half full. If you’re doubtful that your current situation will ever improve, it’s not necessarily depression. Stress could be at the core of your dark thinking.
Obsessing Over the Nuts and Bolts of Life It’s good to pay attention to detail. But it can also be a symptom of stress. If your perfectionism is getting in the way of your ability to contribute to your family and society at large, you might want to check in with your stress meter.
Impatience and Irritability Have you flipped out and chewed someone’s head off lately? Such bursts of irritation rarely come from nowhere, so be sure that you aren’t acting out based on stress. You probably have other solutions.
Muscle Tension Are your shoulders all bunched up? Do you have pain in your neck? Do you slouch when you walk?
If so, you’re probably holding stress in your body.
And along with muscle tension comes shortness of breath, cramps and even nervous twitching. Even your eyebrows can show signs of muscle tension. Having your face twisted and scrunched up can lead to others thinking that you’re grumpy or angry, stressing you out even further.
Horrible, right?
You betcha.
5 Simple Ways To Reduce Stress From Your Life AndImprove Your Memory The good news is that solutions exist for each of these stress symptoms. Let’s look at some of them.
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The first step is to learn the signs of stress and look for them in your life.
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Next, train yourself to tune into your emotional state. You can best accomplish this awareness through meditation and journaling.
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Seek out an accountability partner. An accountability is someone you contact daily or nearly every day to talk about your commitments, proclaim victory when you’ve accomplished something and admit your guilt when you’ve fallen short.
At first, accountability might sound more stress inducing, but it isn’t. Your accountability partner will encourage you and act as a kind of coach. They’ll notice when you’re pushing too hard, criticizing yourself too much, need to take a break and help you recognize just how well you’re doing. You simply cannot have a bad day when you’re being held accountable and committed to holding your partner accountable too.
The Truth Really Will Set Your Free! It’s also freeing to be able to say that you haven’t completed something. It’s off your chest and you’ll hear similar stories from your partner. In other words, you both grow stronger because you report on your efforts to succeed, and together the successes grow while the failures diminish.
Plus, you help each other see that you’re never failing at all. Every action and every lack of action that you’ve observed and labeled (which is itself a form of taking action) lays another brick along the wall of your accomplishment.
I interact with my accountability partner by email because we’re thousands of miles apart. But you might be able to meet with yours in person a few times a week.
And meeting with people is another way of alleviating stress. These people need to be positive, fun and bring different ideas and perspectives into your life.
Such interactions sharpen your brain, help eliminate stress and create future-minded thinking. Whenever you learn new things, you create a new future that was not possible before. And the more positive the people you hang out with, the more positive a future you can create.
The Zen of Giving Up Freaking Out (Over Nothing) 4. Practice breathing and meditate. I’ve talked with you before about pendulum breathing, reverse psychic nostril breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.
You can practice better breathing while meditating. Meditation is a powerful activity because it improves neural connections, preventing the degeneration of your neurons and protects your hippocampus. Some scientists believe that the hippocampus is a kind of memory central command centre, but even if not, it’s worth protecting this part of your brain in addition to all the rest.
And meditation is easy to do. You don’t need anything fancy. Just your body and a floor to sit on.
Contrary to popular belief, you also don’t need to try and control your thoughts. As Alan Watts once pointed out, sitting without thoughts amounts to being a stone. Wouldn’t you agree that turning yourself into a mindless stone is a useless goal?
Instead, focus on using the breathing and muscle relaxation exercises to become aware of your body and the flow of your thoughts.
Don’t try to control your thoughts. As William S. Burroughs once said, “control seeks to control control,” which means that you only give your thoughts more power by trying to force them into shape.
You’ll get more from your meditation practice by simply breathing. The distance this creates between your physical awareness and your thoughts will let you realize that the flow of ideas differs little from the beating of your heart. It just happens.
How To Use The Immutable Power Of The Memory Palace For Reducing Stress 5. Chill out.Just as you can influence the speed of your heart with exercise, you can exercise the speed of your thoughts. For this reason, I recommend that you wander your favorite Memory Palace as you meditate and improve concentration Buddha-style.
You needn’t practice recall during these sessions though you certainly can. The point is to simply give your thoughts a point of focus. In this case that point of focus is a mentally constructed journey through a familiar location.
And if your mind wanders to some other line of thinking, no worries. Let it go and soon you’ll become aware of the fact that you’re sitting on the floor and realize that you’ve been lost in thought.
These moments of realization will amaze you with their power. Soon you will find similar moments taking place throughout the day.
How To Make The Most Frustrating Taxi Ride In The World A Path To Stress-Free Enlightenment For example, I was sitting in a taxi earlier today and found myself irritated with the traffic. On top of that, it was irritating that the current transit strike had forced me to get into a taxi in the first place. Stress ha started building within me.
But then suddenly a moment of awareness washed over me. I realized that I am nothing more than a body – an animated object sitting inside of another moving object commanded by another being. Looking out the window, I saw only other objects moving through space at various rates of speed. In some cases, they weren’t moving at all.
There was no point in forming an opinion about these objects. No amount of thought or stress could change the situation. Frustration could only make it worse. As the moment of realization grew in strength and duration, my stress and irritation dissipated.
And I’m confident that you’ll experience the same reductions in stress and useless anger when you make meditation a part of your life too.
How To Walk, Talk And Eliminate The Stress Of Multi-tasking To sweeten the deal, add exercise to your life. It can be simple stretching every morning or daily pushups or elaborate sports like martial arts.
They say that walking with a friend a few times a week is one of the healthiest things you can do, especially if you make sure to walk rigorously enough to make talking difficult and do it long enough to break a sweat.
You can also reduce stress by eliminating multi-tasking. You’ll make fewer errors by focusing on one task at a time. And focusing on one thing instead of many will help stabilize your mood and improves your memory because you pay more attention to that singular activity.
Completing one task at a time also promotes organization. Being organized reduces stress, and if you throw removing clutter into the mix, stress goes down even further. You should check out my friend The Declutter Lady for more help with that.
And there’s so much more you can do:
- Laugh often
- Practice forgiveness
- Ask for help when you need it instead of struggling on your own
- Talk positively to yourself.
If all of this sounds complex, here’s the reality:
If you can meditate just five minutes a day, stretch for just five minutes a day and walk for about twenty minutes a day three or four times a week, you’re looking at next to nothing in terms of time commitment. You need only build consistency with these activities and you’ll make a huge impact on the quality of your life.
You’ll reduce stress, create a better future and a better memory. And when you can create a better memory, you can learn more. And the more you learn, the more you can learn. Due to the associative way that memory techniques work, the more you memorize, the more you can learn and thereby the more you can memorize.
Begin Anywhere It’s a perfect circle.
All you have to do is begin anywhere to enter the dance. And the dance is so easy, so elegant, so effective and so much fun.
So pick just one stress-relieving activity from this list and just do it. Then add another, and another and another. Until you’re satisfied that you couldn’t be freer from stress if you tried.
And memorize information as you go along.
Track the results.
You’ll be amazed by how your memory improves.
And I hope you’ll get in touch and let everyone in the Magnetic Memory Method know all about it.
Further Resources
17 Student Fails (And What To Do Instead)
The post How To Improve Memory Power And Concentration By Eliminating Stress appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
These Memory Strategies Can Quickly Boost Your Foreign Language Fluency … Even If You Wind Up Throwing The Mnemonics Away! Have you ever wished someone would just inspire you and give you exactly the tools you need to succeed in one blast of self-empowerment at the same time?
Well, if you’re into language learning, what I’m about to tell you may be the most important episode of this podcast you’ll ever hear. And of course if you’d like the transcripts in handsome PDF form, you can download them here.
You can also scroll all the way to the end for the links mentioned in the podcast for a power-packed injection of inspiration and practical guidance. Plus, I’ve got something cool to teach you at the very end about using hats to increase your productivity, so go all the way through for that.
Here’s How Philosophy Can Double Your Fluency When All Other Techniques Fail … Last week I attended the Polyglot Gathering in Berlin.
Of the many talks, Christopher Huff’s struck me the most. All of the other presentations were great, of course, but… because Christopher drew some language learning ideas from philosophers I know very well, I was struck by the connections I’d never noticed before.
He also had some great ideas about memory techniques and more importantly, memory strategies. Taken in the context of philosophy, Christopher presented some exciting ideas you can start applying to your language learning and overall life right away. You may even experience results overnight.
Here’s why:
The Undercover Secrets Of Minimalism And Hedonism Christopher talked about two kinds of philosophers, which we could call the minimalists and the Epicureans. The first group like to toss out everything unnecessary and the Epicureans fill everything to excess. What they share in common is that only the now exists.
You might want to check out philosophers like Plato and Aristotle for more info on this matter. For example, Plato’s Republic has many passages on frugality in many aspects of life (including thought). Aristotle talked about minimalism in terms of the Golden Mean and eudaimonia, a special definition of happiness.
When it comes to learning a language, minimalism helps you concentrate on the essentials by using only the essentials.
Sell Everything! Being minimalist also helps you identify what is essential. If you’re only working on mastering one language learning book, after all, you’re more likely to discover what’s essential in that book in a meaningful way than if you try to find out what’s essential in twelve books. You can learn more about this powerful form of whittling down in How to Memorize a Textbook.
By focusing on just one thing, you’re more likely to get a concentrated vision of what you’re lacking. So minimalism creates focus, understanding and diamond-hard clarity about what you don’t know yet. You can make much more powerful decisions because you’re a minimalist. You’re only going to acquire one more book, one that you select well based on your well-developed knowledge of what you need.
Epicureanism, on the other hand, allows for excess. So long as it’s linked to pleasure, epicureanism happily encourages maximalism.
How to Over-Exaggerate Everything And Still Get Results Although it might sound wild, excess can be done intelligently. Christopher pointed out the value in giving yourself rewards of excess (which is different than giving yourself an excess of rewards).
Christopher also implied that having a library of special books you’ve collected, even ones you’re never going to read, is not really clutter. Each book is a memory of the passion behind why you got the book in the first place.
So even though Christopher (and probably you) may never study some of the language learning books in his collection, they serve as part of a language learning whole. It is a specific library, one that contains many touchstones that point to the larger goal of gaining fluency in many languages.
In other words, overkill can be an effective memory strategy.
So there is a sense that bigger is better, especially if people who amass such enormous collections of language learning materials also practice minimalism.
The “Stubborn” Principle That Can Make Your Language Learning Soar When people select just one book from that collection and work through it in a dedicated manner, they may need to buy a new book thereafter. But they are strengthening the collection as a whole by adding material that is now much more targeted. It’s kind of like growing as a content specialist as you allow the maximalism to inform your minimalism and vice versa.
The Golden Mean between these two extremes is what Christopher called the “Stubborn Quintile.” It basically refers to the percentage of words that language leaners struggle with no matter what.
This concept allows you to identify the material that eludes you and figure out what techniques will best help. Be it certain difficult words, phrases, grammar concepts or other issues, by identifying this 20%, you can approach getting them into memory minimalistically.
And That’s When Things Got REALLY Interesting! Christopher talked about certain memory techniques and gave some mind-boggling demonstrations. He sang, for example, the names of the American presidents in historical order. He also showed how he used some of those presidents to remember tones in Chinese.
It was brilliant because he was following one of the fundamental rules of memory: rest new information on information you already know.
For example, he used a very familiar song to assist the recall of all the presidents.
With the presidents in tow, he used them to help memorize tones.
Were he to push the technique further, he might find a way to use the memorized tones to memorize something else. For example, a set of tones might be used as an anchor point for developing perfect pitch. Or it could be used to find a note in a song to help with transcription study.
For example, Scott Devine has talked about memorizing the notes of Stand By Me so well that you can see them on the fretboard of your bass. Then, when you hear a song on the radio you want to learn, you can use that anchor point to figure out a great deal of how other songs might be played.
In other words, by having an Epicurean mass of information in our minds, we have many more opportunities to use that info in explosively minimalist ways.
I loved Christopher’s talk very much and was grateful that he attended my own. He’s going to be a guest on the MMM Podcast in the near future, and I hope our conversations about memory will continue.
About the 20% concept, I was pleased to dine with Richard Simcott and Lea Tirard-Hersant.
Richard echoed Christopher’s great point that for people who don’t have a difficult time remembering words and other aspects of language learning, memory techniques still have a place. There is always an elusive number of words that don’t seem to stick in the mind no matter what one does. At least not without the ease that these words could have.
Richard seemed very interested to give Memory Palaces a closer look with the Magnetic Memory Method principles in mind. This is a huge treat for me because he is one of the most respected polyglots in the world and I think he’s going to bring insights back to the Magnetic Memory Method headquarters that’s going to help us all.
Fill Your Vocabulary Coffers With This Special One-Syllable Memory Strategy Léa Tirard-Hersant had some exciting ideas too. As she shared at the end of my talk, you can leverage the power of rhyme.
Take a one-syllable word like loon, for example. Loon in English is a one-syllable word that can be rhymed with a one syllable word in French, like une.
To get started with minimal pairs for this exercise, you can find a pile of one-syllable words that rhyme within your own language. The example she and I played around with were “ache” sounding one-syllable words, words like:
Lake
Break
Bake
Cake
Snake
Rake
Flake
Take
Make
Jake
Fake
Sake
Blake
You could compile a list like this and then ask your language learning partner or teacher to help you find words in your target language to pair these with. I really appreciate Léa’s idea and am looking forward to exploring it further.
Until I have her on the podcast, you should check out a book she worked on with Benny Lewis called Why French Is Easy.
Sticking With The Program May Be The Best Memory Strategy You Ever Use … Finally, I had some very nice talks with Olly Richards from I Will Teach You A Language. He’s been on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast before and we’ve since developed a great friendship. We’re in fact now officially collaborating on a Magnetic Memory Live event to take place in London, so stay tuned for news about that.
Anyhow, in talking with Olly about some of my language learning plans and memory experiments for the rest of the year he made a great point. What he suggested is that instead of leaping all over the place, I might do more experiments with languages I’m already fluent in. He suggested that I work with our mutual friend Kerstin Hammes to act as an analyst and coach.
So that’s what I decided to do. I emailed her and explained that I want Magnetic Memory Method 2.0 to address more intermediate and advanced issues.
But in order to do that, I need help from an expert German native speaker to help me get a precise picture of where I need to improve and how I should approach it. From there, it’s my job to figure out how to make Memory Palaces an advantage, track the processes and share the results.
And since she’s in …
It’s going to be great!
But Wait! There’s More! You might be thinking … hold on there Magnetic Cowboy. That sounds like a lot of hard work. How are you going to manage all of this with the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, new books and all that other things you do?
The answer is …
It’s actually pretty easy. In addition to Christopher’s minimalism, maximalism and his ideas about The Stubborn Quintile, I’m going to use de Bono’s six hats.
In case you’ve never heard of them, here’s a brief overview and how I aim to make these hats work.
The Amazing Learning Secrets Of A Hat Fetishist From Malta De Bono talks about six hats, each of a different color. Each color denotes a different function. Like this:
- White = Objectivity
- Red = Emotions
- Black = Critical thinking
- Yellow = The sunny positivity huge projects require
- Green = Growth through creativity and the generation of new ideas
- Blue = Organization
To apply these principles, I’ll spend about 15 minutes on all of these at the beginning of each week.
White Hat: For me, being objective means looking at things realistically. Do I have too much on my plate? Do I really need to be doing x when I would be better off doing y. For example, I’ve got:
A weekly podcast to write, record and release …
Books to write and others to edit …
YouTube videos to create, cut and upload …
Emails to answer …
So wearing the what is all about seeing things for how they really are.
