Derren Brown: Archive
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From: ganetauk
Date: Sun Apr 13, 2003 7:41pm
Subject: Re: memory from my od site....regards terry
oh, here we go...here is the "L" missing from the word "old" in my
last post... :o) "od" and "old" are two different things :o)...i
believe.
Regards Terry
http://www.phatabbott.clara.net/
http://www.cotech.camarades.com
(Thursdays 8pm ...COTECH Chat)....you may email from this site too,
if you wanted.
--- In a previous message, ganetauk wrote:
> from my od site....regards terry
>
>
> CONTENTS
>
> Introduction to mnemonics
> Association, Imagination and Location
> Using Mnemonics to Learn More Effectively
> Hints On Memory Techniques
> The Link Method
> The Number/Rhyme System
> The Number/Shape System
> The Alphabet Technique
> The Journey System
> The Roman Room Mnemonic
> The Major System
> Learning Foreign Languages
> The 100 basic words
> Remembering Names
> Remembering Lists of Information
> Remembering Words, Lines and Speeches
> Remembering Numbers
> Remembering Telephone Numbers
> Remembering Dates
> Remembering Playing Cards
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Introduction to mnemonics back to top
>
> Mnemonics are methods for remembering information that is otherwise
> quite difficult to recall. A very simple example of a mnemonic is
> the '30 days hath September' rhyme.
>
> The basic principle of mnemonics, is to use as many of the best
> functions of the human brain as possible to code information.
>
> The human brain evolved to code and interpret complex stimuli -
> images, colour, structure, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, spatial
> awareness, emotion, and language - using them to make sophisticated
> interpretations of the environment. Human memory is made up of all
> these features.
>
> Mnemonics seek to use all of these resources. By coding language
and
> numbers in sophisticated, striking images which flow into other
> strong images, we can accurately and reliably code both information
> and the structure of information to be easily recalled later.
>
> This section seeks to show you the techniques that enable you to
use
> all of your mind to remember information.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Association, Imagination and Location back to top
>
> The three fundamental principles underlying the use of mnemonics
are:
>
> Association
> Imagination
> Location
> Working together, these principles can be used to generate powerful
> mnemonic systems.
>
> Association
>
> Association is the method by which you link a thing to be
remembered
> to a method of remembering it. Although we can and will suggest
> associations to you, your own associations are much better as they
> reflect the way in which your mind works.
>
> Things can be associated by:
>
> being placed on top of the associated object
> crashing or penetrating into each other
> mergeing together
> wrapping around each other
> rotating around each other or dancing together
> being the same colour, smell, shape, or feeling
> etc.
> Whatever can be used to link the thing being remembered with the
> image used to recall it is the association image.
>
> As an example: Linking the number 1 with a goldfish might be done
by
> visualising a 1-shaped spear being used to spear a goldfish to feed
a
> starving family.
>
> Imagination
>
> Imagination is used to create the links and associations needed to
> create effective memory techniques - put simple, imagination is the
> way in which you use your mind to create the links that have the
most
> meaning for you. Images that I create will have less power and
impact
> for you, because they reflect the way in which we think.
>
> The more strongly you imagine and visualise a situation, the more
> effectively it will stick in your mind for later recall. Mnemonic
> imagination can be as violent, vivid, or sensual as you like, as
long
> as it helps you to remember what needs to be remembered.
>
> Location
>
> Location provides you with two things: a coherent context into
which
> information can be placed so that it hangs together, and a way of
> separating one mnemonic from another: e.g. by setting one mnemonic
in
> one village, I can separate it from a similar mnemonic located in
> another place.
>
> Location provides context and texture to your mnemonics, and
prevents
> them from being confused with similar mnemonics. For example, by
> setting one mnemonic with visualisations in the town of Horsham in
> the UK and another similar mnemonic with images of Manhattan allows
> us to separate them with no danger of confusion.
>
> So using the three fundamentals of Association, Imagination and
> Location you can design images that strongly link things with the
> links between themselves and other things, in a context that allows
> you to recall those images in a way that does not conflict with
other
> images and associations.
>
> Memory works by making links between information, fitting facts
into
> mental structures and frameworks. The more you are actively
> remembering, the more facts and frameworks you hold, the more
> additional facts and ideas will slot easily into long term memory.
>
> The way in which people learn affects the sort of mnemonics they
> should consider using to store information.
>
> The three main learning styles are:
>
> visual
> auditory
> kinaesthetic
> No-one uses one of the styles exclusively, and there is usually
> significant overlap in learning styles.
>
> Visual Learners
>
> Visual learners relate most effectively to written information,
> notes, diagrams and pictures. Typically they will be unhappy with a
> presentation where they are unable to take detailed notes - to an
> extent information does not exist for a visual learner unless it
has
> been seen written down. This is why some visual learners will take
> notes even when they have printed course notes on the desk in front
> of them. Visual learners will tend to be most effective in written
> communication, symbol manipulation etc.
>
> Visual learners make up around 65% of the population.
>
> Auditory Learners
>
> Auditory learners relate most effectively to the spoken word. They
> will tend to listen to a lecture, and then take notes afterwards,
or
> rely on printed notes. Often information written down will have
> little meaning until it has been heard - it may help auditory
> learners to read written information out loud. Auditory learners
may
> be sophisticated speakers, and may specialise effectively in
subjects
> like law or politics.
>
> Auditory learners make up about 30% of the population.
>
> Kinaesthetic Learners
>
> Kinaesthetic Learners learn effectively through touch and movement
> and space, and learn skills by imitation and practice.
Predominantly
> kinaesthetic learners can appear slow, in that information is
> normally not presented in a style that suits their learning
methods.
> Kinaesthetic learners make up around 5% of the population.
>
> Most literature on mnemonics assumes the visual approach to
learning
> styles - mnemonics are recommended to be as visually appealing and
> memorable as possible. If you are an auditory or kinaesthetic
learner
> you may find that this emphasis on imagery leads to ineffective
> recall. In this case, try adjusting the mnemonics to suit your
> learning style: if you are an auditory learner, use auditory cues
to
> create your mnemonics. If you are a kinaesthetic learner, imagine
> performing actions or using tools as the basis of memory
techniques.
