Friday 21 January 2011
Benefits of Mnemonics
Heres a blog post from Benefitsofnet about the benefits of mnemonics- can't vouch for the dyslexia bit but the rest I can
Great Writers on Memory Tech
Frances Yates- The Art of Memory
This is a comprehensive study of the history of Mnemonics from Simonides on- plenty to digest.
Dominic O Brien- Learn to Remember
Probably the best overall modern practioner, he explains well and his system ticks all the right boxes for getting started. I have a book of his which is no longer in print called 'How to develop a super-powered memory' which was the first book that really opened my eyes to the power of mnemonics. 'Learn to Remember' is based on this earlier book, it has a much glossier look with nice illustrations and a colourful layout but for my money the first book is much better. There is more information and it reads more comprehensively unlike the fractured quality of the second where he has divided it up into many smaller sections some only a page long.
Tony Buzan- The Memory Book
The way in for many people although he can be somewhat simplistic. His SEM3 method is far too abstract and cumbersome; the journey method and free-scene association as described in part by O'Brien and others works much better
Ed Cooke- Remember Remember
Was an eye-opener for me because following his book showed me that memory journey's can be completely imaginary rather than mostly based around real world scenes and walks that you have actually undertaken- in fact imaginary journeys have distinct advantages over real journeys in that there is no baggage other than what you deposit and no people or memories to clear out. The scenes (rooms or open landscapes) can be designed especially for what you want to deposit
This is a comprehensive study of the history of Mnemonics from Simonides on- plenty to digest.
Dominic O Brien- Learn to Remember
Probably the best overall modern practioner, he explains well and his system ticks all the right boxes for getting started. I have a book of his which is no longer in print called 'How to develop a super-powered memory' which was the first book that really opened my eyes to the power of mnemonics. 'Learn to Remember' is based on this earlier book, it has a much glossier look with nice illustrations and a colourful layout but for my money the first book is much better. There is more information and it reads more comprehensively unlike the fractured quality of the second where he has divided it up into many smaller sections some only a page long.
Tony Buzan- The Memory Book
The way in for many people although he can be somewhat simplistic. His SEM3 method is far too abstract and cumbersome; the journey method and free-scene association as described in part by O'Brien and others works much better
Ed Cooke- Remember Remember
Was an eye-opener for me because following his book showed me that memory journey's can be completely imaginary rather than mostly based around real world scenes and walks that you have actually undertaken- in fact imaginary journeys have distinct advantages over real journeys in that there is no baggage other than what you deposit and no people or memories to clear out. The scenes (rooms or open landscapes) can be designed especially for what you want to deposit
Introduction
Hi there
So this blog is my adventures in memory techniques.
I've always been interested in the potential of the mind and intrigued by intimations that I am not utilising my fullest capacity (this is an understaement). The surest indication that I could do better was when I fully understood the methods of memory enhancement practiced by select individuals going back through time to the dawn of history.
I was first introduced to a flavour of the technique back in my 2nd year at Comprehensive school. The form tutor was in a funny mood and in a departure from her usual stolid dreary pre-lesson blatherings she took the time to guide us through a simple 10 point peg list. She gave us the list of nouns to attach to them and said that she would test us for retention at some future date.
I can still recall some of the objects from that list today quite a few decades later. I kept wondering when she would test us, and this kept the revision going. She never did test us- much to my chagrin but the point was made.
However I saw no obvious application for this simple technique. Or rather I let the ideas leave my mind and didn't adapt them into useful retention techniques for my study and learning at school- which I now realise was a terrible loss. It is remarkable to me now that I could be so obtuse, afterall we had to learn lists of things all the time. I distictly hated, for example, the weekly chore of comitting by rote 10 words of German vocab, if I applied myself at all it took me an hour or so and then I'd forget half by the test time. Now of course, knowing the priciples of the Art of Memory the list could be memorised joyously in 5 minutes with perfect retention in perpetuity. If only I knew then... But I did know, or rather I knew but didn't apply it.
Anyway, throughout the years I dabbled on and off with the various techniques and recieved inspiration from sundry thinkers along the way. And now I think I shall write a blog- gathering what I know about the subject along with news reports, web-bounty, author links and anything else I consider to be tangental.
So this blog is my adventures in memory techniques.
I've always been interested in the potential of the mind and intrigued by intimations that I am not utilising my fullest capacity (this is an understaement). The surest indication that I could do better was when I fully understood the methods of memory enhancement practiced by select individuals going back through time to the dawn of history.
I was first introduced to a flavour of the technique back in my 2nd year at Comprehensive school. The form tutor was in a funny mood and in a departure from her usual stolid dreary pre-lesson blatherings she took the time to guide us through a simple 10 point peg list. She gave us the list of nouns to attach to them and said that she would test us for retention at some future date.
I can still recall some of the objects from that list today quite a few decades later. I kept wondering when she would test us, and this kept the revision going. She never did test us- much to my chagrin but the point was made.
However I saw no obvious application for this simple technique. Or rather I let the ideas leave my mind and didn't adapt them into useful retention techniques for my study and learning at school- which I now realise was a terrible loss. It is remarkable to me now that I could be so obtuse, afterall we had to learn lists of things all the time. I distictly hated, for example, the weekly chore of comitting by rote 10 words of German vocab, if I applied myself at all it took me an hour or so and then I'd forget half by the test time. Now of course, knowing the priciples of the Art of Memory the list could be memorised joyously in 5 minutes with perfect retention in perpetuity. If only I knew then... But I did know, or rather I knew but didn't apply it.
Anyway, throughout the years I dabbled on and off with the various techniques and recieved inspiration from sundry thinkers along the way. And now I think I shall write a blog- gathering what I know about the subject along with news reports, web-bounty, author links and anything else I consider to be tangental.
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