memory enhancement
Have you ever drawn a blank on someone’s name, forgotten an important phone number, or clenched on a test item that you should have remembered? Memory is an important mental skill that can be improved. The following techniques were inspired by Dave Ellis’s manual, Becoming a Master Student.
One easy method for remembering a person’s name is repetition. When someone tells your their name repeat it in your mind over and over again. Make an effort to use the name more than once in the conversation. This can sound stilted and artificial if not done carefully. In order to normalize, use the person’s name by incorporating it into your greeting and closing, such as:
It is nice to meet you, Joe.
It has been good talking to you Joe.
I have to go now, Joe, but I hope to see you again.
Saying the name out loud in your own voice will help to cement the name in your long term memory.
Using visualizations can ensure that you remember names. In your mind see the person in great detail. Hold the image of the person in your mind while you silently repeat their name. Picture hot pink letters that spell out the individual’s name flashing across the forehead, or make letters do a line dance across the image in your mind. Make the scene as ridiculous as possible. The crazier the image the greater your chance of remembering the necessary detail.
Create associations with the new people you make. You may notice that Tom has a big nose. In your mind you might say, “Big Tom the nose man.” Of course you could come up with less derogatory associations, but if you use ones which carry stupid insults it may help you to recall the name easier. Associations can be as simple as Linda long hair, Johnny short hair, or Denise with freckles. These will help you to recall the name every time.
When you are dealing with a crowd of people, it makes sense to commit only the most significant people’s names to your memory. When memorizing large numbers of facts, the mind is best able to recall those facts learned first and last. The middle facts can become foggy and confused. With this in mind, whenever leaving a large group of people, make an effort to say good-bye last to the individual you most wish to remember.
Try to get group pictures at events. If names are not included, carry a pencil and write them in. These would make good flash cards for you to further imprint these names with practice and repetition. You could follow this up by making a competition with an associate. Motivate your memory by trying to memorize more names at a gathering than anyone else in your circle of friends.
Mnemonic devices are techniques that increase your ability to recall names, speeches, test information, and grocery lists. Mnemonics do have limitations. They do not help you understand information, they can be difficult to learn, they may take more energy to develop than just memorizing in more traditional ways, and they do not work as well for technical terms used in math and science. Nonetheless, for the creative right brained individual mnemonics can be helpful.
Acronyms are one of the best known mnemonic methods. Acronyms are words created by the first letter of a series of words. Some examples are as follows:
SCUBA = self contained underwater breathing apparatus
MCA = Michigan Counseling Association
MADD = Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
You can make up your own words to recall a series of facts. A popular acronym used by students takes the form of a full name. Roy G.Biv represents the colors of the visible spectrum (red orange yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet).
A similar method is acrostics. The first letters in the words of the sentence stand for something else. Often this is used to remember a series of letters that represent something. “Every good boy does fine.” Represents the letters in the treble clef staff. Sometimes a sentence can be made up to remind a person of a series of facts they wish to recall. “Minnie takes water to freshen sagging sunflowers” could be a sentence used to help children remember the days of the week. This very creative method can make memorizing facts fun and exciting.
Putting facts in rhyming songs helps to make memorizing easier. This is extremely useful to children. If the words are put to music, every time the tune is heard the facts will be recalled easily. This method may seem to be child oriented, but it can be a great asset to students of all ages.
The loci system uses visual associations with familiar locations of a house or even your own body. It can also help a person to remember things in a specific order. The key to this technique is visualizing your own home and placing key items in the different rooms of a house. An orator may use this to help him/her give a speech without notes. The speaker would visualize walking through the front door and seeing trash on the floor. This would remind the person to start with the importance of dealing with pollution in the world. Next the speaker would walk into the living room and see that it is underwater. This would remind the individual to discuss the danger the waters of the earth are facing with increased population and harmful waste product. In this way, the orator could move through the entire house and use the rooms as an aid in sequencing, organizing, and reciting a speech with perfect clarity.
These methods can be useful in relationships, business, and school. The ability to recall information can help an individual develop personal influence and intelligence. As with any skill, developing a better memory takes commitment and practice. The techniques listed can make memorization and recall easier and fun so that you can impress you friends, pass the test, and make strong business impressions when it really counts.
