‘Your repertory of memory power is a microcosm devoid of which, this world is all but a blank piece of paper.’
Many people believe that as a man ages, his memory falters and wisdom withers. Nothing could be farther from truth than this assumption. In fact a man can keep growing cerebrally even past his prime if only he takes care to take a balanced diet in right amount. Many scientists aver that even as the brain may not grow materially, its repertory of knowledge can keep growing endlessly
Discretion, they say, is better part of valour. But discretion is also key to the memory mountain. To a level, memory is an art that can be polished and promoted using some ace techniques.
Microprocessing method
First vital aspect of memory enhancement is appraisal at a microlevel. Whatsoever it be that you would like to learn about, take a thorough cognizance of it at mental level. Visualise it. Like when you walk, guess how long it would be to your office, home, a particular place or to that isolated tree on way. Count your steps. Was your guess correct? If not, what was the magnitude of deviation. For next exercise, try reducing margin of error. You know that X, Y, Z item catching your attention. But do you have a ‘feel’ of it? Go ahead, touch it; what is it made up of? Unravel its uniqueness. Books, pen, notebooks, spectacles, your two wheeler keys; you know them all too well. Can you guess their body weight? Try it.
Such guess work in indeed first step to hone cerebral anticipation, or, the microprocessing at mental level. Seeing may be believing, but may not be enough to etch on memory for good. We ought to develop a kind of see through X-ray vision that goes beyond surface, beyond the apparent. For example, have a close inspection of all that is kept in an almirah at a shop owned by you. What is kept where? What is their stock strength, their individual weight, rate, colour etc etc. This information, you will agree, comes handy in catering to a customer speedily.
The great scientist Herry Lauren explained this method thus. He asked a group of persons to have a close inspection of their wrist watches and then answer the querries put up to them. Ths session ran somewhat like this:
Question : The wrist watch that you have on your person; when did you purchase it?
Answer : Some ten years back.
Question : How many times in a day do you turn to you time piece for information?
Answer : 20-25 times, even more.
Question : Seeing your watch dial 20-25 times a day, are you aware of the nature of digit ‘6’ on margin. Is it as ‘6’ or as roman numeral ‘VI’?
Answer : No.
That was the answer from more than 90% of test cases. Thereupon, Lausen goaded them to examine their timepieces very scrupulously for 2 minutes, then picked up inquision once again.
Question : Now tell me the formation of digit 6 in you watches.
Answer : All participants gave correct answer.
Question : Above question was repeated in respect of digits 12, 3 and 9.
Answer : Only 50% could give correct answer to this.
Ergo, the participants were once again advised to have a close look on their watches. Thereafter, session resarted.
Question : You have just been through with a thorough examination of your watch dials. Can you please tell me what is the time right now?
Answer : 99% of them gave wrong answers.
The group was let free for one more time, to read their watch before facing a new volley of questions—which went as under.
Question : So now, what’s the time by your match?
Answer : All answers were correct.
Question : Just how is the formation of number 1, 2, 4, 5 on you dial spread?
Answer : Almost all answers were correct.
Question : In what language is the trade name of your time piece insuribled?
Answer : Most member gave right answers.
Question : Any uniques feature of your watch, like indentation date or month display etc; please tell.
Answer : Most in audience kept mum. Ergo, they were given two minutes time yet again to peruse their time gizmos.
Thereafter, question pertainiag to dial surface, date, month, trade name, number notches of 1, 2, 9, 6, 3 were repeated. Answer this time over, were generally correct obviously, owing to their revision exercises.
Thus, we see, that mere seeing may not be a factual knowing. Else subjects in above example wouldn’t be off their grounds answering queries in respect of an item so close to them and so often seen by them. They see the dial, time numbers, trade marks, day and date displays so often, and yet, don’t seem to know them for sure. Reason being our observation is seldom holistic. In one attempt we tend to see only one aspect of item being perused. Like, if asked to see numbers. we see nunbers only—and nothing else—to the right or the left of them. No wonder, if immediately asked about ‘what-time-it’ is they fumble relenting they didn’t bother to make note of it. And yet when told the range of questions they are likely to be exposed to, they would be more thoruogh and holistic during their alloted preparatory time of 2 minutes And, at the end of preparation, would be answering a wider range of question. Micro-processing or micro surveillence thus in a sanguine technique to empower and enhance your memory.
