Memory…
Kevin Horsley explains how the top memorization experts in the world are able to focus their attention whenever they need to, in his book Unlimited Memory
How to Use Advanced Learning Strategies to Learn Faster, Remember More, and Be More Productive.
You’ll be able to work twice as fast, with half the stress, and make fewer mistakes, if you can keep your mind on the task at hand and retrieve relevant knowledge quickly and easily.
Who would I suggest the Unlimited Memory overview to?
An university student in their twenties who wishes to learn more effectively, a public figure in their mid-thirties who wants to sharpen their oratory skills by memorizing speeches and names, and a middle-aged person in their fifties who wants to maintain and perhaps even increase their memory.
The three most important takeaways from this book are, in my opinion, as follows:
- Don’t try to juggle too many things at once; instead, aim to master one thing at a time.
- Use word play and creative association to help you recall information.
- We can strengthen our memory by converting numbers to words or mnemonics.
Table of Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 1.1 Chapter 1
- 1.2 The Art Of Concentration
- 1.3 Chapter 2
- 1.4 Apply The See Method
- 1.5 Chapter 3
- 1.6 Use The Car Method To Organize Information
- 1.7 Chapter 4
- 1.8 Never Forget A Name
- 1.9 Chapter 5
- 1.10 The Secret To Remembering Numbers And Dates
- 1.11 Chapter 6
- 1.12 The Importance Of Discipline And Review
- 1.13 Chapter 7
- 1.14 Final Recapitulation
Introduction
We are constantly reminded to evaluate our notes throughout our academic careers. To study for exams, we just reread our notes and textbooks in the vain hope that some of the material will stick in our brains.
It’s possible that we’ll keep this information in mind the following day, but what happens to it in the weeks or even days that follow? I can’t find it anymore.
People barely retain the equivalent of approximately three weeks’ worth of schooling within two years of graduating, according to studies. After 12 years of schooling, that’s the outcome!
This begs the question, “Why does it occur?” For the most part, we use our medium-term memory to keep data. The trick, however, lies in committing it to long-term memory.
It’s a good thing Kevin Horsley has perfected his memory and is willing to share his secrets with you. Horsley benefited from his ability to remember anything.
Horsley had a hard time in school because he was dyslexic, and he still couldn’t read a book by the time he finished college. Horsley was encouraged to develop his mind after reading Tony Buzan’s Use Your Memory.
Eventually, in 1995, he entered the World Memory Championships after years of training and ended up coming in second.
In 1999, he accomplished the “Everest of Memory Tests” by memorizing the first 10,000 digits of Pi, setting a new world record in the process. Incorrect; he is not a magician and does not possess a photographic memory.
So, what was his secret? Continue reading to learn his secrets for improving your memory.
Chapter 1
The Art Of Concentration
To keep up with the ever-evolving world, we must continually expand our knowledge and skill sets. Every day is ripe with potential learning experiences, but so often we get in the way of those experiences.
Often, we use excuses such as “I’m not intelligent enough,” “I’m so old,” or “I lack the time.” However, a good memory isn’t innate; it’s a skill, and like any talent, it requires practice and training to become proficient in.
Training improves focus in the same way that it improves muscle tone and muscularity. However, being permanently connected is a major drawback of the modern digital world.
Evaluate the events of the day. Describe your typical morning routine. Before getting out of bed, many of us check our phones.
By the time we get out the door, we may not have had a chance to eat breakfast, and we could have spent our morning commute on the phone for work or worrying about getting there on time.
Before we even make it to the office in the morning, our thoughts have already wandered off in a thousand different places, making it impossible for us to perform the one task we must do: concentration.
The first step in learning to focus intently is resolving any mental disagreements you may have. It will be necessary to silence the surrounding environment in order to do this.
I have no doubt that many of you are currently wrestling with thoughts that have been bouncing around in your head, or with thoughts that have been attempting to break through like a stubborn mosquito.
So, what can you do to finally put an end to these? You can learn to meditate, but there’s a simpler technique that doesn’t require you to become an expert meditator. The first step is to put an end to your multitasking ways. You can’t give anything less than your full attention when you’re multitasking.
Neuroscientists claim that trying to juggle multiple tasks at once can reduce your productivity by as much as 50%. You should expect a 50% rise in error rate and a corresponding decrease in speed.