> If you are an auditory or kinaesthetic learner, adjust these
> techniques appropriately to suit your personal approach to
learning.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Using Mnemonics to Learn More Effectively back to top
>
> When you are creating a mnemonic, e.g. an image or story to
remember
> a telephone number, the following things can be used to make the
> mnemonic more memorable:
>
> Use positive, pleasant images. The brain often blocks out
unpleasant
> ones.
> Exaggerate the size of important parts of the image
> Use humour (perhaps linked with point 2)! Funny or peculiar things
> are easier to remember than normal ones.
> Similarly rude or sexual rhymes are very difficult to forget!
> Symbols (e.g. red traffic lights, pointing fingers, etc.) can be
used
> in mnemonics.
> Vivid, colourful images are easier to remember than drab ones.
> Use all the senses to code information or dress up an image.
Remember
> that your mnemonic can contain sounds, smells, tastes, touch,
> movements and feelings as well as pictures.
> Bringing three dimensions and movement to an image makes it more
> vivid. Movement can be used either to maintain the flow of
> association, or can help to remember actions.
> Locate similar mnemonics in different places with backgrounds of
> those places. This will help to keep similar images distinct and
> unconfused.
> The important thing is that the mnemonic should clearly relate to
the
> thing being remembered, and that it should be vivid enough to be
> clearly remembered whenever you think about it.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Hints On Memory Techniques back to top
>
> This section covers a few general hints on the use of memory
systems:
>
> 1. One-Way or Two-Way links
>
> Bear in mind that in some cases you may want the link to work both
> ways - for example if you are using a peg system (e.g.
number/rhyme)
> to link 2 to Henry VIII, you may not want to always link Henry VIII
> with the number 2 (i.e. the opposite way across the link).
>
> If, however, you are linking the word the French word 'chien' with
> the English word 'dog', you will want to ensure that the link runs
in
> the opposite direction - i.e. that the English word 'dog' links
with
> the French word 'chien'.
>
> 2. Remember to use location to separate similar mnemonics
>
> By setting an application of a memory system in one location and
> clearly using that location as a background, you can easily
separate
> it from a different application of the same memory system set in a
> different place.
>
> 3. Why mnemonics might fail
>
> Typically you may forget things that you have coded with mnemonics
if
> the images are not vivid enough, or if the images you are using do
> not have enough meaning or strength for you to feel comfortable
with.
>
> Try changing the images used to more potent ones, and read the
> section on Using Mnemonics more Effectively.
>
> 4. Retrieving lost information
>
> You may find that you need to remember information that has either
> been lost because part of a mnemonic was not properly coded, or
that
> simply was not placed into a mnemonic. To try to recall the
> information, try the following approaches:
>
> In your mind run through the period when you coded the information,
> carried out the action, or viewed the thing to be remembered.
> Reconstructing events like this might trigger associations that
help
> you to retrieve the information.
> If the lost information was part of a list, review the other items
in
> the list. These may be linked in some way to the forgotten item, or
> even if unlinked their positions in the list may offer a different
> cue to retrieve the information.
> If you have any information such as general shape or purpose, try
to
> reconstruct the information from this.
> If all the above have failed, take your mind off the subject and
> concentrate on something else completely. Often the answer will
> just 'pop into your mind', as your subconscious has worked away on
> retrieving the information, or something you have been working on
> sparks an association.
>
> The memory systems explained in this section are used for different
> purposes, require different investments of time to learn and effort
> to use, and have different levels of effectiveness.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> The Link Method back to top
>
> The Link Method is one of the easiest mnemonic techniques
available,
> but is still quite powerful. It is not quite as reliable as a peg
> technique, as images are not tied to specific, inviolable
sequences.
>
> It functions quite simply by making associations between things in
a
> list, often as a story. The flow of the story and the strength of
the
> visualisations of the images provide the cues for retrieval.
>
> Ease of Use - Very simple
>
> Effectiveness - Moderate
>
> Power - Low
>
> Learning investment - Very low
>
> Who should use - Anyone
>
> How to use
>
> Taking the first image, imagine associations between items in a
list.
> Although it is possible to remember lists of words where each word
is
> just associated with the next, it is often best to fit the
> associations into a story: otherwise by forgetting just one
> association, the whole of the rest of the list can be lost.
>
> As an example, you may want to remember a list of counties in the
> South of England:
>
> Avon, Dorset, Somerset, Cornwall, Wiltshire, Devon,
Gloucestershire,
> Hampshire, Surrey
>
> This could be done with two approaches, the pure link method, and
the
> story method:
>
> The Link Method
>
> This would rely on a series of images coding information:
>
> An AVON (Avon) lady knocking on a heavy oak DOoR (Dorset).
> The DOoR opens to show a beautiful SuMmER landscape with a SETting
> sun (Somerset).
> The setting sun shines down onto a field of CORN (Cornwall).
> The CORN is so dry it is beginning to WILT (Wiltshire).
> The WILTing stalks slowly fall onto the tail of the sleeping DEVil
> (Devon).
> On the DEVil's horn a woman has impailed a GLOSsy (Gloucestershire)
> HAM (Hampshire) when she hit him over the head with it.
> Now the Devil feels SoRRY (Surrey) he bothered her.
> Note that there need not be any reason or underlying plot to the
> sequence of images: all that is important are the images and the
> links between images.
>
> The Story Method
>
> Alternatively this information may be coded by vividly imaging the
> following scene:
>
> An AVON lady is walking up a path towards a strange house. She is
hot
> and sweating slightly in the heat of high SUMMER (Somerset). Beside
> the path someone has planted giant CORN in a WALL (Cornwall), but
> it's beginning to WILT (Wiltshire) in the heat. She knocks on the
> DOoR (Dorset), which is opened by the DEVil (Devon). In the
> background she can see a kitchen in which a servant is smearing
honey
> on a HAM (Hampshire), making in GLOSsy (Gloucestershire) and gleam
in
> bright sunlight streaming in through a window. Panicked by seeing
the
> Devil, the Avon lady panics, screams 'SoRRY' (Surrey), and dashes
> back down the path.