It’s not about judging them or making changes. It’s just about assessing the status quo and creating a solid picture.
Red Hat: The red hat is all about checking in with the emotions. As someone with Manic Depression, I feel everything in extremes and I need to be aware of that.
The white hat helps here, but the main goal is to be aware of the emotions and shape them. I use this hat to make sure I’m getting enough rest, nutrition, exercise and meditation and time to memorize. These are the key factors that have kept me alive during some insane times.
When it comes to critical thinking, I wear the …
Black Hat: This hat is about critical thinking, which means creating strategies. You can only do this when you’ve got all the other hats along for the ride.
Yellow Hat: For sunny positivity, meditating and thinking happy thoughts isn’t enough. I need to gratitude journal, do my daydream journaling with the non-dominant hand, make sure I’m spending time with my bass and Bach and with friends. The Polyglot Gathering reminded me of just how isolated I am so much of the time and just how much better things would be if I socialized more.
Gross … But True! Green Hat: In many ways, I’ve got the green hat on 24/7. I write thousands and thousands of words every day and almost exclusively either from bed or in cafes between walking. I call this Magnetic Roadwork: writing until I have to pee and then moving on.
Finally, the …
Blue Hat is all about organizing. I could use this hat to free up space on my phone, for example.
I have one organizational tip to mention here. The other I talk about on the podcast. These are having an accountability partner and time-tracking.
The Number One Way To Make Sure You Get Everything Done My accountability partner is Sarah Peterson from Unsettle.org. What we do is email a report of what we’ve worked on throughout the day. Because we’re 9 hours apart, she often gets my report in the afternoon and I get hers in the morning.
No matter when they arrive, the timing is always perfect. And we almost always say exactly what the other needs to hear in terms of encouragement and the like.
And it’s addicting, so much fun to work and look forward to that email at the end of the day that summarizes what happened and makes a statement about what’s going to happen the next day. The productivity benefits have been very rewarding.
Then there is time-tracking. Listen to the podcast for the full description of how that works.
Finally, I’m officially adding a new hat to the color spectrum …
Transparent hat: Transparent is the day of rest, a regular occurrence that is somewhat foreign to me. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it, but I’ll give it a try.
And of course I’ll let you know all about how it goes.
So until then, dear Memorizers, grab the PDF version of this episode, and, as ever, keep Magnetic!
Further Resources Mentioned Throughout The Podcast
Last week’s episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, Memory Improvement Tips From Dr. Gary Small
The Accursed Share by George Bataille
Dan Sullivan talking about Speed of Implementation
7 Killer Memory Improvement Tips From The World Of Conference Interpreting
The post Memory Strategies Of The World’s Top Language Learners appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Gary Small teaches you how to reduce your senior moments. They're not going anywhere, but at least there's hope for making a much stronger brain that isn't harmed by them.
A lot of people suffer from a “bad memory.”
Me too.
If I don’t use the simple memory improvement techniques I’ve learned, my memory has about the same chance as a dog hearing “sit” once without a shred of repetition. It doesn’t do much good for improving memory.
But we’re not dogs. And we have memory techniques. We can hear something once and memorize it forever.
And without being dramatic or theatrical (a rare thing for me, dear Memorizers), I can tell you that I think that not developing the skill to do so is a crime against humanity.
Failing to memorize using the simple techniques I teach robs not only yourself, but many others of the benefits of this powerful skill.
Plus, you get to share information that you’ve placed in your mind. Valuable knowledge that you can produce at will. Change the world kind of stuff.
Or it can be the memorize of simple things that makes a huge difference.
Like when you’re boarding a plane and you keep forgetting your seat number, holding up the line to look at your ticket for the umpteenth time.
Or when your child asks you what year some important event took place for his or her exam at school (major).
Or when you’re playing Blackjack and you have no idea how many cards are out (could be major, could be minor depending on your pot).
Or when you’re talking to someone and you have to ask them for a second time what their name is, sometimes just 30 seconds or less after the first time you heard it …
This final point is a real doozy.
Memorizing names is a moral obligation because it tells the person you’re meeting that you care about who they are, that they’re someone worth knowing, that their name has value.
Some names are easy.
You don’t need a special method to memorize Tom, Dick or Harry (at least most of us probably don’t).
But the world is becoming more and more internationalized.
We’re meeting more and more people with name structures that we’re not familiar with. And we need to be able to remember them in to be more sociable and to ensure that people know we value them in the daily interactions we make.
It’s not that difficult. Hear a name, make a bizarre, exaggerated, big and bright picture filled with zany action and you’ll have that name memorized in a Magnetic second.
That’s the basics of one of the techniques.
As you know, there are many others.
And a lot of fine details that structure each. It makes a huge difference if you know what they are and how to use them.
That’s why I’m making the crazy offer of joining the Masterclass for the trial price of $1. For just a buck, you get 7 days access to the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass.
That’s seven days to work on improving your memory. Seven days to feel the power of memory improvement. Click here for more info and a lesson on 8 Important Memory Principles You Should Follow.
The post Improving Memory And The Moral Obligations Of Memory Improvement appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Guest post and podcast narration by Tor Refsland.
You’ve finally made the decision.
You are going to improve your memory by building a Memory Palace and learn how to memorize things fast using memory techniques. You are so excited! You know that learning how to memorize things fast will give you the unfair advantage compared to the rest of the world.
So you close your eyes and start to dream of your new future.
The feeling of being able to impress your family and friends by reciting stored information as if you were a super computer can only be described with two words …
Freakin’ Awesome!
Perhaps your friends will be so impressed that they will insist on buying you drinks every time you go out. And your parents might finally realize that you are the prodigy among your siblings and make you the sole inheritor of your family`s legacy.
There is only one problem.
You are a victim of one of the biggest success crushing myths…
You THINK you don’t have time. But if I could prove to you that you actually have more than enough time to learn memory techniques, would that be interesting to you?
If so, then read every single word of this post, because it could really change your life.
Let me show you how to find time to create a Memory Palace and start using it in record time.
How To Create More Time Since we all only have 24 hours per day, time is our most important asset.
But you already know that from reading Time Management Chef, right?
The real issue is that you are super busy and your schedule is packed, right?
Welcome to the club!
That is why creating more time is the most important skill you will ever learn.
But before I move on and tell you how to create more time, let me start by explaining my definition of productivity.
This Productivity Formula Will Double And Even Triple Your Free Time For Using The Magnetic Memory Method Time period x Goals achieved = Productivity
Your productivity is the total sum of the goals you achieve in a certain period of time. There are only two ways to improve your productivity:
– you can achieve the same goals in a shorter period of time
– you can achieve more goals in the same amount of time
If you want to become a productivity superstar you can dramatically increase your own productivity by shortening the period of time and increasing the amount of goals you achieve.
That is the exactly what I did when I increased my own productivity by 200%.
200% is insane.
If you could experience the same boost, that means you would increase your productivity by four times!
Using this formula, I now do in 2 hours what I normally used to do in 8 hours.
Even better, you can take this free memory improvement course first:
The Surprising Tip That Will Free Up Your Time – Fast! So how do we actually create more time? Let me give you a quick crash course. There are 3 components that will help you create more time:
1. Planning and prioritizing
The experts say that every minute spent in planning will save you 10 minutes in execution.
In my article at Successful Blogging I talk about planning and prioritizing. For example, you can use the ABCDE method to prioritize your tasks:
A: Tasks I must do – serious consequences if it doesn’t get done
B: Tasks I should do – mild consequences if it doesn’t get done
C: Tasks I could do – no consequences if it doesn’t get done
D: Tasks I delegate
E: Tasks I never do
Never do a B task before you have done all the A tasks. Likewise, never do a C task before you have done all the B tasks, etc.
And apply the 80/20 rule: you need to identify each day, which 20% of the tasks on your to do list will give you 80% of the results.
By starting to implement the tactics above, you can literally increase your productivity with 100 % over night.
2. Focus
One of the most important skills when it comes to becoming more productive and achieving your goals in a shorter period of time, is the ability to focus.
As I talk about in my article on Blogging Wizard, true focus comes with some requirements.
In order to be able to laser focus, you have to: - knowing what to do (work from a plan – to do list)
- remove all distractions (mute your cellphone and turn off Internet connections)
- no multitasking - focus on only one task until it`s done
3. Increase productivity
Increasing productivity means that we are able to increase our results in a shorter period of time.
Becoming more productive is key when it comes to freeing up more time in your life, so you can spend it on practicing memory techniques.
On Skip Prichard’s site, I’ve talked about one important factor – a factor that can change everything once you understand it.
Studies have shown that most people are most productive the first 2 hours after they get out of bed in the morning.
Some people are most productive in the evening or perhaps during the night.
What does this mean?
It means you have to identify at WHAT time you are the most productive.
Then you have to reserve that period of time for your most important tasks. This will literally turbo boost your productivity.
In combination with the time management and productivity techniques you’ve just learned, to improve your memory fast …
You Need The Right Tools When Anthony asked me to write a guest post for his great website, I asked him for more information regarding the memorizing technique topic. He recommended that I read one of his posts about creating and populating a Memory Palace.
Needless to say, Anthony Metivier is one of the best in the business when it comes to helping people learn how to memorize things fast.
So what did I do?
I read the article and decided to use my productivity formula, then I got cranking.
How To Create A Memory Palace Since I had never created a Memory Palace before, I wasn’t aiming for a world class Memory Palace.
But as a time management and productivity expert, “how long will it take to create a Memory Palace?” was the first question that came to mind.
My next question was, “where should I start my path through the Memory Palace?”
To keep things simple and quick, I decided to use my most familiar place.
So I drew an outline of my apartment, and set a station in every corner of every room. To make sure the Memory Palace followed the Magnetic Memory Method principles, I made the starting point in my Memory Palace the front door.
In order to keep my path linear, I made sure to create the journey so that I always follow the right side of the wall.
A couple more decisions later, I had built my first Memory Palace.
And by using a simple system and applying a step-by-step process, I created a simple 32 stations memory palace in 10 minutes!
My success felt awesome!
I thought I was going to spend at least 30-40 minutes on it! But 32 stations in just 10 minutes? That`s incredible.
Will you be able to complete your first Memory Palace in less than 10 minutes?
If you follow the principles, I don’t see why not.
The most important thing is that you ask the same questions I asked myself and then complete your Memory Palace as soon as possible.
And remember the following:
- use a familiar setting
- not world class, just applicable
- keep it simple
– move around in the Memory Palace in a logical manner
If you haven`t created a Memory Palace, please spend up to 10 and no more than 15 minutes to create it now.
Have you done it?
Awesome.
Okay, what`s next?
Then it`s time to…
Populate the Memory Palace With Killer Information! As with most things in life, the more passionate you are about the subject, the easier it will be to remember.
Since I`m a time management expert, I don’t spend my time on anything that doesn’t either save me a lot of time, or give me a good amount of value for the time I have spent. I’m always about getting the biggest ROI (return on investment).
After all, what’s the point of building a Memory Palace only to populate it with boring, trivial information that you almost NEVER use?
In addition, your first Memory Palace should consist of information that won`t get outdated and that you won’t need to switch out. The best information to memorize is the information you want to hold in memory forever. And because it’s important and excites you, this will increase the speed and intensity you bring to the memorization process. So what did I do?
I had the following criteria:
- passionate about the topic
- important information
- information that I use often - static information (information that doesn’t change)
Since I have my own blog where I write about time management, I needed to pick a topic that would be useful for my business.
I ended up with headline templates for blog posts.
Notice, I didn’t say headlines.
I said headline templates.
Why?
Because knowing X amount of headline templates is better, than knowing the same amount of headlines (which you would need to dissect, analyze and convert into a template anyway, if you wanted to use each headline in the best way possible).
No need to recite the best headlines ever made, if you can`t apply their formula? Right?
And as you continue reading, you might want to think how memorizing templates might help you in your studies or profession.
For my purposes, I decided to memorize 8 headline templates from Jon Morrow’s free 52 Headline Hacks:
-
The Zen of X
-
Can`t keep up? The 11 Ways to Simplify Your X
-
How to Take Charge of Your X
-
The Minimalist Guide to X
-
10 Shortcuts for (CTP – completing tedious process) in Record Time
-
Get Rid of (recurring problem) Once and for All
-
How to End X
-
How to X in 5 Minutes
After 30 minutes I had memorized them.
All of them! How did I remember them ?
I started with memorizing bullet point 1 with a vivid picture. Then I recited bullet point 1 and created bullet point 2. And so on.
It looked like this:
- Memorize bullet point 1
- Recite bullet point 1 – memorize bullet point 2
- Recite bullet points 1 and 2 – memorize bullet point 3
- Recite bullet points 1 – 3 – memorize bullet point 4
- Recite bullet points 1 – 4 – memorize bullet point 5
- Recite bullet points 1 – 5 – memorize bullet point 6
- Recite bullet points 1 – 6 – memorize bullet point 7
- Recite bullet points 1 – 7 – memorize bullet point 8
It looks rather easy, right?
No degree in rocket science needed here.
Just following a simple system will do the trick.
How To Find Time To Maintain Your Memory Palace In order for you to train your memory and to be able to find and recite the necessary information even quicker, you want to take a walk in your Memory Palace daily.
How do you find the time for doing this?
Spend the time that you are already using on other routine activities.
You can recite your whole Memory Palace and everything in it while you do your morning routine, when you are taking the commute or when you are working out. I would recommend going through your Memory Palaces once a day at the same time everyday.
Think about it.
You will be brushing your teeth no matter what. Why not take a morning stroll through your Memory Palace at the same time?
You may be thinking:
Okay, Tor, I get it.
But when do I find time to expand my Memory Palace?
Well, let`s cover that in the next section…
How To Find Time To Expand Your Memory Palace When to expand your Memory Palace, depends on your need.
However, when you are a beginner when it comes to using memory techniques I would recommend to start slowly.
The most important thing is to actually build your first Memory Palace and maintain it by reciting it daily (for example, as part of your morning routine).
You can for instance put new bullet points into your Memory Palace every Saturday after breakfast, or when you are doing commute or working out.
When exactly you do this depends on the schedule you have set for yourself in order to reach your specific goals.
Remember … … the most important thing is to have fun and to just start applying it. If you set a schedule that is too hard when it comes to expanding your Memory Palace, you will become fed up and probably look at it as a tedious, boring task.
But it should be neither tedious nor boring. There’s too much to gain by expanding your memory, increasing your brain capacity, boosting your confidence and saving time reciting stored information.
In addition to the benefits above, I know that when you are willing to set aside time, you can learn whatever skill you want.
Now you have the recipe for how to create a Memory Palace, how to memorize things fast and how to do both in record time.
So get out there, expand your memory and have fun!
If you want to learn how to create more time, click here to get my free eBook Insane Productivity Hacks and learn how to DOUBLE your productivity in 7 days.
The post How to Memorize Things Fast Using These Time Management Tips appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
To Everyone Who Secretly Believes That The Powers Needed To Increase Memory Will Magically Fall From The Sky … It’s true. Some people believe that you can get something for nothing.
But luckily not everyone.
Some people grab the Magnet by the poles and take action.
Not only that, but they take the right action.
What is the “right action”? you ask.
That’s what this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast is all about, so please be sure to listen to every word because it may be the most important episode you ever hear. Then build your first Memory Palace and start using it.
And for your convenience, here’s the letter I received in writing. It forms the basis of the episode.