This technique is as ancient as it is astute, Birbal, the legendry muse of king Akbar’s court was a quintessential practitioner of micro procesing art. And thanks to that, he was never short of ideas to help no matter how ticklish the problem.
There is a difference though in past and the present perceptions. At present time intellected is tested on touchstone of faculties like memory, knowledge, reasoning power, aptitude etc. But in olden times memory was the sole basis of intellectual evaluation.
How to use microprocessing techniques
First lay spread all that you ought to peruse, then classify it into minute bits so that they are committed to memory without fuss. Arrange these classified regmeats of the whole lot into a manageable sequence, like 1st, 2nd 3rd and 4th and memorise one ofter the other in this very order. When you grasp all these titbits, visualise them as one whole entity making sure that the substance and the nuances remain vivid in your mind’s eyes. Should a revision be felt necessary, do it, taking classified parts one by one. And check out your memory all over once again. Doing this a number of times will make you confident, remember better, and recall better.
Make believe method
Another way to blitzkrieg your memory is—anticipating an incident. Thus, picture images of text material are relayed on to the brain where they stay for long in comparison to cacophony of words and abstract messages. Indeed, visualisation is key to memory musings. If a person is called upon to memorise names of 10 items or individuals it would be a hard job for him/her. But if these same 10 subjects are made players in an imagined melodrama, the job would be easy and remain in memory for long. Suppose you must consign to memory names of all the presidents that India has had till date, or remember all that you must take home today for ration; then it is vital to you remember warder words of the list concerned. With the help of warder words go on filing the rest of the items of group, and check out your memory by a reverse count.
To cite example, suppose the list of items that you must remember is this:
1. Bottle, 2. Baby, 3. Milk, 4. Sugar, 5. Pillons, 6. Match stick, 7. Medicine, 8. Nurse, 9. Spoon, Bottle. Obviously, rote memorising of it would be hard. But you can make a story around the list membership and thereby remember it for long. For instance you can presume a child weeping and you being in company of it alone at home. Try as you do, to cajole and kindle the baby into order, the young one isn’t impressed. Presuming that the child is hungry, you go to kitchen to prepare milk. You lit up gas stove with match stick, keep milk, over it, and add a spoonful of sugar to boiling milk. Then you allow the milk to cool down, and pour it in a bottle. Just then the nurse walks in with a dose of medicine which you take care to mix in bottled milk. Then you bottle feed the child lolling on bed with pillow kept under head.
Thus, what was a list of disconnected items, become a vibrant story line. You can thus caricature the task into a live and relevant story, and help your memory work better.
We are sure this technique of call and recall will pay you rich dividends. There are a few caveats though that need to be paid attention. These are: ❑ First read carefully all items in the list and fathom their word meanings. ❑ Having known what their names stand for, work out a story which has a role to offer to each and every listing. ❑ Should the sequential order of given list be inconsistent with order of story line, you may change sequence of list to vibe with sequence of story line. ❑ The story worked out ought to be crisp and short for obvious reasons. ❑ Take your contrived story to heart, rerunning it mentally to check on chronology of given items. Avoid haste lest you loose out on important informations. Make sure nothing is left out of story of the memory capsule. Tokenism as memory aid There is yet another method to pop memory, called token representative method. This is related to mind’s comprehensive cognitive powers. Here, past experience or knowledge is freezed into token symbols which are then preserved in memory. This method is so simple that even the moron can follow it easily. What is done here is that symbols are alloted to listed paraphernalia; and these symbols are consigned to memory. Nothing could be simple and more enchanting. Human mind, obviously, has a limited faculty to accept information inputs. It is bombarded whole day long with myriad impulses, words, things, sights, experiences etc. All these are well neigh impossible to remember or recall. Mind, it seems, has a way of parring away irrelevant information and retain only what is most apt. Like a pail of water. It you try filling it above its brim, you can’t—water flows out. If you put in new body of fresh water, the old state lot must first be taken out. Likewise, imagine a person being told 10-15 stories each day. Obviously he won’t be in a position to remember properly even one narration. Similarly if a person meets just one man in a day, he will remember him well. But if he meets many, he may find it difficult to remember even one of them. Following example serves to illustrate how this method of symbol allotment functions— There are seven colours in rainbow and these are difficult to remember in proper chronology. They are :
1. Violet, 2. Indigo, 3. Blue, 4. Green, 5. Yellow, 6. Orange. 7. Red
However, if initials of abovesaid colours are woven into a new word, the entire sequence becomes memorable and easy to recall. The symbol is : vibgyor.
