Introducing Mnemonics

Contents Forward Section One Introduction How your memory operates Why we forget Observation and memory Section Two Introduction How to link together memories How to master a foreign language How to remember numbers The number/rhyme system How to remember your dreams How to remember numbers Pegging How to remember quotations How to remember abstract symbols and letters The Roman Room system How to remember names and faces How to remember appointments The Mental Diary How to combine the systems The Mental Database Study Methods Afterward

Forward Many people claim that they possess a poor memory. Indeed you may even be one of those people yourself. Well whether you are or not, the first thing that I would like to bring to your attention in this book, is the simple fact that the vast majority of the

population have perfectly good memories. The problem is that they just don’t know how to use them properly. What I have attempted to accomplish with this book, is to outline in simple terms, a variety of techniques, that with a bit of practice and just a little time, will allow you t o express the full potential of your latent memory capabilities . Techniques I might add, that have been around in one form or another for quite a number of centuries. But that until relatively recent times had only been used extensively by a select number of magicians and showman. I firmly believe that the memory improvement systems that I will outline fully in the second section of this book, are surprisingly straight-forward, and should not take you more than a relatively short period of time to fully master. This book itself is based on the use of the system of Mnemonics in all of its differen t flavours. A group of techniques that have evolved over centuries and are just now beginning to enter public awareness.

What is Mnemonics?? Broadly speaking Mnemonics are a group of memory aids, or mental ‘slights of hand’ that facilitate the quick and easy assimilation of information of all kinds. Facts, figures, names, faces and events, all can be learned and recalled far easier by using the techniques outlined in this book than by using the conventional means of rote learning and repetition. Mnemonics use the imagination in conjunction with all of the individuals senses, in order to transform a dull, dry piece of text into a firm and vibrant memory that is not just easy to remember, but difficult to forget! Mnemonics gain their power by making use of the way our minds absorb information. For memories to be formed the following events must occur:

Observation - For an event to be committed to memory, it must first beobserved. This might seem self evident to you, but you must understand that seeing is entirely different from observing. This is discussed in more detail in the chapter entitled Observation and Memory. Association - All memory is based upon association. To remember one piece of information, we invariably associate it with another alread y committed memory. This is usually done without our conscious awareness. Visualisation - Strong memories are memories that are visual in nature. A quotation that you read is not as easily recalled as an event that you witnessed. Text is dry, but images are vibrant. Mnemonics continually makes use of this fact. As far as the structure of my book is concerned. I have divided it into two distinct sections. In the first of these sections, I have attempted to describe to the best of my ability, how human memory operates and why it is that people seem to forget things in the first

place. The second and by far the largest section of this book, concerns itself with outlining some of the more useful of the many mnemonic systems that have been developed over the course of the last few centuries. This is the most important section of the book, as far as improving your capacity for recall is concerned, containing in depth descriptions of all of the major mnemonic techniques together with their practical applications. Finally, before you begin the mental voyage of discovery that I firmly believe could, through the vast improvement of your memory, change your life forever . I would just like to mention that the techniques that will be outlined during the course of this book, do not require any great level of intellect to grasp. They are simple and effective techniques. Techniques that although powerful in their utilisation, are very straightforward to pick up.

Good luck. And I hope that you enjoy the book! Section One Introduction In this first section of the book, I intend to outline the biological and psychological basis of memory formation and retrieval. This section is the smallest of the two, and functions to give the reader an overview of how the 1300g lump of tissue that resides inside your skull processes its memories. It does not delve into too much detail. That is beyond the scope of this book. But it does offer the reader the opportunity to gain a basic understanding of how memory functions. No mnemonic techniques are discussed in this section. Something that is more than made up for in the second section. So if you just want to go ahead with improving your memory, then I advise that you skip this section. However, if you do take the time to read through this quite small section of the book, you will gain a deeper understanding of human memory.

Chapter One How your memory operates Firstly let me begin this chapter by telling you that your memory is excellent. Yes you read correctly. I did say excellent! What do you mean you don’t believe me? The plain and simple fact of the matter is that it has been proven, with the aid of such techniques as hypnosis, that everything that an individual sees, hears, thinks, or does in his or her life, leaves some trace (no matter how small) somewhere in their brain. And unless someone’s brain suffers some kind of physical trauma – for example an haemorrhage, tumour, or some other form of injury or disease that results in the permanent

destruction of certain regions of the brain. Then the memories will leave some record for the rest of their life. Now at this point you are probably asking yourself that, if everything that you have experienced in your life is stored away somewhere in the depths of your brain – then why is it that you appear to forget things? Well there are a number of reasons why people seem to lose memories (or forget) and the primary ones shall be discussed in the next chapter. However for now, I will offer a simplified explanation for how human memory operates. I will do this with the aid of a simple analogy. Imagine if you will, that your memory is an enormous multi-floor library. Now visualise each one of your memories as but a single paragraph, on a single page, of a single book, in this vast library. In the untrained memory these books are not indexed, and in fact they are not always placed on shelves with books that contain similar memories. So unless you have made a note of which floor and which row ‘specifically’ you placed a particular book, and upon which page of that book the required memory was written. Then finding any piece of information in this labyrinth of shelves, becomes a next to impossible task. Now I would like you to consider for a few moments, a particularly rare kind of human being. Namely someone who possesses total recall, or to use the generic term – a ‘photographic memory.’ There are not many such individuals around. Also, of the few people that are gifted at birth with a photographic memory, most loose it by the time that they reach adulthood. But nevertheless, enough of them do exist to carry out research with. So, going back to my library analogy. It would seem that in a photographic memory (or library), the books of memories are both indexed and catalogued. Each book is also placed in a section and sub-section, with books of similar content. As a result of this, memories from any part of such an individual’s life are immediately accessible to them. Now I will be the first to admit that my analogy is (to put it mildly), a little crude. However, it does serve to illustrate that (as will be made abundantly clear throughout the course of this book), an organised memory operates far more efficiently, than does a disorganised one!

The process of remembering The process of memorising information can be split into four distinct stages. These are: 1) The registering of information by the five senses – sight, hearing, smell, touch and/or taste. 2) The interpretation by the brain of the impulses that are generated by the five senses. This is what is termed understanding. 3) The temporary storage of the information in the socalled short-term memory. 4) Finally, the transfer of the information from the shortterm, to the long-term memory. This is where a (theoretically) permanent record of the memory is stored.

All of the above stages are important and all of them can be used by most people far more efficiently than they generally are. This efficiency may be accomplished with the aid of the many mnemonic techniques, which will be outlined in section two of this book.

The memory

biological

basis

of

In this book, I do not intend to delve to deeply into the biological basis for memory. The reason for this, is that whether or not you have an exact understanding of how your memory functions ‘biologically.’ I find it highly improbable that this knowledge will in any way improve your ability to recall information. Which is after all the purpose of this book. Nevertheless, I shall offer a brief description of how the human brain ‘physically’ processes memories. Collectively the areas of the brain that appear to be linked with memory are known as the limbic system. One of the widest held explanations of how memory operates, is that impulses from different areas of the brain and from the senses, enter the limbic system (situated in the central area of the brain), and are then passed through the mamillary body. These memory impulses then travel around the fornix, to terminate at the hypocampus and the cingulate gyrus. These limbic structures are the ones that it would seem are responsible for the recording and the retrieval of memories. It also has been found, that damage to these structures is the cause of many of the more acute forms of amnesia.

Learning curves A useful phenomenon to understand as a prelude to mnemonics, is that of learning curves. These are best explained with the aid of a diagram.

What the above diagram illustrates, is that information studied at the beginning and at the end of a study period, is far more readily recalled than is information studied in the middle. This phenomenon can be explained by the Primacy and the Recency effects. I will now proceed to go into a little more detail regarding the exact significance of these two effects.

Primacy and Recency effects It has been noted in several studies, such as those conducted by Ley in 1972 and Ley, Bradshaw, Eaves and Walker in 1973, that when important information is presented to subjects at the beginning of a study period, it is far more readily recalled than information from the middle of the same study period. This phenomenon, which is known as the Primacy effect, is very useful to keep in mind when studying for exams, or when trying to recall any large quantity of information. Other observers have also noted that information from the end of a particular study period is also recalled far more readily than that from the middle - The Recency effect. Through further research, it has been found that the optimum period of time for memory or information formation, is the first and last ten minutes of any study period. From the above example learning curve and from the previously defined Primacy and Recency effects, we may conclude that it is better when attempting to study, to divide your study period into several small and easily manageable segments. Say of around about twenty minutes or so each. These should be followed by a break of

approximately five to ten minutes . This is so that you can allow your mind a chance to pause. Studying in this way, you should find that you are able to absorb more information and will be able to recollect it far more readily than you can using more traditional cramming techniques. By the way, the peaks in the middle of the diagram represent information that is familiar in some way, or that for some reason stands out from the rest of the text being studied. This kind of information grabs the reader’s attention, and as a result is more readily absorbed and recalled than the information contained in the rest of the text.

State dependent learning A study by a psychologist called Overton in 1972, showed that people under the influence of alcohol, could recall events that they had experienced whilst in a similar state of inebriation, far more readily than they could when they were sober. What may be concluded from this study, is that individuals are able to recall information or events that they experienced whilst in a certain physiological state, far more easily when they are once again in such a state. This also seems to be true for a number of other drugs, besides alcohol. Such as various Amphetamines and Barbiturates. Certain emotional states also appear to play a role in recollection. Collectively this phenomenon is known as ‘State dependent learning.’ State dependent learning seems to operate by providing a context for information to be remembered in. And a number of studies have shown that the context that we set our memories in, is indeed very important with regards to their subsequent retrieval. An example of this, would be the way in which hearing a particular song can in some cases bring forth a whole set of memories to an individual. This phenomenon occurs because the song is a part of the context that the memories were recorded in. Specifically the song in the above analogy, is a part of the ‘external context.’ Whilst the alcohol in Overton’s study, is a part of the ‘internal context.’ Context is the most important aspect of memory formation. This is because it is the context that forms the chain, which links together memories (or pieces of information), which might otherwise seem unrelated to each other. And i t is this linking together of memories, or groups of memories, that lies at the very heart of all of the major memory improvement systems that will be outlined throughout the course of this book.

Chapter two Why we forget Thomas De Quincey

I feel that there is no such thing as ultimate forgetting; traces once impressed upon the memory are indestructible. When attempting to improve your capacity for recall, it is helpful to first understand why it is that people forget things in the first place. Now there are a variety of theories that have been put forward over the years, all of which claim to explain exactly why it is that memory loss, or to be more precise ‘failure to access memories’ does occur. These explanations range from the physiological to the psychological. In this chapter I have attempted to outline as best I can, some of the most widely accepted of these theories.

Amnesia Damage to the brain, whether from accidental injury or from disease, can result in two basic forms of memory loss (or amnesia). These are: 1) 2)

Retrograde amnesia . Anterograde amnesia .

Retrograde amnesia Retrograde amnesia is the loss of memories stored in an individual’s brain before the damage took place. This condition is generally speaking, not a long lasting one. And in most of the reported cases results in only the loss of about ten minutes worth of memories . Normally those memories formed immediately preceding the trauma. In some cases however, when severe damage to the brain has occurred, an individual may lose a large percentage of their memories - permanently. Such massive memory loss is however very rare indeed.

Anterograde amnesia This form of amnesia results in the opposite symptoms to those of retrograde amnesia. A person suffering from anterograde amnesia losses their ability to form new memories. Although their ability to recall information that was stored prior to the trauma, usually remains unaffected. This form of amnesia seems to result from damage to the hypocampus, part of the limbic system of the brain (see previous chapter).

Repression One of the earliest of the theories regarding memory loss, was put forward by the psychologist Sigmund Freud in 1901. Basically what he theorized, was that forgetting results from the repression of certain memories, due to the fact that they were so traumatic to the individual, that he/she dared not face them. A good example of memory repression, would be that of someone who as a child had suffered some form of sexual abuse. This experience could have been so traumatic to the child, that they completely repressed all memory of the event. As a result, when the child reached adulthood, they may have lost all memory of the

incident. T his form of memory repression is known as ‘Motivated forgetting.’ Now, whilst motivated forgetting cannot be used to explain all forms of memory loss, it would seem that it is responsible for the loss (or repression) of some particular ly violent, or emotional memories. Especially those from childhood.

