PsL Monthly 1999 June/PSL Volume 7 Number 6.iso/educa/win/lang_art/VOCTRN15.ZIP/MEMORY.TX_/MEMORY.TX

Text File | 1997-05-29 | 7KB | 158 lines

                              How our Memory Works

Welcome to Memory study tips.  This file and others will help you
to learn new methods for studying, and retaining that knowledge.

To start with, our memory isn't as bad as we think.  What we think
is a poor memory really is quite normal.  For example, how many
times have you been introduced to several people, then two
minutes later you can't recall any of their names!

This happens to all of us, and is completely normal.  How many
times have you see someone who has a fantastic memory.  Like they
can memorize an entire book!

He isn't necessarily smarter than you, he just knows about memory
and how it works.  Once you see how things work, then memorizing
will become a lot easier.  The key to everything is short term
memory and long term memory.

It seems that memory suffers because people don't pay attention.

You must pay good attention to remember. Even very old people can
have good memory if they practice memorizing.

There is no way to improve your memory.  ie memory is given at birth,
and you can only develop ways to enhance it, but it in itself cannot
be increased in size like a muscle can.  You must use clues to
remember things.  Associations with objects or people is the
best way to memorize.

You can have over a quadrillion bits of information in your
memory. The space is almost unlimited on what you can remember.
Everything you ever did, heard or saw is in there. It takes practice
to access them properly.  Sometimes through hypnosis you can recall
things that in normal circumstances you wouldn't be able to recall.

Many times something to recall is at the tip of your tongue, but
you can't recall it because your "clue" is being confused with
another clue or name.
IT WOULD HELP IF YOU CHOSE A DIFFERENT PATH TO RETRIEVE IT.
(pay attention to this because it is very important in
retrieving memories) This is most helpful in the tipof your
tongue situations.

I have done this with a defunct business. The business was gone for
years and I couldn't recall their name. I used the building for the
clue and got a brain lock. It was a tip of the tongue thing, then
I switched to another clue, a rolodex with phone numbers.  I pictured
in my mind what it looked like using the rolodex to look up their number
and I recalled it right away. Most impressive!

This clue confusion is very common with names. Like you may be thinking
Rose Marie and have a similar clue like "Rosemary" blocking you.
Then all you think of is Rosemary. This is why you need a couple of
paths, or clues to prime, or register the memory.

Attitude, Interest, Attention, Organization all are very important
to registering. You MUST be interested in the input. If you think
"I can never remember that" Guess what? You won't remember it!

This is very helpful in remembering a new name. When you meet the
person, repeat his name, look at his face and features. Create an
association with another friend who has this name, register the new
person's features, (scar, body, clothes etc) Now last of all let
this guy borrow $100. Not really, but pretend you just gave this
stranger $100 and you are not going to forget his name or else you
are out $100.  After you become friends, you may forget this $100
debt he owes you. You will know his name by then.  This is a very
effective method.

Your memory works by clues. It doesn't recall in a true sense, it
uses triggers called clues. For example, this is how you remember
a joke. You remember the funniest part--the punch line. Then when
you recall the punch line, you recall and retrieve the entire joke.
This is the same way with everything. Organize your clues, punch
lines, features, interesting tidbits. Make a couple of paths for
you to later retrieve the entire library of information.

THE TRIP FROM SHORT TERM MEMORY TO LONG TERM MEMORY

Everything you experience is put into short term memory. You
discard most of this stuff in order to function a normal life. The
items that you remember are in short term memory and are reviewed,
clued, and organized with paths into long term memory. This is how
you remember things.  Short term memory is like a bucket.  The bucket
will gladly hold all that comes its way until it is full, then
something must leave to make room for the new stuff.

Short term memory is stored in one part of our brain, and long term
memory is stored in still another part.  By practicing memorizing,
you can move anything from your short term memory to your long
term memory.  It has been said that you need to hear something
about 200 times before it is firmly locked in long term memory.

This isn't always the case, but the best way to remember is
repetition, and lots of it.

Sometimes you will remember something horrible that happened yet
you say you don't try to remember it.  What happens is that you
think about it from time to time, and this recalling reaffirms
your memories of it.

Short term memory is like I tell you a phone number and you dial it
as I give it to you. If the line is busy, I would need to repeat it
again for you.

In order to store it in long term memory you would need to prime
and practice remembering.  Get new clues for recalling it.

I memorized my new phone number as follows:

My old #838-5559 was changed to 830-4520. I organized it into clues
and paths. I figured 83 was the same beginning as the old number,
the only new digit I had to remember was 0.
So now I had the prefix registered in my memory. Then the next two
digits were 45. I remembered that in the Army I carried a .45 caliber
pistol. Next was the last two digits, 20. I remembered that on cb
jargon "20" is your location. So I already knew my location was at
my home, so now I had the entire number mapped out with clues. 830-
45-20.  Now that My number is in long term memory I know the number
by heart, and don't need to use the clues. But, if I should draw a
blank on it sometime, I just use the same clues and there it is!!!

Silly examples like the aforementioned really work wonders for your
memory.  If you can make up a silly story with the facts, you will
have no problem recalling it later.


CLUES:
--condense information
--summarize information
--associate new information with what you already know
Everybody forms his or her own individual clues.

In what direction does the sun rise?
Who was the first President of the United States?
What did you have for dinner last Friday?
Who called you on the telephone yesterday and what was the subject?

Now the first questions are easy. They are general knowledge and
they never change so we remember them easily.

The last two questions are harder because they are personal
experience and are always changing. They are harder to recall
because they weren't put into long term memory. This is completely
normal.