Give Me A Bit, I’ll Be Swimming Soon Enough I received your postcard. Thank you very much for that. It means a lot and says a lot about you. It was a very nice surprise and seemed to add a sense of realism to you, your efforts and products, and support. It basically makes you a human and not just some guy on the internet. So, for that, thank you. I will use it accordingly, when I learn that part. I have learned much so far and it has been some serious amounts of work and I’m trying to think of it as good work.Right now, I am still creating memory palaces and moving through them. My approach to just about everything is the same. I infuse some knowledge with confusion, then repeat it to the point of clarity. I liken it to going swimming here in the cold Michigan lakes. Even on the hottest of days, all anyone has to do in order to cool off, is walk, jump or run, into any one of the 11, 500 lakes located here. There are also five, enormous “Great Lakes” that are much more preferable for swimming. Anyhow, rather than jumping in and cooling down immediately, I tend to go: “Now, is it really that hot? I mean, really??? Ok, let’s go to the beach.” Then I have to grab towels, apply sunscreen, get a couple bottles of water from the gas station, and of course fill my gas tank which is usually low. Get to the beach, find a place among hundreds of other people yet still inconspicuous. Then, finally approach the water. If it is too cold, I have to go in several times but only up to my ankles. Meanwhile, the rest of me is burning hot, nearly sun – scorched and screaming “you got everything you need, just get in the water and splash around.” But … I don’t! I wait and double check the water because cooling down cannot possibly be as simple as just going in. After about a dozen times of working my way up to thigh level water and retreating back to shore, I have exhausted my patience and just run and jump in and realize that I should have done so all along. Right now, I’m about up to my ankles in confusion and repetition in your Magnetic Memory Method, but I have my towels, swim trunks, and sandals. Give me a bit, I’ll be swimming soon enough. For me, I have have doubts, as to whether or not I’m doing something correctly or not. I know a lot of that uncertainty stems from “having a bad immediate memory”, as I call it. Basically, I tend to forget the initial reasoning behind a particular idea or course of action and thus have trouble following through with the initial intended results as my needs, views and reasoning, all change along the way to the intended goal. It’s not as ADHD as it may sound. I think it is just simply not remembering enough general information to justify the actions needed to move forward in life (or progress in a particular field of study). I have been blindly moving about, normally…job, mortgage, family and some other “normal” things. That, mixed with time constraints, have led me to minimize expectations for myself, again forgetting to do more. With that, I have learned a lot from assisting my wife in her collegiate studies and have relaized this lack of memory use has been such a waste, and quite frankly, lame. So, once again, your methods and information are exactly what I needed and I thank you for all your help. Sorry, for the long winded rant. In my defense, I did just have two cups of coffee. Alright, I’m off to do some memory work. Thank you again for taking the time to hand write and send a postcard. The Only Way To Get Results
So as you can see, taking action is the best action. It’s the only way to get results if your goal is to increase memory.And if you’d like to get some of my Magnetic postcard goodness, registration info for the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass is waiting for you right here.Further Resources:
How to Escape the Prison Of Memory And Create The Future You Desire
People around the world wish they could remember their dreams. And not just remember them.
They want to remember their dreams with clarity, consistency and in ways that change their lives. Profoundly.
And although I don’t do lucid dreaming myself all that often (and try to avoid it), remembering dreams can help you feel more lucid during your waking life.
Here’s what I mean with props to my friend Stefan for his incredible lucid dreaming and memory questions:
Even with this powerful information, I wonder how many people will ever develop the skills needed to recall their dreams consistently?
If the number is low, I find that incredibly sad.
Because here’s the consequence:
Now being able to remember your dreams means you will never develop fluency in one of the world’s most prominent languages: the language of dreaming.
Worse, you will never experience the nuances and layers of experience made possible by advanced dream recall.
Why Is Remembering Dreams Just As Difficult As Lucid Dreaming? Why is dream recall such a struggle? Many would-be dreamers blame a lack of sleep time. They don’t have enough time in bed for effective dreaming. But with proper training in dream recall, you can learn to notice yourself entering the dream world even before you’ve fallen “unconscious.”
Don’t believe the REM myth that dreaming begins at some special hour after you’re in deep sleep. The notion that dreaming only occurs during REM has never been true. In fact, you are dreaming right now but have not yet learned to see and experience it.
In short, dream recall begins by changing your definition of what counts as a dream. Then try some of these tips:
But even with an improved definition (you’re always dreaming), some still claim that dream recall is too hard. And no doubt. Authors on the top don’t make it easy.
They teach that you should draw symbols on your hand, practice “reality checking” and engage in other tedious methods. The truth is that you don’t need to artificially create “triggers.” There are better ways, more enlightening and elucidating ways, and ways that can improve all aspects of your life.
So what helps with dream recall?
- A Dedicated Memory Strategy For Remembering Your Dreams Strategy starts with motivation, so before you start, please make sure that you really want to remember your dreams. It’s an important consideration because you learn a lot about yourself when you recall dreams at an advanced level.
And you motivation requires method if you’re going to experience real gains as you stretch your memory muscles.
- Believe That Dream Memory Strategies Will Work For You People often tell me that they cannot remember any dreams. They never have and never will.
But such statements usually come from disbelief. Dream recall has been going on for thousands of years using different techniques. If you can accept that you’re not different than anyone else, your memory will amaze you with what you can achieve.
Try out the main technique discussed in this episode of the podcast and you will marvel at the progress you’ll make.
- Stop Thinking That Memory Strategies Are Too Much Work You will need 1-5 minutes every morning to practice the dream recall technique talked about in this podcast. There’s nothing to it. You only have to do it over a period of two or three days to get results. Often, you’ll get results as soon as the next day.
The best part is that once you start, dream recall will serve your life in many ways.
So I have a suggestion for you before you finish the podcast and start your journey toward advanced dream memorization skills.
Believe in yourself.
When I started working on dream recall, I told myself it wouldn’t work. I wasted a lot of time with this false belief.
But once I settled into the practice, dream recall hooked me. Now I’ve got a YouTube playlist all about the practice:
The ability to remember your dreams with near-100% accuracy creates wonderful things for you. And it opened the world’s doors for me. It also healed me in many ways and changed how I view reality. As a result of dream recall, I am more a positive, productive and contributing member of society. And I’m confident that becoming an effective dream memorizer will do the same for you.
Please note that I’m not talking about anything “New Agey” or “NLP-ish.” I base the dream recall techniques and related approaches I teach on scientifically demonstrated principles known to increase the happiness of individuals.
Dreams remain essential to the human experience. And those with an advanced ability to engage with their dreams experience greater pleasure and more interesting lives.
So I hope that you will take the time to practice dream recall after listening to this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast. And if it changes how you think about lucid dreaming, let me know. You can also check out the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass for more information about advanced dream recall.
Further Resources
Lucid dream article on Wikipedia
A dreamy article about using movies and series as Memory Palaces
The post Memory Strategies For Your Nightlife And Why I Don’t Do Lucid Dreaming appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Listen to this podcast if you want to eliminate the stress of preparing for and taking tests and exams.
Struggling with small buildings for using memory techniques like Memory Palaces? Struggle no more.
Spanish is a fantastic language. Use these memory techniques and you'll experience a massive boost in your fluency faster than you can say "pronto." ;)
It’s no secret and certainly no shame about it. People get depressed.
Ain’t nothing new.
Before depression, was melancholy.
Some called it “deprimare” (Latin).
Some called it “melas” (Greek).
Manic comes from the “manikós” and “manía” (Greek) and means inclined to madness.
Latin later turned the word into “mania.”
The names may change, but the states remain the same. Mania and depression are the sorts of thing that can happen to anyone, at any time, for any reason … or for no reason at all.
I hope these states never happen to you, dear Memorizers. But if they do, I highly recommend that you supplement your medical treatment with mnemonics.
I’m not a doctor (at least not the medical kind), so I’m not qualified to offer medical advice.
I can only tell you that when the black bile of melancholia hit me during my graduate studies, it hit hard, it hit bad and it did its best to sink my Magnetic ship into the rough seas of depression.
Anyhow, the inspiration for today’s episode and sharing these memory improvement tips for students suffering from Manic Depression comes from a listener of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast. He wrote:
Thanks for sharing your story. I also have bipolar. It’s a tough thing to deal with and I appreciate your willingness to share your story. I have always wanted a doctorate degree. But for reasons you are well acquainted with, it has been a massive struggle. Another one of my life goals is to learn Russian and be fluent. I feel skeptical that the methods outlined here can help someone like me to accomplish these goals, but I’m willing to take a deep breath, and give it 100%. Honestly, what’s the worst that can happen? It either works or it doesn’t, right? I’m going to try hard to make this work, and I will be in touch to let you know how I’ve progressed, but for now I wanted to just thank you for bringing the possibility to me, and for sharing your struggle with bipolar.
In today’s episode of the podcast, I address this letter in detail, giving you the reasons why you should feel the mania and depression and do it anyway. There is nothing that you cannot achieve just because you have this emotional dis-ease.
Concentration Zen For Students With Brains Bipolar Medication Has Turned To Mush I’ve talked several times before about my personal history with concentration issues, so you’re not alone. I was thrown into a severe depression as a grad student and that’s one of the things that led me to memorization techniques. And of course, no sooner than I emerged from the depression, I found myself riding back up to the sky. And it’s hard to focus when you’ve got the wind blowing hard in your face as you blast towards the moon.
But even with memory techniques to guide me during these torrential states, they didn’t completely eliminate the concentration issues. One practice that I found helpful (though not always) was to read out loud. Narrating books can put strain on the voice and requires a lot of water, but it also helps generate focus during especially difficult passages.
When narration wasn’t possible, I found audiobooks whenever I possibly could. This is usually easy for novels, but not so easy for dry theoretical texts – hence reading out loud.
But the point is not to “read” the audiobooks while walking around or cooking bacon. For the purposes of serious study, you want to have the actual text in front of you and read along with. That’s why I always listened and read at the same time. And If I had to, I recited the book myself and then listened to my own narration while following along with the book in hand.
How Memory Techniques Saved The Lovely Voice You Hear Today On The MMM Podcast Next, I studied memorization techniques (you knew that was coming). These are great because they sharpen the mind and improve concentration. I think it’s because practicing with Memory Palaces and related techniques sends more oxygen to the brain. It also helps improve recall (of course) because it’s a simple matter to store key points in a carefully prepared and predetermined Memory Palace.
Along with memorization techniques, meditation is incredibly helpful for avoiding all of the 17 student fails I’ve talked about elsewhere on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.. Nothing fancy. Just sitting, breathing, watching your thoughts. 3-5 minutes is good, 10 minutes is very good and 15 minutes is exceptional (that’s a loose quote from a meditation training I heard once upon a time). Three 15 minute sessions a day works gangbusters for me.
Then there’s the matter of diet and exercise. Sorry to spread the bad news, but eating processed foods and anything wrapped in plastic or bolted into a can is probably not going to help concentration. I’m not a doctor (well, I am, but not the medical kind) so I can’t give any dietary advice. But you know the drill. Eat well and keep fit.
While You “Treat” Manic Depression With Memory Palaces … Look At What Else They Can Do … And then read these …
Further Resources
Memorizing Vocabulary Fights Depression
Robin Williams And The Most Unusable Memory Palace In The World
Dr. Jim Samuels on using mnemonics to relieve stress
Before I go, don’t think that you have to have a mental illness to benefit from these memory tips. They’re good for anyone and everyone.
The post Memory Improvement Tips For The Manic Depressive University Student appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you’ll learn about how to get fat off of all the free donuts you can stuff in your Magnetic little belly (or big belly as the case soon shall be …)
Plus, I want to show you a number of Memory Palaces created by Magnetic Memory Method readers and course participants.
Incredible Images That Show You Exactly How You Can Build Your Own Rome Of Memory In A Single Day! So read every word on this page, watch each and every video from beginning to end and listen to the entire podcast.
First up …
A Killer Resource For Becoming A SuperHuman!
Not so long ago, I interviewed the great Jonathan Levi, a fellow instructor over at Udemy and now podcaster extraordinaire. He interviewed me in an hour long session that covers all kinds of memory topics that you’re going to want to listen to right away and then subscribe to the Becoming Superhuman Podcast.
What you’ll learn in this special Magnetic Memory Method interview includes:
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How to reduce stress with mnemonics …
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Fundamental principles of memory and how I improve my memory every day …
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How to increase memory power simply by understanding what noripinephrine is … and then acting according to its whims! …
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Memory improvement tips for overcoming the “primacy effect” like a sabre-toothed tiger glides through the jungles of forgetfulness …
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How to improve short term memory by understanding the Method of Loci and creating top-notch, bulletproof and 100% Magnetic Memory Palaces …
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… and much, much more!
Next up …
The Unbelievable Secret To Getting Free Donuts While You Relieve Boredom At Work And Get Really, Really Fat! It was just another Magnetic day here at the Magnetic Memory Method headquarters until I opened my email and a subject line leapt out at me …
Thanks for the Donuts!
And so I asked myself … What manner of spam chicanery is this?
No chicanery at all. Check it out!
Good Morning Anthony!
I am emailing to thank you for the donuts.
As a fun activity and to help take our minds off of work, I made a wager with my fellow office coworkers that I could memorize – verbatim – a chart of makes, submakes, model numbers and letters, RV types, sub-types, and the 2-digit VIN identifier of 83 RVs as produced by our company.
Again, this was for fun and by no means a testament to memorizing things “verbatim.”
If I lost, I would buy the office donuts. If I won, the office would by donuts and I could have as many as would be considered gluttonous.
Though this apparently seemed to them a silly bet that I could never win, I did warn the office that I was quite confident in my ability to do this. So, after a 2-week study window and a 20-question “test” (plus many shouts of random VIN IDs from the non-believers) I received enough donuts to move my belt out a notch.
Again, !!THANKS!! For the donuts and I’m sure you will be happy to know I passed your information out to everyone as a gift for their participation.
Sincerely,
Matt Simon
Memorizer-in-Training
And because this email comes with an amazing graph of what Matt memorized … I made a video for you so you can see it!
Next up …
A Memory Palace Made Of BEAR MACE! Okay, not really, but check this Memory Palace sent to us by the amazing actor Matt Newby who has a hilarious produce spoof over at Famousoldie.com.
He writes:
Hey Anthony!
Wanted to share with you some things!
First when I started keeping a memory journal I found myself not wanting to open it because well I guess it just looked boring to me … nothing to exciting about a green composition book. So I printed out of retro futuristic designs and things this resulting in
Now I want to open it!
Second I’ve been doing cards using the Person Action Object method and an 18 room Memory Palace I built in Minecraft.
Between Dec when it started and today I’ve done it 17 times with an average time memorized 12min and an average time recalled 9min missing about 4 on average.
I feel like I’ve hit an “OK plateau”. Do you think I haven’t done it enough times to feel that way yet? I’ve done a lot of work with the PAO method. I got your book last night about cards and I feel like I’ve done so much work with the PAO I don’t want to switch methods just yet. I did however love the idea of breaking it down into 4 sets good way to make it seem easier!
I will get this down to 1 minute! Do you have any drills I could do? Should I try other methods?
You da main man with da plan!
Matt
PS I’m an actor I loved your last podcast!
Having come this far, I thought …
Why Not Show You Some More Amazing Memory Palaces Created By People Just Like You? Why not, indeed?
Here’s one by a young person in grade school sent to me by her teacher (with the permission of the parents, of course).
Here’s another presented by a Magnetic Memory Method course participant down in Australia:
And to close off this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, let’s look inside one of my very own Memory Palaces!
So, I hope you enjoyed this episode.
But even if you hated it … what are you waiting for?