Interference One other way that the phenomenon of ‘forgetting’ sometimes seems to occur, i s when one memory blocks another . This is known as ‘Interference.’ This interference can manifest itself in one of two distinct forms. These are: 1)

Proactive interference .

2)

Retroactive interference .

Proactive interference Proactive interference occurs when one piece of information, which has already been committed to memory, interferes with the formation of a new memory. A good example of this would be if someone learned the German for one particular word and then subsequently attempted to learn the Spanish for that same word. Now if the learning of the Spanish word interfered with that individual’s alread y existing memory of the German word (thus making it difficult to recall), then that would be termed ‘Proactive interference.’

Retroactive interference Using the above example, Retroactive interference would occur if the memory of the German word interfered with the individual’s ability to learn the Spanish word. Interference of one memory by another is one possible explanation of why we find it so difficult to recall a great deal of the memories that are stored away in our brains, and it is prudent when studying a text, to be aware of this phenomenon. By the way, the techniques outlined in this book take into account the phenomenon of interference.

Korsakoff's syndrome One more form of memory loss, a form that is mainly experienced by long-ter m alcoholics, is known as Korsakoff’s syndrome. This condition is caused by a long-term thiamine deficiency. A deficiency that occurs as a result of excessive drinking and under-eating over a number of years. This results in severe damage to the hypocampus, and people with this syndrome hav e great difficulty forming new memories. Korsakoff’s syndrome is the most common form of anterograde amnesia. To conclude this chapter I would just like to mention the fact that permanent loss of memory is a rare thing indeed, and most people live out their entire life, with an incredible storehouse of memories locked away somewhere in the 1, 300g lump of tissue, that is the human brain. Also, regardless of what most people seem to believe, human memory does not deteriorate significantly with

age. Age merely slows down the speed of recall. In a well-exercised mind, this may not be by very much at all.

Chapter three Observation and memory What is memory? You may think that the above question has already been answered (in a roundabout sort of a way), in the previous couple of chapters. Well it has, in a biological and t o some extent, a psychological sense, but not in a practical one. The purpose of this chapter is to outline ‘practically,’ one of the most important prerequisites of memory. Namely that of observation.

Observation I have a question for you. Don’t look at your watch. Does your watch have Roman numerals, numbers or lines to mark out the hours? Do you know? Are you sure?? Now look at your watch to see if you were correct . If you were well done. Your observational skills are better than most. Oh by the way, when you looked at your watch, what time did it say? Most people, even if they get the first question right, get the second wrong.

‘The most important aspect of memory, is observation.’ Regarding memory, the above statement is one of the most accurate that you are ever likely to read. For without observation, there can be no memory. Allow me to elaborate. Imagine if you will, that you are sitting on your favourite chair, reading a newspaper, with the TV chatting merrily away in the background. Now there you are, reading through a mildly interesting article, when you become distracted by something that is being said on the television. Now you continue to read through the article (that is your eyes continue to move over the text), but for just a few short moments, your minds attention is focussed on the TV. After a few seconds you realize that you have read through an entire paragraph of the article, yet you have absolutely no idea what was said in that paragraph. Now I feel certain that if you have never experienced that exact situation, then you have most likely experienced a similar one. That is a situation where your eyes were on one thing, whilst your attention (or observation) was on something entirely different. Specifically, what the above analogy tells us is that one can see something, without necessarily observing it. Without observation, there can be no memory. To prove this point, I will offer a few specific examples.

Examples of the importance of

observation Consider a man at a party. There he is chatting away quite happily, when he thinks to himself – ‘Did I lock the front door before I left for this party?’ He cannot seem to remember whether he did or he didn’t. Now let us assume that the man did lock his front door. The problem is that he just cannot seem to remember doing it. The reason for this mans unfortunate predicament, is that locking the front door whenever he leaves his home, is such a natural thing for him to do, that he does it automatically (without thinking). And if he did not think about what he was doing when he locked his front door, then he did not observe the event.

No observation = No memory. A woman is at work, but did she remember to switch off the radio before leaving her flat? Again switching off the radio may be such a natural thing for her to do before leaving for work in the morning, that she did it without thinking. She therefore failed to observe the event. Failing to observe the event results in no memory being formed to associate with the event. So it is not at all surprising that she is so unsure. For my final example, I would like you to imagine if you will, a man who embarks on an holiday, only to be plagued throughout the entire journey, by the thought that he had forgotten to switch off his living room light, before leaving for the airport. He did switch it off, but again he did not observe himself doing it, and as a result he cannot recall the event. Now that is the sort of thing that can really get in the way of enjoying a holiday! The above examples may seem irrelevant, or even silly to you. However they do serve to make clear the point that observation is the singularly most important prerequisite of memory. A prerequisite I might add, that can be greatly improved upon. I will now explain how this improvement may be accomplished.

How to observation

improve

your

The method that I shall now outline is an incredibly simple one. Basically, all that is required is for you to make a conscious effort to use your observation. For example in the above case of the man at the party, who was unsure as to whether or not he had locked his front door. All that he would need to do, in order to preven t all that needless worry, would be get into the habit of whenever he locks his door, taking the time to pause for a couple of seconds to think to himself. ‘I have locked the door.’ Now because he has made a conscious effort to observe himself doing this, he should not forget the event. The same technique may be applied to the second example. All that the woman would need to do in order to remember switching off her radio, would be to pause for a moment when she does it, and to think to herself. ‘I am switching off the radio.’ Now because she has observed herself doing this, she also should have no difficulty remembering the event. Finally in the third example, all that the man would need to do,

would be to observe himself switching off the light in his living room before embarking on his holiday. This should make his journey considerably less stressful. Do you still think that your observation is good? Then read the next piece of text:

SPAIN IN THE THE SPRING Are you sure that you read it correctly? Read it again. You may have noticed that a word is repeated. All that I have said in this chapter, is said to make one fact absolutely clear in your mind, and that is that in order to memorize, one must first observe. This is a fact that is well worth remembering. It is also a fact that will be mentioned again and again, throughout the course of this book.

SECTION TWO Introduction In this second section of my book, I will attempt to outline what I personally believe to be the most useful, and indeed practical of the many memory improvement techniques or ‘mnemonics,’ from the Greek goddess of memory ‘Mnemosyne,’ that I have come across over the years. If you study these techniques, and try to apply them in your day-to-day life, then you should soon find that your capacity for recall will improve substantially. Perhap s even by as much as 1000%. A figure that believe me is perfectly obtainable. Finally, before beginning the development of your memory, and to help you to work out precisely how much your memory WILL have improved after completing your studies of this section of the book. I have compiled a chapter. The last one of this section, whose sole purpose is to test your ability to recall information of all kinds - both abstract and meaningful. You may like to work your way through that particular chapter before continuing. That way you will be able to note precisely how much your memory improves.

Chapter Four How to Link together Memories It is a fact that we all retain far more of the information that we are exposed to than we are able to easily access. This has been

proven time and again through the use of such techniques as hypnosis, which has on many occasions been used to bring forth memories that the subject cannot access when conscious. For example, as you are no doubt aware the police have on occasion used hypnosis to enable a witness to a crime to recall the registration number of a car that they did see, but cannot ‘consciously ’ remember. The reason for this lack of recall is that our memories are not always stored in an ordered fashion. This means that when we attempt to retrieve them, we don’t always know where to look. The purpose of this chapter is to improve the reader’s ability to memorise - in the correct order - any given list that you put your mind to, by up to 1000%. This may sound to you like a pretty bold claim for me to be making. But I assure you that after reading through the rest of this chapter, and after mastering the system of ‘Linking ’ that I shall shortly endeavour to explain, you will soon find that you have accomplished this seemingly amazing feat. This will be done with an ease that you will no doubt find pleasantly surprising.

All of this is facilitated by using the mnemonic system known as Linking. I will now proceed to explain the details of this technique.

How Linking works Human memory operates by associating, or linking, one piece of information with another. The great Greek philosophers first understood this linking of one memory to another, many centuries before the dawn of the modern age. Such knowledge has been put to great use by a large number of researchers in the field of memory improvement ever since. Not to mention by a great many magicians! An example of the principle of memory association was given in chapter one of this book, when the analogy was put forward of an individual upon hearing a particular song, recalling memories or events that were in their mind linked in some way to that song. For example, when an individual hears a familiar tune, they may recall the face of someone that they were with when they first heard it. Or alternatively, the song may bring back the memory of an important event that took place in their life. Perhap s whilst that piece of music was playing high in the charts. It may even simply take the person back to a general period of their life. Such as their teens. This phenomenon of memory association (or linking) is very important indeed, an d when it is performed ‘consciously ,’ it can greatly improve an individual’s capacity for recollection. I will now prove the truth of these words, with the aid of a little test. A test that should help to prove to you, the vast difference in capacity between a trained memory and an untrained one.

List number one 1)

Cat

8)

Swan

15)

Umbrella

2)

Apple

9)

Pipe

16)

Bird

3)

Shoe

10)

Sword

17)

Comb

4)

Tie

11)

Horse

18)

Sea

5)

Book

12)

Pan

19)

Sun

6)

Fish

13)

Bread

20)

Camera

7)

Television

14)

Trousers

Now if you would like to indulge me for a little while. What I would like you to do, is to read through the above list of words just once, concentrating on each word as you do so. Then I would like you to cover it up with a piece of paper and then try to reproduce the entire list in the correct order, in the space provided below. Only when you have completed this task, continue reading through this chapter. Go on. Humour me. It will pass a bit of time!

Test Number One 1)

8)

15)

2)

9)

16)

3)

10)

17)

4)

11)

18)

5)

12)

19)

6)

13)

20)

7)

14)

How did you do? Not too good heh! Well try not to let it get you down to much. Because the truth of the matter is that most of the people who are in possession of an untrained memory, would be hard pressed to recall more than half of such a list, after only one reading. Also the words that they did succeed in recalling would probably be in the wrong order. That’s just one of the drawbacks of having an untrained memory. I will now explain to you how you can memorise a list such as the one shown above, totally and in the correct order, after reading through it only once.

How to link consciously Imagine that for some reason you wanted to memorise the first five words of the above list. These words are – cat, apple, shoe, tie and book. Now the first thing that I would like you to do, is to try to form a picture in your minds eye, that links the first word ‘cat ’ to the second word ‘apple ,’ in an imaginative and thus memorable way. For example you might try picturing a large cat, sinking its teeth into a big, green, juicy apple. Now if you close your eyes, and for one moment really endeavour to visualise this image, being sure to make it as vivid as you possibly can. Also trying to see wit h your minds eye, the colours of the cat and of the apple. Then you should find that it is next to impossible for you to forget that the first two words of the above list are cat and apple.

The next thing that you need to do is to create an image that links the word apple to the word shoe. You could try imagining a huge shoe, brimming over with bright, green, juicy apples . Or maybe you could imagine an apple wearing a pair of shoes. See the image in your minds eye, and attempt to make it as vivid as you possibly can. The more vivid an image is – the easier it is to recollect. Now try to link the word shoe to the word tie. To do this, you could imagine a shoe wearing a tie, or a pair of shoes with ties instead of laces (cartoon-like images are the easiest to recall). Finally in order to link together the words tie and book, you could simply visualise an enormous book, with a striped tie for a bookmark. Having done this, you should now be able to remember all of the afore mentioned words. To do this simply close your eyes and journey through the mental links that you have just created. This is a relatively simple procedure, because (as you can see), one image is joined (or linked) to the next. Thus thinking of the first image forces you to think of the second image, which forces you to think of the third image ect… So what? I hear you ask. I could have remembered those five words easily, without having to form those ridiculous images. Well this may well be true for the first five words, but I bet that you couldn’t have remembered all twenty. You can with this method. Why not try it for yourself with the below list of words. Remember to link the first word to the second, in an imaginative and creative way. Then the second word to the third, the third to the fourth – all the way up to number twenty.

List number two 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Teddy-bear Bus Kettle Mirror Pram

11) 12) 13) 14) 15)

Field Football Picture Swing Lamp

6) 7) 8) 9) 10)

Jester Scales Couch Curtains Clock

16) 17) 18) 19) 20)

Tank Globe Tiger Stairs Table

Now I would like you to cover the above list of words and then try to reproduce them in the space provided below. Beginning with the word teddy bear and working your way through your mental links, to finish at the word table. I think that you will be pleasantly surprised at just how much better you will do this time.

