The Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

Aphantasia. Sounds like a magic word a magician would say before conjuring a rabbit from his hat, doesn't it? But let me ask you this as you click play and listen to the audio version of this page: [smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/magneticmemorymethod/Aphantasia__Develop_Your_Memory_Even_If_You_Cannot_See_Mental_Images.mp3″ title="Aphantasia: Develop Your Memory Even If You Cannot See Mental Images" social_linkedin="true" ] Can you visualize the magician pulling out the rabbit by his ears? For most of us, it will be easy to recall images inside our head, using our mind's eye. However, if you could NOT see any image in your mind's eye – no colors, no sounds, no smells, no textures, no flavors, nothing at all – you may have a condition called aphantasia or a blind mental eye. Don't freak out, though. Many people have aphantasia, even magicians. Familiar with Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller fame)? He is a famous magician and entertainer, and he is an aphantasic(!). By his own admission, Penn says he cannot conjure a mental image of a person or a place to save his life. What Exactly is Aphantasia? A Detailed Definition The term 'aphantasia' comes from the Greek words a, meaning "without", and phantasia, meaning "a capacity to form mental images". The phenomenon was first described by the controversial psychologist Francis Galton – one of the pioneers of eugenics – in 1880. The interest in the phenomenon was renewed after the publication of a study conducted by a team led by Dr. Adam Zeman, a professor of cognitive and behavioral neurology, at the University of Exeter. Zeman's team published a paper in 2015 on what they termed "congenital aphantasia", now known simply as aphantasia. For Firefox co-creator Blake Ross it was a surprise revelation that other people could visualize things in the mind's eye while he couldn't. "I can't 'see' my father's face or a bouncing blue ball, my childhood bedroom or the run I went on ten minutes ago," he wrote in a Facebook post. According to Craig Venter, the biologist who created the first synthetic organism: "It's like having a computer store the information, but you don't have a screen attached to the computer." Is Aphantasia a Common Phenomena? While research on the subject is still in its nascent stages, neurologists believe approximately one in 50 people or 2-5% of the population are non-visual-imagers. Sounds like a big number? Don't be surprised. Being an aphantasic is nearly as common as having a food allergy. Neuroimaging has shown that mental imagery, although strongly associated with the left temporal lobe, requires the use of large networks of brain pathways. This means that aphantasia could potentially occur in different ways in different individuals. The Two Likely Causes Of Aphantasia However, the exact cause of aphantasia is still unknown. According to Dr. Zeman heredity and environment both are likely to be relevant causes. Interestingly, an aphantasic may have a visual memory which means they may be able to describe in detail about how things looked – the cat had blue eyes, the umbrella was pink and matched the skirt – even though they cannot see these very images in their mind's eye. Moreover, many people who cannot visualize in mental images can think in sounds, while others can remember physical sensations. Penn says, when he dreams, he's not sure if he sees images but has the sensation of knowing that "ideas wash over me". Want to Take The Aphantasia Test? It is not possible to "see" what someone else is picturing inside their head unless they describe it to you. So how do we check what your mind's eye is seeing? You can answer the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, which is what psychologists use to rate different mental images of an individual, to test the strength of his mind's eye. Although you don't get any results, you're helping a good cause by completing the survey and the questions themselves will tell you a lot about your imaginary visual style. [smart_podcast_player social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_email="true" ] How Aphantasia Affects Memory Our brain stores information in two different ways – verbally and visually. Both these types of storage are independent of one another, and each can be used alone. Therefore, even people with aphantasia can complete the "tests of visual imagery" without too much difficulty. Here's a quick test: Count the number of windows in your house. Quick #memory improvement exercise: Mentally count all the windows in your home.Click To Tweet Even if you can't see a "mental" image of your house and locate each window in that image, you would have an awareness of being there and recall from factual information the number of windows in your house. While aphantasics can remember things from their past, they experience these memories in a different way than someone with strong imagery. They often describe memories as a conceptual list of things that occurred rather than a video playing in their mind. As Ross says, he can ruminate on the "concept" of a beach, but cannot flash to beaches he has visited. "I know there's sand. I know there's water. I know there's a sun, maybe a lifeguard. I know facts about beaches. I know a beach when I see it, and I can do verbal gymnastics with the word itself…But I have no visual, audio, emotional or otherwise sensory experience." The brain has many unique ways of storing visual information than just as a picture. Multiple Ways To Create Visual Imagery In Your Mind Neuroscientists believe that the brain constructs visual imagery in more than one way. There are separate circuits for things like