Similarly if you want to remember mathematical value of Π (Pai); which is 3.14285711, all you have to do is to remember symbolic word: C= AD BHEGAA.
Above letters are alphabets falling at same numerical positions as each mathmatical number in 3.14285711. For example :
C = is third aplhabet
A = is 1st alphabet.
D = is 4th alphabet and so an.
Thus formula cad bhegaa is easy to remember. Cad means a wicked person. And Visualise him drench in water (Bhegaa—the Hindi enquivalent for same). How to use this method most effectively : To put this technique to sanguine use, examine subject matter very minutely. Almost like putting it under a microscope. Such perusal will help you to rearrange it in manageable order.
❑ If the listing of figures, words or statemtents are not in apt chronology; reshuffle and rearrange them into a new formation. This formation shouldn’t be altered after symbol fixation for job is made final. Else, system wont work.
Symbols may be fixed up either in Hindi or in Engling language, suiting to your convenience.
Symbolic forms ought to be orderly and workable. It’s better if these are in manageable titbits rather than cumbersomely ovized.
❑ This technique is extremely useful for young children. Self conifidence and fertile imagination are two elements which make it tick. And nothing like it if you are faced with daunting task of memorising huge datas and insipid text.
Sequential technique
What’s done here is that listed material is first of all, moulded into a sequence. Suppose you have a grocery list to remember, and this goes as follows:
1. Potatoes 10 kg.
2. Lady’s finger 4 kg.
3. Bitter gourd 5 kg.
4. Raddish 8 kg.
5. Chilly (Green) 9 kg.
6. Gram floor (Besan) 2 kg
7. Pulses 6 kg.
8. White floor (Maida) 3kg.
9. Ghee 1 kg.
10. Rice 7 kg.
The above list, ostensibly, is not in order. So let us first straighten it into weight based sequential order. And the goes as follows:
Symbols
1. Potatoes 10 kg.
2. Chillies 9 kg. C
3. Raddish 8 kg. R
4. Rice 7 kg.
5. Pulses 6 kg. P
6. Bitter gourd 5 kg. B
7. Lady’s finger 4 kg. L
8. White flour (Maida) 3 kg. M
9. Gram flour (Besan) 2 kg. G
10. Ghee 1 kg.
Now you need not to memorise weight part of it as it is in a regular descending order. Potatoes, the prime of vegetables are hard to be forgotten. For the remaining list, your symbols are CRP (the police force), B (the bomb) and LMG (light machine gun). Thus on imagery of fighting forces helps you remember what you must purchase for your home kitchen.
Similarly, if you have to remeber a longish list of important dates, like important milestones in Mahatma Gandhi’s life, then proceed by arrangning them an order as shown below.
1. Date of birth 2nd oct’ 1869
2. First Public speech 1889
3. Began Practicing
Law at Rajkot 1892
4. Returned to India 1921
5. Established Indian 1903
Statute
6. First noncooperation 1907
movement
7. First visit with 1916
Pt. Nehru
8. Established Gramod- 1934
yog (cottage industries)
9. President of Congress 1937
Party
10. Fast unto death 1939
The sequence shown above is in ascending order reflecting important stages in Gandhiji’s life. A closer examination will reveal that the first figure (1869) needs to be upped by ‘20’ to get 2nd (1892). Similarly you must add ‘3’ to second to get third data (1892). These incremental numbers, if arranged in vibe with primary list, it would be like this: 20, 3, 9, 2, 4, 9, 18, 32. This information may also be penned as follows:
1. Difference between and (1869-1889-20)
2nd year.
2. Difference between 2nd and (1889-1892-3)
3rd year
3. Difference between 3rd and (1892-1901-9)
4th year.
4. Difference between 4th and (1901-1903-2)
5th year.
5. Difference between 5th and (1903-1907-4)
6th year.
6. Difference between 6th and (1907-1916-9)
7th year.
