MEMORY TECHNIQUES

This just in....

For users of our 20-20 Memory software, we have added a series of new files. These can be freely downloaded and used to extend the potential of the Memory practising program. These new file lists have been designed to push your mental visualisations to the limit.

These PocketMems offer a quick, effective way to boost your learning.

Follow the Optimum Plan and you will find that by the time the PocketMem is looking worn, you have the information locked permanently in your memory.

PocektMems
Download - Print - Fold (instructions) - Learn. That's it.

Geography Facts

Mnemonic acronyms or rhymes have stood the test of time. They have proven themselves to be a highly effective way to ease the learning and recall of mundane or troublesome facts - just ask any doctor. The medical profession is rife with facts, lists and acronyms; consequently, medical students use around 60-100 mnemonic devices just to get through their course.

However, mnemonics have their problems. Retention is sometimes weak; what goes in to your memory quickly, tends to fade quickly too.

As with all memory work, the effective grasp of the information will fade if it is not used (or revisited) at intervals. To do this, we recommend two things:

• our Optimum Plan
• our Mnemonic PocketMems

Optimum Plan
Experience has shown that if you learn information and follow this plan you will retain it - permanently.

Irontree Software
This is a brand new (September 2008), downloadable piece of software designed and built by your very own Irontree team.

The program is a 'memory practice engine', for those who already use memory techniques, and wish to increase their efficiency. It is primarily aimed at professional magicians, corporate entertainers or memory experts. However, anyone with an interest in memory techniques can use the software to help them develop their 'grey cells'.

Get the full details here: 20-20 Memory Software

You can create mnemonic devices to help you remember anything.

They are particularly effective if you utilise all of your senses, simply repeating the mnemonic is often not enough. You really have to see, feel, hear, smell and (yes, even) taste it!

Here's an example taken from geography. Imagine you need to recall 20 Countries and their capital cities. A good strategy would be to create a memorable image that connects the name of the capital city to the Country. For example:

The capital of Australia is Canberra. Australia has a unique and memorable image already associated with it; the Sydney Opera House. So, link the image of the Opera house to an image that will remind you of Canberra. How about imagining the Sydney Opera house covered in cranberry (Canberra) juice. It's a red sticky mess, people leaving the building find the juice dripping in their hair and covering their clothes. See it, hear it, smell it, feel it.

Now stop! Forget the image...

The Memory Book: The Classic Guide to Improving Your Memory at Work, at School, and at Play by Harry Lorayne & Jerry Lucas

This (as the title suggests) is one of the classic memory books. It is well written, and Lorayne makes every technique he describes clear and easy to understand. The book also encourages you to work along with the text, testing and practising the systems as you go. The book is a thoroughly enjoyable and educational read... and comes highly recommended.

The Memory Book... Lorayne & Lucas [Amazon Associate Link]

The PocketMem is based on a booklet making idea often used in Primary schools. It is a useful way of turning an A4 piece of paper into a small (pocket-sized) booklet.

This is similar in many respects to PocketMods. However, the PocketMod is designed as an organisation tool, a PocketMem is primarily used as a learning or self-development tool.

PocketMems - free to download

Sudoku puzzles
Sudoku brain training style puzzles,with a unique grading system - can you complete them in the suggested time?

Mnemonics Training
Pub quiz material? These Mnemonic PocketMems will enable you to quickly learn a host of 'trivia' facts.

You can find out more about the excellent PocketMod organisational tool, and its many uses here: pocketmod.com

Despite what everyone says, remembering a list of items (such as a shopping list) is quite a simple process.

The following technique is amazingly powerful, and can be used to help memorize any type of list.

Suppose you're going to the supermarket and you need the following five items: kippers, cheese, jam, chocolate cake and milk. How can you remember the list? For short lists like this, the easiest method is to 'link' the words in the list together to form a chain:

The starting point is to link the first item to yourself in some imaginative way. For example, imagine a kipper has suddenly fallen into your hair (no idea where it came from… but that isn't important). This kipper is a few days old, it's begun to crumble into little fishy pieces; imagine the texture of the fish as you try to pull it out of your hair. Fish-bits fall down your face, some have certainly gone down your neck!

Now, that is quite a memorable image!

Okay, so you just walked into a room and forgot what you went for. These 'senior moments' happen to most of us… and the good news is that they are not (in themselves) a sign of old age. The ease with which we forget simple things is related more to our attention, than to our age. You were probably distracted en route, or the item you wanted to remember wasn’t important enough to be registered completely in your mind.