Get out there and build some Memory Palaces so that you can memorize anything you please!
Further Resources Mentioned In The Podcast
Jonathan Levi talks about Becoming A Superlearner.
My take on the Person Action Object method … and serial killers!
Tap the Mind Of A Ten Year-Old Memory Palace Master for more information on using Minecraft as a Memory Palace generator.
Magnetic Memory Method Interview with Marc Shannon who talks about How to Remember Anything.
The Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass.
Method of Loci article on Wikipedia.
The post Improve My Memory And Get Free Donuts! appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
You're never too young to get started with memory techniques
Mark Channon Makes Memory Improvement Fun!
These 3 exercises will take your memory power over the top.
This book by a Grandmaster of Memory will take your memory skills to the next level.
Photographic Memory Doesn't Exist. Here's why.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you’ll learn the connection between Robin Williams and the most unusable Memory Palace in the world.
At least, the most unusable Memory Palace for me. And you’ll hear about why and how I’m trying to change it so that, even if it can’t be used, I can at least reduce the unhappy memories associated with it.
Program Notes
This week’s episode is based on a somewhat crazy email I sent out to Magnetic Memory Method Newsletter subscribers. For these program notes, I’m providing you that letter in its entirety.
What I’m referring to at the beginning of the newsletter doesn’t really matter. Let’s just say I wrote something a bit harsh and some people rightly called me out on it.
But there was madness behind my methods, and so I took the opportunity to explain the context behind the disruption.
And I think it’s a nice way to begin 2015 on a positive note.
Because when you listen to this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you’ll find an idea about how to eliminate negative associations you may have with places that you would otherwise find impossible to use for the Method of Loci in a Memory Palace or any other mnemonic technique.
So without further adieu, here is that newsletter:
Dear Memorizers,
The following newsletter won’t teach you anything about memory skills.
But it will tell you about the one place that I will never, ever use as a Memory Palace.
If that’s of no interest to you, now would be the best time to stop reading.
If you’re curious, I’ll tell you a little bit about it.
First, though, a note about the message from the day before yesterday. Some people found it cool and said so. Others found it uncool.
And said so.
I’m not going to bandy around the bush with apologies and the like for those who felt offended. I’ll say only that you have a Bipolar operator at the helm of this ship – or at least that’s the label I given me in the Memory Palace I’ll never use.
What does this mean?
It means that when people say that I’m unprofessional …
They’re right.
Not that being professional was ever my intention.
I’m just some dude who writes about memory skills.
The same memory skills that without exaggeration saved my life.
Since Robin Williams died, I’ve been trying to find a way to say something about it.
And what some people considered yesterday’s meltdown (others heroic), finally provides an avenue.
Of sorts.
You see, Robin Williams crushed me, and more than a little. Taking his own life crushed a lot of people, but perhaps the Bipolar more than most.
Not that he self-identified. Carrie Fisher, another nut enjoying the all-too brief blasts of sun here at Club Manic, wrote that he doubted he was Bipolar.
Only, the way she recounts it, he doubted it in a rather Bipolar way.
Anyway, Robin Williams factors into the development of the Magnetic Memory Method in an important way. I’ve talked lots about how I discovered Memory Palaces during a deep depression. I’ve share how this lucky enabled me to keep going through grad school and in the end succeed. And it’s an important part of the original of the MMM.
What I haven’t talked about much, if at all, is how this “Bipolar” journey got started in the first place.
In truth, who knows, but in the most evident way, I once upon a time wrote a poem.
A really long poem.
I still have it.
It was even published in a good old fashioned book.
Eventually.
Anyhow, I stayed up for 5 or 6 nights with almost no sleep writing this epic poem. When finished, I ran around campus with an armful of copies and gave it to friends and strangers alike. I also emailed it to all my professors and their teaching assistants.
Some of those professors expressed concern. One of the teaching assistants took it upon himself to catch me after a lecture. I had a face full of tears, beading at the brim from learning a bit too much about Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale.
It’s a beautiful poem.
Enough to tear your soul apart.
If your soul’s Magnetic, that is.
The assistant told me he’d read the poem. He said it was good in parts, but also extremely sexual. And violent.
Of course it is, I told him. I quoted Shelley. “I fall upon the thorns of life. I bleed.” What else did he expect from a young punk stuffing Romantic poetry down his maw like a butcher grinds pork?
The assistant wasn’t buying it. He thought I was sick and drew a map on the pack of this 30 page poem.
A map leading straight to a hospital.
A hospital in which I would remain for 3 months.
And it would have been longer if the doctor hadn’t mentioned the name “Robin Williams.”
I’ll bet it was part of the doctor’s schtick. He said it to everyone who refused to take their meds.
And yet the name that seemed to be little more than a therapeutic tool to this doctor proved useful. It was an extraordinarily persuasive way to convince me to pull out the poetry blocking my throat and start pouring the pills in.
Here’s exactly what he said:
“If Robin Williams had diabetes, do you think he’d refuse to take insulin? The only reason he survives the same condition that you’re in now and has become so successful is because he takes medication. The same medication we’re recommending to you now.”
I remember the scene well. I was high. Superman-high. I had every explanation in the world for why I could see the alphabet in everything. I knew the code that would unify the world if only the city of Toronto would evict its pigeons. I could break apart the number zero itself if only someone would recognize that I was the One.
Stuff like that.
Reams of it.
Scattered over pages.
Streaming from my mouth.
But with the name of Robin Williams in my ear, came the image of reason.
Because as the doctor carried on, his point was that I could still be crazy, and yet be sane.
I didn’t have to lose the energy, the rollercoaster rides along the rails of sloping ideas. And I could do it all without the piercing knife of dark that always landed.
Sooner or later, the knife of depression always returns to your heart. Picks at the front lobes just behind your eyes.
When you’re high, it’s impossible to remember.
When you’re low, it’s impossible to forget.
Well, the good doctor abused the name of Robin Williams that day, but I guess it’s a forgivable sin. I started taking their fancy little pills, after all, and soon after, they let me leave. Leave the one place I’ll never, ever use as a Memory Palace.
You can mark my Magnetic word on that.
Once out, I didn’t return to university for an entire year. I wanted to avoid the shame of seeing those same people before whom I had danced, inviting them to gaze upon the shores here at Club Manic.
But I got myself back on campus. And there I stayed, going up and down and up again. Superman one day, bumbling Clark Kent the next, never knowing when the super powers might return again.
Until I found Memory Palaces and memory techniques.
Mnemonics have never replaced the pills. Mnemonics never will.
But along with a lot of the other things I’ve connected with memory and tell you about from time to time, Memory Palaces provided a system. It’s faulty, as all systems must be from time to time. But it provides a decent set of checks and balances.
But then a week like last week comes along, and it’s hard.
It’s always hard to lose a giant.
A zany giant, but a gentle one.
Deep, deep sadness in his eyes.
Even when smiling.
Of course, none of this is an excuse or an apology for why I sometimes wind up sending weird editions of the Magnetic Memory Newsletter.
But more and more I’ve become outspoken and public about Manic Depression as much as I am about Memory Palaces.
Why?
Look, it’s a stupid term.
Not even Jimi Hendrix made it sound convincing. (Sorry, Jimi).
But the fact of the matter is that there are positive and negative ions that flow through the synapses between the neurons in the human brain.
Sometimes these go fast.
Sometimes they go slow.
In some of us, they go way too fast and then too slow.
Sometimes several times in the course of a single day.
And if there is one thing I can do – and am ethically bound to do – it’s to say something about it.
No, Memory Palaces aren’t the cure.
But they are a form of preparation.
As I’ve been reading post after post about Robin Williams, the advice to the afflicted is to “get help.”
Such advice couldn’t be more right and wrong at the same time.
Why?
Because when you’re in the high, you don’t need help. And you make sure everyone who tries to tell you otherwise knows it. The list of proofs in Club Manic are exceedingly long.
And when you’re down, sometimes it’s hard even to speak. It’s easy to paint the mouth, but impossible to paint the scream going on inside.
You’ve got to prepare.
I recommend adding things like the Magnetic Memory Method to the mix.
Not just because Memory Palaces are a great means of keeping yourself centered. Keeping yourself in the now by paying attention to this things you want to memorize in a whole new way. A way that bleeds out into everything you do when you’re watching the world for new Memory Palaces. In this way, Memory Palaces are a healthy part of creating presence in the moment.
The other reason stems from the emphasis in the MMM is on adding relaxation to the mnemonic mix. Meditation if you can. Chilling out, not taking everything so seriously. Letting your imagination be what it wants to be without judging it.
And that message is worth climbing up trees for. It’s worth tossing Magnetic coconuts into your inbox for.
Every day.
Unprofessional?
Not really.
More like anti-professional.
Just the kind of stuff you’d expect from some dude who writes books about memory skills because he knows they can change the world.
I’m hardly the first (yes, there have been crazier!)
I definitely won’t be the last.
But until next time, I remain Magnetic.
Until next time, help someone else learn about Memory Palaces. Teaching a skill is one of the best ways to learn a skill and helping people improve their memory is one of the best ways we can make the world a better place. The more we remember, the more we can remember. And the more we learn, the more we can learn.
Sincerely,
Anthony Metivier
P.S. If you know people who might benefit from memory improvement, feel free to use this Twitter link to send them the good news about Memory Palaces and exactly how to build them.
The post Robin Williams And The Most Unusable Memory Palace In The World appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Giordano Bruno may well be the most sophisticated Memorizer in all of history.
You really can master any language if you approach it using these practical tips and ideas.
Lots of people want to use Memory Palaces. The only question is, where to find them?
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, we talk about how to use Memory Palaces to memorize foreign language vocabulary.
In fact, one of the most important questions around memorizing vocabulary without struggle is raised and answered in-depth.
Program Notes Today’s question involves your language of focus. When memorizing foreign language vocabulary using a Memory Palace it can be hard to settle on which language to feature along your journeys. These considerations combine a location you’re familiar with and the Method of Loci.
The inspiration for the podcast came from a reader of my book on how to learn Spanish vocabulary and memorize it. Focusing on Spanish words first and then finding the English definitions confused him, so I answer the issue in this episode. In brief, you should always focus on the target language and use images to memorize both the sound and the meaning.
How To Remember What You Learn This is important because you want to train your mind to think in the target language by using imagery. Although you are connecting the images to your mother tongue in a real way, the stronger the images, the faster the meaning will come to mind. This effectively skips thinking about the meaning your mother tongue and drives you directly to the concept.
As I talk about in the podcast, you want to think about memory techniques as being a kind of bicycle. They involve universal principles that touch everyone the same way, but we still need to adjust them to our own uses. The Method of Loci and the Memory Palace you use for this or that language learning project will need to be adjusted to your needs and learning style.
As ever, the most important thing is to get started. Build a Memory Palace using all the tools provided by the Magnetic Memory Method. Then get started memorizing the foreign language vocabulary you’ve selected with care.
Choice Is The Ultimate Language Learning Memory Enhancer There are lots of different ideas about how to focus on the right vocabulary. Some of the different opinions can be downright controversial. But there are also good discussions about word frequency lists and how to compile them using existing resources. Or you can create your own.
Luca Lampariello is one of my favorite polyglot teachers who focuses on what it really takes to master the art of language learning. And the good news is that he has been a guest on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast twice before! These episodes are called:
Luca Lampariello On Working Memory And The Oceans Of Language
Luca Lampariello On Language As A Net
Speaking of Luca, I’m looking forward to meeting with him soon for his birthday and some discussions about language learning. He also gave a great suggestion for the translation of my book, The Ultimate Language Learning Secret.
Originally my translator gave me the following choices:
Il Segreto Ultimo Per Imparare Le Lingue
Imparare Le Lingue: Il Segreto Ultimo
Imparare Le Lingue: Il Segreto Svelato
The first two are more or less literal translations. The third is roughly “Learning Languages : The Secret Revealed” in English.
However, part of the trickiness of the situation involves the structure of the book. I can’t discuss more about why here, but it’s likely that each of these titles will be misleading in the end.
That’s why I’m so grateful for Luca’s suggestion, which is (drum roll, please) …
Il vero segreto di imparare le lingue
This translates more or less to: “The Real Secret To Learning Languages.” Due to the nature of how the book discusses the secret, this truly is the best title.
Thanks Luca!
Further Memory and Language Learning Resources How to Memorize Concepts (with video)
Kirsten Hammes talks about the Real Meanings of Fluency
Olly Richards Talks About Technology and Language Learning
The post A Magnetic Little Tip On Memorizing Foreign Language Vocabulary appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Program Notes
As you all know, I focus on memorizing vocabulary. I also share some ideas about memorizing poetry and decks of cards. And other ways to awaken the possibilities of your mind. Lots of other ways.
But above all, my goal is to help people succeed in their target language studies. Or within their profession so that can excel with sophistication and ease.
The method I teach involves creating many Memory Palaces based on the alphabet. Each Memory Palace features a journey, some long, some short.
But memorizing vocabulary isn’t the whole story when it comes to becoming fluent in a language or profession. So in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, we talk about 5 other ways you can get a superboost of fluency.
So let’s get started:
1. Expand your fluency by studying the background of your language or profession.
If you’re studying French, turn to books on the history of the language. Read up on the countries where French is spoken or its influence has been felt. Look at how it has shaped cultural customs, political structures and its speakers.
The same is true for reading about, say, medicine. Look at the history of the field and its cultural impact. You can look at how medicine has influenced art, theatre, literature and other aspects of culture.
2. Read within the language itself.
This means not only children’s books. In fact, as discussed in the episode, these can be more destructive than helpful when learning a language. They often have non-standard words that can be hard to find in a dictionary.
Try online magazines and newspapers instead. You can find a breaking news story in your mother tongue and then look for it in the language your are studying. Write down some of the words and phrases you’d like to learn and use the Magnetic Memory Method to memorize them.
3. Test what you’ve memorized.
This is critical. Recall Rehearsal not only tells you how accurately you’ve memorized the material, but it also does at least two things:
a) It improves your memory abilities
b) It depends your familiarity with the target information
In sum, the Method of Loci and Memory Palaces are best used by …
Using them.
4. Seek, develop and use motivation.
As discussed in this episode of the Podcast, motivation is a slippery fish. You don’t want to visualize goals that you can’t achieve. At the same time, you don’t want to encourage yourself to be an underachiever.
It’s kind of cliche to suggest this, but choose SMART goals. But the fact of the matter is that they work.
From Wikipedia, courtesy of Peter Drucker, SMART goals are:
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Specific. This means that they target a specific area for improvement.
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Measurable. You need to be able to quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.
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Assignable. You have to be able to assign the goal to yourself. If you can’t do it, who will?
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Realistic. If it’s impossible to achieve, the goal will be of limited use.
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Time-related. You should specify when you expect the results.
Using SMART goals will help you a great deal as you continue your fluency development.
5. Teach.
As people often say, something taught is something learned twice.
And it’s true.
If you haven’t externalized a subject you’ve learned, you haven’t really internalized it. Without teaching it, you haven’t fully processed it. Like good coffee, knowledge needs to be percolated and then shared.
The same goes for everything, including mnemonics and other work with memory techniques. into place and the theories lose their complexity.
As always, thanks for listening to the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast. If you’re looking for information about the Masterclass, it’s currently open. If you’re already a member, please login now to continue learning about how to improve your memory and the quality of your mind. You really can learn and memorize anything.
The post 5 Ultra Fun Ways To Super Boost Your Fluency appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you’ll learn the 7 best ways to make your memory sharper than a Swiss Army Knife.