shape, size, color and spatial relationships, and when these are accessed together, we form an image of a memory. They think that aphantasics piggyback on neurons involved in controlling physical movements rather than using the visual brain circuitry to "visualize" or recall information. For instance, you can trace the letter B of the alphabet in your brain to know it has curves or you can use your mind's eye to see its image. Are There Any Aphantasia Benefits? While the research is still out on this one, Penn says that because he thinks verbally and not visually, when he gets an idea, he can describe it instantly. While aphantasics' use of spatial memory is stronger in the absence of visual memory. It gets better! People with aphantasia have been seen to perform on par with people who can visualize images in many tasks involving visual information. Moreover, a 2003 study stated the benefit of mental imagery is surprisingly small when it came to creative thinking. Does Aphantasia Hamper The Memory Techniques That Call For "Visualization"? Not in the least. Tansel Ali and I talked about your multiple options in a recent interview. In sum: Memory techniques involve more tools than just visualization. You have many options. Memory techniques involve more tools than just visualization. You have many #mnemonic options.Click To Tweet When you use a memory technique like the Memory Palace use all the Magnetic Modes, you can memorize a very large amount of information relatively quickly without necessarily seeing the Memory Palace in your mind. Here's an infographic that tells you all about the different ways that your brain perceives information: Personally, I don't have aphantasia. However, I am low on the visual threshold. Most of what I do involves thinking about strange combinations of images in words and sounds, not high-definition imagery. I would call this being audio-conceptual. So, if you are worried that the inability to see images in your mind will stop you from using the Memory Palace technique. Don't be. Over the years, I've invested in myself so that I can "see" something like visuals in my mind. But even to this day, the best results I get from memory techniques don't require constant streaming of high-definition images in my head. Here's my discussion on this issue: In any case, if you want to visualize bright, vivid pictures in your mind's eye, you can try image streaming. Image Streaming Vs. Aphantasia? Image streaming is a simple process that enables you to open up your mind's eye to visuals. Here's how it works: Close your eyes and describe what you see. If you don't see anything (which would exactly be the case if you have aphantasia) help your brain start seeing images. Start by gently rubbing your closed eyes like a sleepy child. Then describe the bright sparkly light that you see behind your closed retina. Or look at a bright light like a candle for a half minute, or a window which has strong light/dark contrast. Then when you close your eyes, you should be able to see after-images, like a blob of light or color, at back of the eye. Describe that blob of light. You can also describe a memory that you cannot "see" but remember from the past. The important thing is to describe using all your sensory details – meaning use all your five senses of sight (vision), hearing (audition), taste (gustation), smell (olfaction), and touch (somatosensation) to describe your bob of light or memory. While you are examining and describing your after-images or memory events, keep a look out for experiencing some other kinds of image. It could be a momentary face, landscape, or whatever. Notice when this happens, and switch to describing that new image. Remember to describe all images to an external focus – quickly and loudly. The external focus can be a friend or a dictaphone (voice recorder), anything or anyone you can talk to. Practice image streaming for only 10-20 minutes a day to enable your mind's eye to see pictures. How to Use A Memory Palace With A Blind Mind's Eye? Associating pieces of information with a location you are familiar with, like your house, is the basic idea behind the Memory Palace Technique. And it does not need you to visualize your house. You can "know" factually which room is where in your home or where is the window or door or the attic located. Keeping the full range of your Magnetic Modes in mind, you can use any home or location with which you are familiar. The effectiveness of the Memory Palace technique is based on the scientific fact that your brain and spatial memory perceive space as a kind of image. Check out this lecture for more information about how that works: If you're interested in this "Magnetic" technique, click on the image below: Memory Is More Than A Mental Picture Book Memory is many things. It includes facts, figures and figments of information stored in various regions of your brain. But more than that, memory is the ability to communicate these kinds of information to others and recognize them when they are being communicated to you. When it comes to how you get information to play with in the first place, there are many ways. Some are faster than others. Using an effective, dedicated memory strategy system like Magnetic Memory Method you can easily retrieve those memories faster and with predictable and reliable permanence. Add to it a balanced diet, meditation, and sleep and you will be able to enhance your memory, concentration and focus in a way that improves your entire life. Doesn't that make a pretty picture? 