7. Difference between 7th and (1916-1934-18)
8th Year
8. Difference between 8th and (1934-1937-3)
9the year
9. Difference between 9th and (1937-1939-2)
10th year.
Considering these above differentials in a horizontal line—as already stated aboue; two symbolic dates may be crystallised as follows:
One : 20/3/92
Two : 4/9/1832
These two dates can be remenbered easily. Now all you have to do is to remember date for item one only and the rest of the dates can be worked out easily using two abovesaid symbolic dates. Indeed you are supposed to remember the left hand side details—in right sequence—of the chart in question. Otherwise the entire exercise will go heywire.
Extending on such logic, you can use sequence of sesional changes, day-night rhythm, morning-evening pair and such like duets as rise and fall, life and death etc. This technique anchors your memory and saves you from forgetfulness and absentmindedness. Hence make sequential series a habit in routine. Even in mundane matter like spreading butter on bread slice and closing of buttons while putting on a shirt. Being sequential and orderly will ensure that no slice of bread reamains unbuttered as also this that all buttons are put into holes and none remains open and gaping.
How to exploit this method
This technique can be used in myriad ways, in all fields of life activities. Even a simpleton can use it, as it is easy and absolutely reliable.
As explained earlier as well, the first step in using it is thorough scanning (microprocessing) of the texts, statisties and the subject matter. Arrange facts and figures in proper order. Then allot symbols to each item to make them live and memorable. Take care that parallels used for numbers are different than those for statements. Commas, fullstops and ommisions—if used—must be carefully recorded; and respected in revision exercises. Should you execute these steps meticulously you will gradually notice that you remember better, and memory lapses become a thing of past.
How to collate and coordinate in memory exercises
If you feel blocked somewhere on path of memory exercises, try collating and clubbing subject matter with some other incident or text which you know well. This will immediately solve your problem.
This link-up procedure relies on your past knowledge. When your mind picks up a new piece of information on the basis of its past store of knowledge; this is called collating and coordinating exercise.
To explain it differently, this method is like a sturdy tree flush with tender climbers. From a distance it would look like a tree of supine climbers, notwith standing that it is the underlying strong wood which supports other growth and makes this combination work.
Likewise, the technique works only when you have already acquired a solid knowledge base.
For example if you have to memorise this number: 24119501581947, the task is no easy one. But if you break up this body into two : 24-1-1950 and 15-8-1947, the job gets easy. More so if you appreciate that the first date (24-1-1950) was the time when first president of Indian Union was selected. And the second date, obviousely, is our day of independence.
Thus we see that we reckon with challange of memorising a 14 digit number on the basis of two historical dates known to us already. Thus, you use your past knowledge, to pick up new knowledge with ease and elan.
This can be elucidated in yet another manner. Suppose there is a something—a place, a person or a living creature—about which you are keen to collect information. Then first thing, obviously, is that you get in touch with your subject. Suppose you happen to meet a lady named Jasmine. The first thing to strike you should therefore be that Jasmine is a fragrant flower also which is used in making rosary beads, and in garlands. So all you have to do is to club the lady with your imagery of Jasmine flower, and then rest assured that you will never ever forget her.
This technique thus, may be used on any item, living form, geographical place or alien language.
The dynamics of learning technique is based on centrived images derived from those that already exists in our brain matrix. These made-to-order clones lie dormant in mind like disguised miniature symbols. But the moment these capsules are thawed, their contents spill out instantly and in order. Like when we talk of Agra the city, Mumtaz the empress and chief inspiration behind Tajmahal automatically comes to mind. And when you think of Aligarh, you think of its vibrant padlock industry.
This technique is equally effective when applied to learning of a new language. The new language can have similar sounding and similar meaning words, which would be asy for you to grasp and pick up in use. For example ‘Thalley’ of Punjabi vibes with ‘taley’ of Hindi both meaning on-ground. ‘Gal’ of Punjabi is same as ‘gaal’ of Hindi; former meaning talk and latter cheek. Thus the two go hand-in-hand in meaning and implication. ‘Jol’ of Bangla dialect is same as ‘jal’ of Hindi both meaning water. Similary ‘Aeykla’ of Bangla is same as ‘Akeyla’ of Hindi, both connoting lonely. ‘Delay’ of English vibes with ‘Der’ of Hindi both mean being late. ‘Tent’ of English is ditto ‘tent’ in Hindi too. Likewise there are many words with same pronunciation and meaning in various languages. These similarities come handy in feeling easy with a new language.
