[Paleopsych] The Statesman (India): Mind over matter: Principles and Techniques
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Mind over matter: Principles and Techniques
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=18&theme=&usrsess=1&id=84700
[How dubious would Mr. Mencken be about all this?]
Jul 28, 2005 Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury
The field of memory is ever evolving in so far as principles and techniques are
concerned. And due to this evolution there is no stopping of refreshment and
adaptability for there are as many principles and techniques as one asks. These
being easy to learn and to work upon, the principles and techniques work as
wonders and remain refreshed forever, if learnt once. This can be understood,
perfectly, by the ensuing content.
Take the instance of those who drive a car. It proves that 95% of those who
drive cars require improving their memory because all of them forget the place
where they have parked their vehicle or put its keys. They have driven their
car to a shopping centre/ airport/ movie theatre/ friend's place, and having
completed their tasks, have returned only to find that they have completely
lost it (i.e. forgotten the location of their car).
Don't you agree that it's impossible? The car weighing more than 2 tons which
they drove, opened and closed the door and locked it as well, has been lost.
Surely the brain could not possibly forget such a thing? But the whole process
of forgetting can be understood as it is the most easily understandable thing.
At the same time one can overcome this problem of forgetting by applying simple
principles and techniques. Why it happens is due to absentmindedness. As a
person is so occupied with the aim of visit, he /she forgets or finds it
relatively unimportant to remember the location of his car.
How can one overcome this problem? This again is very simple. One has to apply
3 memory principles and 12 memory techniques.
The three memory principles are as under.
1. Our memory is based on Association, i.e. it works by linking things
together. For example as soon as your brain registers the word "apple" it will
remember link - the colour, the tastes, texture and smells of that fruit, as
well as experiences, friends and occasion connected with it.
2. What has to be memorised should have an " image" that should be a
multi-sensory image. By this the objects get reinforced into our brains and
thus become unforgettable.
3. Last but not the least is the principle of location. In other words, for
your brain to remember something that it has imagined and associated, it must
also have that memory image in a special location. Here you can take the
example of a library. If you walked into a library that had a million books and
wished to find a specific one, would it be easier if all the books were piled
up in the middle of the floor and you had to randomly search, or if all the
books were beautifully and elegantly catalogued and ordered? Obviously the
latter.
The 12 memory techniques are as under.
Association, image and location principles can be well assisted by the
following 12 techniques.
1. Synaesthesia/ sensuality- it is called blending of senses, as this blending
produces enhanced recall. Therefore, it becomes essential to sensitize
increasingly and train regularly your - Vision, Hearing, Sense of Smell, Taste,
and Touch.
2. Movement - for any image, movement adds another giant range of possibilities
for your brain to "link in" and thus remembers, as your images move, make them
three-dimensional.
3. Association - you should link any new information with something stable in
your mental environment.
4. Sexuality - we all have a good memory in this area. Use it!
5. Humour - images, which are ridiculous, absurd, funny and surreal are more
outstandingly memorable.
6. Imagination - the more you apply your imagination to memory, the better your
memory will be.
7. Number - numbering adds specificity and efficiency to the principle of order
and sequence.
8. Symbolism - substituting a more meaningful image for a more ordering or
boring image increases the probability of recall.
9. Colour - you should use the full range of the rainbow to make your image and
ideas more colourful and therefore more memorable.
10. Order and sequence - in combination with the other principles, order and/
or sequence allows for much more immediate and increases the brain's
possibilities for "random access".
11. Positivity - positive images are more recallable than negative ones, as
latter are blocked by brain and to former, our brain wants to return. So, add
as many positivity to your image as possible.
12. Exaggeration - in all your images exaggerate the size, shape, colour and
sound.
This is the way, as memory principles and techniques are designed to be used,
and if you do that you will do wonders.
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