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Can smartphone addiction fry your brain cells? Not literally, but that twitchy connection to your phone? It definitely affects your abilities to concentrate and think deeply. And that means device addiction harms your ability to remember. Worse: Smartphone addiction not only turns you into a social pariah… It Can Also Be Fatal! In 2015, distracted driving (due to texting or talking on the cellphone) killed 3,477 people and injured another 391,000. And there's more bad news… According to the National Safety Council, using cell phones while driving can make you more accident prone than even drunk driving… No wonder people are concerned over how cell phones are affecting their lives! In January this year, two of Apple's biggest shareholders wrote an open letter to the company requesting it to provide "more choices and tools" so that parents could restrict their children's smartphone usage time. The letter added that researchers have found this shocking statistic: "U.S. teenagers who spend 3 hours a day or more on electronic devices are 35 percent more likely, and those who spend 5 hours or more are 71 percent more likely, to have a risk factor for suicide than those who spend less than 1 hour." Smartphone addiction is a serious issue and may need some creative problem solving using the C.R.E.A.T.E. formula: But here's the real question: What about YOU? Are you displaying cell phone addiction symptoms? Let's find out: Are You A Nomophobic? I know you will never admit it, but when you are unable to find your phone for even 30 seconds, it causes a minor anxiety attack. How do I know this? Because it happens to people every single second of the day. Look at this poor fellow: So, is he a nomophobic? Absolutely! Nomophobia or 'NO MObile PHOne phoBIA' is the fear of not being able to use your cell phone or have access to your device. Want to know if you're truly addicted? Take this online quiz to find out. Nomophobia is real, but the medical community is not ready to declare overuse of cell phones as a clinical addiction. Ignoring The Data? They neglect to do so in the face of some shocking data. As the Joker suggests (I misquote), "whatever doesn't kill us, only makes us stranger"… Nearly one in ten people admitted to using their smartphones during sex, in the shower, on a movie date, in church or other place of worship, as per the 2013 Mobile Consumer Habits. What's more, nearly three-quarters of the respondents said that they were always within five feet of their smartphones. Although doctors do agree that if you can't stop using your phone, even when it's harming your life, you may be "addicted." "Only a small percentage of people qualify as addicted. But many people overuse their smartphones." This quote comes from Dr. David Greenfield, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut and founder of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction. Smartphone addiction is not listed as an official mental disorder listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. However, psychologists are debating about whether that should change. Some researchers also say that the development of smartphone addiction is similar to that of a gambling disorder (or gambling addiction), which is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. How does addiction work? With gambling, the reward of winning once in a while is what hooks people to the habit. Smartphone addiction works on a similar principle. Most of the time, a phone notification will be insignificant. However, every once in a while… Something Meaningful Happens! Like a phone call from an old friend, or a Facebook notification that someone has tagged you in a photo. Researchers say this type of messages are irresistible and can lead to overuse or addiction to your device. There's more… Device addiction can extend far beyond just the smartphone. Recently, the World Health Organization announced that video game addiction will now be classified as an official mental health condition in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. According to the WHO, gaming disorder is "characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior manifested by: 1) impaired control over gaming (e.g., onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context); 2) increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and 3) continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences." "The behavior pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning," WHO adds. Whether it is to play video games or check your Facebook notifications, here's the truth: Spending too much time with your smartphone will slowly but surely harm your mind. How Smartphone Addiction Damages Your Memory For starters, the presence of smartphone alerts is disrupting our already weak ability to focus on the task at hand. Moreover, excessive use of cell phones also causes headaches, impaired concentration and memory, and fatigue. If you are constantly using your mobile phone to surf the internet it affects the brain's frontal lobe and brainstem functions, resulting in decreased ability to speak, reason and comprehend social cues. Researchers also found that smartphone addiction can lead to an imbalance in brain chemistry that triggers depression and anxiety. Ultimately, smartphone addiction can impair your ability to interact in the real world to the detriment of your personal and professional relationships. It's Not Just Brain Damage Smartphone addiction does more than alter your brain chemicals. Your posture also gets affected when you use your phone all the time. And according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, posture affects mood, behavior and memory. Therefore, frequent slouching to look at your device screen can make you depressed. What's more, Researchers at the University of Michigan state that the tucking your chin (or chins) and hanging your