>
> Given the fluid structure of this mnemonic, it is important that
the
> images stored in your mind are as vivid as possible, and that
> significant, coding images are much stronger that ones that merely
> support the flow of the story. See the section on using mnemonics
> more effectively for further information on making images as strong
> as possible.
>
> This technique is expanded by adding images to the story. After a
> number of images, however, the system may start to break down.
>
> Summary
>
> The Link Method is probably the most basic memory technique, and is
> very easy to understand and use. It is, however, one of the most
> unreliable systems, given that it relies on the user remembering
the
> sequences of events in a story, or a sequence of images.
>
> It is not always immediately obvious if an image is missing from
the
> sequence, and if an element is forgotten, then all following images
> may be lost as well.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> The Number/Rhyme System back to top
>
> The Number/Rhyme technique is a very simple way of remembering
lists
> of items in a specific order. It is an example of a peg system -
i.e.
> a system whereby facts are 'pegged' to known sequences of cues
(here
> the numbers 1 - 10). This ensures that no facts are forgotten
> (because gaps in information are immediately obvious), and that the
> starting images of the mnemonic visualisations are well know.
>
> At a simple level it can be used to remember things such as a list
of
> English Kings or of American Presidents in their precise order. At
a
> more advanced level it can be used to code lists of experiments to
be
> recalled in a science exam.
>
> Ease of Use - very easy
>
> Effectiveness - effective
>
> Power - only codes 1-10 items without use of enhancement
>
> Learning investment - low
>
> Who should use - everyone
>
> How to use the Number/Rhyme Technique
>
> This technique works by helping you to build up pictures in your
> mind, in which the numbers are represented by things that rhyme
with
> the number, and are linked to images that represent the things to
be
> remembered.
>
> The usual rhyming scheme is shown below:
>
> 1 - Bun
>
> 2 - Shoe
>
> 3 - Tree
>
> 4 - Door
>
> 5 - Hive
>
> 6 - Bricks
>
> 7 - Heaven
>
> 8 - Skate
>
> 9 - Line
>
> 10 - Hen
>
> If you find that these images do not attract you or stick in your
> mind, then change them for something more meaningful to you.
>
> These images should be linked to images representing the things to
be
> remembered, for example a list of ten Greek philosophers could be
> remembered as:
>
> 1 - Parmenides - a BUN topped with melting yellow PARMEsan cheese
>
> 2 - Heraclitus - a SHOE worn by HERACLes (Greek Hercules) glowing
> with a bright LIghT
>
> 3 - Empedocles - A TREE from which the M-shaped McDonalds arches
hang
> hooking up a bicycle PEDal
>
> 4 - Democritus - think of going through a DOOR to vote in a
> DEMOCRaTic election.
>
> 5 - Protagoras - A bee HIVE being positively punched through
(GORed?)
> by an atomic PROTon
>
> 6 - Socrates - BRICKS falling onto a SOCk (with a foot inside!)
from
> a CRATe.
>
> 7 - Plato - A plate with angel's wings flapping around a white cloud
>
> 8 - Aristotle - a friend called hARRY clutching a bOTtLE of wine
> possessively slipping on a SKATE (sorry Harry!)
>
> 9 - Zeno - A LINE of ZEN buddhists meditating
>
> 10 - Epicurus - a HEN's egg being mixed into an EPIleptics's CURe.
>
> Try either visualising these images as suggested, or if you do not
> like them, come up with images of your own.
>
> Once you have done this, try writing down the names of the
> philosophers on a piece of paper. You should be able to do this by
> thinking of the number, then the part of the image associated with
> the number, then the whole image, and finally then decode the image
> to give you the name of the philosopher. If the mnemonic has
worked,
> you should not only recall the names of all the philosophers in the
> correct order, but should also be able to spot where you have left
> philosophers out of the sequence. Try it - it's easier than it
> sounds.
>
> Applying the Number/Rhyme Technique
>
> You can use a peg system like this as a basis for knowledge in an
> entire area: the example above could be a basis for a knowledge of
> ancient philosophy, as images representing the projects, systems
and
> theories of each philosopher can now be associated with the images
> representing the philosophers names.
>
> Summary
>
> The Number/Rhyme technique is a very effective method of
remembering
> lists. By driving the associations with numbers you can ensure
> complete recall of all items on a list as you will know if some
have
> been missed (because there will be holes in the number sequence).
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> The Number/Shape System back to top
>
> The Number/Shape system is very similar to the Number/Rhyme system.
> As with the Number/Rhyme system it is a very simple and effective
way
> of remembering lists of items in a specific order. It is another
> example of a peg system.
>
> Ease of Use - very easy
>
> Effectiveness - effective
>
> Power - only codes 1-10 items without use of enhancement
>
> Learning investment - low
>
> Who should use - everyone
>
> How to use the Number/Shape Technique
>
> This technique works by helping you to build up pictures in your
> mind, in which the numbers are represented by images shaped like
the
> number, and are part of a compound image that also codes the thing
to
> be remembered.
>
> One image scheme is shown below:
>
> 1 - Candle, spear, stick
>
> 2 - Swan (beak, curved neck, body)
>
> 3 - (rotate shape though 90 degrees!)
>
> 4 - Sail of a yacht
>
> 5 - A meat hook, a sea-horse facing right
>
> 6 - A golf club
>
> 7 - A cliff edge
>
> 8 - An egg timer
>
> 9 - A balloon with a string attached, flying freely
>
> 0 - A hole
>
> If you find that these images do not attract you or stick in your
> mind, then change them for something more meaningful to you.
>
> As with the Number/Rhyme scheme, these images should be linked to
> images representing the things to be remembered. We will use a list
> of more modern thinkers to illustrate the number/shape system:
>
> 1 - Spinoza - a large CANDLE wrapped around with someone's SPINe.
