Mind over matter: Principles and Techniques

Mind over matter: Principles and Techniques

Jul 28, 2005 Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury
The field of memory is ever evolving in so far as principles and techniques
are concerned. And due to this evolution there is no stopping of
refreshment and adaptability for there are as many principles and
techniques as one asks. These being easy to learn and to work upon, the
principles and techniques work as wonders and remain refreshed forever, if
learnt once. This can be understood, perfectly, by the ensuing content.
Take the instance of those who drive a car. It proves that 95% of those who
drive cars require improving their memory because all of them forget the
place where they have parked their vehicle or put its keys. They have
driven their car to a shopping centre/ airport/ movie theatre/ friend's
place, and having completed their tasks, have returned only to find that
they have completely lost it (i.e. forgotten the location of their car).
Don't you agree that it's impossible? The car weighing more than 2 tons
which they drove, opened and closed the door and locked it as well, has
been lost. Surely the brain could not possibly forget such a thing? But the
whole process of forgetting can be understood as it is the most easily
understandable thing. At the same time one can overcome this problem of
forgetting by applying simple principles and techniques.
Why it happens is due to absentmindedness. As a person is so occupied with
the aim of visit, he /she forgets or finds it relatively unimportant to
remember the location of his car.
How can one overcome this problem? This again is very simple. One has to
apply 3 memory principles and 12 memory techniques.
The three memory principles are as under.
1. Our memory is based on Association, i.e. it works by linking things
together. For example as soon as your brain registers the word "apple" it
will remember link - the colour, the tastes, texture and smells of that
fruit, as well as experiences, friends and occasion connected with it.
2. What has to be memorised should have an " image" that should be a
multi-sensory image. By this the objects get reinforced into our brains and
thus become unforgettable.
3. Last but not the least is the principle of location. In other words, for
your brain to remember something that it has imagined and associated, it
must also have that memory image in a special location.
Here you can take the example of a library. If you walked into a library
that had a million books and wished to find a specific one, would it be
easier if all the books were piled up in the middle of the floor and you
had to randomly search, or if all the books were beautifully and elegantly
catalogued and ordered? Obviously the latter.
The 12 memory techniques are as under.
Association, image and location principles can be well assisted by the
following 12 techniques.
1. Synaesthesia/ sensuality- it is called blending of senses, as this
blending produces enhanced recall. Therefore, it becomes essential to
sensitize increasingly and train regularly your - Vision, Hearing, Sense of
Smell, Taste, and Touch.
2. Movement - for any image, movement adds another giant range of
possibilities for your brain to "link in" and thus remembers, as your
images move, make them three-dimensional.
3. Association - you should link any new information with something stable
in your mental environment.
4. Sexuality - we all have a good memory in this area. Use it!
5. Humour - images, which are ridiculous, absurd, funny and surreal are
more outstandingly memorable.
6. Imagination - the more you apply your imagination to memory, the better
your memory will be.
7. Number - numbering adds specificity and efficiency to the principle of
order and sequence.
8. Symbolism - substituting a more meaningful image for a more ordering or
boring image increases the probability of recall.
9. Colour - you should use the full range of the rainbow to make your image
and ideas more colourful and therefore more memorable.
10. Order and sequence - in combination with the other principles, order
and/ or sequence allows for much more immediate and increases the brain's
possibilities for "random access".
11. Positivity - positive images are more recallable than negative ones, as
latter are blocked by brain and to former, our brain wants to return. So,
add as many positivity to your image as possible.
12. Exaggeration - in all your images exaggerate the size, shape, colour
and sound.
This is the way, as memory principles and techniques are designed to be
used, and if you do that you will do wonders.