MacGyver, in case you’ve never seen the show, is a secret agent with a background in science. He’s always building bombs and troubleshooting problems.
His favorite tools?
Duct-tape and a Swiss Army Knife.
He also had a cool boss who was also his best friend.
How many secret agents can say that?
But what has MacGuyver got to do with the Magnetic Memory Method?
A lot, actually.
When you use the Magnetic Memory Method, you’re transforming your mind into a Swiss Army knife and duct-tape at the same time.
Your mental Swiss Army knife extends just the right associative imagery at the right time. And your mental duct-tape (your Memory Palaces) makes those images stick.
They stick for as long as you want to keep the information memorized.
And there are a lot of tools that go along with it.
Here are just 8 of those tools in your Swiss Army knife-brain that you might not have spent enough time on yet.
Listen to this episode of The Magnetic Memory Method Podcast and read the following to learn how.
1. Sensory
Whether you’re building your Memory Palaces or filling them, it’s important to be aware of your five senses.
The more of the main senses you activate when working on your language learning goals, the easier it will be to recall your vocabulary.
2. Intensity
Your mind has the amazing ability to make its contents more vibrant, hilarious, and strange. This will help you memorize and recall information.
And it’s easy to do. You need only focus on the associative-imagery you’ve created and then amplify it. Make it even more colorful, large, vibrant and strange.
3. Distinction
This point relates to intensity. But the difference here is that you focus on differentiating the images in your mind.
One way to do this is to focus on the borders of the images you create.
For example, let’s say my image has Fred Flintstone kissing a frog in a tutu. I can make the image more outstanding by taking a few seconds to really see the edges of the image and strengthen them.
You can pretend that you are tracing over them with a black marker like you might do in a coloring book if it helps.
It’s kind of a weird thing to do, but once you try it, you’ll find that your images are at least 10x more memorable. All because you’ve focused on making them distinct.
It doesn’t have to be black lines either.
Try silver, gold, red, the color of duct-tape – any color will do.
4. Emotion
Believe it or not, there’s a little pea in your brain called the amygdala. It deals with emotional content, both positive and negative, and …
You can hack it.
Just by presenting it with crazy imagery.
This works because the amygdala is designed to sense emotions and literally scream, “pay attention to this! It’s important!”
And so you can supercharge your associative images, and the Memory Palaces themselves, by giving them strong emotional elements.
5. Survivalist impulses
Our brains come with some heavy duty wiring to ensure that we have the necessary drive to survive.
And it’s not just a physical thing. We need to survive – and thrive – emotionally, mentally, financially, nutritionally, etc.
In other words, if you want your memory to work better, make sure you’re well-fed, well-watered and well-rested.
6. Personal connections
I’ve had some people tell me that their life histories interfere with their Memory Palace language learning work.
I find this surprising, because I think it would be just the opposite.
Part of the mnemonic principle that underlies the Magnetic Memory system is association. Normally associations to things that you’re already familiar. Things that need zero memorization (because they’re already in memory).
To each a zone, of course, but do experiment with increasing the personal importance of the images you use. It will make everything more memorable.
And it only stands to reason that your favorite TV shows, actors, musicians and movies are personal connections that you can draw upon with ease. It doesn’t just have to be family and friends.
7. Repetition
A lot of people have told me that because I’m against rote learning, I’m against repetition.
This is absolutely not the case.
There’s smart, useful and results producing repetition that takes less time and effort. Like using Memory Palaces and the Method of Loci in your work with mnemonics.
And then there’s the other kind.
I call this the ..
Blunt Force Hammer Of Rote Learning
The fact of the matter is that the Magnetic Memory Method lets you recall on demand based on associative imagery.
But you perform the repetitions based on what you’ve memorized, not as an attempt to memorize in the first place.
Sounds like a winning formula to me.
That’s all for this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method, dear Memorizers.
Until next time, get out the duct-tape and then teach someone else what you’ve learned about Memory Palaces.
Teaching a skill is one of the best ways to learn it and helping people improve their memory is one of the best ways we can make the world a better place.
The more we remember, the more we can remember. And the more we learn, the more we can learn.
And if you want to learn more, then feel free to check out the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass.
Candid talk on the science of mnemonics with notes on math and rep systems.
I’ll bet you feel horrible when you procrastinate.
You do?
Good. That means that this podcast may be the most important episode you ever hear.
Look, procrastination is a reality. And falling prey to it is understandable.
Especially if you’re a doer.
Here’s what happens:
Many times when we start a new activity, we experience an initial rush. And everything seems not only possible, but nothing can go wrong. A feeling erupts that says you can conquer the world in a single day.
But before you know it, that energy drops off. And then the resolve drops off. And before you know it, you start sabotaging yourselves by finding excuses that take you away from moving forward.
Again, it’s understandable.
But it doesn’t have to be this way!
Especially not when you’re using the Magnetic Memory Method.
But even then some people fall off the path. For example, you might come across a challenging word. But instead of popping it into a well-designed Memory Palace … it’s time to do the dishes.
Or attend to the laundry.
Or play games.
Or check email.
Anything but the work of memorization.
Yet we all know one important fact.
That fact is this:
If you want to memorize a lot of vocabulary, terminology, math equations, or whatever it is that floats your Magnetic boat …
You’ve got to actually engage in the key activity of using the Method of Loci in your Memory Palaces.
Luckily, this isn’t work as such (more like play), but it still trips a lot of people up.
The question is why.
The answer is often simple.
It’s fear.
People fear a lot of things when it comes to success. There are two in particular:
1) The fear of failing
2) The fear of succeeding
People usually address the first fear by never getting started.
Crazy, but true.
And in some ways, it’s a pretty rational approach to avoiding failure. After all, if you never take action, you cannot fail.
Only problem is that not taking action is the biggest failure of all.
Fear of success is its own kettle of fish.
It’s connected to the fear of change.
After all, if you achieve one of your goals, you’ll have power.
Great power.
And with power, as the comic books and Superhero movies tell us, comes great responsibility.
Think about it.
If you were to use the Magnetic Memory Method to gain massive boosts in French fluency, for example, you would have to use the language.
You’re not going to be fluent in a language you’re not using, after all. No matter how much you use a Memory Palace or general mnemonics.
And just imagine what would happen if you aced all your exams?
You’d be morally and ethically obliged to study even more and even teach so that others could enjoy your knowledge.
You’d have to become a superhero.
Success has consequences. And that’s why so many fear it.
Here’s another weird reason that people fear success:
They don’t believe they deserve it.
And without self-worth, even bigger negative believes sail in.
They are the seeds of weeds that start growing and distributing even more seeds.
Before you know it, no machete will get your through the jungle.
What are some of these beliefs?
That other people are:
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Faster
-
Smarter
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Better
Could be true.
In fact, it will almost always be true.
But it doesn’t matter!
There’s always room for another drop in the ocean.
And the next time you’re by the shore, take a drop away and see what happens. (I’ll leave that as a riddle for you to think about.)
Finally, some people fear that success is impossible.
A lot of this comes from the fact that they haven’t defined what success means to them.
If you don’t know were to find Eden on the map …
Good luck finding it on the ground.
Look, there’s a Golden Rule when it comes to what is achievable and what isn’t. That rule is this:
If someone else can do it, you can do it too.
And if that’s the case, then there’s no reason to fear that it’s impossible.
So long as the evidence behind it having been done is solid, then it can be done.
And as I talk about in the podcast, you can even achieve impossible things without being the doer. Like if you’re a sports coach, for example. You can be the conduit, the strategist, the inspiration.
And perhaps in this case, it might be true that some things are impossible. Because without you at the helm, they would never get done.
So, now that we’ve got all these issues cleared up, make sure that you listen to the podcast episode. This will help ensure that you understand how to overcome these fears and turn procrastination into a tool.
There’s simply no reason to let procrastination get in the way of using mnemonics, your dedicated Memory Palace strategy and all the ways you approach the Method of Loci in combination with the memory techniques you know.
So be sure to check out the resources mentioned in the podcast before you memorize another single unit of the valuable information that will bring meaning, value and positive change to your life. Because if you’re going to procrastinate, these resources will be a powerful diversion indeed.
Talk soon!
Sincerely,
Anthony Metivier
Further Resources
BBC article on concentration and focus
Tim Ferris on “Productivity Hacks”
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Do This One Thing And Stop Procrastinating (From Psychology Today)
Learn to read fast and memorize more as a Superlearner.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, we’re going to talk about how to memorize numbers. More specifically, we’re going to talk about memorizing numbers using the Major Method. And even more specifically than that, we’re going to talk about doing this in a way that will get the numbers you memorize into long term memory.
But if you want to jump over to how to apply the Major Method to music mnemonics, that’s cool too. Just make sure you know how to memorize numbers with letters, as discussed in my Get Good at Remembering Numbers playlist on YouTube:
With that covers, here’s more information, inspired by a very nice letter I received from a young high school student who takes Advanced Placement courses.
As you can read in his letter, he is a very advanced young man indeed!
Dear Anthony,
I’m proud to report the success of my first memory palace! I’ve been reading your newsletters daily since summer back in June and I haven’t been able to take your Masterclass lessons or fully read any of your books yet, since being a high school student in a magnet program, taking college level classes, I don’t have any time to get a job to make a little money, so my only money comes from my birthday and Chanukah in December. I have though read previews of many of them, and in December, I plan on trying to take the Udemy course or buy the medical terminology book you wrote. I’ve been reading your newsletters daily and each day I find myself wanting to use the Magnetic Memory Method more and more, but frankly, I’ve never gotten around to experimenting with it yet because of school work and studying for tests.
Also, I’ve been a little apprehensive of using the Magnetic Memory Method before taking any of your courses because I don’t want to make a flawed Memory Palace. I was able to check in on a small portion of the live streaming you did awhile back for free, and took some notes. Couple months go by, I’ve been continuing to read your newsletters, emailing you ideas about using the music in Memory Palaces and using the same memory palace but with different conditions, but still haven’t created my own Memory Palace.
Last Friday, on the hour bus ride to school, I listen to your podcast, Hindi Alphabet Memory Palace Secrets, and on the way back home I listen to a majority of your podcast, How to Memorize 50 Spanish Provinces On Your First Go, and they get me excited thinking of the possibilities of the Magnetic Memory Method. The weekend goes by working on school work and essays I had due today, and this afternoon on the bus, I searched around for a way just to test out the Memory Palace. I just wanted to try it and use it successfully, I wanted the short term success, he was talking about that he had on his first memory palace, even if it was minuscule compared to the 50 provinces he remembered. I took a list of ten items and wanted to memorize them: fish, margarine, a chess set, milk, light bulbs, a football, a ladder, a clock, measuring tape, and a dog bowl. My “journey” was short and simple and went like this:
I get on the bus and my bus driver has a chef hat on sitting in the drivers seat with a black steel cooking pan containing a grilled fish, he then smiles at me and throws a thin square of margarine butter on the finish and it sizzles, I then say good morning and turn to walk to my seat when I notice the back half of the bus has been turned into a limo like setup with a huge chess table like lounge, with sophomores sitting around it playing chest, one invites me over after taking a sip of milk from a glass and accidentally spilling it on herself, she laughs and invites me over, all the sudden the bus turns dark, and rainbow light bulbs light up my way to the lounge around the chess table, just as I sit down comfortably, a shout of victory comes out from another student as he wins, and out of the roof of the bus a disco football comes out of the ceiling, and it then flies out onto a ladder laying built into the back of the bus window, and jumps each set of the ladder leading up towards a clock, when hits the clock it buzzes like a hockey buzzer, and two measuring tapes shoot out across the bus from the roof, and out from the ceiling of the bus bowls of dog food plop randomly landing on the strong measuring tapes holding them up.
I created this journey little over two hours ago on the bus, and I was thrilled to have recalled the list perfectly, in increasing time intervals, started the timer on my iPad 5 minutes, recalled the journey, 15 minutes later, recalled the journey, 30 minutes recalled the journey, now a hour later and I was able to recall the journey and the list. It did take me awhile to create the short journey and for only memorizing ten random items does make the success feel a little minuscule but I know once I’m able to take or read one of your products in about three months time, I’ll learn how to apply this method to bigger feats like learning Spanish. I also want to learn how to apply it to memorizing more than just what one word is this, or memorizing a list of items, but how to memorize content like this for my AP US History class:
Back during the period of the second president of the United States, John Adams, signed the Jay’s Treaty with Britain giving them exclusive trading rights with the States in return for their promise not to impress our seamen into their navy. This resulted in France getting angry and attacking American merchant ships. John Adams sent three ambassadors to France to negotiate a peace treaty ending up becoming the XYZ affair resulting in France wanting bribes to be able to start negotiations. Instead of declaring war against the French, John Adams takes Washington’s advice given in his farewell address, and takes a passive indirect approach causing many American colonists to criticize him. To quell the criticism Adams passes the Alien and Sedition Acts, which resulted in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, resulting in the idea that the States created the federal government through a compact and they could nullify any federal laws if it broke that compact.
I was wondering if it was possible in some way to use a Memory Palace and take a journey to memorize content like this… How would you use the senses and imagination of imagery to associate to such content?
Also, I don’t know if you already have something like this, but maybe you could do a YouTube video or a podcast, or make a short PDF, just giving interested people a small concise summary of the magnetic memory method and a short example of something to memorize, like a ten item list, without giving your premium content away, to show people the effectiveness of the magnetic memory method. Give them a small sample of the power behind it and then entice them to buy your premium content to be able to apply the method to incredible feats. Just witnessing the power of the small journey I created was incredible.
In conclusion, I’m excited this December to be able to take the method to the next step, until then I’m going to try to experiment a little and make tiny journeys for practice stakes, just to get in the hang of it. I’m starting to introduce one of my friends to the method too and so far, being the brainiac he is for philosophers, like Newton and so forth, he liked the historical context of the Magnetic Memory Method.
Here’s My Written Response
Hi there,
It’s great to hear that you’re using these techniques!
You can definitely use a Memory Palace to memorize this historical story. All you need to do is apply the same techniques you’ve used to memorize the list you’re talking about to this material.
The first thing you need to do is create a Memory Palace.
Next, start with the first piece of information you want to memorize.
But here’s a tip:
Don’t say “back during the period.” This is not proper form. Figure out the dates used by historians and memorize them.
Be specific. Teachers tear their hair out when students write things like “back during the period” or “several hundred years ago.”
Demonstrate that you know something through specificity. Use the same tools you used to memorize that list to memorize the date. It’s really easy and fun and important.
Plus, I’ve dedicated this episode of the podcast just to you, so …
Have a listen, share the post with everyone who needs it and let me know if you have any more questions.
And keep experimenting. It’s the best way to gain traction and keep moving forward.
If you’d like more information on using the Major Method to memorize numbers in combination with a Memory Palace or method of loci and other mnemonic techniques, please study my treatise on the topic.
The post How To Memorize Numbers With The Major Method appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
It's amazing what you can achieve in a short period of time with a Memory Palace.
Remembering concepts feels like the hardest thing on the planet to do. Keep these principles in mind and you'll find it much easier.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, we talk about recalling things from your deep past in order to write autobiography and fiction (and throw Jung, Lacan and Freud into the mix for good measure).
Program Notes
This Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode was inspired by the following question I received from a participant in my video course How to Learn and Memorize Poetry. Denver writes:
While listening to the interview in Lecture 23, I wondered whether the Magnetic Memory Method is likely to aid in recall of past old memories. What thoughts anybody? One of the excuses I use for not getting round to writing the books in my head, is lack of confidence in recalling past details. I’m always staggered as to how writers do this. I know that note-taking is probably one of the keys, but “wow!”, if you could just remember things, how great that would be!
