Memory Improvement Techniques: Avoid frustrating memory loss. Retain and recall more information.

It's a classic situation - you meet someone new, and then moments later you've forgotten their name! Names, passwords, pin and telephone numbers... the list is endless - with so much to memorize is it really possible to improve how much you can remember?

The good news is "yes"! Just like every muscle in your body, the adage "use it or lose it" applies, so the more you exercise your brain, the more you will remember.

Mnemonics

‘Mnemonic’ is another word for memory tool. Mnemonics are techniques for remembering information that is otherwise quite difficult to recall: A very simple example is the ‘30 days hath September’ rhyme for remembering the number of days in each calendar month.

The idea behind using mnemonics is to encode difficult-to-remember information in a way that is much easier to remember.

Our brains evolved to code and interpret complex stimuli such as images, colors, structures, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, positions, emotions and language. We use these to make sophisticated models of the world we live in. Our memories store all of these very effectively.

Unfortunately, a lot of the information we have to remember in modern life is presented differently – as words printed on a page. While writing is a rich and sophisticated medium for conveying complex arguments, our brains do not easily encode written information, making it difficult to remember.

Using Your Whole Mind to Remember

The key idea is that by coding information using vivid mental images, you can reliably code both information and the structure of information. And because the images are vivid, they are easy to recall when you need them.

The techniques explained later on in this section show you how to code information vividly, using stories, strong mental images, familiar journeys, and so on.

You can do the following things to make your mnemonics more memorable:

* Use positive, pleasant images. Your brain often blocks out unpleasant ones.

* Use vivid, colorful, sense-laden images – these are easier to remember than drab ones.

* Use all your senses to code information or dress up an image. Remember that your mnemonic can contain sounds, smells, tastes, touch, movements and feelings as well as pictures.

* Give your image three dimensions, movement and space to make it more vivid. You can use movement either to maintain the flow of association, or to help you to remember actions.

* Exaggerate the size of important parts of the image.

* Use humor! Funny or peculiar things are easier to remember than normal ones.

* Similarly, rude rhymes are very difficult to forget!

* Symbols (red traffic lights, pointing fingers, road signs, etc.) can code quite complex messages quickly and effectively.

Designing Mnemonics: Imagination, Association and Location

The three fundamental principles underlying the use of mnemonics are imagination, association and location. Working together, you can use these principles to generate powerful mnemonic systems.

Imagination: is what you use to create and strengthen the associations needed to create effective mnemonics. Your imagination is what you use to create mnemonics that are potent for you. The more strongly you imagine and visualize a situation, the more effectively it will stick in your mind for later recall. The imagery you use in your mnemonics can be as violent, vivid, or sensual as you like, as long as it helps you to remember.

Association: this is the method by which you link a thing to be remembered to a way of remembering it. You can create associations by:

* Placing things on top of each other.

* Crashing things together.

* Merging images together.

* Wrapping them around each other.

* Rotating them around each other or having them dancing together.

* Linking them using the same color, smell, shape, or feeling.

As an example, you might link the number 1 with a goldfish by visualizing a 1-shaped spear being used to spear it.

Location: gives you two things: a coherent context into which you can place information so that it hangs together, and a way of separating one mnemonic from another. By setting one mnemonic in a particular town, I can separate it from a similar mnemonic set in a city. For example, by setting one in Wimbledon and another similar mnemonic with images of Manhattan, we can separate them with no danger of confusion. You can build the flavors and atmosphere of these places into your mnemonics to strengthen the feeling of location.

Memory Improvement Techniques - How to Get a Photographic Memory

Have you ever wondered how certain people have a razor sharp photographic memory, while others can't remember what they ate for breakfast? While it is true that a select few people are blessed with an exceptional memory, most people have an average memory at best. But there is a specific path you can take to achieve a photographic memory...

How A Photographic Memory Works

You may have seen demonstrations of a photographic memory, usually on late night television. Typically, a person demonstrates their exceptional memory skills by reciting cards from a deck in perfect order, or some similar feat.

And while it may seem like magic or a trick, it's not. Some people do have photographic memories and it is almost always due to specific training methods. Happily, those training methods are not terribly expensive or time consuming, and are well within reach for just about everyone.

A photographic memory is a function of the brain and how it processes visual information. The brain is able to store images, or even words on a page, and has the ability to recall the information on demand. It is a highly developed skill, but actually, all of us have this exact same skill to a degree.

Our memory is a function of the brain and all five of our senses. We are able to remember and recall information based on images, sounds, taste, feel, and smell. Unfortunately, as it relates to memory, it is not enough to have an acute sense of smell or perfect vision. The brain needs to work in conjunction with the senses to develop memory skills.

How To Achieve A Photographic Memory

In order to acquire a photographic memory, your vision and your brain will need to work together seamlessly. Perfect vision is not required, but rather, a highly proficient brain.

Whether you want a photographic memory or merely improve your memory, you need to train your brain to memorize. There are some simple exercises you can do, like card tricks and crossword puzzles. These activities help stimulate the brain but they are not long term solutions. The reason is because they are helping you with a specific activity versus training your brain to retrieve information on demand.

In order to teach and train your brain to respond on demand, you need to train it, just as you would a muscle. We recommend a brain training program that utilizes a building block approach. After all, retaining information is complex, so a training program should be administered in bite size pieces, as it were.

A typical brain training program is computer bases, usually in DVD format or better yet accessible on demand. Normally, they last about twelve weeks and can be done on your own time at your own pace.

Many aspects of the brain training program will focus on spatial relations and visual recall. The activities are fun and interactive, allowing you to enjoy the training while enhancing your memory skills. For example, you may be asked to identify a series of shapes and then place them in the order you saw them.

Another activity might involve associating shapes with words or shapes with objects, which enhances your ability to process visual images in orderly fashion. As you might imagine, the activities start out relatively simple and then build in complexity as your skill set increases.

Over a three month period, or however long it takes you to complete the training, you will notice a significant improvement in your memory, no matter your age. If you think about it, memory is a skill just like any other skill, like playing the piano or running a marathon. Highly developed skills take practice and training.

So, after completing a brain training program, will you have a photographic memory? Quite possibly, although it will likely require more training and practice. But one thing is for sure. Your ability to recall names, dates, directions, and faces will drastically improve.

Summary

Acquiring a photographic memory is a skill that is a direct result of training your brain to remember images and retrieve them on demand. To do this, consider participating in a brain training program specifically designed to enhance your memory skills. These programs are affordable, self paced, and utilize a building block approach to build your skill set.