So, when you’re with your loved ones, offer them your undivided attention by putting aside your phone. Knowing your PIC (purpose, interests, and curiosity) is another way to put your mind at ease.
The reason you learn anything is because you have a reason to do so; therefore, be as explicit as possible. Change your resolution to “I will learn at least five techniques to improve my memory” rather than “I will strive to improve my memory.”
If you’re enthusiastic about the topic at hand, you’re more likely to give it your full attention. Focus on making the material you wish to study relevant to your interests.
To add extra intrigue, you might need to shift your frame of mind. Finally, get your imagination going by asking, “What can I do with this skill?”
If you can see how acquiring this new ability would benefit your life, you’ll be more motivated to put in the effort required to do so. Focusing on learning techniques that will help you remember what you’ve studied is the next logical step.
Chapter 2
Apply The See Method
Have you ever finished reading a page and realized you couldn’t remember what you read? Many of us experience this, yet it begs the question: why?
The reason for this is that you failed to imagine what you were reading. Now you realize that remembering is more of an artistic endeavor than a mechanical one like taking photographs.
When you read a book, for instance, your mind creates a movie based on the story. The words help form mental images of the story’s protagonist, antagonist, and other key players.
Unfortunately, this imaginative process does not take place when writing nonfiction. Some people attempt to recall what they have read by repeating the words again and again until they fully comprehend, but this strategy isn’t very effective.
As an alternative, you should train yourself to visualize the information you need to retain. It will take some time to get used to studying this way; in the meantime, you can utilize the SEE method to speed up the process.
SEE is an acronym for senses, exaggerate, and energize. Let’s analyze the term “apple” to see what we can learn. If you close your eyes and think of an apple, you can immediately conjure up images of its color, shape, size, and texture.
But you never once considered the possibility that those letters would spell out “A-P-P-L-E,” right?
Now is the time to really go overboard with it. Maybe you picture an apple the size of a skyscraper instead of a regular-sized apple.
It’s not about being logical or having a realistic imagination, but about coming up with amusing mental pictures. The final step is to inject life into your photographs.
Make your apple do the cha-cha, then outfit it with limbs and a face. Keep in mind that you are making a movie in your head, so try to give yourself a good time while doing it.
Deconstructing words into their component parts is another method for making information more tangible.
Many people, for example, rely only on rote memorization in the assumption that this will help them recall knowledge when trying to acquire city and country names. Make it a game, or something!
Let’s check out Canberra, the nation’s capital. To help you recall, visualize a KANgaroo munching on some BERRIEs to help you recall. Have fun while learning; if you do, you’ll retain more information.
This method can also be applied to the study of linguistics and the acquisition of a second language. Sol, for instance, is the Spanish word for sun. Picture the SOLE of your foot being scorched by the SUN.
Consider the Japanese term for chest, mune. Visualize CASH emerging from your chest. As you’ll see, the key to retaining knowledge is to use your mind to bring your documentary to life.
Chapter 3
Use The Car Method To Organize Information
Once you’ve mastered mental moviemaking, you’ll need to find efficient ways to store the data you’ve accumulated in your long-term memory.
The car technique, in which you employ your car as a long-term storage container, is the best approach to arranging data. This method incorporates novel material into a context with which you are already familiar: your car.
Our memory storage areas must be well known to us, and fortunately, we are generally very good at recalling specific routes and locations.
If you close your eyes and think about how you get to work, you can probably picture every curve, traffic light, and pothole along the way. Thus, in order for this strategy to work, you need to place the items you need to remember at precise spots along a route that is already recognizable in your mind.
This approach may appear strange at first, but keep in mind that if you want to stand out, you’ll have to do things in a unique way. Try to visualize what’s happening while you read the subsequent story; your recall will be tested at the end.
Think of your vehicle and picture yourself fitting an apple into the first row of spaces. Drive home your point by stabbing the hood with a carrot.
You look up to find a layer of gritty bread on the windshield, which you know will destroy your wiper blades. Now get in your car and use your fists to smash some dried fruit over the dashboard, pretending it’s a speedometer.
You proceed to sit on a bed of strawberries and blueberries, enjoying the squishy sensation beneath your behind. Put some egg on the passenger’s face by throwing eggs at them. There’s a mess in the backseat because you’ve started scattering nuts and seeds.