Good luck! Test Number Two 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10)

11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20)

Incredible heh! Who would have believed that your capacity for recall could improve so dramatically and in so short a period of time? Well that was just the tip of the iceberg, and I can honestly predict that after reading through the rest of this section, you will have difficulty believing just how much more your memory will have improved. I would now like to conclude this chapter by listing a few general pointers, which should help to make your linking that much more effective. These are: 1) Illuminate your link images. That is make them as bright and as colourful as you possibly can. In fact you don’t even have to use the correct colours. A pink elephant, or an orange mountain, are both very memorable images indeed. 2) Exaggerate the proportions of your link images. That is try to make them as large as you can. The bigger the better! 3 ) Sensation must be included. Attempt to incorporate as many of your senses as you can into your links – sight, sound, smell, touch, and even taste if at all possible. Remember that the more senses that your link images incorporate, the greater an imprint will be left on your memory. 4) Strangeness is memorable. Try to make your link images as amusing as you are able. The more strange or

absurd an image is, the more easily it is recalled. 5) Numbers leave an impression. One Gorilla running down the High street leaves an impression in the memory. An army of Gorillas filling every available space leaves a much greater impression. 6 ) Movement must be incorporated wherever possible. A car parked unobtrusively by the roadside is not particularly memorable. A fleet of cars screeching around the corner does cannot fail to leave a long lasting impression. If you use the above techniques, then you should find that the links that you create, will be next to impossible to break. Linking is a very useful tool to have in your possession. One that has a large number of applications. For example it may be used to recall shopping lists, lists of things-to- do, appointments – the list of lists is practically endless. So my advice to you is to start using it. You won’t regret it!

Chapter Five How to master a foreign language Consider that for some reason you decide to learn a new language. Now there could be a number of good reasons why you might want to do such a thing. Maybe you are interested in a particular country or culture, and believe that learning the local dialect will aid your understanding of the people. Or (which is more likely) maybe you ar e just someone who is planning a holiday abroad, and doesn’t want to be constantly embarrassed because you have to spend minutes at a time flicking through a phrase book whenever you need to know the price of an item in a shop, or a drink in the bar. Well whatever your reason for wanting to learn a new language, this chapter promises to outline a system that with a little practice (and I do mean a little), will enable you to master the basics of any given language that you choose, in as short a period of time as 10 days. Yes that’s what I said – just 10 days. Before outlining the details of this system, I would just like to mention that if you were to use conventional techniques in order to master a new language, then you would probably be expected to spend between 1-3 years before you would be considered to be truly proficient in that language. The method that I shall now outline requires no such unnecessary time wasting.

The method The first step is to transform a foreign word into a form that is immediately understandable, and thus memorable. For example, let us take the Spanish word for head ‘cabeza .’ Now at first glance this word might appear (at least

to someone who is unfamiliar with the Spanish language), to be nothing more than a random collection of syllables. As a result of this, it is difficult to visualise. Just like a random series of numbers to someone who is unfamiliar with the peg system. So if you wanted to commit this particular word to your longterm memory, in a way that will make it easy to recall, then the first thing that you would need to do, would be to transform it into a form that you can immediately visualise. You could accomplish this task by simply breaking down the word ‘cabeza’ into the three distinct sounds, cab-beez-a . Now I feel sure that most people will have little difficulty in visualising a cab, or a bee, or even a bale of hay! So the first step is complete. You have succeeded in transforming a seemingly meaningless collection of syllables, into three meaningful words. The next thing that is required, is for you to link these words together, in the manner that I described in chapter four, then to link all of those words to the English word ‘head.’ To do this you could try visualising a large New York taxicab, filled with giant bees. Add to that image, an enormous head sticking out from the taxi’s sunroof. Perched on top of which, is a huge bale of hay. Close your eyes and really try to visualise this image. If you do this, then you should find that you will have absolutely no difficulty remembering that the Spanish word for head is cab-bees-hay, ‘cabeza.’

The above method may seem like a bit of a long-winded way to commit to memory foreign language vocabulary, but with just a little practice (and time), you should find that you will develop the ability to break down or transform a foreign word into an image (or group of images). Then to link together these images in your minds eye, in only a few short seconds. In fact after using this system for a while, you may even find images beginning to form in your mind as soon as you hear a new foreign word, together with its English counterpart. Perhaps at this point I should offer you a few examples, to help you to understand more clearly how this system operates.

Examples The Spanish word for murder is ‘muerto .’ Now try to think about how you might go about making a vivid (and thus memorable) image in your mind, out of this particular word. Start by breaking the word down into its basic sounds. These

are moo-hurt- toe . Now all three of these sounds are easy to visualise, as they are in fact words themselves. The next thing that you need to do, is to link the three words that you have created, to the English word ‘murder.’ To accomplish this, you could imagine a cow with a hurt toe, being brutally murdered. Silly I know (and more than a little gruesome), but if you close your eyes and really try to visualise the above image, then you should find that it is difficult to forget. Especially if you fill the image with colour and sound. Another example could be the French word for bread – ‘pan.’ Now this is an incredibly simple word to visualise. All that you really to do in order to remember this word, is to imagine a large pan, with a piece of French bread for a handle. Or alternatively, you could try imagining a pan pilled high with French bread. Really attempt to see this image and I assure you that the word pan and the word bread, will forever remain linked together in your memory. The Spanish word for house – ‘casa ,’ may be committed to memory by transforming it into the English word case. To do this you could try imagining yourself living in an enormous case, complete with windows and a door. See yourself on the doorstep, placing your key in the lock, with passers by looking at your home with shocked expressions pasted on their faces . Again this is another memorable image. Which should be easy to remember.

The French word for garden – ‘jardin ,’ may be memorised by visualising a lovely green garden. In this garden you could imagine that there is a seven-foot glass jar, with a distraught looking James Dean imprisoned inside of it, angrily thumping his arms against the glass. Jar-Dean ‘jardin.’ A ridiculous image yes, but also a memorable one. The main thing to remember is to make your link images as ridiculous, colourful, loud, and as all round vivid as you possibly can. You see by doing this, you will create a deeper impression in your memory. In effect, what you will be doing, will be not just filing a memory away in your mental library, but building huge neon signposts that point straight to it.

One possible method for memorising the French word for wine – ‘van ,’ would be to visualise a large van, which is crammed full to bursting point with crates of the finest wine.

Tiempo is the Spanish word for time. In order for you to memorise this word, you might try imagining a clock (representing time), which has hanging from its centre – a long, brightly coloured tie. Protruding from the seam of which, is a long wooden pole. Tie-hem-pole, ‘tiempo .’ This image should be easy to recollect. For my final example, I have chosen the Spanish word for face – ‘cara .’ This word is easily committed to memory, by simply imagining someone’s face (maybe even your own), with the wreck of a car imbedded in the centre of it. Disgusting I know, but memorable. Remember that it is the vividness, together with the absurdity of an image that makes it memorable. That is why most conventional textbooks are so hard to digest. You should find that if you apply the above system to say ten words or phrases of your chosen language a day, for a period of approximately ten days or so before you travel to the country concerned, then you will know enough of that particular language, to be able to get by quite adequately. It is simply a matter of picking the words that you are most likely to use on your trip. For example you will probably need to ask for directions, or order food and drinks in a bar or restaurant. Now if you feel that you would like to test the effectiveness of the system that I have just outlined a little more thoroughly. Then you should be pleased to find that I have listed vocabulary, from both the French and the Spanish languages in the next few pages. If you spend a little time on the below lists of vocabulary, then you should be pleasantly surprised at just how quickly you will learn the basics of these two languages.

The key vocabulary Spanish language English Spanish One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Uno Dos Tres Cuatro Cinco Seis Siete Ocho Nueve Diez Lunes Martes Miercoles Jueves Viernes Sabado

of

the

Sunday Spring Summer Autumn Winter January February March April May June July August Sepember October November December Hello Good afternoon Good night Goodbye Please Thank you Time Before After Now Then Here There Where What When Why How Over Under On In Me You He She We They Them More Many Most Much

Domingo la primavera el verano el otono el invierno Enero Febrero Marzo Abril Mayo Junio Julio Agosto Septiembre Octubre Noviembre Diciembre Hola Buenas tardes Buenas noches Adios Por favor Gracias Tiempo Ante Despues Ahora Luego Aqui Hay Donde Lo que Cuando Por que Como Sobre Debajo Sobre En Me Tu El Ella Nosotros Ellos, ellas Los, las, les Mas Muchos Lo mas Mucho

Good Like Love Big Little Of For From

Bueno Gusto Amo Grande Poco De Por De

The key vocabulary French language

English

French

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Spring Summer Autumn Winter January February March April May June July August Sepember October November December Hello Good evening Goodbye Please

Un Deux Trois Quatre Cinq Six Sept Huit Neuf Dix Lundi Mardi Mercredi Jeudi Vendredi Samedi Dimanche Le printemps L’ete L’autumne L’hiver Janvier Fevrier Mars Avril Mai Juin Juillet Aout Septembre Octobre Novembre Decembre Bonjour Bonsoir Au revoir S’il vous plait

of

the

Thank you Time Before After Now Then Here There Where What When Why How Over Under On In Me You He She We They Them More Many Most Much Good Like Love Big Little Of For From With

Merci Temps Avant Apres Maintenant Alors Ici Il y a Ou Que Quand Pourquoi Comment Pardessus Sous Sur Dans Moi Tu, vous Il Elle Nous Ils, elles Les Plus Beaucoup La plupart Beacoup Bien J’aime J’aime Grande Petit De Por De Con

Finally, before moving on to the next chapter, I would just like to make the point that if you do wish to learn a new language, then you must try to remember to review regularly the link images that you create. This maintains both their strength and their effectiveness. For even memories that have been created by using the link method do degrade over time. They don’t degrade as quickly as normal memories do, but they do degrade. So please try to review them regularly!

Chapter Six How to remember numbers The number/rhyme system

When discussing the subject of memory with friends and colleagues, I have found that people generally find remembering numbers – particularly long-digit numbers – very difficult. This is not surprising, when you consider the fact that in our culture numbers are represented by nothing more than simple, unimaginative shapes. What is required then, to make numbers more memorable entities, is for us to transform these unimaginative shapes into imaginative, and thus memorable images. ‘If you can visualise something, then memorising it is a simple thing.’ For example, if you think of the word ‘supermarket’ then you should have absolutely no difficulty at all in visualising what a supermarket is. You may see an image of endless rows of shelves and shopping trolleys, or you might even see the outside of the building - complete with car park. The thing is that everyone, or at least everybody in the western world, has a very clear mental image of what a supermarket is. If however, you think of the number 86, then unless that particular number has a certain personal significance to you. For example, if you have an 86 year old grandmother, or your address is 86, then you will have a problem visualising this number in any kind of a memorable way. So what can be done about this unfortunate state of affairs? Well actually quite a lot can be done. In fact in a couple of chapters down the line, I will explain a technique known as ‘Pegging ,’ that has been developed over the course of the last few centuries, which will enable you to memorise long-digit numbers of up to 100 digits (with practice maybe even more), having read through them only once. But for now I would just like to outline a straight-forward technique, known as the number-rhyming method, that should make remembering numbers of up to about ten digits or so, a relatively simple procedure. I will now outline the details of this technique.

The number/rhyming system The technique of number/rhyming is a simple one to master. All that it consists of, is transforming a number that you wish to remember, into a form that can be easily visualised. You may accomplish this task by breaking your number down into its constituent digits, and then transforming these digits into a set of images, that happen to rhyme with those single digits. To show you precisely what I mean, I have listed a simple number/image code below, together with a few examples of how it may be put to use.

