Memory Technique Tips
Internal Memory Techniques: How They Work
Internal memory techniques are very powerful ways to learn and remember information. Let’s look at how they work:
* They force you to focus attention on what you are trying to learn. When you apply an internal memory technique, you are forced to concentrate. In fact, just using a technique makes it impossible not to pay attention. And we already know that we absorb something we want to remember more effectively when we attend to it.
* They give meaning to what you are trying to learn. Internal memory techniques are successful because they give meaning to something you want to remember. This works in two ways: In many cases, we can find meaning inherent to the information we are trying to learn. Or we can impose meaning on material that doesn’t necessarily have that meaning to make it more memorable. And something that is meaningful is more memorable.
Some of you may believe internal memory techniques are simply too complicated for you. If so, think again. Chances are you already use some of these methods without even knowing it. Take a look at these examples:
1. What year did Columbus sail for America? Did you say 1492? That’s correct. Chances are you got there by reciting the following rhyme: “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Rhymes such as these are a popular internal memory technique.
2. How can you remember the correct spelling of the word “stationery”? Well, if in fourth grade you learned the saying, “Stationery is for a letter,” you were given a way of connecting the correct spelling of stationery with another word you already knew the proper spelling for. English teachers loved these connection techniques for learning proper spelling.
3. Here’s one from the history books. Need to remember what happened to the wives of Henry VIII? Perhaps someone taught you the following rhyme for recalling their fates: Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived.
4. Trying to remember the colors of the rainbow? Consider the following first letter association, which my son learned in his kindergarten class: ROY G. BIV. This name is made up of the first letter of each color in the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
You can see from these examples that internal memory techniques are really part of our everyday world. So don’t be afraid of these methods. They can be simple to learn and use, and can help you remember better. The goal of any memory technique is to help you learn an internal memory technique that you like and will use.
Using a technique to help us learn something we want to remember is another way we can make the most of our memory. Internal memory techniques have been around for centuries, so long in fact that one researcher was prompted to call memory improvement “one of the world’s oldest professions.” The ancient Greeks wrote extensively about the use of internal memory techniques, many of which are the same methods employed today. Performers who demonstrate feats of memory use such techniques to wow audiences with their skill.
Why, then, have so many people found these techniques frustrating and, quite frankly, more of a hindrance than a help? Actually, the problem is not with the techniques themselves, but rather with the way in which they have been taught. Memory improvement experts in the past have offered memory systems that are difficult to learn and burdensome to use. Methods such as the peg or loci technique are great for people who want “super” memories.
However, they really aren’t that helpful for the average person. Most of us don’t have hours to spend learning a complex internal memory system before we can use it. And let’s be honest: Are you really that concerned with remembering absolutely everything?
Probably not, if you’re like me and most people I know. You’d just like to remember better.
If you’ve” struggled with memory improvement in the past, you will be relieved that the approach to internal memory techniques taught recently is quite different. A good program should not be about a special ploy for memory improvement. And keep in mind that there is no one best way to make more of your memory.
Do we need internal memory techniques to improve our memory? Not necessarily. You can improve your memory by being attentive to information you need to remember, by identifying and coping effectively with things in your daily life that limit your memory potential, and by practicing good organizational habits. However, it is often advisable to memory students to make at least one internal memory technique part of their memory fitness routine, since there are circumstances where they are useful. For example, you may need to remember something “by head,” such as a license plate number, a cell phone number, or a PIN number.
Source: http://www.self-help-book-reviews.com