Leave the automobile and see a huge orange bird perched atop it. Then, when you get to your destination, open the trunk and take a good whiff of the fish there.
Broccoli and Brussel sprouts are sprouting from the exhaust pipe. Your car now has sweet potato tires! Use the SEE technique to take a full mental tour of your car, taking in all the details once more to cement them in your mind.
You now know about the fourteen superfoods that have been scientifically shown to increase your energy and mental sharpness.
What is the rationale behind this method? Whenever you operate an automobile or go somewhere you’ve been before, you’re drawing on information stored in your long-term memory.
You did nothing more than associate fresh memories with it. LTM + STM = MTM is the formula to use. What this means is that Medium-Term Memory is the sum of LTM and STM. This method of filing data aids in both retrieval and retention. Better organization is the key to lightning-fast education.
Chapter 4
Never Forget A Name
The phrase “I’m lousy with names” may describe you or someone you know. Everyone has heard this reason for not being able to recall names, but you don’t have to be that person anymore.
A lot of people think that remembering names is something you’re either born with or not; yet, if you use the right method, you can learn to recall the names of everyone you meet. Learn the four Cs, and you’ll be capable of recalling names like a memory pro.
Focus, innovation, networking, and consistent application are the four pillars of success. Avert the potentially humiliating situation of forgetting people’s names by committing this system to memory.
Focus on what is being said at this time. When people are presented to us, they typically say their name so quickly that no one can get it. To prevent this from happening, you should take charge of the introduction, slow things down, and pay close attention to the person’s name.
You can forget a name forever if you never hear it. Ask them to repeat it if you didn’t catch it the first time. It may be necessary to ask the person to spell it out for you if the explanation is very complex. If you’re genuinely interested in learning the names, you’ll have a much easier time remembering them.
The next step is to form a mental picture of the name. People often say things like, “I recognize the face, but I can’t place the name.” Names don’t typically “stick” as well as faces because the former creates an image in our minds while the latter does not.
Making a mental picture of a person’s name helps us remember them. After being introduced to someone, your brain has only around 20 seconds to process the name and create a connection.
Kevin, the author’s name, sounds like Cave in. Just hearing his last name, “Horsley,” may make you think of a horse or Bruce Lee. Now picture Bruce Lee leading a horse into a cave.
Though certain names may be more challenging than others, with some imagination, every name may be given a deeper significance and transformed into an image.
As learning is about establishing relationships, you’ll need to figure out how to link the stranger to something you already know. One of the various methods available to you is comparative connection.
To use this strategy, just recall a friend or acquaintance who shares the name. If you meet a man named George, for example, you could think of another George you know, or perhaps a renowned George like George Clooney.
If the person you meet stands out in any way, you can use it to help you recall his or her name. Let’s pretend that the first thing you observe about your new coworker Janice is that she has the coolest pair of blue eyes you’ve ever seen.
Her name is quite close to the sound of CHAIN ICE. Now, connect the dots between her given name and the icy strands that dance in her icy blue eyes.
Unfortunately, even if you apply these methods, your memory will only be retained in the medium term. The only way for something to permanently stick in your mind is to use it frequently.
Make a note in a diary or add new contacts on your preferred social media sites of everyone you meet in the near future.
Chapter 5
The Secret To Remembering Numbers And Dates
Imagine a long series of numbers being read out loud at random. Think you can recall how many? The human memory is limited to around seven numbers at most, but it may be trained to retain infinitely more.
In less than 20 seconds, Horsley can recall a 100-digit random number from memory. The key is not merely intellectual prowess, but rather the deployment of a well-thought-out tactic. Horsley’s “super-human powers” of memorizing large numbers are within reach of anyone who puts in the effort.
In contrast to letters, numbers don’t convey much information. For this reason, one tactic Horsley employs is to first translate numerical values into words, and then into pictures.
To put it another way, he manipulates the numbers such that they take on the form of letters. Then, he creates words out of the alphabet. The initial investment in learning the code will seem substantial, but remembering long strings of numbers will become second nature after that.
Letters can be associated with each of the digits from 0 to 9 based on visual similarities or phonetic similarities. It is recommended that you leave out the vowels for the time being in order to fully benefit from this practice.
Let’s start numbering those letters: There is no definitive “0” sound; it can be pronounced as either an S, Z, or C. S is pronounced like the hiss of a wheel, while a zero is represented by a circle. The digit 1 stands for the letter T or the letter D in the alphabet.