This is the original answer I wrote in response that forms the basis of the podcast, most of which is ad lib and goes into some rich areas about using wax tablets in your Memory Palaces, Nietzsche, sailboats and more.
This is an interesting question, Denver.
I could only offer anecdotal evidence, which is that, yes, practicing memory techniques can improve your overall recall.
A caveat, however. The accuracy of that recall may not be adequate even if your Memory Palace work and work with other memory techniques and mnemonics is involved. Thus, I would exercise caution if and when claiming this material is the truth. I suspect that most writers and audiences realize this anyway, but it’s an important point to keep in mind.
Something related that comes to mind just for fun:
Carl Jung used the word “cryptomnesia” to describe writing things and not realizing that you’re “copying” something you’ve read before. He accused Nietzsche of being a plagiarist, for example, but a plagiarist suffering from this condition (through somehow I don’t think Jung’s diagnosis means that Jung forgave him).
The problem with this accusation is that it would lead people to believe that the creators of The Matrix had read the 7th book of Plato’s Republic (the “Allegory of the Cave”).
This is quite likely, but it’s not necessary that they did. What matters is that there is a core, universal story that has reverberated throughout history. What is being “remembered” or recreated is the echo of the narrative undertow and its deep structures. You don’t need to have come across something before in order to “fall prey” to reconstructing it.
This doesn’t, by the way, relate to the idea that a thousands monkeys with typewriters would eventually come up with all of Shakespeare. As far as I know, they don’t perceive culture, so that randomness could never attain to such meaning. Not only that, but what counts as “Shakespeare” has always been and will always be in question as new scholarship discovers new things and we continue to contend with the fragments of writing that were left behind and mostly unsigned by whoever wrote them.
Back to writing the “truth” of one’s past, another psychologist, Jacques Lacan, said that “there are too many words” to accurately reflect the truth of a situation after the fact.
Try it out some time.
I’m about to go to the grocery store and I can guarantee you in advance that so many things are going to happen, so many shapes and colors are going to be seen and so many people encountered, all of which will contain conscious and subconscious thoughts …
There will be too many words available in English and every other language to ever describe it except by eliminating, or rather focusing possibility towards the construction of a possible rendition of what happened.
Put another way, there aren’t words enough. You could fill twelve telephone books trying to describe what will take place on that simple journey and never make an accurate description. You’d have to be me taking that short trip, and even I won’t absorb even a tenth of it.
Thus, I would suggest that it’s not what one can remember that is important when writing about the past. It’s the impressions that you shape from what you do remember that count. And the words you use to choose them will always come from a pool of too much to create too little based on the pounding of stimuli from what Freud called the “oceanic.”
There you have it. Three psychoanalysts in one answer. How’s that for fearful symmetry? 🙂
Further Resources and Nifty Things That Only An Internet Can Provide: Freud on the Oceanic in Civilization and its Discontents (probably better translated as “its discomfort”)
Wiki on Cryptomnesia Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
Previous MMMPodcast Episode: Tap the Mind of a 10 Year-Old Memory Palace Master
Cool song that mentions Freud’s “Oceanic”:
http://youtu.be/B1TEmNxJYX0
About the author: Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary, dreams, names, music, poetry and much more in ways that are easy, elegant, effective and fun.
In this podcast episode, we explore controversial imagery and why it prompts recall.
Amazing - and Magnetic - guest post and guest podcast from Richard Gilzean.
Olly Richards of iwillteachyoualanguage.com shares his best insights and about language learning.
A great interview with a great language teacher.
Subscribe to the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.
Dear Memorizers,
As you learned about back in the post, What If I Wanted To Memorize 3000 Words?, there’s really no memorization challenge that cannot be overcome.
That said, there are a number of “painful truths” about memorizing that many people let get in the way of their progress.
Let’s look at some of these.
1. You will make mistakes. It’s a basic fact that not only will we make mistakes when memorizing material such as foreign language vocabulary, names, faces and even our dreams, but we need to make mistakes in order to identify problem areas and grow.
It’s an old cliche but a stubbornly correct one: we learn by failing. Or better put, it’s only failure if you refuse to learn from the mistakes. I think we’ve all probably had that experience of knowing that we’re doing something wrong, but going ahead and doing it anyway.
The trick is to stop, correct and then proceed along the newly corrected basis. And in doing so, we make the practice artful.
And, of course, I’m always talking about projects for memorizing stuff that’s important to you, like foreign language vocabulary, names and faces and poetry. But the same principles apply even if you’re into competition and feats of extreme memory. And yes, even memory champions make mistakes when their skills are on display.
2. You will be tempted to show off. Showing off is not such a bad thing, but the reason that it’s a painful truth when it comes to memory skills is that … you’re going to make mistakes. For many people, this is enough to turn them off of using memory skills or a dedicated Memory Palace network forever.
This is a shame because failure, slip-ups and all kinds of foibles happen all the time. And you can learn from them, simply by grabbing hold of yourself, letting yourself relax, apologize if necessary and then start again at a convenient place.
Just like Alica Crosby did in the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode, Tap the Mind of a 10-year Old Memory Palace Master. She made a tiny little error, caught herself and then corrected.
Like it was nothing.
Which it was.
So if you are showing off (and I hope that you do), don’t let a tiny little mistake shame you out of continuing with memory development.
And here’s a tip: demonstrate your skills to others in low stress environments. For example, do card drills in front of your dog or cat. Your pets don’t care if you get it wrong, but you will have the feeling that you’re demonstrating your memory skills in front of a sentient being.
Then scale it up to your mom, your dad or a friend you know will be chill if you slip up. You can even tell them that you’re a bit nervous about making a mistake, which is a cool trick because when you don’t make any mistakes, they’ll probably forget that you said that or just think that you were being modest before unleashing the miracle.
From there, you can increase the “social difficulty” as you please, always knowing that you can correct mistakes with a quick, “oh sorry,” like Alicia did on the Podcast and carry on.
3. You have to learn to relax. I include this amongst the painful truths of memory skills because, at least in my experience of helping many, many people build either their first or their one hundredth Memory Palace, usually the number one problem they have with memorizing information and recalling it is that they aren’t relaxed.
There are a number of reasons why relaxation not only helps, but will completely take things to a new level for you.
The first is that it helps over come the objections in the mind. I’m talking about that voice that says, “this is stupid,” or “this is crazy,” or “this will never work.” Many a person has this voice turned away from the gift of mnemonics. But if you memorize in a state of relaxation, you can dampen, lessen or outright eliminate this voice and work on improving your memory in peace.
The second is that relaxation enhances creativity. I don’t know if this is because you enter a more dreamlike state, but there’s a lot of scientific research which demonstrates a link between, for instance, meditation and creativity and I’m sure that your personal experience will demonstrate that this is true for you as well.
Meditation is a pretty simple affair.
As Alan Watts put it: sit just to sit. The rest will take care of itself.
A third reason why relaxation is such a powerful tool for a memorizer is that it conditions you to associate relaxation with memorization and recall. This means that when you’re tempted to show off, you can tap into that state of relaxation you used to memorize the stuff in the first place and use it in the moment in order to avoid getting flummoxed or embarrassed or otherwise feeling discouraged if you make a mistake.
It’s really cool, but also a painful truth of memory skills and it saddens me that so many people skip this step and then claim that mnemonics don’t work for them.
They do work and they will work for even the most resistant mind if you just give relaxation a serious try.
4. You have to have a success-oriented mindset. Far too many people enter a field they want to conquer expecting failure.
This rarely helps …
I don’t know why many of us go into things in a dark mood, but the relaxation tip I’ve just given is one way to move yourself in a more positive direction, in addition to simply deciding in your mind that you will succeed and nothing will stop you.
Better yet, write it down.
Literally. Get a notebook that you carry around with you and every day write down a list of your goals and the declaration that you will achieve them. Today was the first day of the Polyglot Gathering 2014 in Berlin and I showed someone who was skeptical that I actually do this my personal notebook that I carry with me everywhere. It has a date written in ink at the beginning and he could see that I certainly hadn’t filled out half the book since arriving at the conference that morning and gotten it all worn and dirty from carrying it in my pocket.
I really do this stuff and it has helped me combat negative-thinking and depression for years.
I don’t know exactly why it works, but Richard Wiseman talks about it in his book 59 Seconds and gives the science in those pages, so I highly recommend that you read it for more on this approach and even more little life hacks that are scientifically grounded that you can put to use in under a minute.
5. You will need to challenge your imagination. I was talking with another fellow today at the Polyglot Gathering today and he wanted to know why I recommend that people memorize the alphabet backwards. I told him that it’s a great way to see how you can use a Memory Palace, it’s great brain exercise, and it also helps bridge the gap between memorizing things that are familiar to you (the alphabet) and things that are foreign (like the alphabet backwards). You can use this skill to help when encountering foreign language words and seeing how to use mnemonics to store them in your mind and then later recall them at will.
He still didn’t quite see why one should do exercises like this, especially for him because he knows the techniques and uses them every day.
So I asked him what he thinks it would be like if he could use the same techniques he already knows 10 times better?
He didn’t quite have an answer, but he thought it would be pretty cool.
So I suggested that he give memorizing the alphabet backwards a try and explained that you could never really know what the strength of someone like Schwarzenegger feels like without putting in the time at the gym. In the same way, you can never know just how powerful your memory can be without doing some basic exercises. There is a huge difference between pumping 10 pounds and pumping 50 and only those who pump 50 get the outcome that only 50 can achieve.
It’s that simple.
So if you want your memory skills to grow, you’ve got to add challenges.
Even if you just want to maintain them, you’ve got to at least use your memory techniques.
I don’t really believe in the use “use it or lose” it idea in this case, but there’s definitely a dampening of power if you don’t memorize things for a long time, regardless of how well you understand the techniques.
Not only that, but not having Memory Palaces prepared in advance can be a real drawback as well because then you’ve got to build them, or at least revisit them if you haven’t kept them maintained.
Never fear, however. This is not hard work and it is in fact a lot of fun to wander Memory Palaces just to keep them in check for when you might want to use them.
Speaking of which … let’s move on to …
6. You need to be obsessed with using memory skills. Actually using them, that is. I know all kinds of people and receive many messages each and every day from people who are deeply interested in mnemonics and love to read about Ars Memorativa. But so many people never actually build a Memory Palace, let alone use it.
They have a problem that I call “mistaking activity with accomplishment.” It’s a huge problem that affects a lot of people in a lot of areas.
But as awesome and even necessary as thinking about memory techniques is, it’s not the same thing as using them or analyzing your use of them and then getting back in there and using them again.
But if you’re not obsessed with memory techniques, there’s hope in yet another pain of mnemonics …
7. You have to be willing to get started. This is another huge barrier that people face, including myself. I got started with memory techniques almost by accident, but they still wound up helping solve the desperate situation I was in as a grad student on the verge of flunking out during some very dark days of depression.
Other people come to memory techniques in their own way, but don’t know exactly how to get started.
I always like to say that mnemonics begins and ends with the Memory Palace.
But this is not the only way, though it probably is the most Magnetic.
All this said, in practical terms, one of the easiest and best ways to get started is to have a practical vision of what it is that you want to accomplish. Having a solid grasp of your intended outcome will guide and inform the process.
It’s kind of like getting a degree in college or university.
Yes, some people go to “audit” courses and take them for personal or professional reasons as one-offs, but most people go to university guided by some kind of structure, a well-defined outcome, a Bachelor of Arts in … whatever.
The same thing goes for memory skills … minus the degree.
In order to achieve something, you need to know what it is that you’re trying to achieve, so instead of saying, “I want to improve my memory,” try saying, “I want to improve my memory so that I can _________.” And then fill in that blank with a specific goal.
From this basis, you’ll not only improve your memory overall because of applying memory skills in a dedicated manner, but you’ll achieve that goal alongside the learning and mastering of a memory strategy.
Another way to think of this, returning to the university degree metaphor is that one never takes a degree just in a particular subject. You learn both the subject and how to learn about that subject which translates into how to learn about something in general. Thus, when I did my BA and my first MA in English Literature, I wasn’t just learning about English Literature, but I was learning about how to learn about English Literature at the same time, guided by the structure of a program and its carefully defined goals and outcomes.
Make sense?
Good.
So let me conclude by defining exactly what it is that separates the Magnetic Memorizer from all the rest:
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The Magnetic Memorizer overcomes all of the pains of memory skills in order to become free of forgetfulness at will. Others accept forgetfulness and let it rule the road of their life without taking focused and directed action. You can be Magnetic and you can have freedom from forgetfulness.
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The Magnetic Memorizer practices self-leadership and firmly takes the task of memory development from the whims of nature into her or his own hands. As a Magnetic Memorizer, you’re not looking for something from nothing. You know the value of hard work and you refuse to be a victim of forgetfulness.
Finally …
- The Magnetic Memorizer places high value on the powers of the human mind and its natural abilities and approaches the Magnetic Memory Method as a method. The Magnetic Memorizer does not look for a “cookie-cutter,” one size fits all memory training program. You adapt and you form and you fashion based on the universal principles that you’ve learned, ideally grounded in the Memory Palace tradition for the reasons I have outlined many times before.
About the author:
Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary, dreams, names, music, poetry and much more in ways that are easy, elegant, effective and fun.
Listen now to this second MMMP interview with world-renowned polyglot, Luca Lampariello.
Dear Memorizers,
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you’ll learn about using a Memory Palace even while suffering the crushing side effects of medication.
Program Notes:
Following from Magnetic Memory blog posts like The Dyslexic Memorizer Who Aced All His Exams and Memory Palaces vs. Alzheimer’s, another question about using mnemonics, Memory Palaces and other memory techniques to help overcome mental “problems.” In this case, it’s the negative effects of taking medication on memory has come in.
Have you worked with anyone who was working against medications and/or an illness that randomly scatters chunks of memory?
I’m on an anti-seizure med for some fairly extensive nerve damage, and since I’ve been on it, my already compromised memory is suddenly like trying to catch butterflies with a hula hoop. Now I’m wondering if I’m just a hopeless case.
Thanks for any advice/thoughts!
I don’t want to prattle on about myself, but I am one such person. In fact, my whole adventure into memory, something I’ve only recently started talking about, came from the devastating cognitive effects of lithium, which I was taking at the time to control Bipolar Disorder. Now I take something else that has less extreme effects, but back then, there seemed to be no alternative …
Until I found mnemonics.
In truth, I have only anecdotal evidence that mnemonics helps bring clarity into the mind, and I was also discovering a whole lot of other things at the same time, so the clarity that came into my mind through the use of Memory Palaces was assisted by things such as self-hypnosis, meditation and a better diet combined with fitness, improved sleep, writing down my dreams each and every morning, and spending some time writing down my goals and things that I’m grateful for on a daily basis. I learned a lot of these “hacks” from Richard Wiseman’s 59 Seconds, as well as from taking hypnotherapy certification which was part of my doctoral research into friendship (sounds like a stretch, but it turns out that we do hypnotize each other in a certain way as we become friends).
But in terms of Memory Palaces strictly speaking, one of the biggest things that being able to command my memory brought was confidence. The stress and negativity that surrounded me as I worked to read some of the strangest and most obscure books of philosophy and cultural studies almost caused me to drop out of graduate school. And that’s not counting the fogginess and poor concentration that made it very difficult for me to read in the first place.
And in truth, I still experience all of these things today.