head to look at the smartphone is also causing empathy levels to fall and narcissism to rise among individuals. A Reliable, Easy & Fun Way To Learn Things (Without Googling It On Your Smartphone) We have all done it: Reached for our smartphones the instant we want to verify a fact, learn a new bit of information, watch a video or read an ebook. But there are other approaches. One simple way to undo the damage done by mobile phone overuse is to switch off the phone and go back to a real book for information or entertainment. Need more incentive? Re-read of a book from the past. This way you'll not only defeat Digital Amnesia, you'll also enhance your attention as you give your brain the opportunity to revisit information from the past offline. You can also Mind Map, and I've recently shared one of my own to demonstrate just how powerful this approach can be for memory, focus and concentration: Digital Fasting… The Cure For Smartphone Slavery? But the ultimate technique is called "Digital Fasting." It's easy: Just leave your smartphone at home or sit in a cafe with no WiFi so that you are not distracted by your device and can dedicate mental space to the book at hand. And if boredom strikes and you feel the need to sneak out your smartphone, use these 3 ridiculously boring ways to add focus and excitement to your life. But no memory improvement training will work to the highest possible degree if its not linked to memorizing information that will immediately improve your life. And to do that, you learning projects need to involve Memory Palaces (ideally by creating them the Magnetic Memory Method way). Why On Earth Is That? Because when you create Memory Palaces using the Magnetic Memory Method it lets you measure your memory improvement activities. And tracking your outcomes leads to rapid improvement in the way information gets stored in your long term memory. Even better: All other memory techniques including playing crossword puzzles can be used inside of Memory Palaces. But this never takes place the other way around (For example, you can't use Memory Palaces inside of the Major Method the way you can use the Major Method inside of Memory Palaces.) Building Memory Palaces is also great for dealing with a diminishing attention span. Use the tips in this video about how to break through your attention span myths and limitation to help you craft the attention span you deserve. If you are looking for a complete brain rehab try this method… Click on the link below to get started: Get More Out Of Your Existence You want to live a full, vibrant, exciting life? You don't want a zombie-like existence where a handheld device controls your emotions, moods, experiences and even what information your brain can or should store? If "hell yeah" is your response then we are on the right track! But don't worry if you don't have it all mapped out when trying to get rid of the smartphone addiction habit. You don't have to. You can create your own hacks for building better habits. Better still, use the magic of Memory Palaces to unlock your brain's true potential and lead the magnetic life you deserve. Come on, say it loud (just not into your smartphone) – hell yeah! The post 3 Shocking Ways Smartphone Addiction Erodes Your Brain And Memory appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Tansel Ali is possibly the most positive memory champion on the planet. Turns out there's a solid reason why. A few reasons, actually. And in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I speak with 4x Australian Memory Champion Tansel Ali talks about memory improvement and positive thinking. This may well be the most valuable hour you spend listening to a podcast about memory improvement. Why? For starters… In addition to discussing the role of gratitude in coming up with effective visualizations when using mnemonics, Tansel discusses the importance of reading, memorizing cards with music on and focusing on the right things to maximize performance in your memory and life. Plus, when you scroll up and click play above, you'll soon discover… * Why Tansel was originally skeptical about memory improvement and thought all TV memory trainers were fake. * The factors responsible for making people suspicious of memory techniques because they seem like magic "tricks." * How Tansel wound up at his first memory competition and took second place. * The other rewards memory improvement brings you, including mindset, job performance and fun. * Tansel's transition from memory competition to enhancing his own life and the lives of others through teaching memory. * Why you need to continue challenging your memory almost like the physical training of the body to keep the mind in top shape. * Exactly how participating in memory competitions help you develop preparation and developing positive self-talk. * Why Tansel sometimes FORCES himself NOT to use memory techniques in order to challenge his brain. * Tansel's definition of consistency and the development of successful habits that you can use to challenge yourself. * Why you should go without fear of making mistakes for the health of your brain and the development of effective discipline. Tansel Ali book signing of The Yellow Elephant on Kindle for me in person. * Tansel's personal training regime and how he makes it count. * How Tansel thinks about visualization as a kind of muscle and how he trains it for competition. * A quick comparison of Alex Mullen's training regime and Tansel's focus on efficiency to improve the right skills and maximize performance. * A discussion of aphantasia and why you don't actually have to see pictures in your mind to use memory techniques. * How Tansel uses feelings and thinking in words to create mnemonic imagery – and