>
> 2 - Locke - a SWAN trying to pick a LOCK with its wings
>
> 3 - Hume - A HUMan child BREAST feeding.
>
> 4 - Berkeley - A SAIL on top of a large hooked and spiked BURR in
the
>
> LEE of a cliff
>
> 5 - Kant - a CAN of spam hanging from a meat HOOK.
>
> 6 - Rousseau - a kangaROO SEWing with a GOLF CLUB
>
> 7 - Hegel - a crooked trader about to be pushed over a CLIFF,
>
> HaGgLing to try to avoid being hurt.
>
> 8 - Kierkegaard - a large EGG TIMER containing captain KIRK and a
>
> GuARD from the starship enterprise, as time runs out.
>
> 9 - Darwin - a BALLOON floating upwards, being blown fAR by the
>
> WINd.
>
> 10 - Marx - a HOLE with white chalk MARks around it's edge
>
> Try either visualising these images as suggested, or if you do not
> like them, come up with images of your own.
>
> In some cases these images may be more vivid than those in the
> number/rhyme scheme, and in other cases you may find the
number/rhyme
> scheme more memorable. There is no reason why you could not mix the
> most vivid images of each scheme together into your own compound
> scheme.
>
> Summary
>
> The Number/Shape technique is a very effective method of
remembering
> lists. Used in conjunction with the Number/Rhyme system it can be
> used to generate potent images that can help to make well-coded
> mnemonics extremely effective.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> The Alphabet Technique back to top
>
> The Alphabet system is a peg memory technique similar to, but more
> sophisticated than, the Number/Rhyme system. At its most basic
level
> (i.e. without the use of mnemonic multipliers) it is a good method
> for remembering long lists of items in a specific order in such a
way
> that missing items can be detected. It is slightly more difficult
to
> learn than the Number based techniques.
>
> Ease of Use - moderate
>
> Effectiveness - quite good
>
> Power - moderate - codes 1- 26 items without use of enhancement
>
> Learning investment - moderate
>
> Who should use - brighter individuals
>
> How to use the Alphabet Technique
>
> This technique works by associating images representing and cued by
> letters of the alphabet with images representing the items to be
> remembered.
>
> The selection of images representing letters is not based on the
> starting character of the letter name. Images are selected
> phonetically - i.e. so that the sound of the first syllablle of the
> image word is the name of the letter, eg. we would represent the
> letter 'k' with the word 'cake'.
>
> I suggest using a system of using the first pictorially vivid image
> suggested by taking the letter name root, and then coming up with
> words based by advancing the next consonant in alphabetic order
(e.g.
> for the letter 'S' - root 'Es', we would first see if any strong
> images presented themselves when we tried to create a word starting
> with 'EsA', 'EsB', 'EsC', 'EsD', 'EsE', etc.) This has the
advantage
> of producing a mnemonic image that can be reconstructed if
forgotten,
> however you may judge that it is an unnecessary complication of a
> relatively simple system, and that it is best to select the
strongest
> image that comes to mind and stick with it.
>
> One image scheme is shown below:
>
> A - Ace of spades
>
> B - Bee
>
> C - Sea
>
> D - Diesel engine
>
> E - Eagle
>
> F - Effluent
>
> G - Jeans
>
> H - H-Bomb
>
> I - Eye
>
> J - Jade
>
> K - Cake
>
> L - Elbow
>
> M - Empty
>
> N - Entrance
>
> O - Oboe
>
> P - Pea
>
> Q - Queue
>
> R - Ark
>
> S - Eskimo
>
> T - Tea pot
>
> U - Unicycle
>
> V - Vehicle
>
> W - WC
>
> X - XRay
>
> Y - Wire
>
> Z - Zulu
>
> If you find that these images do not attract you or stick in your
> mind, then change them for something more meaningful to you.
>
> Once firmly visualised and linked to their root letters, these
images
> can then be linked to the things to be remembered. Continuing our
> mnemonic example of the names of philosophers, we will use the
> example of remembering a list of contemporary thinkers:
>
> A - Ace - Freud - a crisp ACE being pulled out of a FRying pan
(FRiED)
>
> B - Bee - Chomsky - a BEE stinging a CHiMp and flying off into the
SKY
>
> C - Sea - Genette - a GENerator being lifted in a NET out of the SEA
>
> D - Diesel - Derrida - a DaRing RIDer surfing on top of a DIESEL
train
>
> E - Eagle - Foucault - bruce lee fighting off an attacking EAGLE
with
>
> kung FU
>
> F - Effluent- Joyce - environmentalists JOYfully finding a plant by
an
>
> EFFLUENT pipe
>
> G - Jeans - Nietzche - a holey pair of JEANS with a kNEe showing
>
> through
>
> H - H-Bomb - Kafka - a grey civil service CAFe being blown up by an
H-
>
> Bomb
>
> etc.
>
> Try either visualising these images as suggested, or if you do not
> like them, come up with images of your own. Although the images are
> quite laboured, they are good enough to give the cues for the names
> being coded.
>
> Summary
>
> The Alphabet System is the most complex and difficult of the peg
> systems, requires a longer preparation period and is more difficult
> to code than either the Number/Rhyme System or the Number/Shape
> system. It is, however, more powerful in that it allows you to code
> and remember a list of up to 26 items before you have to start
using
> Mnemonic Multipliers. You may, however, judge that it is more
> effective to use a simpler peg system with multipliers than to use
> the Alphabet System without them: this is your choice.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> The Journey System back to top
>
> The journey method is a powerful, flexible and effective mnemonic
> based around the idea of remembering landmarks on a well-known
> journey. In many ways it combines the narrative flow of the Link
> Method and the structure and order of the Peg Systems into one
highly
> effective mnemonic.
>
> Because the journey method uses routes that you know well, you can
> code information to be remembered to a large number of easily
> visualised or remembered landmarks along the routes. Because you
know
> what these landmarks look like, you need not work out
visualisations
> for them!