The Number/Image code Zero is Snow

Number One is Sun

Number Two is Shoe

Number Three is Sea

Number Four is Door

Number Five is Hive

Number Six is Sticks

Number Seven is Heaven

Number Eight is Gate

Number Nine is Mine

Examples Now if you wanted to remember the number 74, then using the above list of images, all that you would need to do would be to link together the image for the number 7 ‘Heaven ,’ to the image for the number 4 ‘Door .’ In of course an imaginative and thus memorable way. For example, you could see yourself opening your front door and being faced by a flight of angels. Or you could see yourself knocking on the door to heaven. Both of these are memorable, and should (if you have learned the above set of images), immediately bring to your mind the numbers 7 and 4. If you wanted to commit to memory the number 592, then all that you would need to do would be to link together the words Hive , Mine and Shoe . To accomplish this task, you might imagine a huge beehive in the dark and dusty tunnels of a Coalmine. Try to see the miners running around the tunnels, attempting to ward off the bees by swiping at them with their shoes. This is an amusing – and thus a memorable image. If the number that you wanted to remember were 4830, then the images that you would be required to link together would be Door , Gate , Sea and Snow . This could be done by imagining an enormous door, behind which is a gate. See this gate opening to reveal an infinitely wide expanse of open sea, in the middle of which stands a giant snowman. Complete with a pipe and hat (to make the image that bit more memorable). The above images should be sufficiently vivid to be retained by the average person’s memory. For my final example I have chosen the number 1624. This number may be recalled by simply linking together the four images – Sun , Sticks , Shoe and Door . This is easily done by visualising the sun pouring forth a torrent of sticks (instead of rays of light). These sticks then land in an enormous shoe. A shoe that has built into its side a large door. This set of images should immediately remind an individual who is familiar with the system of number/rhyming, of the number 1624.

Uses of the system The uses that the system of number/rhyming may be put to are countless. For example, you could use the system to memorise an

address. This is done by simply linking your number images, to the face of the individual whose address you wish to recall. Alternatively if you have difficulty in visualising the persons face, then you could try linking the number to a creative version of their name. See chapter twelve for a more comprehensive explanation of how this may be done. You could use the system to remember the prices of items on a shopping list. This is accomplished by simply linking the prices of the items (in number-rhyme form), to an image of the item that you wish to purchase. You may choose to use the system to memorise a particular list, in numerical order, to remember times, dates and/or abstract numbers. You could also use the system to memorise mathematical formulae, arithmetical calculations, and/or measurements. I could go on and on, but I think that you probably understand the general idea!

Chapter Seven How to remember your Dreams In this chapter, I intend to outline a method whereby you may form a record of your dreams. I shall endeavour to explain the details of this system as the chapter unfolds. However before doing so, I would just like to take a few moments to offer you a brief explanation of the purpose of dreaming. So that you will know exactly what it is that you are attempting to recollect.

Does everyone dream? Some people claim that they never - or rarely - dream. Well the truth of the matter is that everyone dreams practically every night of his or her life. If they did not do so, then they would soon begin to suffer from all sorts of psychological ailment s . For dreaming is absolutely essential when it comes to maintaining a healthy mind. The thing is that some people remember their dreams, whilst others do not. The reason that some individuals do not seem to remember their dreams can be explained by the fact that during the course of a typical night, we all go through a cycle of four distinctly different levels of sleep. This is illustrated clearly in the below diagram. What the diagram illustrates, is that between level 1 and level 2 of the sleep cycle, we enter a state known as REM (which stands for rapid eye movement) sleep. It is whilst we are in this particular state, that we experience the condition that we refer to as ‘dreaming.’

Figure Two. The Human Sleep Cycle.

It has been found through experimentation, that if an individual is awakened from sleep, whilst they are in this state. Then they tend to remember dreaming. Although the exact details of the dream usually quickly fade away. Whereas if they are awakened whilst they are in either level 3, or level 4 of sleep, then they are far less likely to remember the exact details of any dreams that they may have experienced. I shall now do my best to explain a few of the many theories, that have been put forward over the years to explain why exactly it is that humans dream at all.

Why do we dream? There are a number of interesting theories around, all of which proclaim to offer the definitive explanation for why human beings, and a large variety of other animals experience the condition that we refer to as ‘dreaming.’ I will now endeavour to outline two of the most widely accepted of these theories. These are: 1)

Dreaming for organisation .

2)

Dreaming to symbolise .

Dreaming for organisation Every healthy human being on this planet spends an average of eight hours out of every twenty-four sleeping. What our brains seem to be doing whilst we are in thi s vulnerable state of unconsciousness, is organising and categorising events and information that we were exposed to during the course of our waking day. Then proceeding to file this information away (so to speak), in our long-term memories. Experiments that have been conducted by various psychologists, who have in their time worked in the field of ‘Sleep deprivation,’ have shown that subjects who have been exposed to long periods of uninterrupted consciousness appear to become increasingly paranoid. One possible explanation for this paranoia could be severe interference of clear thinking in an individual. This interference may result from the vast amount of information, which is just hanging around in such a person’s conscious mind, awaiting categorisation and eventual storage. Another symptom of prolonged periods of sleep deprivation is a tendency towards hallucination. Again this appears to be the result of the unsorted information in the individual's mind, interfering with their ability to think clearly.

Dreaming to symbolise The psychologist Sigmund Freud (1901) put forward the theory that dreaming was the minds way of dealing with emotions, desires, and feelings, that the conscious mind would have a considerable amount of difficulty dealing with in any other way. These emotions are sometimes completely suppressed by the individual’s conscious mind and thus exist only in the unconscious mind. Where they appear in a disguised form, known as dreams. The term that is most commonly used to describe the study of these suppressed and disguised emotions is ‘Dreamwork ’. In dreamwork, symbols are believed to represent the desires and private thoughts of the individual. For example Freud often made reference to the image of a tower in a dream, as being a kind of phallic symbol. He also referred to a vulture as being representative of death. Freud also seemed to believe that an individuals mind sometimes hides emotions or desires from itself, by altering a dream image into its exact opposite. For example an image that an individual would find repellent whilst awake, may bring forth emotions such as love in a dream.

Whichever of the above theories you personally believe to be true (both or neither), the system that may be used for committing to memory any dream that you feel merit s such attention, is a relatively straight-forward one that I shall now proceed to outline.

The method Upon awakening from a dream that you wish to commit to memory, all that you need to do, is to follow these three basic steps: 1) First take about three or four key images from the dream. That is the images that stood out the most to you in that particular dream. 2 ) Next link together these images in an imaginative and creative way. The exact details of how to do this were explained in my earlier chapter on linking. 3) For the final step, you simply need to link the first of your key images to something that is already stored away in your permanent memory. For example an object in your bedroom, such as a bedside lamp, or a picture o n your wall. You could even use the peg numbers that I will outline in the next chapter (although I don’t advise tying them up in this way), or more effectively the super pegs that will be outlined later on in this book. Using the above method, you should find that all that you need to do in order to bring forth the memory of a particular dream, is to think of the object or peg number that you linked the first key image of your dream to, and then you should find that as you work your way through the rest of your key images, the entire dream will return to your conscious memory. Unravelling itself in mere moments. To keep a list of your dreams over several weeks, months or even years, you simply need to take a couple of your Super Peg images and then use them as a kind of group dumping ground for your dreams. Each one linking to a super peg image. This way thousands of dreams can be memorised with relative ease. If you are still a little uncertain about the effectiveness of this system, then why not try it for yourself. Maybe even tonight!

Chapter Eight How to remember numbers Pegging The system of pegging that I will be outlining over the course of the next few pages, is one of the most important techniques that has ever been developed in the field of Mnemonics, since the discipline was first practised during the time of the ancient Greeks. Second only to the system of linking in its overall usefulness. A version of pegging was first put forward by a man named Stanislaus Mink vo n Wennsshein, around the year 1648. Since

then the technique has been modified extensively by a number of researchers in the field. Notably by the Englishman Dr Richard Gray, in the year 1730. In more recent times the memory experts Harry Lorayne and Tony Buzan, amongst others, have modified the system further. Basically what pegging does is to turn a number (any number), into a set of phonetic sounds or letters. These sounds are then joined together to form words, and these words may then be linked together to form a series of images. Finally these images may then be committed to memory. This enables an individual to recall numbers of up to (and above) 100 digits, with relative ease. By combining the peg system with the system of linking (outlined in chapter four) you will find that you will be able to memorise huge lists of information, in an ordered and structured way. So without further ado, here is how you do it!

The method The first thing that you need to do in order to learn how to peg, is to memorise the basic phonetic sounds that will be used to represent the numbers 0-9. To speed u p your mastery of this number/letter code, I have offered a few memory aids. With these aids, the code should not take you more than around about 20 minutes or so to commit to your long-term memory.

The number/letter code In the number/letter code, the number 1 is represented by the letters t or d. This is made easy to remember if you observe that both of these letters have only one downstroke. The number 2 is represented in this code, by the letter n. This has two downstroke's. The number 3 is represented by the letter m. Again this is easily remembered if you make a note of the fact that the letter m possesses three solid downstroke’s. Number 4 is represented by the last letter of that number, that is four = r. The number 5 is represented by the Roman numeral for the number 50 – L. Six is represented by its own mirror image – the letter j. It can also be represented by the sounds ch or sh. The number 7 is represented by the letter k, which when broken apart is found to contain three number sevens. It may also be represented by the letters c or g. The number 8 is represented by the letters f or v. You may notice that when written by hand, the number 8 and the letter “ ” both contain two loops. The number 9 is represented by the letters p or b. By turning either of these letter s around, you will find that you are able to produce a number 9. Finally the letters that are used to represent O are z or s. The first sound of the word zero. So to summarise. The letters used to represent the numbers 09 are:

Number

Letter

0 1 2

Z,S T,D N

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

M R L J,Ch,Sh K,G,C V B,P

If you have taken a few minutes to go over the above code, then you should find that you are now able to translate any number into its respective letters (or sounds), and then into an image that may easily be recalled. For example, if you want to transform the number 74 into a memorable image, then all that you need to do, is to remember that the number 7 and the number 4 are represented in the above code, by the letters c and r. These letters may be used as the first and the last sounds of a word, the middle of which may be filled in with a vowel, or any other letter that is not a part of the number/letter code. If you use the letter a, then you have the letters c, a and r ‘car.’ A simple image to visualise. The number 22 consists of two N’s. In order for you to form a memorable word from these letters, you just need to insert a vowel between the two letters. If you use the letter U, then you have the letters n, u and n ‘nun.’ Again a relatively simple image to recollect! The number 27 is made up of the letters n (2) and k (7). By the simple act of inserting the vowel – e, between these two letters, you are able to form the word ‘neck.’ So using the above three examples, if you wanted to remember the six digit number 742227, you would simply form a mental image that links together the words car, nun and neck. For example you might try imagining a car being driven by a nun, whose neck is so incredibly long that it protrudes from the sunroof. As was explained earlier on in this book, comic images are far easier to commit to memory, than are dry facts or pieces of text. Providing that you are totally familiar with the number/letter code, then you should have absolutely no difficulty at all in remembering the above image, and as a result the six-digit number that the image represents. This system may be used to memorise dates, addresses, measurements, or even calculations. And the amazing thing about it, is that you are not only able to use the system to remember vast amounts of information, you can also organise that information however you like. This is due to the fact that all of the peg images are numbered. I will now show you the 100 basic peg words, which with the aid of the number/letter code, should be relatively simple to memorise. Once you have committed these words to your longterm memory, you will have a list of 100 images, which you may link to whatever you like. This should enable you to remember long lists of numbers or objects (in the correct order), with an ease that should pleasantly surprise you. There are also a variety of other uses that pegging may be put to. However I will elaborate on that point a little later on.