why feeling creates more impact. * How to give the mnemonic imagery you create greater value through personalization. * Practical reasons you should memorize cards. For one thing, they set you up to make creative decisions that goes beyond just remembering information. And here are 13 more reasons you should have a system for remembering cards. * Tansel's thoughts on music and memory and how he memorizes cards with music playing. * The benefits of training your memory and where to start (also discussed in this video): * The importance of making memory training fun and interesting, rather than a chore. * Tansel's history with apps for memory training and meditation and how to reduce stress. * How Tansel changed from wallowing in negativity to living in positivity. * Why you don't have to use bizarre or violent imagery to remember information and positive options you can explore for creating and using mnemonics. * Why we both approach shows like Breaking Bad with caution in order to maintain a positive mindset. Not that Breaking Bad can't be useful for memory improvement, as you can see here: * The role of gratitude in increasing the value of your imagination by focusing on specifics. * Why "the law of attraction" is useless without taking action – and how you can use mindset to create the excitement needed to make sure you achieve your goals. * Why Tansel wishes he had read more as a young person. * Some of Tansel's favorite memory books and why they changed his life, including books by Tony Buzan and Dominic O'Brien. * Tansel's take on Digital Amnesia and why he chooses to see the positive side of the debate about the so-called Google Effect. * How Turkish is helping Tansel learn Japanese even without using Kevin Richardson's Learn Japanese App (a.k.a. Memory Palace). I want to thank Tansel for being on the show and thank you for listening. Please be sure to grab his books, visit his site and get connected on his various online platforms using the links below. Further Resources Yellow Elephant: Improve Your Memory And Learn More, Faster, Better by Tansel Ali How to Learn Almost Anything in 48 Hours: Shortcuts And Brain Hacks For Learning New Skills Fast by Tansel Ali Subscribe to Tansel Ali's YouTube channel Visit Tansel Ali's website Tansel Ali on Twitter Tansel's World Memory Stats The post Tansel Ali On How Gratitude Can Help You Remember Almost Anything appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

We all make mistakes. In fact, life mistakes are inevitable. Heck, in many cases, they're even desirable. After all, we learn from our mistakes when picking up a language – including our native mother tongues. But some life mistakes are probably avoidable. Like the 4.1 I'm going to discuss in this post. They are in no particular order of importance. But I've stuck the one with a tutorial at the end. I believe if you pay that final point the most attention… … and put its mini-lesson into action… You will avoid SO much pain and suffering. I wish I had known about that unique set of strategies anyone can use at least 21 years sooner! So whether you're 41 or any other age, let's dive in with these mistakes life has burned into my memory and that I could have done without. 1. You Cannot Fulfill Anyone Else's Dreams (No Matter How Hard You Try) Maybe it's all the Romantic poetry I read. Or maybe it's just in my genes. Whatever the reason, I have somehow wound up with a tendency to try and make others happy. But it's a trap! Every time. First off, "happy" is mostly meaningless. There are too many possible definitions. Most of them are far from impressive, let alone correct. I prefer the Greek term eudaimonia. Some people translate it as happiness, but it actually refers to "flourishing." Already, that sounds better. Concrete. Something you can feel, see, embrace. But even then, you cannot give flourishing to another human being. The best you can do is reach out and try to connect. Share with them some of what you know and the story of how you came to understand it. Yes, there is "hard teaching." There is the do-this, do-that of the Memory Palace. Anyone can repeat the process, even if they're a skeptic at first. (Especially if they're skeptical.) Likewise with brain exercises. But getting people to complete the exercises? That's entirely on them. The best you can do is offer inspiration and encouragement. And if you love them, let them be. Our siblings on this long-suffering earth can only do the things they are going to do. And those of us who have traveled to a particular destination, can only show the way – the way we took, amongst many possible paths. Though to reach some destinations, there really are only singular and definitive ways to reach the end. Either way, if student and teacher are lucky enough to meet somewhere on the road, they can break bread. Maybe sing a song or two together. Or just hang out on a YouTube Live like this one we did for my birthday: (If you're not subscribed to my YouTube channel, you can take care of that here.) But sooner or later, both will be off again on their individual journeys into the unknown. And that's a beautiful thing. But when you try to tether ships together… All too often, the ship bows start to knock. And no two sails interpret the wind quite the same. How could they? Same wind. Different sails. If something you've taught them about sailing helps them correct course to wherever it is they're trying to navigate, that's great. But they ultimately accomplished the task of navigation. From the deck of their own ship. And there are lots of possible destinations. We can't all wind up on the same islands together. Nor should we. Anyhow, I've wasted a lot of time and energy trying to redirect some of the wind filling my