>
> Ease of Use - moderate
>
> Effectiveness - good
>
> Power - powerful
>
> Learning investment - moderate
>
> Who should use - everyone
>
> How to Use the Journey Method
>
> The journey method is based on using landmarks on a journey that
you
> know well.
>
> This journey could, for example, be your journey to work in the
> morning, the route you use to get to the front door when you get up
> in the morning, the route to visit your parents, or a tour around a
> holiday destination. It could even be a journey around the levels
of
> a computer game. Once you are familiar with the technique you may
be
> able to create imaginary journeys that fix in your mind, and apply
> these.
>
> Preparing the Route
>
> To use this technique most effectively, it is often best to prepare
> the journey beforehand so that the landmarks are clear in your mind
> before you try to commit information to them. One way of doing this
> is to write down all the landmarks that you can recall in order on
a
> piece of paper. This allows you to fix these landmarks as the
> significant ones to be used in your mnemonic, separating them from
> others that you may notice as you get to know the route even
better.
>
> You can consider these landmarks as stops on the route. To remember
a
> list of items, whether these are people, experiments, events or
> objects, all you need do is associate these things or
representations
> of these things with the stops on your journey.
>
> Example
>
> For example, I may want to remember something mundane like a
shopping
> list:
>
> Coffee, salad, vegetables, bread, kitchen paper, fish, chicken
> breasts, pork chops, soup, fruit, bath cleaner.
>
> I may choose to associate this with my journey to the supermarket.
My
> mnemonic images therefore appear as:
>
> 1. Front door: spilt coffee grains on the doormat
>
> 2. Rose bush in front garden: growing lettuce leaves and tomatoes
>
> around the roses.
>
> 3. Car: with potatoes, onions and cauliflower on the driver's seat.
>
> 4. End of the road: an arch of French bread over the road
>
> 5. Past garage: with sign wrapped in kitchen roll
>
> 6. Under railway bridge: from which haddock and cod are dangling by
>
> their tails.
>
> 7. Traffic lights: chickens squawking and flapping on top of lights
>
> 8. Past church: in front of which a pig is doing karate, breaking
> boards.
>
> 9. Under office block: with a soup slick underneath: my car tyres
> send up
>
> jets of tomato soup as I drive through it.
>
> 10. Past car park: with apples and oranges tumbling from the top
> level.
>
> 11. Supermarket car park: a filthy bath is parked in the space next
> to my
>
> car!
>
> Extending the Technique
>
> This is an extremely effective method of remembering long lists of
> information: with a sufficiently long journey you could, for
example,
> remember elements on the periodic table, lists of Kings and
> Presidents, geographical information, or the order of cards in a
> shuffled pack of cards.
>
> The system is extremely flexible also: all you need do to remember
> many items is to remember a longer journey with more landmarks. To
> remember a short list, only use part of the route!
>
> Long and Short Term Memory
>
> You can use the journey technique to remember information both in
the
> short term memory and long term memory. Where you need to use
> information only for a short time, keep a specific route (or
routes)
> in your mind specifically for this purpose. When you use the route,
> overwrite the previous images with the new images that you want to
> remember. To symbolise that the list is complete, imagine that the
> route is blocked with cones, a 'road closed/road out' sign, or some
> such.
>
> To retain information in long term memory, reserve a journey for
that
> specific information only. Occasionally travel don it in your mind,
> refreshing the images of the items on it.
>
> One advantage of this technique is that you can use it to work both
> backwards and forwards, and start anywhere within the route to
> retrieve information.
>
> Using the Journey System with other Mnemonics
>
> This technique can be used in conjunction with other mnemonics,
> either by building complex coding images at the stops on a journey,
> linking to other mnemonics at the stops, moving onto other journeys
> where they may cross over. Alternatively, you may use a peg system
to
> organise lists of journeys, etc.
>
> Summary
>
> The journey method is a powerful, effective method of remembering
> lists of information, whether short or long, by imagining images
and
> events at stops on a journey.
>
> As the journeys used are distinct in location and form, one list
> remembered using this technique is easy to distinguish from other
> lists.
>
> Some investment in preparing journeys clearly in your mind is
needed
> to use this technique. This investment is, however, paid off many
> times over by the application of the technique.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> The Roman Room Mnemonic back to top
>
> The Roman Room technique is an ancient and effective way of
> remembering unstructured information where the relationship of
items
> of information to other items of information is not important. It
> functions by imagining a room (e.g. your sitting room or bedroom).
> Within that room are objects. The technique works by associating
> images with those objects. To recall information, simply take a
tour
> around the room in your mind, visualising the known objects and
their
> associated images.
>
> Ease of Use - easy
>
> Effectiveness - effective
>
> Power - quite powerful
>
> Learning investment - moderate
>
> Who should use - people needing to store unstructured information
>
> on a topic.
>
> How to use the Roman Room System
>
> Imagine a room that you know well: perhaps this is your sitting
room,
> a bedroom, an office, or a classroom. Within this room there are
> features and objects in known positions. The basis of the Roman
Room
> system is that things to be remembered are associated with these
> objects, so that by recalling the objects within the room all the
> associated objects can also be remembered.
>
> For example, I can imagine my sitting room as a basis for the
> technique. In my sitting room I can visualise the following
objects:
>
> table, lamp, sofa, large bookcase, small bookcase, CD rack, tape
> racks, stereo system, telephone, television, video, chair, mirror,
> black & white photographs, etc.
>
> I may want to remember a list of World War I war poets:
>
> Rupert Brooke, G.K. Chesterton, Walter de la Mare, Robert Graves,
> Rudyard Kipling, Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, W.B. Yates
>
> I could visualise walking through my front door, which has a
picture
> on it of a scene from the Battle of the Somme, with an image of a
man
> sitting in a trench writing in a dirty exercise book.
>
> I walk into the sitting room, and look at the table. On the top is
> RUPERT the Bear sitting in a small BROOK (we do not need to worry
> about where the water goes in our imagination!) This codes for
Rupert
> Brooke.
