Introduction to Memory Techniques
The basic principle is to use as
many of the best functions of the human brain as possible to code
information. The human brain evolved to code and interpret complex
stimuli - images, colour, structure, sounds, smells, tastes, touch,
spatial awareness, emotion, and language - using them to make
sophisticated interpretations of the environment. Human memory is
made up of all these features. Typically, however, information
presented to be remembered is from one source - normally words on a
page. While language, words on a page, reflects one of the most
important aspects of human evolution, it is only one of the many
skills and resources available to the human mind.
Using Your Whole Mind To Remember
By coding language and numbers in
sophisticated, striking images which flow into other strong images,
we can accurately and reliably code both information and the
structure of information to be easily recalled later.
The Memory Fallacy
Most people believe that their
memories get worse as they get older.
This is true only for people who
do not use their memories properly: memory is like a muscle, the
more it is used, the better it gets. The more it is neglected, the
worse it gets.
While in education most people
have to use their memories intensively - simply to remember facts and
pass exams. When people leave full time education, they tend to cease
to use their memory as actively, and so it starts to get flaccid.
How Memory Works
Memory works by making links
between information, fitting facts into mental structures and
frameworks. The more you are actively remembering, the more facts and
frameworks you hold, the more additional facts and ideas will slot
easily into long term memory.