Memory training exercise in your daily routine
Learing by rote is one thing and honing your intellect quite another. Man is a discriminating being unlike birds and animals that are instinct drivers. Even if he learns something without discrimination, he would use this knowledge where it is most apt. Learning by rote, obviously, calls upon the seeker to reapeat and re-read his subject matter once and over again. This repetitive exercise is called rote learning. Some Psychologists though rate this as an uncerebral activity.
Their reason for not calling it a mental exercise is this that in discharge of it, discrimination is not exercised. Rather the man trust to pick and recall what like a parrot who chants ram-ram, sita-ram etc. without knowing their piety or significance.
Same way, a man who mugs up by rote learning, has no real knowledge of his subject. He can vomit out what he took-in, in a mechanical manner. Alter the original text a little bit, and he would flounder, wanting to relearn what seemingly is old wine in a new bottle.
Doubtless, if rote learing is mutated to discriminatory or consumatory learning it would last longer in memory like nursery kids learning alphabets in tandem with supporting illustrations. Like, by seeing an apple they memorise ‘A’. In course of time they learn to recognise ‘A’ even in absence of the supporting colour fricture of apple—the fruit. Some holds for memorising of numbers and tables. This if a bit of logic is added to rote learning, it becomes viable, untemperable and long lasting. If thereafter, the sequence of text matter is altered, it doesn’t create problem in comprehension or collating.
In fact exercise is nothing but rote learning with discretion. With reason and with logic. What need to memorised is first understood for its meaning, formation, and cotext. Then, and then only you learn it by rote. By so doing, you will use your learning in a far better manner than otherwise.
Mugging up differs from memory exercise thus: former sans ‘meaning’ and ‘spirit’ of subject matter, later, accords primary to these too elements. Psychologists, for obvious reasons deem rote learning as unnatural and advocate discretion and logic as integnal to acquiring new knowledge. Nevertheless, rote learning isn’t all mish mash. It is very much is vogue right since ancient times when sacred texts were supposed to be memorised ad verbatim irrespective of whether or not pupils understood them in first instances.
Rote learning must be applied to such knowledge as mathematical and scientific formulae, euations, tables, counting of numbers, vernacular alphabets. Reason being that a threshold level of insipid and meaningless knowledge needs to be collected to put you on to launching pad of logical learning. Once you reach that level, rote learning must be shoved aside and discrimation should make better part of your learning exercise. The importance of memory exercises lies in fact that they, unlike rote learning, make your knowledge relevant and practicable.
Language-link way to memory lane
Body of any language is made up of alphabets, words and sentences. Hence, to know a language we must know its alphabets. Like for Hindi we must know ∑§, π, ª…and for English knowing A,B,C,D… is mandatory.
Yet, language also has a soul of its own. We must know the meaning of its substance and nuances. It is this spirit which reaches out you from an assortment of words sentencess and paragraphs. Words too, have a personality of their own, which can be explored for better understanding of them. Like, ‘alpenty’ is made from a+plenty. And ‘lovable’ is constiuted from love+able knowtowing thus will help you learn a language better and easily too.
When you want to memorise sentence in a given text, first know what it means and stands for. When you know ‘when’, ‘why’ and ‘where’ of it, then you can anticipate what happened in background and what must come ahead of it. Take for example the sentence: ‘Freedom is my birth right, I will take it at all cost.
This was the slogan given by Bal Gangadhar Tilak during India’s freedom struggle movement. Key words in the slogen are ‘birth right’ and ‘take it’. Should you take care to remember only these two connotations, you will remember the entire slogan—as also most of India’s freedom struggle ethos.
Similarly a poem carries an assortment of word assembly, sentences, ethos, language expertise, rhythm and reason. These charactcristic help you in memorising it, and remembring it for long. Read a peom repeatedly, over and over again. Appreciate its core spirit and message. Glide through its rhythm and sentience you will discover that words and sentence flow into each other like jig saw puzzle. This in enjoyable and doesn’t really tax the mind. Learn a poem in piece meals, and it will conjure up in its innate whole on your mental screen.