>
> Someone seems to have done some moving: a CHEST has been left on
the
> sofa. Some jeans (Alphabet System: G=Jeans) are hanging out of one
> draw, and some cake has been left on the top (K=Cake). This codes
for
> G K Chesterton.
>
> The lamp has a small statuette of a brick WALl over which a female
> horse (MARE) is about to jumping. This codes for Walter de la Mare.
>
> etc.
>
> Expanding the Roman Room System
>
> The technique can be expanded in one way, by going into more
detail,
> and keying images to smaller objects. Alternatively you can open
> doors from the room you are using into other rooms, and use their
> objects to expand the volume of information stored. When you have
> more experience you may find that you can build extensions to your
> rooms in your imagination, and populate them with objects that
would
> logically be there.
>
> Other rooms can be used to store other categories of information.
>
> Moreover, there is no need to restrict this information to rooms:
you
> could use a view or a town you know well, and populate it with
memory
> images.
>
> Summary
>
> The Roman Room technique is similar to the Journey method, in that
it
> works by pegging images coding for information to known images, in
> this case to objects in a room or several rooms.
>
> The Roman Room technique is most effective for storing lists of
> unlinked information, whereas the journey method is most effective
> for storing lists of related items.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> The Major System back to top
>
> The Major Memory System is one of the two most powerful memory
> systems currently available. It requires a significant investment
of
> time to learn and master, however once it is learned it is
extremely
> powerful. It is the application of mainly this system that forms
the
> basis of some of the extraordinary, almost magical, memory feats
> performed by magicians and memory technicians.
>
> Ease of Use - Difficult
>
> Effectiveness - Very Effective
>
> Power - Very Powerful
>
> Learning investment - Significant
>
> Who should use - People prepared to invest significant time in
>
> learning the system.
>
> How to use
>
> The system works by converting number sequences into nouns, nouns
> into images, and linking images into sequences. These sequences can
> be very complex and detailed.
>
> The building blocks of the system are the association of the
numbers
> below with the following consonant sounds:
>
> 0 - s, z, soft-c - remember as 'z is first letter of zero'
>
> 1 - d, t, th - remember as letters with 1 downstroke
>
> 2 - n - remember as having 2 downstrokes
>
> 3 - m - has three downstrokes
>
> 4 - r - imagine a 4 and an R glued together back-to-back
>
> 5 - L - imagine the 5 propped up against a book end (L)
>
> 6 - j, sh, soft-ch, dg, soft-g - g is 6 rotated 180 degrees.
>
> 7 - k, hard-ch, hard-c, hard-g, ng - imagine K as two 7s rotated
and
> glued
>
> together
>
> 8 - f, v - imagine the bottom loop of the 8 as an eFfluent pipe
> discharging
>
> waste
>
> (letter image of F in alphabet system)
>
> 9 - p, b - b as 9 rotated 180 degrees.
>
> These associations really must be learned before proceeding.
>
> The system operates on a number of levels, depending on the amount
of
> time a user is prepared to devote to learning the system. The first
> level, the coding of single digit numbers into consonants and small
> words, functions almost as a poor relation of the number/rhyme
> system. It is at higher levels that the power of the system is
> unleashed, however this level must be assimilated first.
>
> The trick with the conversion into words is to use only the
> consonants that code information within the word, while using
vowels
> to pad the consonants out with meaning. By choosing letters for
your
> word in the preferential order AEIOU you stand a better chance of
> being able to reconstruct the image word if you forget it.
>
> If consonants have to be used to make a word, use only those that
are
> not already used - i.e. h, q, w, x, and y
>
> 1. Single number words:
>
> The first level codes single numbers into a short noun made up of
the
> number consonant sound and some vowels. On a sheet of paper, write
> the numbers 1 to 9, and apply these rules to create your own memory
> words. An example is shown below:
>
> 1 - toe
>
> 2 - neigh
>
> 3 - ma
>
> 4 - ray
>
> 5 - law
>
> 6 - jaw
>
> 7 - key
>
> 8 - fee
>
> 9 - pay
>
> These words can be used in association much like the other peg
> technique memory words.
>
> 2. Double number words:
>
> Similar rules apply to creating a standard word from two numbers.
It
> is best not to try to use single number word as a root, as this can
> confuse the image.
>
> Add to your list of numbers 1 to 9 the numbers 10 to 99, and apply
> the rules to create memory words for yourself. A few examples are
> shown below:
>
> 17 - t, ch - tech
>
> 23 - n, m - name
>
> 36 - m, sh - mesh
>
> 41 - r,s - rose
>
> 52 - l, n - line
>
> 64 - ch, r - chair
>
> 75 - k, l - keel
>
> 89 - f, p - fop
>
> 98 - b, f - beef
>
> 3. Triple number words
>
> Just using double number words may be enough to make this a
> sufficiently powerful mnemonic for you. Alternatively you may
decide
> to use triple number words, using the same construction rules as
> double number words.
>
> Examples are:
>
> 182 - d, v, n - Devon
>
> 304 - m, s, r - miser
>
> 400 - r, c, s - races
>
> 651 - j, l, d - jailed
>
> 801 - f, z, d - fazed
>
> Even though words can be constructed from first principles it may
be
> worth writing them down at this level of complexity, and running
> through them many times to strengthen the link in your mind between
> the numbers and the associated words. This will enable you to
recall
> the number word faster.
>
> Applying these images
>
> Once you have devised words and images to link to your numbers, you
> can start to apply the technique to remember long numbers, etc. At
as
> simple level you might decide just to remember a long telephone
> number. To do this you might just associate a few images together
> using the link or story technique. Alternatively, to remember a
> really long number, you might associate words made up of the
> components of these numbers with stops on a journey (see the
journey
> technique).