The difference is that Memory Palaces cut through all of it, provided that I use them and use them in the right way. For me, the right way is the Magnetic Memory Method and it applies to just about everything I – or you – could ever want to learn. Of course, as I teach it, the MMM is a “method” and not a “system,” which enables users to adapt the basic principles to their own learning style. Most people don’t need to change much, but the whole purpose of how I designed it for myself was to make what really is impossible for a person with my frenzied brain possible. These techniques are an almost fool proof means of getting things into my mind so that I can find them whenever I want.
Think of it like this: The Magnetic Memory Method is like a wheelchair and a ramp. Without the ramp, the chair cannot be wheeled up to the next level. Without the wheelchair, the person cannot be moved anywhere. Put them together, however, and there’s no level that cannot be reached.
The Magnetic Memory Method is a structured means by which both the chair and the ramp can be built in stages in order to bring the material in the chair to wherever in the mind you want it to go.
But it’s not about wheelchairs and ramps …
It’s about Memory Palaces.
Mental constructs based on familiar places. That’s the key: familiar places. When you get more advanced, you can use less familiar places from deep in memory and even invented Memory Palaces or Memory Palaces based on video games, TV shows, etc.
Thus, instead of trying to catch butterflies with a hula hoop, see if you can’t just catch one Memory Palace in your mind. Start with your own house. Using the Magnetic Memory Method principles of not trapping yourself and not crossing your own path, create a linear journey through the Memory Palace.
Then, spend some time just traveling that journey. Make it really vivid in your imagination. If you can’t actually see it in your mind’s eye …
Stop trying.
Feel it instead. Feel it as a structure, a series of squares that are connected.
You can also feel the journey in terms of time. How long would it take you to move from the bedroom to the kitchen? Approximately how many steps?
When done with eyes closed, even a non-visual person can begin to attribute visual elements to this inner sense.
Because the journey is known in real life and has now been recreated in the mind, you can move on to the next step.
Assuming that you’ve got ten stations along your Memory Palace journey and assuming that you’ve got ten Spanish words lined up, then you’re ready to work on memorizing the first Spanish word by placing it at the first location. All of this is premised upon the absolute certainty that you know where to find that word later when you’re looking for it as part of your Magnetic Memory Method Recall Rehearsal procedures. Of course, there are ways that you can read about in the book that help you make sure that you’re picking the best possible words, and you can experiment with all of these.
The most important thing is to get started.
John Cage once said, “begin anywhere,” and that remains true. But if you’re struggling to find a place to start, start by embedding your home in your mind and try to always focus on what is possible.
That is in fact the number one lesson I have ever learned. I used to focus so much on what was impossible that I hypnotized myself into taking zero action. But through all kinds of mysterious and interesting and strange circumstances, I learned to focus only on the possible, something I have to relearn all the time.
Miraculously, when I use Memory Palaces in the right way, they never fail me.
And barring some terrible brain trauma – and even then (if you’ve heard my Podcast interview with Michael Gusman then you’ll know why I’m making this exception), I don’t think Memory Palaces that are correctly built can ever fail.
I sum, if I can make the following suggestions that I think will help you deal with the effects of your medication, based on the understanding that I’m not a doctor (at least not the medical kind, just a dude with a PhD), work on Memory Palaces as described by the Magnetic Memory Method, but also:
Meditation*
Good diet and fitness
Writing down your dreams (ideally every morning)
Writing down your aspirations (ideally ever day)*
Writing down at least ten things you are grateful for (ideally ever day)*
Do this writing by hand so that you train your brain to connect your gratitude and wishes with movements of the hand, with mechanical acts of doing that are not integrated with computers. The research Richard Wiseman presents in 59 Seconds shows you why this is important, but it also just makes sense when you think of the difference between blunt force writing via typing and the elegance of handwriting …
Or the lack of it, which reminds me that if you ever get bored of writing down the same thing every day, try writing with your non-dominant hand instead. It took me only a short time to develop this skill and it has really happy effects. I guess it lights up different centers of the brain.
I don’t know if writing with your non-dominant hand will do that for you, but if you’re going to pick up these habits, then you might as well give writing with your non-dominant hand a try too. It cannot hurt.
I hope these thoughts help. Let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything further I can do for you.
Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary, dreams, names, music, poetry and much more in ways that are easy, elegant, effective and fun.
The post Can A Memory Palace Overcome Medicinal Side-Effects? appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Let’s face it…
We’ve all suffered from nightmares. Sometimes they come out of nowhere, sometimes they’re deeply connected with a rough passage through life.
And yet…
Since first starting with dream recall, I’ve never had what I’d call a “nightmare.”
My childhood was littered with them, however.
I think these terrible nocturnal experiences were tied to all the surgeries I needed thanks to a ruptured eardrum. As a result of this problem, I needed tubes. These were taken in and removed repeatedly over several years …
But I’m not going to fill your ears with these tales of nighttime woe or the images they involved.
I don’t even particularly want to hear descriptions of your nightmares. I’m not a dream therapist, after all.
What does interest me, however, is what you’ve done to deal with your dreams when they haven’t been nice.
Do you just let it go and get on with your day?
Do you carry a feeling with that takes time to subside?
Do you tell a loved one or friend?
Ideally, if you’re practicing dream recall, you’ll write it down.
It’s part of creating that nighttime portrait I was telling you about. It’s like creating a graph that lets you see spikes of activity over time.
Form becomes as important as content, especially when you hit an earthquake or volcano.
You can relive it in the safety of paper as you externalize and study your nighttime seismograph.
And over time, with a dedicated dream recall practice, you can bring balance to your nighttime life.
The other thing I would suggest to speed up the process of healing nightmares is to place your disturbing dreams in Memory Palaces.
Yes, I know that Memory Palaces are precious things. You almost don’t want to get them involved.
But the fact of the matter is that Memory Palaces can serve as neutral territory.
Just as we use Memory Palaces to enliven the material we want to remember using vibrant color and intensified action, we can drain our negative dreams of the intensity that terrifies us by placing those fears in a familiar location we’ve reconstructed in our minds.
Try it sometime.
When you wake up from an unsettling dream, place as many details as you can remember into one of your Memory Palaces.
Or write them down as you would normally to get the fullest possible recording of the dream on paper and then transport the dream into a Memory Palace.
(If you’re new to Magnetic Memory Dream Recall, then writing them down first before doing Memory Palace work is probably the better option).
Either way, once you’re in the Memory Palace with the dream, or looking at it from whatever way that you look at dreams you’ve placed there, before you do anything else, drain the dream of colour until it’s black and white.
You may even want to make it like an old scratchy movie, which will allow you to eliminate and reduce the sound. This is another powerful strategy for neutralizing a nightmare.
For especially bad dreams, you can speed them up and add sound, as in a comedic movie where everything speeds up and everybody sounds like Mickey Mouse. Make it so that you have no choice but to laugh at the dream.
To that younger version of myself, who from the ages four to ten had intense nightmare that caused so much disturbance throughout the day that it could not help but to invite new nightmares the next night, I would advise myself to eliminate the color from the dream and then using the powerful safety of a Memory Palace, wrap it up like newspaper and throw it out the door like Sigourney Weaver ejected the monster in Alien out into space.
I ain’t saying that this will be easy.
It could take some deliberate practice with dream recall.
And definitely some familiarity with Memory Palaces.
But if you’re interested, and for some reason not already on board the Magnetic Dream Recall nightmare-healing journey (potentially, depending on your sincerity of effort), the train departs from here:
How to Remember Your Dreams
The post Can A Memory Palace Heal Nightmares? appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I talk about a strange book called How to Memorize the Bible Quick and Easy in 5 Simple Steps that claims mnemonics are a form of witchcraft!
In addition to debunking this claim, in today’s episode you’ll learn:
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The real reason I wrote How to Learn and Memorize the Psalms of the Bible.
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Why I have been asked to help people stop memorizing the scripture.
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Why actually reading scripture may be more important than memorizing them.
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How the laws of physics, force and velocity relate to the universal principles of mnemonics and Memory Palace construction.
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Why you need to take dedicated memory training so that you can learn to build effective Memory Palaces, understand journeys and asssociative-imagery and learn Recall Rehearsal.
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Why memorizing textbooks verbatim is not necessarily the best goal and an invitation to learn how to do it the right way.
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Why books that mix mnemonics and theology are can be dangerous for your health (and what to read instead).
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Why asking God to help you memorize the Bible will probably involve a dedicated memory technique (possibly even the Magnetic Memory Method).
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Why belief (not faith) can be a mnemonic strategy and how to properly place it.
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Why memorizing only the material that leaps out at you might be good for “bibliomancy” when memorizing a textbook, but probably won’t help you when trying to memorize scripture verbatim.
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Why mnemonics are most certainly not blasphemous.
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Why mnemonics bears absolutely no relationship to witchcraft (because witchcraft doesn’t exist).
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Why memorizing long strings of numbers is absolutely fantastic for building your memory skills.
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The relationship between weight-lifting and memory skills.
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Why rote-learning is the “blunt force hammer” of learning.
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The benefits of reading books twice before you memorize them (either in whole or in part).
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The mysteries of “chunking” and “rechunking.”
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Why the future of the human species is going to be better than its past.
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Why the words “atheist” and “agnostic” are ridiculous words (but not ones that should be forgotten).
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Why Memory Palaces and location-based memory techniques are the best of all mnemonic methods.
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Exactly how to ensure that you never forget where you left your keys again.
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How to find more Memory Palaces than you can shake a Magnetic stick at.
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Why your memory has no saturation point whatsoever.
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How to leverage the natural ability of the mind to memorize all the information you could ever want.
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… and much, much more!
If you’re interested here’s the book talked about in the podcast:
Here’s my book about how to memorize the psalms:
And this is the video course I mentioned that goes even deeper into memorizing verse in general. Use coupon code “nonstrology” for a special introductory discount on your one time investment in this revolutionary memory training. It comes with a 30-day Magnetic Decision Guarantee.
+Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary, dreams, names, music, poetry and much more in ways that are easy, elegant, effective and fun.
The post Of Witchcraft, Nonstrology And Mnemonics appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you’ll learn 8 simple and effective strategies that you can apply to your dedicated memorization efforts when you using mnemonics to study, memorize poetry, foreign language vocabulary or even a deck of cards. Listen now to learn:
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The important connection between space in your Memory Palaces and where you use your Memory Palaces.
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The amazing value of having a solid routine so that you can see the compound effect of the work you’re putting into your memory (developing your memory is more like play than “work”, so don’t let that nasty word put you off!)
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Why you need to start simple each and every time you memorize something so that you can sail into the more complicated matters with ease (this one tip alone is worth at least a million Magnetic dollars).
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How to leverage the power of mistakes and turn them into the most powerful memorizing experiences you could ever wish for.
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When to ditch parts of your Memory Palace so that you can memorize even more material and not get stuck in a ditch.
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The most important rule in the world for getting past the whining and crying of frustration so that you are always calm and relaxed when working on memorizing material.
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The productivity secrets of specialization and why you need one.
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How to train your brain using rewards (I used to think this was corny too until I finally gave it a try … it works!)
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… and a whole lot more!
Listen to this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast and be amazed by what you can achieve using the natural abilities of your mind.
+Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary, dreams, names, music, poetry and much more in ways that are easy, elegant, effective and fun.
The post Your Free Memory Improvement Master Plan appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you'll hear from Timothy Moser, a true Master of Memory.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you'll learn about the power of mnemonics to rid stress from your life.
Learn about the relationship between location-based memory techniques, bees, graffiti and serial killers.
In today’s episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you’ll learn how you can get The Ultimate Language Learning Secret for free.
If you’ve ever wanted to experience a massive boost in your language learning efforts and see an improvement of 100% … 200% … 300% (or more), then this book may be the kick in the pants that you need to see that happen.
In this book, you’ll learn:
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How to escape from the prison of your mother tongue so that you can enjoy the benefits of fluency, including better understanding, communication and travel.
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How to identify language learning heroes transform your current lack of fluency into an abundance of fluency.
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The magic formula for developing discipline, ability and self-control all at the same time so that you can sit and accomplish your language learning goals quickly, easily and in ways that are effective, easy and fun. (This formula alone is worth double the price of this book.)
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Exactly how to earn and spend the “currency” of fluency so that you can exchange new ideas with the speakers of your target language, earn their admiration and enjoy their respect.
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How to completely re-wire your mind so that the “work” of language learning becomes playtime – everytime.
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A precise method for using travel magazines to boost your fluency (and whet your appetite for travel so that you get your butt in the plane and enjoy the amazing benefits of traveling in and through the language you’re learning to speak.)
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How to research the absolutely best training materials so that you can always instantly choose the best and invest your time and money wisely.
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How to eliminate negative labels about language learning that most people hold so that you’re no longer held back by the nasty “earworms” responsible for “language learning depression.”
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Why you need a monolingual dictionary in order to truly succeed at language learning.
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The ultimate no-nonsense time management strategies for language learning that no one has ever taught you before.
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How to train your family, friends and loved ones to give you the necessary space for language learning without having to worry about feeling selfish, needy of coming off as a language learning diva.
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… and much, much more.
Listen to the podcast now and follow the instructions for your free copy of The Ultimate Language Learning Secret.
It's easy to get addicted to language learning in ways that are frustration-free, healthy and fun.
David Mansaray gives amazing tips about language learning and learning for life.
Here's an audio presentation of The Magnetic Memory Method "Memory Training Consumer Awareness Guide."
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I respond to one of your answers from the Magnetic Three Question Survey.
Would You Like To Know How To Improve Your Memory Like Arnold Schwarzenegger Pumps Iron? If so, tune in to the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast and you’ll learn:
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How to manage your hurdles with respect to your memorization goals.
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A great resource for picking up the 850 words you’ll need to memorize as part of achieving basic fluency.
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The amazing benefits of relaxation for memorization.
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… and much, much more.
If you want to add your voice, here are the questions you can use to give your memory an advantage starting today:
Question #1:
What is your personal “Memory Myth” about your memory, including any programming you may have received as a young person or continue to receive in your daily life? How does this myth affect how you think about your memory?
Question #2:
What is the “distance” between where you are now with your memory skills – and where would you like to be in the future. Please be as specific as possible, including something like a deadline for when you would like to see a difference achieved (five minutes from now, tomorrow, next month, next year, etc).
Question #3:
What is your education “action plan” for getting the knowledge and training you need so that you have complete control over the improvement you would like to see in this area of your life?
And now let me add …
Question #4:
Have you ever used a Memory Palace or mnemonics?
Once you start using a Memory Palace for language learning, it’s important that you follow up with reading, writing, speaking and listening every day. Without these activities, you cannot expect to get very far.
Memory techniques serve you in the following way:
Vocabulary is like the gas you put into the engine of grammar. You cannot run the engine without it. In fact, you can’t even understand the engine.
And fluency is like a highway that has many gas stations along the way. Think about it: Even in your mother tongue, there are thousands of words you don’t yet know and will never know. But you can always tank up whenever you please.
When it comes to learning another language, you just need to get yourself on the highway.
That might take some bench pressing that you struggle with, but you’ll find your way, especially if you take a few minutes of your time to answer the questions above.
Please use the contact form to send your answers when you’re done. I’ll get back to you with some comments and a very Magnetic Memory gift a.s.a.p.
And of course, spend some more time learning about how to improve your memory like Schwarzenegger pumps iron at least one more time.
And if you’re interested in using the Magnetic Memory Method to memorize foreign language vocabulary, the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass includes a complete unit called How to Learn and Memorize Foreign Language Vocabulary.
+Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary in a way that is easy, elegant, effective and fun.
Further Resources:
7 Ways To Make Your Memory Swiss Army Knife Sharp
Ogden’s Basic English Word Lists
The post How To Improve Your Memory Like Schwarzenegger Pumps Iron appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.