sails to help others. It never works. Here's What Guides You To Success Better What does work is this: Sharing the miracle of what one has learned about harnessing the wind's power. And respecting what the wind can do. It sometimes makes sense to help a friend patch up one of their moth-bitten sails. But you've got to make sure you don't get stranded on their ship. Especially during a storm. Keep yourself tied to your own mast. That way you'll always have a way back to your own ship. And you reduce the danger that you may be the reason why the ship of your friend has started to go down. Because the cruel reality is that help can be a hindrance. Keep your awareness high of that potential problem and you'll be better off and help save yourself and others from drowning under the weight of wisdom they may neither want nor need. Is all that too abstract? Perhaps. But rest assured that the stories lurking behind these images are memories I could do without. And I think that even without concrete examples, they could help you avoid many disasters too. 2. You Always Have All The Resources You Need (Even If You Sometimes Fall For The Scarcity Illusion) Actually, I don't have any unusual nightmares lurking behind this life principle. But I've seen many people not take action because they believed in scarcity, rather than abundance. They didn't have enough money. They didn't have enough energy. They didn't have enough time. In every case, I could easily spot why these claims weren't valid. And when I opened my mouth about why I thought so… well… see point one above. It's very hard to make abundance visible to people convinced that they don't have enough. In fact, it may be impossible. It seems like a universal rule that they have to figure it out for themselves. I hate cliches – especially when they're right – but I too have been the horse you could not force to drink. Not often, but I get it. I've just been blessed not to be duped by the lie of scarcity all that often in my short life. But I'm aware of its potential for evil. And the scarcity-mindset truly is evil. The "Else" Exercise That Erases Scarcity From Your Brain If you suffer from it, here's a simple tip Jonathan and I talk about in Branding You Academy: "Else." When you're asking any of the famous "W" questions (What, Where, When, Who, Why) always add an "else." Like this: What else? Where else? When else? Who else? Why else? And of course: How else? Get out a big fat sheet of paper and let it all out. Brain dump. Mindmap. C.R.E.A.T.E. the way I talk about in this YouTube Live: Do whatever it takes to squeeze out every possible option. Whatever it is you want to accomplish, you can find a way. At the very least, you can find a way to get started. And there will be magic in the movement. Action is a special energy. Without the woo-woo of "the Secret" or "the Law of Attraction," I can explain why you will start to attract all the resources you will need if you just start moving – and keep moving: It's simple: Because movement reveals hidden resources! And it gives you what Gary Halbert calls a Fighter Pilot Attitude. The Amazing Self-Help Secret Buried In A Fragment From Kafka I also think of that story from Kafka. You know the one (I'll add a bit of my own flair, if you don't mind): The man who always takes the train to the next town for work misses his train. So he borrows a bike. When he gets to the next town, he asks an old man to watch over the bike as he goes to work. Before he leaves, he tells the old man: "I can't believe how many more things I noticed about the landscape while riding the bike." The old man replies: "Just think how much more you'll notice if you walk." Exactly the same thing will happen to you if you take action. Instead of sitting on a speeding train of inactivity with your eyes blind to all your options, take another route. And take that route another way. You'll start to notice a whole new world of detail – and possible avenues of action. And you'll talk to people you never noticed before. People who will open you to even more perspectives. Before you know it, you'll be walking everywhere – the world will seem too abundant not to take your time and bask in everything it offers. 3. There Is No Such Thing As Free The Internet is pretty cool. But I've been burned by it many times. It's like jacking the Gutenberg press directly into a vein. The only problem is… No one can consume all that content. And even if any of us could… They'd never be able to take action on even a small percentage of that knowledge. And that's a real problem. Thanks to our genetic heritage, we are hunter-gatherers. And the Internet triggers that ancient need to hunt and gather things that seem valuable to us. We stock 'em up and store them for the great famine. Works great with berries and meat – if you know how to preserve them. But with knowledge? It's horrible. We've got a world full of people with all the knowledge they'll ever need at their fingertips. There's NOTHING you cannot hoard into your coffers on the Internet for free. And that's a real problem for reasons that go far beyond file-sharing and lost revenue for content creators. It's a problem for all of humanity because discipline is slipping. Completion rates are plummeting. And those who escape the grip of Digital Amnesia and don't fall prey to the attention span myth are getting fewer and fewer. The consequence appears to be a growing elite of action-takers. This elite wins more and more as an ever-increasing majority of people fall into the munching gears of the machines and algorithms that have turned human attention into a commodity. People struggle to pay attention on digital devices. And they're not processing information the same way. For this