>
> Summary
>
> The major memory system works by linking numbers to consonant sound
> groups, and then by linking these into words. By using the images
> these words create, and linking them together with another memory
> system, large amounts of information can be accurately memorised if
> properly coded.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Learning Foreign Languages back to top
>
> Foreign languages are the ideal subject area for the use of memory
> techniques: the process of learning words is essentially a matter
of
> association - associating what is initially a meaningless
collection
> of syllables with a word in a language that we understand.
>
> Traditionally this association has been carried out by repetition -
> saying the word in ones own language and the foreign language time
> and time and time and time again.
>
> Systems Needed
>
> Before we explain how to remember vocabulary, you will need to
> understand the principles of:
>
> 1. The Roman Room memory system
>
> 2. The link memory method
>
> Explanation of Language Mnemonics
>
> 1. The LinkWord Technique
>
> The LinkWord technique uses an image to link a word in one language
> with a word in another language. The following are examples of use
of
> the LinkWord technique:
>
> English:French vocabulary
>
> rug/carpet - tapis - image of an ornate oriental carpet with a tap
as
> the
>
> central design woven in chrome thread
>
> grumpy - grognon - a grumpy man groaning with irritation
>
> to tease - taquiner - a wife teasing her husband as she takes in
the
>
> washing.
>
> The technique was formalised by Dr. Michael Gruneborg. LinkWord
> language books have been produced in many language pairs to help
> students acquire the basic vocabulary needed to get by in a
language
> (usually about 1000 words). It is claimed that using this technique
> this basic vocabulary can be acquired in just 10 hours.
>
> 2. The Town Language Mnemonic (Editor's Choice)
>
> This is a very elegant, effective mnemonic designed by Dominic
> O'Brien that fuses a sophisticated variant of the Roman Room system
> with the LinkWord system described above.
>
> The fundamental principle rests on the fact that the basic
vocabulary
> of a language relates to everyday things: things that are typically
> found in a small town, city, or village. The basis of the technique
> is that the student should choose a town that he or she is very
> familiar with, and should use objects within that place as the cues
> to recall the images that link to foreign words.
>
> Nouns in the town
>
> Nouns should be associated to the most relevant locations: the
image
> coding the foreign word for book should be associated with a book
on
> a shelf in the library. The word for bread should be associated
with
> an image of a loaf in a baker's shop. Words for vegetables should
be
> associated with parts of a display outside a greengrocer's shop.
> Perhaps there is a farm just outside the town that allows all the
> animal name associations to be made.
>
> Adjectives in the park
>
> Adjectives should be associated with a garden or park within the
> town: words such as green, smelly, bright, small, cold, etc. can be
> easily related to objects in a park. Perhaps there is a pond there,
a
> small wood, perhaps people with different characteristics are
walking
> around.
>
> Verbs in the sports centre
>
> Verbs can most easily be associated with a sports centre or playing
> field. This allows us all the associations of lifting, running,
> walking, hitting, eating, swimming, driving, etc.
>
> Remembering Genders
>
> In a language where gender is important, a very elegant method of
> remembering this is to divide your town into two main zones where
the
> gender is only masculine and feminine, or three where there is a
> neutral gender. This division can be by busy roads, rivers, etc. To
> fix the gender of a noun, simply associate its image with a place
in
> the correct part of town. This makes remembering genders so easy!
>
> Many Languages, many towns
>
> Another elegant spin-off of the technique comes when learning
several
> languages: normally this can cause confusion. With the town
mnemonic,
> all you need do is choose a different city, town or village for
each
> language to be learned. Ideally this might be in the relevant
> country, however practically it might just be a local town with a
> slight flavour of the relevant country, or twinned with it.
>
> 3. The hundred most common words
>
> Tony Buzan, in his book 'Using your Memory', points out that just
100
> words comprise 50% of all words used in conversation in a language.
> Learning this core 100 words gets you a long way towards learning
to
> speak in that language, albeit at a basic level.
>
> Click here to see the 100 basic words.
>
> Summary
>
> The three approaches to learning language shown here can be
extremely
> effective in helping to learn a foreign language, in terms of
> pointing out the most important words to learn, showing how to link
> words in your own language to words in a foreign language, and
> showing how to structure recall of the language through use of the
> town mnemonic.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> The 100 basic words back to top
>
> The 100 basic words used in conversation are shown below. These
> typically comprise around 50% of all words used:
>
> 1. a, an 2. after 3. again 4. all 5. almost
>
> 6. also 7. always 8. and 9. because 10. before
>
> 11. big 12. but 13. (I) can 14. (I) come 15. either/or
>
> 16. (I) find 17. first 18. for 19. friend 20. from
>
> 21. (I) go 22. good 23. goodbye 24. happy 25. (I) have
>
> 26. he 27. hello 28. here 29. how 30. I
>
> 31. (I) am 32. if 33. in 34. (I) know 35. last
>
> 36. (I) like 37. little 38. (I) love 39. (I) make 40. many
>
> 41. one 42. more 43. most 44. much 45. my
>
> 46. new 47. no 48. not 49. now 50. of
>
> 51. often 52. on 53. one 54. only 55. or
>
> 56. other 57. our 58. out 59. over 60. people
>
> 61. place 62. please 63. same 64. (I) see 65. she
>
> 66. so 67. some 68. sometimes 69. still 70. such
>
> 71. (I) tell 72. thank you 73. that 74. the 75. their
>
> 76. them 77. then 78. there is 79. they 80. thing
>
> 81. (I) think 82. this 83. time 84. to 85. under
>
> 86. up 87. us 88. (I) use 89. very 90. we
>
> 91. what 92. when 93. where 94. which 95. who
>
> 96. why 97. with 98. yes 99. you 100. your
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Remembering Names back to top
>
> Remembering names requires a slightly different approach to all the
> others explained so far in this section, however is relatively
simple
> when approached in a positive frame of mind.
>
> The following techniques can be used:
>
> 1. Face association
>
> Examine a person's face discretely when you are introduced. Try to
> find an unusual feature, whether ears, hairline, forehead,
eyebrows,
> eyes, nose, mouth, chin, complexion, etc.