The 100 basic peg words 0 – Sow 4 – Row 8 – Fee 12 – Dune 16 – Dash 20 – Noose 24 – Nero 28 – Knife 32 – Moon 36 – Mash 40 – Rose 44 – Rear 48 – Roof 52 – Lane 56 – Leech 60 – Chess 64 - Chair 68 – Chief 72 – Can 76 – Cash 80 – Fuss 84 – Fur 88 – Fife 92 – Bun 96 – Bush

1 – Dye 5 – Law 9 – Bay 13 – Dim 17 – Duck

2 – Knee 6 – Shoe 10 – Doze 14 – Deer 18 – Dove

21 – Net 25 – Nail 29 – Nip 33 – Mum 37 – Make 41 – Rat 45 – Rail 49 – Rope 53 – Lame 57 – Leak 61 – Chat 65 – Chill 69 – Chip 73 – Comb 77 – Coke 81 – Foot 85 – Fall 89 – Fab 93 – Beam 97 – Book

cha

3 – Ma 7 – Cow 11 – Dad 15 – Dual 19 – Dab 23 – 22 – Nun Gnome 26 – Notch 27 – Neck 30 – Mice 31 – Mud 34 – Mower 35 – Mail 38 – Movie 39 – Map 42 – Rain 43 – Ram 46 – Rush 47 – Wreck 50 – Lasie 51 – Loot 54 – Lure 55 – Lily 58 – Lava 59 – Lip 62 – Chin 63 – Chime 66 – Cha 67 – Chalk 70 – Case

71 – Cat

74 – Car

75 – Cool

78 – Cave 82 – Fan 86 – Fish 90 – Bus 94 – Beer 98 – Beef

79 – Cub 83 – Foam 87 – Fog 91 – Bat 95 – Ball 99 – Bib

You may have to spend an hour or so going through the above list, before you reach the point where you can hear a number and immediately think of the image that goes with it. But if you do put the necessary amount of effort in, then I promise you that you will not regret it. Pegging, unlike the number/rhyming system (outlined in chapter 6), may be used to memorise long-digit numbers. For example the number 624198031536497. Now the above number may seem to you (at first glance), to be a very difficult number to memorise. However using the peg system, all that is required is for you to link together just 8 words. These are 62 – chin, 41 – rat, 98 – beef, 0 – sow, 31 – mud, 53 – lame, 64 – chair and finally 97 – book. The above peg images may be linked together as follows. The first two numbers – 62 and 41, are represented by the images chin and rat. Now to remember these numbers, you could try imagining an enormous flat chin, with a rat scurrying around it. To link together the numbers 41 (rat) and 98 (beef), you could imagine a rat gnawing away at a large beef steak.

The numbers 98 (beef) and 0 (sow) may be linked together by visualising a beef steak with thick stitches sowed into it. 0 (sow) and 31 (mud) may be associated by visualising a needle and thread sticking out of a pit of mud. To link together the numbers 31 (mud) and 53 (lame), you could imagine a lame man limping through a mud pit. The numbers 53 (lame) and 64 (chair) suggest the image of a chair with crutches instead of legs to me. However if you have an image that works better for you, then by all means use it. Finally, the numbers 64 (chair) and 97 (book) may be easily recalled by simply imagining a large chair, with an enormous, wobbling pile of books balanced precariously on top of it.

By using the above images, you should have no problem remembering this particular 15-digit number.

From such a start, it is possible (with practice) to increase your capacity for number recollection still further. In fact as you become more proficient in the art of linking, and more familiar with the peg words, it is even possible that you will eventually be good enough to be able t o commit to memory numbers that consist of 100’s or even 1000’s of digits. I myself can remember several hundred digits after reading through them only once. An ability that many others can attain, with the correct amount of practice. Pegging is an ideal system for remembering telephone numbers, dates, addresses, both long and short-digit numbers, and by combining it with the link system, it may also be used to accurately recall the dates of various historical events. However, perhaps the best use of the peg system involves combining it with the link system and the ‘Super Pegs’ (discussed in chapter fourteen of this book) to form a mental database. But that is something that I will go into more deeply as the book progresses.

Chapter Nine How to remember quotations How many times have you read through an interesting passage in a book, or an amusing quotation in a newspaper, and thought to yourself – ‘that makes sense, I’ll remember that.’ If you are like most people, then I would think that the answer is probably many times. The next question then is how many times can you accurately recall the passage or quotation concerned, after a moderate interval of time has passed by? The problem is that recalling any reasonably long piece of text is for most people not an easy task. The purpose of this chapter is to describe a method, which will make remembering a passage or piece of dialogue, whether from a book, newspaper, or even from the TV or radio, a relatively simple thing to do. I will now outline the details of this method.

The method The Tempest. Scene I.

Act

IV.

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep”.

The above quotation from William Shakespear's ‘The Tempest’ is one of my favourites. So I think that the best way for me to explain the details of this system, is to demonstrate it on this text. The first thing that you need to do in order to memorise this quotation, is to take the key words from the passage. That is the words that contain the essence of the passage.

These are – we, stuff, dreams, made, little, life, round and finally sleep.

Now these eight key words are the only words that you really need to memorise, in order to remember the whole quotation. Once you have memorised these words, and read through the quote a couple of times, you should find that the rest of the words will just fall into their respective places. To remember the key words, all that is necessary is for you to form a series of mental images that link these words together. For example, you could link together the first three words – we, stuff and dreams, by simply imagining yourself stuffing a pot of tea (tea rhymes with we), full of dreams. To visualise these dreams, you might try imagining thousands of tiny z’s. This is of course just a suggestion. That is it is an image that works for me. However by all means, if you can think of an image of your own that you think would work better, then please feel free to do so. After all the act of thinking of your own image does make the links more personnel to you, and thus a great deal stronger.

The stronger a link is, the easier it is to recall! The next thing that you need to do is to link together the words – made, little and life. To do this, you might try visualising a tiny (little) lifeguard (life), with a huge made in England label hanging around his neck. Silly I know! But once you see this image, it should stay in your memory and more importantly be easy to recollect. Finally to link together the last two words – round and sleep, you could try visualising yourself asleep on an enormous, round bed. Once you have constructed the above links, go through the collection of images again. Making sure that you see (in your minds eye) every detail. After doing this, read quickly through the passage one more time. You should then find that the quotation is committed to your memory. To recall the quotation, all that is required is for you to bring the first of your key images to mind. Then to work your way through the rest of your images. You should find that the words that are not represented in your key images will fall into their respective places, just as soon as you recall the order of your key images. In order to prevent you from forgetting the first of your key images, you might try linking it to a specific object, or peg number (refer to the previous chapter if you are unsure about the technique known as pegging) . If you do this, then you should find that whenever you think of that particular object or peg number, all of your key images (and thus the quotation), will immediately spring to mind.

Alexander Smith “A mans real possession is his memory. In nothing else is he rich, in nothing else is he poor”. The above quotation by Alexander Smith, is another one of my favourites. One that I long ago committed to memory. For you to do so, all that you need to do, is to link together the seven key words of the quotation.

These are – mans, possession, memory, nothing, rich, nothing and poor. To do this I would suggest that you try visualising an image of man. Say the biblical figure of Adam, clutching a valued possession. This man has a comic book memory bubble hovering above his head. In which you can see an image of yourself, dressed up in the most expensive clothing. Next to which is standing another image of you. This time however you are dressed in rags. Poor and destitute! This rather comical image should bring to mind the above quotation. At least it does to me. But as always, if you can think of a set of images that works better for you, then use them. Mnemonics are very personal things.

Pope “To err is human, to forgive divine”. Pope was a man that over the years wrote many words of wisdom. A few more of which I have jotted down at the end of this chapter. But for now I will show you how to remember this particular quotation. First of all the keywords of this quotation are – err, human, forgive and divine. To link these words together, you could imagine the Pope with a thick, flowing, long head of hair. The Pope is sat in the confessional box, in the process of forgiving a sinner. The forgiven man then sprouts a pair of wings and rises into the sky, thus indicating the word divine. ‘Well it works for me anyway.’

Woody Allen “I am not afraid of death. I just don’t want to be there when it happens”. The above quote is a short amusing one, from the pen of Woody Allen, and should not require much effort to memorise. But if you wish to retain the memory for any length of time, in a form that is easy to recall. Then I suggest that you commit to your memory the key words of the quotation. These are – I, not, afraid, death, don’t and happens. I will leave it up to you to choose exactly how you wish to link these words together. However using the methods outlined in this chapter, you should find that this task will not present you with a great deal of difficulty. If you would like a little more practice at your newly acquired ability to memorise quotations of all kinds, then you might like to test yourself on some of the quotations listed below. These quotations will (I sincerely hope) provide as much amusement for you, as they continue to do for me.

Famous Quotations Alfred North Whitehead “The art of progress is to preserve order amid change, and to preserve change amid order”. James Baldwin

“The future is like heaven – everyone exalts it, but know one wants to go there now”. Franklin D.Roosevelt “The only limit to our realisation of tomorrow will be our doubts of today”. Ralph Waldo Emerson “The secret of education is respecting the pupil”. Henry Adams “Nothing in education is so astonishing as the amount of ignorance it accumulates in the form of inert facts”. Noel Coward “I’ve over-educated myself in all the things I shouldn’t have known at all”. Benedict Spinoza “The more intelligible a thing is, the more easily it is retained in t h e memory, and counterwise, the less intelligible it is, the more easily we forget it”. Thomas De Quincey “I feel that there is no such thing as ultimate forgetting; traces once impressed upon the memory are indestructible”. Igor Stravinsky “We can neither put back the clock nor slow down our forward speed, and as we are already flying pilotless, on instrument controls, it is even too late to ask where we are going”. Samual Johnson “The true art of memory is the art of attention”. Pierre Dac “The future is the past in preparation”. Jacobo Timerman

“One point has already been proven. Everything that happened once can happen again”. Diogenes Laertius “When asked how much educated men were superior to those uneducated, Aristotle answered, “As much as the living are to the dead”. Sydney J. Harris “The primary purpose of a liberal education is to make ones mind a pleasant place in which to spend ones leisure”. Rowe “The memory is a treasurer to whom we must give funds, if we are to draw the assistance we need”. Pope “A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring. There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again”. Pope “For fools rush in where angels fear to tread”. Pope “A perfect judge will read each work of wit. With the same spirit that its author writ”. Robert E.

Lee

“The education of a man is never completed until he dies”. I hope that you liked my selection! Chapter Ten How to remember abstract symbols and letters

Mastering a system that enables you to commit to memory abstract symbols and letters, is a very useful piece of knowledge indeed to have. For example you could use such a system to memorise mathematical and scientific formulae, equations, stock symbols. In fact anything at all – from licence plates to chemical nomenclature. In this chapter, I will endeavour to outline two distinct systems. One system for aiding you in the recollection of letters – ‘The Alphabet System ’ – and one more that may be used for the recollection of mathematical symbols – ‘The Picture/Symbol System ’ . Both of these systems are relatively easy to learn. So without further delay, here they are.

The alphabet system All that you need to do to memorise abstract letters, is to transform the abstract into the non-abstract . This is done by providing each of the letters of the alphabet, with its own easily visualisable image. I have listed the alphabet images that I personally prefer to use below. These are:

The Alphabet System A - Hay B - Bee C - Sea D - Dish E - Eagle F - Frog G - Jeans H - Age I - Eye J - Jail K - Kiss L – Elephant M – Hem

N – Hen O – Hose P – Pea Q – Cue R – Art S – Ass T – Tea U – Yew Tree V – Vine W – Wheel X – Eggs Y – Wine Z – Zebra

Now there are a number of methods that may be employed in order to memorise the above list of images. However the best way is to simply read through them a couple of times . As the words sound similar to the letters that they represent, they should soon stick firmly in your mind.

The picture/symbol system In order to commit to memory such abstract entities as the mathematical symbols +, -, /, X, or = as a part of an equation or formulae, what you really need to do, is t o choose a series of non-abstract images to represent these symbols. A so-called ‘Mathematical code.’ The images below are the ones that I personally prefer to use.

The Mathematical Code Symbol

Image

+ / X √ =

Windows Frame Canal Tennis court Kiss Chair Double Decker Bus

The above set of images should not take you very long to memorise and they can come in extremely useful (particularly if you are a mathematics or a science student). The next logical step after mastering the two memory systems outlined above, is to try to combine both of them, in order to create a system that will enable you to memorise formulae. Such a system can be used to memorise any manner of mathematical or scientific data that you choose to put your mind to. I have given an example of how precisely this may be accomplished below. To use the alphabet and the picture/symbol system in order to commit to memory a formula such as Einstein’s famous equation E = MC2. All that is required is for you to attempt to form a strong mental image, that links together the letters E, M, C, the = sign and the number 2. Now I know that most of you probably already know this formulae, but it serves well as an example nonetheless! Referring to the above code, the images in Einstein’s formula are elephant, double decker bus, hem, sea and knee. You could link these images together quite easily, by simply imagining an elephant trying desperately to squeeze itself through the door of a double decker bus.