Both the letter T and the letter D feature a vertical straight line, which, when viewed from above, resembles the numeral 1. A 2 turned on its side looks like the letter N, and a 3 turned on its side looks like the letter M. So, number 2 represents the N sound, and number 3 represents the M sound.
In continuation, four can represent the letter R, five the letter L, six the soft g, soft ch, soft sh, or soft j sound, seven the letter K or C, eight the letter F or V, and nine the letter b or p.
To recall the number 78 using this system, you can use either K or C for the 7, and either F or V for the 8. Therefore, the number 78 can be written as the word CaVe. Do you see how the vowels combine to form a complete word? You’ll be able to remember any string of numbers once you crack this code, but what about dates? How may this method be used to help you remember crucial dates?
Most of the dates we care about are inside the last thousand years, so remembering simply the final three numbers is the key. Assume you wish to recall the year 1969, when we first set foot on the Moon.
Apply the letters b, sh, and p to the digits 9 through 6 and 9, respectively. Imagine a term that uses all the vowels that are available. What do you get as a result? BiSHoP! The time has come, of course, to employ the SEE principle in order to create an image that will stick in your mind.
Try to picture a bishop rubbing the moon’s dust between his fingers beside Neil Armstrong or even a bishop actually setting foot on the moon.
Remember that even though this memorization strategy appears ridiculous, learning can be enjoyable. Naturally, this method won’t come easily either; mastery requires exercise. But once you do, your ability to memorize numbers will be infinite, and you’ll gain wisdom and the respect of your peers.
Chapter 6
The Importance Of Discipline And Review
In spite of your best efforts, you won’t become a memory master by merely using the skills you’ve learned. Envision yourself as a memory champion, a feat on par with winning an Olympic gold medal.
To earn a gold medal, athletes need more than simply technical skill. They put them to use and use them routinely. Self-discipline is needed for this. Now that you know what works to improve your memory, you can stop torturing yourself and start taking little, consistent steps every day.
Now, the question is, what specific steps should you do each day? If you utilize the techniques in this book to memorize something, it will be stored in your working memory for sure, but you’ll need to review and revisit it if you want it to stick with you permanently.
It’s helpful to think of your mind as a savings account; the more money you put into it, the bigger it gets. After visualizing the data clearly in your mind, evaluate it again after 10 minutes. Flip through the pictures and look at them from both directions. It is easier to remember the photos if you review them in reverse order.
After doing so, examine your work after an hour, then a day, then a week, then a month, and finally a year. After that, you should be able to recall the information without any further effort.
Management, not magic, is the key to better memory. Reviewing material regularly is an essential habit for keeping it fresh in the memory, but it requires dedication. This keeps the data alert and active so that new data can be linked to it.
Your own motivation and effort are required for memory training to be effective. Improving your memory can not only help you feel more confident in yourself and your abilities, but it will also impress you.
Always keep in mind that you need to “do different to become different.” Make these strategies your own, put in the work, and you’ll be amazed at how much more you remember.
Chapter 7
Final Recapitulation
To excel at memorizing, you must give facts a vivid context. Concentrating on the material at hand is a necessary first step in this direction. If you don’t want to learn, you won’t learn, and if you don’t remember, you won’t remember! After that, you should start making things and establishing links.
Make a mental video of it if it helps you recall better. Imagine it using all of your senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. You’ll be more likely to recall the information if you give it some personality. The next step is to make an association between the new data and what you already know.
Create something new by expanding on an existing body of knowledge. None of these methods will help if you can’t commit the material to your long-term memory.
You’ll need a lot of discipline and time spent reflecting on your stored information to do this. If you put in the time and effort required to implement these strategies, you’ll be able to retain any amount of information for future reference.
Examine Unlimited Memory
In order to improve your memory, the app “Unlimited Memory” can be quite useful. This book will teach you how your brain remembers information and provide you with some simple techniques to improve your memory.
Your memory’s full potential can be realized by the use of a few simple strategies, such as writing down numbers to associate them with letters and sounds, relating facts to specific locations, or relating dates to facts you already know.
Read more book summaries:https://psytify.com/conclusions-onwhy-buddhism-is-real/
Buy this book @ Amazon: Unlimited Memory
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