reason, information now costs far more than ever before. Learning costs you more time and mental energy. Why? Because it takes longer to consume content when you're endlessly flipping between 100 tabs and interrupted by dozens of notifications per minute. And then you have to go over it again because the information is far too quickly – and easily – forgotten. We're still learning the lessons we need to learn, but the solution won't change: Invest in offline education at least as much as online education. How To Complete The Quest For Balance Between Online And Offline Knowledge Find a balance between the two. Get and read at least as many print books as digital books. Attend at least as many live training events as the video courses you complete (assuming you can finish them in a world of digital distractions). Invest in others by being with others. That will help you invest in the future. Sure, it's grassroots. Not always as International as the Internet seduces us into wanting. But we know from basic brain chemistry that we need the chemicals that only being around others create. And so much of the confidence and self-esteem issues, not to mention the vapid tribalism that seems to be getting worse and worse, is quite obviously tied to how much time we're spending in online tribes instead of local ones. That said… 4. There Is No Such Thing As Failure The truth about failure is a hard and contradictory lesson to learn. Especially when living at the top of your game technically requires you to fail a fair amount. Or at least… That's the way it's usually framed. Here's the truth, however: No one likes failure and they're right to try and avoid it. Failure is painful! And the typical way people advise us to "hack" failure is, to be frank, totally obnoxious: "Fail fast. Fail often." Uhmmmmmm… No. And A Thousand Times No I say this with certainty because the best antidote to failure is simple: It's success! Now, I realize that I waxed messianic at the beginning of this post about the serious role mistakes play in our success. I have not forgotten that little speech. But mistakes aren't failures. They're sign posts that something needs to be changed. Like you sometimes need to change the ways you approach learning faster and remembering more. Dive in because taking action leaves clues regarding what to change and often reveal precisely how to change things.lan Especially if you use the "else" exercise I shared above. But there's also something else that leaves clues and shows us how to correct things that have gone wrong. Again, it's success. So instead of failing and failing often, how about succeeding and succeeding often for a change. And to do that, maybe you do have to put yourself in situations where you will "fail" from time to time. But often enough, with just a bit of research and self-understanding, you can put yourself in contexts bound to give you more "quick victories" more often. For example, if you know about your sensory preferences and the personal learning hierarchy I teach you how to discover in The Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass, you can "engineer" learning situations in which you'd actually have to try hard to fail. In brief, we all have at least 6+1 Magnetic Modes. The main 6 look like this: The 7th is space itself. The 7th is the Magnetic Mode we use to create and use Memory Palaces. Do You Know Your Learning Hierarchy? You Learning Hierarchy is based on knowing whether you are more visual, auditory or kinesthetic concerning a particular topic. Oh yes, your Learning Hierarchy can change! (It's sneaky that way!) But self-understanding is the way you stack the chips in your favor. Sadly, most people are stacking those chips against themselves. I've done it to myself far too many times. But here's the cool thing about getting older and having been fortunate enough to stumble into the art and craft of self-observation: I feel I've managed to get out of the major life ruts we humans tend to fall into… … just in time to set the stage for a much more enjoyable passage into the next stage of life. Speaking of self-observation, here's what I really wish I'd discovered sooner: 4.1 Not Learning To Meditate Sooner Created Years Of Unnecessary Suffering Frankly, every minute spent in meditation is the best investment of time and energy in the world. And I wish I'd taken it more seriously sooner. I first learned about it in Grade 12 English. Our teacher took us through a guided meditation out of the blue. I'm not sure why he didn't do it at the beginning of every class. But it made sense to me then and although it would be many years yet before I got into it seriously, the practice made a mark. However, I'm a skeptic at heart. And I need science that makes sense before I take action on certain things. And I just didn't know that a lot of science supports a number of the meditative practices I had dismissed. Like these reports on how to improve concentration and memory Buddha-style. To be fair, a significant amount of the science I needed to discover wasn't out there yet. And the Internet, as dangerous as it can be for taking action, wasn't around to make it discoverable. Plus, I was in that deadly hunter-gatherer mode that leads us to "save data for later" in the form of books marks and other dangerous tools of forgetting. Why There Truly Is Happiness Beyond Thought And it wasn't until a friend told me about Happiness Beyond Thought by Gary Weber that I ordered a print copy of the book and gobbled it down in a way that never happens online. (Thanks to Ben at Project Monkey Mind for the wind I needed in my sails!) At least for me, it was important to get the physical copy. Reading it would never have happened online because it's just too twitchy