You could then imagine the bus driving along the hem of an enormous pair of trousers. Next you might visualise the pair of trousers, floating on a clear blue sea. Finally to link together the last two images – sea and knee, you could try visualising a large bony

knee, pocking through the surface of the deep blue sea. With for good measure, Einstein surfing on the waves that surround it. If you go through the above images, then Einstein’s formula should immediately spring to mind. Now the above example is I know a familiar and short formulae and it may seem that the images that you just created are harder to recollect than the actual details of the formulae itsel f . But understand that with this system you can build up large collections of images, which can allow you to commit to memory equations and formulae that are several lines in length.

Chapter Eleven The Roman Room System The Roman room system, sometimes referred to as the Journey method, has been around (perhaps not surprisingly) since the time of the Romans. In fact it possibly dates back even further. The method combines Linking with Pegging. Reinforcing these methods by staging them in a familiar setting. A setting that the Roman in question would have absolutely no difficulty at all in visualising. Broadly speaking the method goes something like this. The Roman would begin by creating a mental picture of there home, with their more familiar household items and decorations, mirrors, statues, chairs etc, taking on the function of peg images. He would then attach events and memory cues onto these pegs. For example, if the Roman wanted to remember a list of things that needed to be done during the course of a particular day, he would mentally journey through his front door and then travel around the various corridors and rooms of his home, glancing at all of the paraphernalia that adorned his rooms as he went by. He would then observe all of the important objects, such as statues, mirrors etc that he owned and then use the more prominent of these as pegs, linking an image relating in some way to what he wanted to remember to them. Here’s an example. If he wanted to remember to buy his son a present for his birthday, then he might picture his son with a small group of his friends, sitting around a table in one of the rooms of the house, celebrating the boy’s birthday. Alternatively, if the citizen wanted to remember to buy a new sword, then he might visualise one of his statues waving around a huge golden sword as he walked by. If on the other hand he wished to remember to take a look at a new chariot, down at Crazy Cicero’s used Chariot dealership, then he might imagine a horse drawn chariot, charging down the length of his hall.

He might have arranged a meeting with a friend at the baths. To remember this, he could try picturing his dripping wet friend, leaning against one of the columns of the hall, with a towel wrapped around his waist looking anxiously at his sand timer.

Now in order to go over the above list, all that the Roman citizen would need to do, would be to simply close his eyes and mentally journey through the rooms of his house, making note of all that is unusual or out of place (the memory cues). Then the tasks that he needed to remember to do in that particular day would simply present themselves to him.

The modern version The above system may be applied to any home, not just a Roman one. Admittedly your average modern home is not exactly brimming over with columns and statues, however TV sets, computers, the humble garage and a variety of ornaments can easily be used to serve the same function. The method involved is exactly the same as the one outlined in the previous section of this chapter. All that is required is for you to take the time to mentally journey through your home, picking the more noticeable (and preferably permanent) of your brick-a-brack, such as chairs, tables, doors, beds, or TV sets and then selecting them as your homes peg images. To use the method you simply retake the journey, linking whatever you wish to recall to your homes peg images. The Roman room system has a large variety of possible applications. For example, you could use it to memorise and recollect such easily forgettable things as anniversaries or birthdays. You might also choose to use the Roman room system to remember such things as appointments with the bank manager, or even that bringer of pain - the dentist (if you really wanted to). This last example could be easily accomplished by simply visualising the dentist sitting on your sofa, with a large drill clenched firmly in his hands – of course such an image might put you off going to the dentist at all. The picture that you choose is not really important. What is important, is that the event that you want to remember is linked strongly to an object in your home, or even a particular area of your home. For example a television set, or the hallway.

The Journey Method A slight modification of the Roman Room system is known as the Journey Method. In this method the journey through a Roman room is replaced with another kind of journey. For example your journey to work in the morning. Using your journey to work in the morning to peg information onto is a good choice. After all if you have worked in the same place for more than a few weeks, you should know the route almost as well as you know your way around your own home. And there are many pegs to use in this journey – from smashing your alarm clock against the wall in the morning (well that’s what I do anyway), to closing the front door of your house as you leave for work, getting in your car, driving along the motorway, parking your car – the list can be very long. Some more examples for you to consider are listed below.

Example Journeys 1) If you are a student, then the trip to your University might be a good choice. Or even more useful might be the walk around your campus. In m y experience, the typical University is a rabbit warren of corridors, classrooms and Lecture halls. All ideal peg images. Then of course there is always the student bar. A venue that most students know very

well! 2) If you live in a relatively small town or village, then maybe use a trip around the town centre as your journey. Using such images as the Market square or the Butchers window as your pegs. 3) If you are a big computer game buff, then maybe the levels of a favourite game could be used. There is usually a more than ample supply of quite graphic peg images to use in most of today’s 3D shoot ‘em ups. 4) A walk around a local museum or art gallery may be a useful journey to use. 5) Or perhaps a well-known country walk would fit the bill. Rivers, old trees and hills can all be used as peg images. The list of choices could go on, but I think that you probably get the idea!

My Choice Any one of the above journeys – or even all of them – could be used to peg information onto. Or you could just pick your own. In most peoples lives there are a large variety to choose from. Many people however, take a different approach. Creating an entirely fictional journey to use. They manufacture a castle or palace to navigate around. Generating an imagined environment all of there own. Full of ballrooms and banquette halls, sprawling gardens and outlandish architecture. The benefits of this method are obvious and strong. An imagined environment does not change, unless you decide to make the changes. I t can also be populated with objects and images that would be impossible in the real world. Dragons, floating islands or even long dead film stars can be a part of your journey. Making it very visual and a good source of memorable pegs. One thing to note however, is that the journey must be imprinted firmly in your mind before you start using it. The route has to be so familiar, that you can go through i t with the bare minimum of mental effort. Otherwise when you begin to link memories onto your chosen peg images, you will soon find that the whole journey becomes a confused jumble of memory and imagination. Becoming near impossible to extract any useful information from. So take the time to imprint the journey in your mind. An hour or two should be sufficient. Then you will reap the benefits of this very useful and fun system.

Chapter Twelve How to remember names and faces The most common complaint made by people who consider themselves to be in possession of a poor memory, is that they are continually forgetting peoples names. They remember the faces (images are easy to recall), but the names fail to stick. The problem of forgetting names can be a big one. Particularly if you work in an environment which involves meeting a large number of new clients, who may take offence if you are continually getting their names

wrong. In fact they may even be so insulted, that they decide to take their business elsewhere. A terrible calamity indeed! The problem of forgetting names is an extremely common one, which is experienced by most people throughout their lives . But fortunately it is a problem that can be easily rectified. With of course the aid of mnemonics. In this chapter I will explain two basic methods, which when used in conjunction with one another, will enable you to remember a large number of individual names associated with their respective faces, after hearing them only once. This is an incredibly useful skill to have and is particularly useful on such occasions as parties, business meetings and various other kinds of work-related or social gatherings. The methods that I will outline are as follows: 1)

The Observational system .

2)

The Association system .

But before outlining these systems I would just like to bring to your attention a particularly pertinent fact. That is that faces are not processed by the human brain in the same sort of way that other information is. In 1971, the scientists Goldstein and Chance conducted a series of tests in which subjects were shown a number of photographs of women’s faces, magnified snowflakes, and ink blots. 14 from each were shown for 3 seconds at a time and following an interval of 48 hours the subjects recall was tested. It was then found that faces were the most easily recalled, this was followed by ink blots, and finally by snowflakes. Thus showing that facial recognition (unlike name recognition) is a key part of human perception. The human brain contains a number of different sections, which are responsible for different functions. And although these sections are very indistinct, with some sections possessing the ability to take over the functions of other sections if those sections are damaged in some way, these sections do exist. For example we all have a ‘Broca’s region of the brain, which plays an important role in speech. There is also (more relevantly) a particular section of the brain that is responsible for the recognition of faces. When this region is damaged, an individual may completely lose their ability to recognize faces . Even those that belong to close relatives or friends. This condition is known as ‘Prosopagnosia ,’ from the Greek meaning ‘failure to recognize faces.’ The fact that we all possess such a specialised region in our brains, which is dedicated to the recognition of faces shows us that facial recognition is essential to being human. Now, following that short semi-detour from the field of mnemonics, I will continue to outline the all important mnemonic technique for linking names to faces.

The Observational system The first thing that you need to do upon meeting someone new whose name you want to commit to memory, is to somehow give their name meaning, so that it may be easily visualised. For example the name ‘Jhonson’ can easily be broken down into the two words

Jon and Son . These words possess meaning, and anything that contains meaning i s far more memorable than something that does not. The name ‘Rosenberg’ can also be broken down to form the three words Rose, Hen and Berg (iceberg). These words also possess meaning and are thus far more memorable than the abstract name ‘Rosenberg.’ The name ‘Greensmith’ could be separated into the two words Green and Smith . The colour green is obviously fairly easy to visualise. Also smith (to me anyway) immediately conjures up the image of a blacksmith. As a final example, the name ‘Standish’ may be split apart to form the two words Stand and Dish. Again these two words are simple to visualise. Some of the names that you will come across are obviously far easier than others to visualise. For example the names Green, White, Brown and Black (being colours), already possess meaning and thus require no further processing in order for you to visualise them. So to do the names Peacock, York, Smiley and Forester. Other names may however, require a little more effort to transform into a meaningful phrase, or set of images . But with a bit of practice, you will I’m sure be amazed at just how easy you will find it to turn any name at all - no matter how abstract, into an easily visualisable form. However to help you on your way, I have listed at the end of this chapter, a large variety of different names, together with appropriate mental imagery. The purpose of splitting an abstract name into a non-abstract collection of words, is to allow your brain to categorise the information that is contained within the name. Something that the human brain has some difficulty doing with the name in its abstract form. Also the act of transposing a name into a meaningful form, forces an individual to observe that name, and as was explained in an earlier chapter, observation is the most important prerequisite of an individual’s memory.

The Associational System After breaking down a name that you wish to recall into an easily visualisable image (or set of images), the next step is to link that image to the individual concerned. To accomplish this, you simply need to pick out the features or characteristics of the individual that stand out the most to you. This could be a dimple on his chin, or a freckle on her nose, or even a limp in their left leg. Other things that you could use are – big ears, a hooked nose, wide forehead, a large or a small mouth, full or thin lips, or even a pair of bushy eyebrows . You could als o choose something less visual, such as a lisp, or a stutter as the feature of the person that stands out the most to you. Whatever the feature that you choose is, linking it to a name should not present you with much of a problem. That is it shouldn’t if you are familiar with the concept of linking (outlined in chapter four of this book). I have listed a few examples below to show you exactly what I mean.

Examples 1) In order to remember that a woman whom you have just been introduced to who happens to have long, red hair

goes by the name of Miss fields. All that you would need to do, would be to simply visualise an image of her, lying in a large, green field, with her long red hair spread out around her head. See it twisting around the long green grass. You might also try exaggerating the length of the hair, in order to emphasise the link between her hair and the field. This is so that when you see her (and her hair) again, you will immediately be reminded of her name ‘Fields.’ 2) To remember that a man that you have just met at a party, is called Mr Taylor, first pick out his most outstanding feature (say thick eyebrows) and imagine him with eyebrows so long that they reach down to the floor. Imagine him in this amusing predicament, whilst he is in the process of being measured for a new suit by his tailor. Thus powerfully linking his most outstanding feature to his name.

3) In order to remember that the name of a tall, thin man, that you have just been introduced to is Mr Adamson, you might try visualising the biblical first man ‘Adam’ (complete with fig leaf), holding a little boy in his arms. Adams son – ‘Adamson.’ 4 ) To remember the name of a dimpled young lady named Miss Standwick, you could try picturing her face, with a number of large candle wicks standing in her exaggeratedly oversized dimples. Stand wicks – ‘Standwick.’ If you really try hard to visualise the above image, then you should have absolutely no difficulty at all in recalling Miss Standwick's name. 5) Finally, in order for you to remember a Mr Hill (who

happens to possess a wide forehead), you could imagine the mans forehead, with a miniature mountain stuck in its centre. You might even like to visualise a large, snowy peak on its top. This is in order to make the image that much more amusing and thus more easy to recollect. The key then to remembering people’s names and their respective faces, is to first break the name down into a meaningful (and thus visualisable) form, and then to link the image that you create, to an exaggerated feature of the face of the individual concerned. Everyone has some feature that stands out in some way! Here then, as was promised at the beginning of this chapter, is a list of names, together with a few memorable images that may help you to better recollect them.