>
> Create an association between that characteristic, the face, and
the
> name in your mind. The association may be to associate the person
> with someone you know with the same name, or may be to associate a
> rhyme or image from the name with the person's face or defining
> feature.
>
> 2. Repetition
>
> When you are introduced, ask for the name to be repeated. Use the
> name yourself as often as possible (without overdoing it!). If it
is
> unusual, ask how it is spelled, or where it is comes from, and if
> appropriate, exchange cards - the more often you hear and see the
> name, the more likely it is to sink in.
>
> Also, after you have left that person's company, review the name in
> your mind several times. If you are particularly keen you might
> decide to make notes.
>
> Summary
>
> The methods suggested for remembering names are fairly simple and
> obvious, but are quite powerful. Association either with images of
a
> name or with other people can really help recall of names.
Repetition
> and review help it to sink in.
>
> An important thing to stress is practice, patience, and progressive
> improvement in remembering names.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Remembering Lists of Information back to top
>
> Remembering lists of information are what many of the mnemonics
> described in this section are all about. Almost any information can
> be coded into these mnemonic lists - all that is needed is the
> imagination to come up with the relevant associations.
>
> The following section explains the best techniques that can be used
> to remember particular lists:
>
> Short Lists:
>
> The Link Method
> The Number/Rhyme System
> The Number/Shape Method
> Intermediate Lists
>
> Simple Journey Method
> The Number/Rhyme Method
> Extended Number/Shape Method
> Alphabet System
> Longer Lists
>
> Journey Method
> Extended Number/Rhyme Method
> Extended Number/Shape Method
> Extended Alphabet System
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Remembering Words, Lines and Speeches back to top
>
> There are two main techniques for remember quotations and lines:
>
> 1. Repetition
>
> Professional actors are said to learn lines most effectively by
> rereading a play or parts in a play many times over a short period.
> As an example, they may read something to be remembered 5 to 10
times
> a day over 4 days.
>
> 2. Keyword/Journey System
>
> An alternative approach using mnemonics is to use the journey
system,
> with a stop for each line.
>
> At each stop you can either code the key images or words, or can
> adopt a technique where you associate each word in the line.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Remembering Numbers back to top
>
> Using mnemonic systems, remembering numbers becomes extremely
simple.
>
> There are a number of approaches, depending on the types of numbers
> being remembered:
>
> 1. Short numbers
>
> These can be stored in a number of ways:
>
> The easiest, but least reliable, is to use simple Number/Rhyme
images
> associated in a story.
>
> A simple peg system can be used, associating numbers from e.g. the
> Number/Rhyme System, organised with, eg. the Alphabet system.
>
> More accurately, they can be remembered as one or a few images
using
> the Major system
>
> 2. Long numbers (e.g. Pi)
>
> This can be remembered using the Journey System. At a simple level,
> numbers can be stored at each stop on the journey using e.g. the
> Number/Shape system. The amount of digits stored at each stop can
be
> increased initially by using the Major System, and enhanced still
> further by using simple techniques to Expand Memory Systems.
>
> Using all the simple techniques in concert, there is no reason why
> you should not be able to store a 100 digit number with relatively
> little effort. Using the more powerful systems, holding it to 1000
> digits might not be too much of a challenge.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Remembering Telephone Numbers back to top
>
> These can be remembered simply by associating numbers from e.g. the
> Number/Rhyme system with positions in a peg system such as the
> Alphabet System, or the Journey System, and by further associating
> these with the face or name of the person whose number is being
> remembered.
>
> For example, to remember that Kathryn's phone number is 735345, I
can
> imagine myself travelling to her flat: with my destination firmly
in
> mind, I envisage the following stops on my journey:
>
> Front door: the door has sprouted angels wings, and is flying up to
> heaven! (7)
>
> Rose bush: a small sapling (tree, 3) is growing its way through the
> middle of the bush.
>
> Car: some bees have started to build a hive (5) under the wheel of
my
> car. I have to move it very carefully to avoid damaging it.
>
> End of road: a tree (3) has fallen into the road. I have to drive
> around it.
>
> Past garage: Someone has nailed a door (4) to the sign. Strange!
>
> Under railway bridge: the bees are building another hive (5)
between
> the girders here!
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Remembering Dates back to top
>
> Dates can be remembered as short number sequences as described in
the
> article on Remembering Numbers, associated with the event to which
> they relate. The number of the millennium is often not needed.
>
> back to top
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Remembering Playing Cards back to top
>
> Once you are familiar with the Journey system, remembering the
order
> of a pack of playing cards becomes relatively simple.
>
> Before you try to do this, you should prepare a journey in your
mind
> that has 54 stops. Ensure that the stops are fresh and firm in your
> mind.
>
> The next step is fairly simple - what you need to do is have an
image
> in your mind representing each of the cards. Counting an ace as 1,
> and the 10 as zero, you can create a picture in your mind of an
image
> from the Number/Shape system for the numbers Ace - 10. For the
jack,
> queen and king, the images on the playing card are ready-made
> mnemonic images. The suits similarly can be represented by the suit
> symbols.
>
> For example, the two of hearts can be represented by a white swan
> with a red heart painted on its side. The ten of spades could be a
> hole with the handle of a spade sticking out.
>
> It is a good idea to prepare all the images to be used beforehand,
as
> remembering cards during a card game will have to be done quite
> rapidly.
>
> As cards come up, associate the card images with the stops on your
> journey.
| Replies | Author | Yahoo! ID | Date | Size |
| 4479: Re: memory from my od site....regards terry | sublunarangel | sublunarangel | Mon 14/04/2003 | 60 KB |
| 4516: Re: memory from my od site....regards terry | novembertuesday | novembertuesday | Mon 14/04/2003 | 3 KB |
| 4517: Re: memory from my od site....regards terry | ganetauk | ganetauk | Tue 15/04/2003 | 3 KB |
| 4531: Re: memory from my od site....regards terry | novembertuesday | novembertuesday | Tue 15/04/2003 | 2 KB |