Alicia Crosby talks to us about how she memorized all of Shakespeare's plays in historical order using a Memory Palace.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I answer one of your important questions.
Language learning expert Luca Lampariello of www.thepolyglotdream.com shares his secrets of success.
In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method, we talk to Michael Gusman. A student of mnemonics for approximately one year, he suffered a nearly tragic automobile accident and severe short term memory loss. In this interview, you'll learn how he used memory techniques to help recover his memory and flourish.
In this post we've got mnemonic examples featuring nuns, pyramids and Pythagoras's abs!
This neat little drill will build your vocabulary in random blasts, every time you roll the dice.
You never have to struggle to memorize the Greek alphabet again (or any alphabet for that matter).
In this session of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I talk about the 5 ways we ruin our Memory Palace efforts when working with mnemonics.
Would You Like A Memory Exercise That Will Give You Outstanding Mental Fitness In Just Minutes A Day ? I’m talking about an exercise that gets you using one of the world’s richest memory techniques. It involves nothing more than something called the Major Method (see below) and 52 small objects you can take with you anywhere you go.
If that’s something that interests you, then here’s a great question about the Magnetic Memory Method approach to memorizing a deck of cards. My answer follows.
Thank you for taking my email.
I reviewed your methods in your book on memorizing a deck of cards and am having a little trouble digesting the method or details.
I admit I’ve gone over your method rather quickly and probably have not given it a fair test – meaning I’ve skipped to the end before completing each step.
I was wondering if you had or could break your steps down further (if that makes sense) – so that I can actually practice each step slowly over time (or do I just need a coach?) I’d really love to learn this ‘trick’.
I am really interested in your methods. I am a family physician and generally, as the joke goes, we are taught by someone who sprays information like a fire hose! So if I could use some of your ‘tricks’ that would be very helpful.
Thanks in advance.
9 Ways To Makes The Most Powerful Sounds On The Planet (Without Learning To Play Heavy Metal) To memorize cards using the Magnetic Memory Method, we first need to learn the Major Method. It’s simple and as I talk about in the episode you can listen to above, Mark Channon has some great ways to memorize the follow list (give the episode a list for some of them):
0 = soft c, s or z
1 = t or d
2 = n
3 = m
4 = r
5 = l
6 = ch, j, sh
7 = k
8 = f or v
9 = b or p
For an alternative explanation and tips on making these associations stick in your mind fast, watch at least the first video from my Get Good At Remembering Numbers playlist:
The Shocking Truth About Memorizing Playing Cards Without having the Major Method learned and committed to memory, the rest of the Magnetic Memory card memorization method simply won’t work.
You could try rote memorization or Juan Tamirez’s singsong method, but that takes forever and a day. And as much as I love the ideas Woody Aragón puts forth in Memorandum, I think the Major System approach will be faster for most people (though you can certainly give other approaches a try).
After you’ve memorized the sound-number associations, focus on just one Suite. For example, start with the Spades.
You can review my book on the matter for further details, but by now you know that this particular approach to card memorization requires that you assign each suite with a value after having memorized the sound-number associations.
In this case, Spades are 10, Diamonds are 30, Clubs are 50 and Hearts are 80.
Since we don’t actually count these numbers, each Suite begins one number up (Ace of Spades is 11, Ace of Diamonds is 31, Ace of Clubs is 51, Ace of Hearts is 81).
Rabid Zombie Bambi?!? The answer is simple. We’re going to use the sound-number association method to create memorable images.
Let’s say that you’re starting with the Spades.
You need an image for the Ace of Spades.
Ace of Spades is represented by 11, so that means you can make an image from “ta ta” or “ta da” or “da ta.”
In my memory system, I always use “toad.”
But not just any toad!
It’s very specifically this toad:
Why?
Because…
Specificity In Your Associations Makes Them Magnetic But you need to come up with whatever works for you because your personal life will always serve up the most memorable. It could be Data from Star Trek, a dozing doe like Bambi, or better yet, a rabid, zombi doe attacking Data.
The point is to see the image you create as specific and concrete.
But if you use a verb like “doze” for 11, you’ll be working with an abstract concept.
A dozing doe is better, but also kind of boring, though you’d now be heading in the right direction because you’re compounding an object you can sense in your mind using the Magnetic Modes:
And a big, bright and colorful image of a rabid Zombie Bambi is not only exceedingly specific …
She’s Going To Be VERY Hard To Forget! It bears repeating: the words you construct from the sound-number system should be objects you can picture in your mind – or at least describe in your mind using words.
Here are the rest of my images for the Spades (remember: 1 is ta/da, so each word will start with one of those sounds).
Because most people won’t identify with the concrete examples, I’ll just give you the root Magnetic Imagery for the majority of them before diving into a specific example.
2S (12): Tin can
3S (13): Dam – as in the Hoover Dam
4S (14): Tire
5S (15): Tail
6S (16): Dish
7S (17): Tack
8S (18): TV
9S (19): Tape
Now for the following cards, we move to 20. That means each will start with a “na” sound followed by the sound of the next number in the digit. Therefore:
10S (20): Nose
JS (21): Nut
QS (22): Nun
KS (23): Enemy
The rest of the 20s you simply leave blank until the Diamonds, which are represented by 30 start at 31 with the Ace of Spades.
I know that sounds a bit complex, but it’s actually very elegant once we’ve sorted it all out in our heads.
Again, I cannot stress enough that you come up with your own images.
But can you spot the one major weakness in my Spade number associations?
It’s Enemy.
Why Is It A Weakness? Because it’s not specific. I can’t see the concept of an enemy. Can you?
Since writing the first version of this post, I’ve since “compounded” Enemy with the author and painter Wyndham Lewis who edited a journal called The Enemy. Here’s a self-portrait he painted in which he looks very much like an enemy indeed.
Now, this compounding of a specific figure to the concept of “enemy” has certainly helped, but it does require two steps rather than one to encode the card.
To take another example, in order for this system to work as well as it can (and it will if you put in the small amount of effort required), you need to be able to say that the 7 of Spades is a tack within a second of seeing it.
And put it this way: if you put in the effort just one time, you’ll never in your life have to do it again.
Here Comes A New Idea For Using More Than One Memory Palace Think of four cars, ideally the first four cars you owned so that you can mentally line them up in the order that you owned them. The historical order will help you remember which order they should come in your 4-part Memory Palace.
If you haven’t owned four cars, then perhaps you can use four cars owned by your parents, your best friends, your neighbors, etc.
Or you can come up with something else.
The important point is that you select four “Memory Palaces” and that each has a 13 station journey.
The stations I have on each car are:
- Driver-side headlamp
- Passenger-side headlamp
- Hood
- Windshield
- Steering wheel
- Driver’s seat
- Passenger’s seat
- Seat behind driver
- Seat behind passenger
- Top of seat
- Back windshield
- Trunk
- Exhaust pipe
That’s enough stations for one quarter of the deck. With all four Memory Palaces together, there are 52 stations, one per card.
Here’s an important tip: the journey from station to station has to be clear in your mind.
The journey should be direct: you should not cross your own path, nor should you trap yourself in any way. That just leads to mental confusion later on when you’re trying to recall the order of the cards.
If you haven’t by this point memorized a set of images for the entire deck (52 in total), then at this point, just use the Spades. Shuffle them up and practice placing them at the 13 stations you’ve identified.
Give It Some Practice And Then … Practice A Little More! Before you know it, you’ll have the entire deck memorized and will be able to memorize new orders within 15 minutes or less. You can push yourself to do it in under 5. The world’s best can do it in under 20 seconds.
Where preparation meets opportunity, there is no ceiling.
How To Apply Memorizing Cards To Memorizing Foreign Language Vocabulary, Japanese and Chinese Characters And Other Seemingly Difficult Sets Of Information One of the questions I’m asked the most is how to memorize Japanese Kanji and Chinese Hanzi.
The answer is not simple, but there are possibilities.
There are also existing mnemonic approaches, such as those found in Remembering the Kanji by James Heisig. I recommend checking it out, but I’m concerned by two things in the book:
- The sounds of the Kanji are not covered.
- There is no location-based mnemonic strategy, such as using one Memory Palace (or ideally more)
What memorizing playing cards can do for you, however, is get you accustomed to memorizing abstractions by using sounds.
So for the Japanese and Chinese character sets, card memorization is great preparatory and ongoing memory exercise. Because you practice associating sounds with numbers and images (and what are numbers other than images?) in a constantly rotating pattern that is never repeated, your ability to manage cognitive overload in learning stretches.
So does your stamina.
Not only that, but there is good reason to believe that priming our mind with small creativity exercises before engaging in large ones increases the quality of our creativity.
Whether or not you’re learning a language or want to give your memory a major boost, give this approach a try.
Remember: when preparation meets opportunity, there is really no end to the heights you can reach.
Further Resources
Interesting article in search of Wang Feng’s card memory system. He’s the guy who can memorized a shuffled deck in less than 20 seconds.
Memory Sport article on Wikipedia.
How to Memorize A Shuffled Deck In Less Than 60 Seconds on Tim’s Ferriss’ Four Hour Work Week.
11 Unexpected Answers To Your Questions About Mnemonics.
System for Remembering Cards? 13 Reasons You Should Have One.
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Memorizing Thousands Of Words Is Easier Than You Think! Here’s a recent question about memorizing 3000 words.
Ultimately, it sounds like this person wants to make the Magnetic Memory Method more complex than it needs to be.
See what you think:
Here’s what he writes:
Hi,
I bought your book, it was great but I did not understand one thing.
(I am sorry for my english, I am trying to learn it in fact)
I am ok with the idea of building a memory palace (26 houses, and 10 rooms in each house).
BUT, how do I proceed if I want to learn 3000 words ?
It is impossible at least for me to create 3000 rooms! Even a memory champion who designed a memory course has 1000 place for him to play with (50 journeys of 20 places).
Please can you help on this point ?
Do you re-use the same journey ?
Thank you in advance
Here is my reply:
Thanks for your message!
First of all, your English is very good.
How To Create Thousands Of Memory Palace Stations Using Imaginary Bookcases But here’s the deal:
Once you are more practiced with the basics of the Magnetic Memory Method, you can do very interesting things within rooms. Imagine, for example, having a bookcase in a room and placing 5-10 words on each shelf. You can work from top to bottom or bottom to top.
Every room can have a real or imagined bookcase. Depending on your skill level, your rooms can have multiple bookcases. Let’s say that you decide upon having 10 bookcases per room in a 10 room memory palace. If each bookcase has 10 levels and you store just one word per level, then you have a room with 100 words in it, with 1000 words total when you add all the rooms together in just that one Memory Palace.
Get Started Now You can get started on a memorization project like this today merely by picking a room that you are very familiar with and mentally building and installing a beautiful bookcase. For the sake of this example, let’s say the bookcase has 10 shelves.
Decide in advance if you will memorize from the top to the bottom, or the bottom to the top. I would go from the top to bottom myself, but go with whatever works for you.
The point is to move in a linear progression without skipping shelves. As ever, you don’t want to cross your own path or somehow trap yourself as you move from station to station and word to word
As a beginner, help yourself out by picking ten words that proceed in alphabetical order, i.e. ten words that start with “an,” or share some other similarity. That way, you’ve eliminated a detail you have to remember because you already know how the next word will start.
It’s also good to have a key image connected with a “bridging figure.” With “an,” for example, you could have Annikin Skywalker, or Anne of Green Gables or anything concrete and visual that you associate with “an.”
Now as it happens, I’ve just been working on a portion of my ‘A’ Memory Palace devoted to “an” words in German (or words that change meaning when “an” is added to them).
Keep An Eye Out For Memorable Wildlife One of my ‘A’ Memory Palace starts in a home my mother used to live in down a forest lane. But by now, I’ve got so many items, I’ve wandered out of the house and have made it halfway to town along a 30km road.
For the purposes of this example, I’m going to place an imaginary bookcase right in front of the peacock farm (yes, there really is a peacock farm and you have to slow down when driving past it because it is part of a school zone).
Now, to set myself up for even greater ease and success, I’m going to focus on words that start with “an” followed by “b.” Not every language lets you do this, but German does, so it’s important to capitalize on it. Whatever you’re working on, there will almost always be some memorization advantage you can exploit if you keep your eyes open for opportunities.
On the top shelf of this bookcase, I’m going to place the word “anbaggern.” It means “to flirt.” To memorize this word, I see Annikin Skywalker flirting with a peacock who is shoving a plastic bag into an urn. I see this image big, bright and colorful in my mind and the action of forcing the bag into the urn is very exaggerated. “Anbaggern.” Got it.
One shelf down, I place “anbahnen.” This word has a somewhat similar meaning, in that it indicates initiating something.
This move is tricky, because it’s more conceptual than concrete, but the first thing that comes to mind is Annikin Skywalker feverishly “initiating” the launch of a peacock into outer space, its mouth filled with bon-bons. Again:
Big, Bright, Colorful, Exaggerated Action! Aller guten Dinge sind drei, say the Germans (all good things are three), so I’ll give you one more example before I go.
One shelf down, I place “anbetteln.” This means to beg. Now I see Annikin Skywalker kneeling before a bed, begging the peacock he first flirted with and then tried to launch into outer space to let him into the bed so he can get some rest after a long day of being a former hero who fell so badly from grace. And he is really begging in a larger-than-life way, tears and everything.
I know I’ve been using a lot of German examples here. If you’re into the language, you might want to check out a discussion I had with a friend. You can hear us chatting in Berlin on 16 Heavy Metal Memory Methods For German and Music.
From there, I would continue on down to the bottom of the shelf and start again on the second one, or move to the next room, etc.
Preparation Is The Most Magical Potion In The World It’s important, however, to take time before getting started to predetermine and prepare the way in advance.
In this case, I decided in advance to do only ten words, so I only made one book case. But if I were sitting down for a memorization session and wanted to do a hundred, then I would want to have spent time in preparation for this.
There’s nothing worse than being on a roll and then having to pause to build or identify the next station you want to use. Success comes from planning, and as they say in the self-help circles, failing to plan is planning to fail. Because planning is so important, I created a memory training program called The Magnetic Memory Method Masterplan.
One last thing:
Did you read my book on card memorization? In this memory improvement book I talk about the pack of cards on my office desk and how in that pack of cards I keep four cars, each of which has 13 locations (driver’s side headlight, passenger side headlight, hood, windshield, etc).
For more information on memorizing cards check out:
System for Remembering Cards: 13 Reasons You Should Have One
The Secret Of The Tiniest Memory Palace In The World This pack of cards on my desk is an entirely imaginary “location,” of course, but it’s the tiniest little deck of cards and it is packed full of information.
In other words, you don’t have to use big bookshelves that take up entire rooms. You could have a deck of cards.
Inside this deck, imagine an entire universe filled with space for placing the information you want to memorize. Then imagine having a deck of cards in each and every room, or a deck of cards on each and every shelf in each and every room …
Yes, I think it is very easy to come up with thousands of locations in a Memory Palace collection, if not hundreds of thousands. It just takes practice, and of course preparation and predetermination in combination with the basic principles of imagination and action. Throw in some relaxation before you get started using these memory techniques and you will never find the ceiling to what you can achieve.
Until next time, make sure to teach someone what you have learned about memorization. It’s the best way to deepen your own understanding and to help make the world a better place. The more we remember, the more we can remember, and the more we learn, the more we can learn.
A Further Resource For Boosting Your Memory
How to Keep A Journal And Remember More
Remember Names At Events: Quick Start Guide
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