Name Archer Ali Baldwin Bernstein Carter

Image

An archer firing an arrow. The famous boxer Mohamed Ali. A bald man standing on a winner’s rostrum. Albert Einstein being burned alive. A cart full of hair. A car driving through a door, that is carved Carrington into the side of a huge 10 tonne weight – Car-intonne - ‘Carrington.’ The Dean of a university. Or the actor James Dean Dean. Dunn A large sand dune. Ercott Someone having his or her hair cut. A convoy of vans, all with the letter E Evans emblazoned upon their sides. Flemming - The creator of James Bond – Flemming Ian Flemming. Or simply James Bond, covered in flames. Feldman A man falling from a great height. Grover Going over something. Gillian Kill a lion. Hunt A hunter, complete with an elephant gun. A piece of ham on the top of a large hill. Hamilton Next to it is a tonne weight. Ham-hill-tonne (Hamilton). A man with incredibly long hair, standing on a Irwin large winners rostrum . Isaacs Sacks crammed full with eyes. Jackson The singer Michael Jackson. A tonne weight, falling on top of an enormous Keaton key. Keller Kill her. Lawson A lawyer with his son. Lee The great martial artist Bruce Lee. A telegraph operator, tapping out morse code Morse on an old-fashioned transmitter. Moore A grassy moor. Someone caught in a full-nelson arm lock. Or Nelson

Nelson

the Famous Admiral Horacio Nelson. The ex-President of the US, and professional liar Richard Nixon. Oliver The Charles Dickens character Oliver Twist Owens Hens that owe money to each other. Palmer Having your palm read. The lead character from the TV series Perry Perry Mason. Or parrying a blow from an enemy, in a fight. Quinn A pin being threaded through a large letter Q Quincy The doctor from the old T.V series. Reynolds The actor Burt Reynolds. A painting by the artist Reuben’s. Or maybe Rubin a glowing Ruby. An Anglo Saxon warrior, or the phrase Saxon ‘Sacks on Sutton The phrase ‘Sat on.’ Tate The word ‘tight.’ Or the Tate gallery. The ex-Prime minister of England, Margaret Thatcher Thatcher or Simply a Thatcher at work. Underwood Someone sitting beneath a plank of wood Unsworth The phrase ‘fun worth.’ Vincent The actor Vincent Price. Two knights crossing their lances to form the Vance letter V. Weiss A wise or intelligent individual. Watson Sherlock Holmes’s companion Dr Watson. A football goalkeeper, saving a ball that has Xavier emblazoned upon its side an enormous letter X. Young A small Chinese child. A yo-yo tied to the end of a Japanese mans Yoto big toe Zimmerman A man simmering in a cooking pot. Nixon

So there you go!

Chapter Thirteen How to remember appointments – The mental diary If you are a busy person, who’s average week is crammed full of appointments, meetings with business associates and a variety of social gatherings etc… Or even if you are just someone who gets out a lot. Then I believe that you will benefit greatly from reading through the rest of this chapter. For in this chapter, I intend to outline a system that will allow you to commit to memory (with relative ease), a full weeks schedule, in just a few short minutes. The system is a straightforward one, which makes good use of

the link and the peg systems, which were outlined earlier on in the course of this book. If you do decide to learn the following system, then you will soon find that you will no longer have any need for an appointments book, an Outlook Calendar or even a filofax. The system is known as ‘The Mental Diary .’ And this is how it operates.

The Mental Diary In order for you to construct a mental diary, you are required to first transform all of the days of the week, into non-abstract (and thus easily visualisable) entities. This is easily done with the aid of the peg system.For example you could assign each day of the week with its own peg number. Such as:

Days of the week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Dye Knee Ma Row Law Shoe Cow

In your mental diary, the pegs that you use to represent the numbers 1-7 should only be associated with the days of the week. You may even like to create a new set of seven pegs, in order to represent the days of the week. This is so that you do not confuse any images that you have stored away on separate occasions (using the first seven regular peg numbers), with the images contained in your mental diary. Here then are some alternative peg images that you may like to use, in order to represent the days of the week.

Some alternative peg images All of the alternative peg images that I am now about to list, will stick firmly to the rules of the phonetic alphabet, which were outlined in chapter eight of this book.

1) Monday is represented by the number one (Dye) . This may be visualised by using the usual peg image of Dye. Alternatively, you could use one of the following images – doe, do, toe or tea.

2) The number two represents Tuesday (Knee) . This number may be visualised by using the usual peg image of knee. Alternatively, the number could be visualised by using one of these images – now, know or new.

3) Wednesday is represented by the number three (Ma) .

Alternatively, it may be represented by any of these words – mow, me or moo.

4) Thursday is represented by the number four (Row) . It could also be represented by any of the following images – ra, ray or rye.

5) Friday is represented by the number five (Law) . Alternatively, it may be represented by any one of the following images – loo, lay or low.

6) Saturday is represented by the number six (Shoe) . Alternatively, the images – jaw, saw or Jew could be used.

7) Finally, Sunday is represented by the number seven (Cow) . It could also be represented by the images – key, coy or cue. Now with your new peg images chosen, you are now ready to move on to the next stage. The next stage in constructing your mental diary, involves finding a good way to visualise the time of day. This may be accomplished by using (again) the peg system. For example, if you wanted to remember the time – 8.00 am, then you could simply use your peg word for the number 8 (jaw). If however the time that you wanted to recall was 8.00 pm, then there is obviously an immediate problem. This problem is easily rectified however, by simply using the 24-hour clock. Using this system, 8.00 pm would transpose to 20.00 hours. It could thus be recalled by simply visualising the peg word for the number 20 (noose) . Visualising minutes is done in practically the same way. The only difference being that, when you do attempt to visualise minutes, you would encase your image in flames . The reason for this is to prevent your hour image from interfering with your minute’s image. O.k., so you now have an easily visualisable image for any day of the week, any hour of the day and any minute of the hour. The thing to do now is to try to integrate these images into one system. This is how you do it.

The System Imagine if you will, that you have arranged to meet a friend, say at 1.00 pm, at the local swimming pool. Now the first thing that you would need to do in order to file away this appointment in your mental diary, would be to convert the day of the week, hour of the day and minute of the hour, into their respective images. These are: Thursday 13.00 30

-

4 13 Mice

= = =

Row Dim Mice on Fire

Now you are meeting your friend at the local swimming pool. So your image could be one of your friend rowing a boat full of mice, in the local pool. The lights are dim and the mice are ablaze with flames.

The above peg image contains all of the information that you would need to know in order for you to remember the appointment with your friend. To bring this image back to your conscious memory, all that is required is for you to think of your mental picture for Thursday. Then by the process of linking, you should be able to recollect the entire series of images. By the way. I would just like to point out that, although this may seem a bit of a long- winded process when written down on paper, it is anything but that in practice. In fact with just a little time spent using this system, you should find that an image will begin to come to mind almost as soon as you hear the day and time that a particular appointment falls upon. You must admit that this system does beat having to either write all your appointments down, or enter them into a personal organiser. Plus as an added bonus, using this system gives your memory a nice little workout. Now to help to clarify the details of the above system, I will now give a few more examples of how it may be used in your dayto-day life. If you read through these examples (and concentrate on the images that I have provided), then you should come to realise just how simple this system is to use.

Examples Imagine that you have an appointment with a business associate at 10.00 am, on a Tuesday morning, at the Crescent moon restaurant. Now using this system, the first thing that you would need to do in order to insert this appointment into your mental diary, would be to transform the day and the time of the appointment into a set of images. These are;

Tuesday – 2 = knee and 10 = doze . The meeting is at 10.00 am, so there is no need to memorise a minutes image. So to file away the above meeting in your mental diary, you could try visualising your business associate, with his knee sticking out from a hole in his trousers, dozing off high in the night sky, on a crescent shaped moon. The above image is easy to visualise, and if you close your eyes and really try to see every detail of it, then it should stay in your memory. Next lets say that your spouses birthday is on the coming Sunday and you need to pick up their present from the jewellers on Saturday morning at 11.45. Well the first thing that you would need to do, would be to transform the day and time that you needed to pick up the present a set of images. These are;

Saturday – 6 = shoe, 11.00 = dad, 45 – rail = rail on fire. So to remember to collect your spouses birthday present from the jewellers, you might try imagining a large shoe full of sparkling jewellery. Your dad is holding this shoe. Now see your dad sat on a fiery railway track with your spouse. This image should remind you to do that particular little job. If you wanted to remember to collect your car from the garage on Wednesday at 4.00 pm, then you would first transform this day

and time into the below images;

Wednesday – 3 = ma, 4.00 pm – 1600 hours = dash. So you could try visualising your ma driving your car on the wrong side of the road. Imagine everyone dashing out of her way to avoid being run over. That image should remind you to pick up the car. Finally, if you wanted to remember that your books were due back at the library on Monday, then it is a simple thing to link the peg word for Monday (dye) to an image of your library books. For example, you might like to visualise yourself pouring the contents of a bottle of black dye, all over your library books. This image should be strong enough to be easily recalled.

To review any or all of the above appointments and things to do, just focus on each one of your peg words for the seven days of the week. Then with this done, you should find that this mental schedule will simply present itself to you. With practice you should also find that the speed with which you are able to transform an appointment or schedule into a set of images and then link together those images into your mental diary, will increase quite dramatically. In fact you should find that pretty soon you will be able to bring to mind a days schedule, in less time than it would take you to flick through a personal organiser.

Chapter Fourteen How to combine the systems The mental database So far in this book, I have explained to you how to use linking, pegging, observation and association to improve ‘substantially’ your capacity for recall. If you do practice and use what you have learned so far in your day-to-day life, then you should soon realise (if you have not already), that your capacity for creating new memories is practically limitless. What I would like to do now is to attempt to describe to you, a totally new system (devised by myself ☺), which with the aid of the mnemonical systems already outlined during the course of this book, will enable you to construct for yourself a mental database. A database which will contain a total of 10, 000 usable peg images.

Constructing this many peg images may seem a little bit daunting to you. However you already possess most of the knowledge that is required in order to build such a database. The only other thing that you will be required to do in order to actually construct this database, is to learn the nine ‘Super Pegs ’ that I will outline a little later. Oh and of course you will need to understand completely, both the peg and the alphabet systems. If you feel that you do have a complete understanding of these two systems, then you are ready to begin. If not then I advice you to go back to those particular chapters and re-read them.

Uses of the mental database Before I outline the details of how exactly my system operates, I would just like to describe some of the many uses that this system may be put to. For example you could use the system for:

Memorising VERY long digit numbers Perhaps the most straightforward use of the mental database, is for the picturing and committing to memory of long-digit numbers. This is easily accomplished, due to the fact that this system enables an individual to memorise with just one mental image, any number consisting of up to three or four digits. This means that you will be able to commit to your memory, an eight-digit number, by simply linking together two simple images, in a more condensed and less wasteful way than using peg images alone. For example due to the nature of Super pegs, zeroes are made redundant. Revising for exams - If you are a student, then the mental database can be put to excellent use by using it for the storage of various fact s , figures, historical dates, mathematical formulae etc… By placing such facts and figures in a certain order and by assigning different sections and sub-sections of your database to particular areas of whatever subject or subjects you are studying, you will find that passing exams will become a much simpler (and far less stressful) operation. Finally, I believe the best way to make use of my mental database, is to create for yourself, what I refer to as a ‘Mental tree of knowledge.’ What I mean by a mental tree of knowledge, is a matrix consisting of information from the sciences, including biology, physics and chemistry – mathematics, history, geography and foreign language vocabulary. This information can be segregated into sections and subsections of the 10, 000 peg database, thus allowing you easy access (at any time), to a vast vault of knowledge. Filling a database that consists of 10, 000 pegs, may seem to be quite a time consuming operation for you to undertake. However believe me if you just store away a few pieces of information a day, then I assure you that you will be amazed at just how quickly your database will begin to grow. Possessing such a great storehouse of knowledge can give an individual an incredible advantage in life. As I personally can testify to. Whatever use you wish to put the following system to, learning it requires the mere minimum of effort. So lets get on with it!

