AviMarcus.net » Memory

Podcast #5 – Mindmapping… Like a Map of My Mind…?

Avi Marcus — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:14:00 +0000

Sample mindmap:

If you can’t play the audio file, click here.
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Learning Can Be Easier Than You Thought – And Fun!

Avi Marcus — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:16:31 +0000

School was pretty boring for me. I did well – I suppose on pure natural talent and some cramming. But school never really interested or excited me.

Compare to today, when I finished a (short) 150pg book in about an hour – and I call that slow. That was non-fiction book number 48 in the past 12 months, outside of the school curriculum.

I don’t intend to brag, but to highlight the massive difference between what I did in formal schooling and what I have stated to do on my own. In school, I would learn while someone was trying to spoon-feed me. Now, I hungrily devour books and other material. I have completely changed the way I learn.

The learning transformation began with reading a book on memory 2.5 years ago (Your Memory… by Kenneth L. Higbee.) By now, I have read 10 books on learning, specifically covering: memory, using the right side of your brain, and reading better. I intuitively know if I will remember new material, or if I should use one of the many tools in my toolbox to make it stick.

The Photoreading system for books, which I started using a few weeks ago, is particularly amazing. When Photoreading, I have intense concentration, read very quickly, and have phenomenal recall of the material. But what is really amazing is how those same principals for reading books flow into everything else I learn – the classes, audio recording, and Talmud. Everything just becomes easier, more fun, and more meaningful.

Learning isn’t hard or boring. We have just been taught to learn incorrectly!

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Associations, the basis of all memory

Avi Marcus — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 02:31:22 +0000

I am sure you have heard many people (probably including yourself) say before “Oh, that reminds me…” This is the way our brain works, items in our memory are “linked” together on various cues, often without our conscious attempt. (This is how works.)
When you learn the meaning of words, the name of a person you just met, etc. an association is being formed – between the word and definition, the name and the face, etc.
The problem is we don’t usually have so much control over these associations. We don’t pay attention or the word is difficult. This is where visualization ( comes to the rescue. It’s the strongest association we can make!
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Types of remembering / Levels of learning

Avi Marcus — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 02:22:50 +0000

There are different types of remembering, which depends on how well you know the information.

Free-recall – The highest level of learning. When you recall the information immediately.
Cue-Aided recall – When you can’t just remember the information, but need a hint, e.g. “The name starts with S.”
Recognition – When you can’t state the information, but can recognize it from a list – e.g. multiple choice in a test.
Relearning – When you have no recollection, but can relearn the information faster than the first time it was learned.

The reason mnemonics work so well is that they generally turn all free-recall tasks into cue-aided recall. This results in faster learning and more links to get to the information.
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How to use visualizations to remember anything

Avi Marcus — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 02:11:30 +0000

To remember things, the most natural and effective way is to form an association between them. The easiest way to do this is with a picture, or visualization.

Why use visualizations?

A study was conducted in which subjects were shown 10,000 pictures. They were then shown those pictures again together with ones they hadn’t been shown before and instructed to specify which one was new. Amazingly, they were 90% accurate. This shows us that our ability to recognize and remember images is extraordinary.

Why do visualizations work so well?

Studies suggest that images and words are stored in different places in our brain, so there are two “chances” to recall the information if we are describing the image to ourselves. Additionally, information from the senses are easier to remember.

So how should I visualize?

The longer you need to remember the information for without review, the more senses you should involve and time you should spend creating the visualization. Try them all and see which ones you like best!

I will use the example of paring a newspaper and yourself. This should remind you to buy it, to write the article, to deliver them… whatever it is, its close enough to remind you of what you need.
Remember, you don’t need the visualization to show you exactly what it is you are remembering, just enough to remind you of it.

Make it crazy! If it makes you laugh or scratch your head in disbelief, you will usually remember it better. If it’s mundane, then there is no reason to remember it.
Make it large – have a huge newspaper
Make it colorful – multiple unusual colors
Make the objects interact – e.g. the newspaper is wrapped up around your body.
Make it move – e.g. the newspaper is flying away and you are holding it down.
Involve all the senses! Smell the ink, taste the ink, and feel the ink smearing all over your fingers. Groan in disgust as you realize you need to scrub it off.

Sound strange? There are some people who feel guilty about studying because making up these pictures are so much fun!
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Recalling something you “forgot” – think around it

Avi Marcus — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 06:08:14 +0000

If you are trying to recall a certain fact – a name, a location and it’s not coming to mind, then think around it.
For an actors name, think of all the movies they were in. The name of a relative? Think of the letters or emails you got from them, parties where you overheard them being greeted or toasts made in their honor.
We remember things based on association, so there might be a “link” to the person’s name from elsewhere, but not what you are currently thinking of. Generally, things get recorded into our memory through multiple associations, so try to go through all those related things. Thinking of the place you were when you heard a certain fact might also trigger you to recall.

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