100-999 - To remember the numbers 100-199 is very straightforward. You begin with your basic 100 peg words (0-99) and by then combining them in one image with the alphabet image for the letter A ‘Hay ,’ you are thus able to increase your peg range by 100%. Giving you a total of 199 peg words. For example, using the above method, if you wanted to visualise the number 172, then the procedure would be simple. All that you would be required to do, would be to take your peg word for the number 72 ‘Can ,’ and your alphabet image for the letter A ‘Hay ,’ and link them together. To do this you could imagine a huge bale of hay, with an oversized can balanced precariously on the top of it. Thus in one image you now have a three digit number. If you wanted to remember the number 131, then you could take your peg image for 31 ‘Mud ,’ and visualise a bale of hay dripping with mud. Again a simple image is used to represent a three digit number. Next to increase our range of pegs from 199-299, we simply combine our basic 100 pegs, with the alphabet image for the letter B ‘Bee .’ For example, the number 262 may be visualised in this way, by imagining an enormous protruding chin, with a bee perched casually on the end of it. From 300-399, your peg images would consist of your basic 100 peg words, floating in the sea. The sea being representative of the alphabet image for the letter C ‘Sea .’ Using this method, 395 could be represented by a large beach ball floating on the waves of a turbulent ocean. From 400-499, you would imagine the 100 basic pegs, with a dish inserted somehow in the image. D = Dish . So for the number 486, you might try visualising a large fish sitting on the edge of a dinner plate. Following this same pattern, to visualise the numbers 500-599, you use your basic pegs, combined somehow with the image of an ‘Eagle .’ Thus representing the letter E. Say for 513, a large Golden Eagle flying headlong into a dam. 600-699. The basic pegs combined with the image of a ‘Frog .’ So to represent the number 675, you might imagine a fat, green frog making a phone call. 700-799 would involve associating the basic pegs with the word ‘Jeans .’ Therefore 733 could be an image of a mummy wearing a pair of jeans. 800-899 involves linking the word ‘Age ,’ to the usual peg images. An aged Rap singer could thus represent the number 849. And last, but not least ! The numbers 900-999 may be visualised by associating the basic peg images, with a representation of the human Eye . A Cyclops wearing a large baby’s bib around its neck could therefore be used quite nicely to represent the number 999.

1000-9999 So far your database consists of 999 peg images. To increase

this tenfold, it is necessary for you to learn the nine ‘Super Pegs .’

The Nine Super Pegs 999-1999 = Ice 2000-2999 = Fire 3000-3999 = Rainbow 4000-4999 = Cloud 5000-5999 = Moon 6000-6999 = Volcano 7000-7999 = Earthquake 8000-8999 = Picture frame 9000-9999 = Boxing ring I believe that the best way for me to explain precisely how the above super pegs operate, is by putting forward another series of examples. I have done precisely this below.

Examples Using the above key, a vast amount of numbers may be easily visualised. So in order to visualise the number 1, 241, you might for example imagine a block of ‘Ice ,’ (to represent the 1000’s), with a large ‘Bee ,’ caught inside of it (to represent the 200’s). The bee is frozen in the act of stinging a large, black rat (to represent the number 41). To visualise the number 3, 576, you could try imagining an ‘Eagle ’ (to represent the 500’s), flying beneath a brightly coloured ‘Rainbow ’ (representing the 3000’s), with a trail of ‘Cash ’ (76) leading away from it into the distance. The number 5, 955, may be visualised by simply imagining a huge ‘Eye ’ (900’s), staring out of a snow-white ‘Moon ’ (5000’s), with a large ‘Lily ’ (55), growing from its surface. The number 7, 682 might be visualised by creating an image, in your minds eye, of a ‘Frog ’ (600’s), cooling itself in front of a ‘Fan ’ (82), when an ‘Earthquake’ (7000’s) begins, causing both the frog and the fan t o tumble to an d fr o across the ground. The number 8, 4 3 0 could b e visualised b y simply imagining an oversized ‘Dish ’ (400’s), which is encased with ‘Moss’ (30), all of which is contained in a large bronze ‘Picture Frame ’ (8000’s). Finally, in order for you to visualise the number 9, 707, you first set the scene – a ‘Boxing ring ’ (9000’s), in which an enormous ‘Key ’ (7), rests on the top of a large pile of blue ‘Jeans ’ (700’s). Note that the zero in the final example is not converted into a peg image. This is because such an image would be superfluous and would just needlessly complicate your peg.

In fact in my database any zero, unless it is the last digit of a number, need not be visualised. This makes a number such as 6, 002 an extremely easy number to create a peg image for. To remember this number, you would link together the words volcano and knee. An incredibly easy image to recall. So to summarise the above system. The numbers 99-999may be visualised by using the method outlined briefly below.

100-999 The basic pegs + A (hay) = 100-199 The basic pegs + B (bee) = 200-299 The basic pegs + C (sea)

= 300-399

The basic pegs + D (dish) = 400-499 The basic pegs + E (eagle) = 500-599 The basic pegs + F (frog) = 600-699 The basic pegs + G (jeans) = 700-799 The basic pegs + H (age)

= 800-899

The basic pegs + I (eye)

= 900-999

The numbers 1000-9999, may be visualised by using the peg words shown next.

1000-9999 Ice Fire Rainbow Cloud Moon Volcano Earthquake Picture Frame Boxing Ring

+ A-I = 1000-1999 + A-I = 2000-2999 + A-I = 3000-3999 + A-I = 4000-4999 + A-I = 5000-5999 + A-I = 6000-6999 + A-I = 7000-7999 + A-I = 8000-8999 + A-I = 9000-9999

The above system should not take you very long to master. Providing of course that you are relatively competent at the arts of linking and pegging. If you are, then an hour or so should be sufficien t enough time for you to become quick enough at bringing any peg image, from 0-9999 to mind, to be able to use the system in your day to day life.

Chapter Fifteen Study Methods

This final chapter is for students and individuals who are involved in any prolonged periods of study, but also contains advise that is useful to keep in mind and apply on a day-to-day basis. What I propose to discuss in this chapter, are the various simple methods that may be recruited to better enhance the effectiveness of the memory systems. For simply having a grasp of the techniques alone does not guarantee that you are getting the most out of them!

Food and Memory Now food is important in two ways when it comes to memory. Firstly what you eat is important, but what is equally important is when you eat it. For example if you study on a full stomach, then your body will have diverted a lot o f your blood supply to your digestive tract in order to help speed along the digestive process. This leaves both the brain and the rest of your body with a less abundant supply for itself, which therefore lowers your ability to concentrate. Making you feel more sluggish than usual. Therefore studying on a full stomach is not a good idea. Studying on an empty stomach is however, also a bad idea. For if you have an empty stomach, then your blood sugar levels can fall below optimum. This leaves the brain with a diminished supply of glucose, which is its primary source of energy. Taking the above information into account, the best thing to do, is to eat half an hour or so before beginning a study period. This gives your body time to begin the digestive process and to start the steady release of glucose into the blood stream. Just in time for you to utilise it. Note that stodgy foods such as cakes, chips, pies etc, take longer to digest than less stodgy foods. This is due mainly to the concentration of various fatty substances within them, which the body finds hard to digest. Therefore this should be taken into account when calculating the time between eating and studying. Leaving perhaps a gap of up to an hour between eating and studying if a large, stodgy meal has been consumed. Next let us discuss what you eat. Now, as was touched upon above, you need to consume food that will provide you with a fast, and reasonably concentrated supply of glucose (and/or various other sugars) in order for your brain to remain alert. Now these sugars are usually obtained from the breaking down of various carbohydrates, which may be found in a large variety of foods. For example rice, pasta and potato (amongst many others foods) are extremely good sources of carbohydrates. But please do remember that potatoes in the form of chips are harder to digest and therefore a less swift source of carbohydrate than say boiled potatoes. This is due to the increased fat content that they have when cooked in that particular manner. Another important constituent to remember in the diet is protein. Now the brain requires protein in order to produce memories at the molecular level. Without a good source of protein in the diet, the brain becomes more sluggish and concentratio n wanes. Therefore keep in mind that protein is needed in order to build and maintain memories. Good sources of protein are fish, chicken, pork etc… For vegetarians I understand that protein acquired from meat products is not an option, but as many vegetarians will no doubt already know, foods such as beans, cheese and milk are good sources of protein. On top of the above, it is also important to note the necessity

for various vitamins and minerals in the diet. Now not all vitamins and minerals are important when it comes to memory formation, but it is worth mentioning the vitamin B12 (Thiamine), for a shortage of this vitamin can result in loss of concentration together with a reduced ability to form new memories. In conclusion to this part of the chapter, a good all round diet helps maintain your ability to form and strengthen memories. It also helps the rest of your body to keep in trim!

Biorhythms and Memory We all function within the confines of daily rhythms or cycles. These cycles o f wakefulness, sleepiness, Alertness and forgetfulness are governed by a large collection of hormones within the human body. These cycles of hormones are necessary in order for us to know when it is time to sleep and when it is time to be active. A basic understanding of these hormonal cycles is very useful when it comes t o studying and memorising information. For example if you are used to getting up for work or College in the morning – say between seven and nine – then your biorhythms will be set to make you rather sleepy and less alert come early to mid afternoon. Therefore studying in the early to mid afternoon would be a bad idea for you, as you’re body at that time will probably be ready for sleep and will therefore be less capable of forming and retaining new memories. Basically, your hormonal cycle is geared towards making you feel alert for the first period of the day. This is followed by a period of tiredness in the middle part of the day. Finally, as we are all aware, we once again become drowsy towards the end of the day. So if you wish to make the best out of your study period, then I advise that you try to avoid studying around early to mid afternoon. Instead try to fit your work into the morning or late afternoon/early evening.

Drink and Memory Now it may seem obvious to you that drinking affects memory. For both ou r concentration and our mental agility are indeed affected adversely by alcohol. But that is not the kind of drinking that I intend to discuss in this section of the chapter. Coffee is often used as a stimulant, in order to increase both our alertness and our mental agility. It must be noted however, that too much coffee as an adverse affect on our ability to concentrate on a given task, causing our minds to wander and for us to become easily bored. Coffee does indeed give us energy! However this energy tends to be of a more restless, edgy form, and thus in any great quantity becomes a hindrance to the process of studying. As I myself recall from a time at University, when I drunk several cups of coffee in order to get the energy to study for a forthcoming exam – and got so restless as a result that I ended up spending the night with several friends at the local pool club. But then I always did enjoy a good game of pool! Also try to remember that it is not only coffee that contains caffeine, Cola and a variety of so called ‘Energy

drinks ’ also contain quantities of caffeine and can have the same detrimental affects when it comes to your ability to concentrate. My personal advice would be to save the energy drinks for parties and nights out with the friends. Counting on your own hormone cycles to best determine when it is time to study.

The importance of Exercise Exercise is as we are all aware, extremely important when it comes to maintaining our physical health. It improves our muscle tone, strengthens our immune systems, keeps our bones strong and improves our circulation. What is not usually talked about however, is the effect that exercise has on our mental abilities. Now this is a shame, because a well maintained body. That is one that is exercised regularly, is a body that manages its energy resources and hormonal levels far more efficiently than does an un-exercised body. This means that if you do exercise regularly, then on top of the myriad physical benefits that you will gain . Not to mention the increased likelihood of a longer life! You will also find that you will have more energy and will be generally more alert. Thus ‘Exercise improves memory ,’ because if you exercise, you will find that you will have far more energy available to be used for such things as memory retrieval and general concentration. The information that has been provided in this chapter is given to allow you to better manage your study periods. If you take this information on board, whilst remainin g aware of the concept of Learning curves (discussed earlier in this book), then you should get the most out of your memory.

Afterward I hope that you have found the techniques discussed in this book interesting and useful. It was after all my intention when compiling this material, to create a straightforward piece of work that will help to bring the science of mnemonics to the general public. If I have helped to convince you to incorporate these techniques into your day-to-day life, then my mission is accomplished. So with that said, I wish you well in life and hope that the techniques come in useful.

Bon Voyage!

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