a space for me to get any reading done. Anyhow, Weber gave some solid science. And he explained how research reveals certain yoga moves are more likely to help men for some reason. Yet, oddly enough, a number of those moves tend to be practiced more often by women. Meanwhile, men lock themselves into poor results because they tend to be more attracted to the cerebral brain exercise-type meditation. Lo and behold, I gave some of these more movement based meditations a try. And before you know it, I was enjoying PNSEs like there's no tomorrow (Persistent Non-Symbolic Experience). At first, these experiences scared me. How I Escaped My "Dark Night Of The Soul" I guess you could say I had what some people call a "Dark Night Of The Soul." It lasted for almost a year. Across this period of time, I mainly experienced the oneness that the non-dualist Advaita Vedanta-types talk about. And frankly… I didn't like it. For awhile, I couldn't even understand the point of being alive at all given the conclusions this experience raised in me. But then… With consistent, persistent practice… The warm soft glow Gary Weber talks about started to emerge. It wasn't like other stories where it just suddenly happens. It was a soft glowing ember. I have to keep blowing on it. But it gets warmer and warmer. And the more I explore the techniques and add kindling to the ember, the warmer this glow grows. I almost can't believe how amazing it all is… I never want it to end. And I want the whole world to have this feeling. So to conclude this long 41st birthday blog post, here's basically what I've been doing to grow this ember. I have a feeling it will work for you too, even if it takes a while. How You Can Meditate For Focus, Concentration, Memory & An Incredible Sense Of Well-Being In Just 15 Minutes A Day 1. I start the day with some simple stretching and movement. I learned a lot of these moves years ago from Scott Sonnen and later in Systema. 2. I do some journaling. Often I use The Freedom Journal. But I also use a number of different journals at the same time. It helps keep thoughts organized. The point is to reserve some of your journaling for gratitude and another part for describing what I call the "Perfect Present." Basically, you just write out the way you want things to be. And test your description for honesty by doing it multiple times. 3. I do three kinds of stretches I discovered in Happiness Beyond Thought. The first just involves touching your toes. The second is a kind of cow-tow thingy. The third is like a sun dog yoga stretch 4. Breathing routines I usually start by breathing in for a count of five, holding for a count of five and then exhaling for a count of five. I do this until I feel centered. Then I do this: Next, I do breath withholding. This involves breathing in for a count of 5, holding for a count of 16 (or four rounds of Sa Ta Na Ma), then breathing out for a count of eight. I usually do this twice. Finally, I will do the same count as before, but this time hold for sixteen with the lungs empty. Weird, I know, but it helps to step all kinds of problems, including self punishment. 5. Number-Skipping with breathing Next, I practice number-skipping. I will inhale to the count of one, then breath in but suppress the thought of two, followed by counting the third breath. This practice amounts in some ways to the "don't think of a red cat" game. The very question practically forces you to think of a red cat. And yet… strangely enough, it is possible to "skip" counting numbers by replacing them with the awareness that you are deliberately not counting the number. So the number is there and it isn't there. This exercise is excellent for developing focus, concentrate and presence. 6. Language learning and memory training We know that language learning helps develop white and grey matter in the brain. There's even scientific proof for why bilingualism makes for a healthier brain. That's not the reason I do it, but I believe that spending at least a little bit of time every on language learning using memory techniques is part of the sense of well-being I experience. It's effortless to do. I talk a lot about it in this live discussion of using The Freedom Journal in combination with the Magnetic Memory Method: 7. Juggling I don't practice juggling every day, but I find the benefits incredible for developing focus and a feeling of well-being. And check back here soon. I'm collecting footage for a little documentary about learning to juggle and recite the alphabet backwards. It's kind of like juggling balls and thoughts at the same time. And anyone can do it. Anyone Can Experience Bliss Well, that's basically what I've done each and every day of my fortieth year. It's basically what I plan to do each and every day of my forty-first year too. I wish I'd been doing it all along. And I'm not going to fall prey to all of that "no regrets" nonsense. No, I don't really regret it… But by the same token, I really do. The past really could have been a lot better had I known to do these things sooner. And if any of these suggestions make sense to you, I suggest taking action on them. The sooner the better so that you can see what works and dismiss what doesn't. Failure to take action and try things is not to know. Ignorance is most certainly not bliss. Avoid it like the devil. The post 4.1 Painful Life Mistakes Burned Into My Memory And How To Avoid Them appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

The Freedom Journal… sounds ambitious right? Well, what if I told you that I've discovered profound memory benefits from journaling for language learning, including boosts in physical and emotional wellbeing? Benefits that definitely deserve the word "freedom." That's what I am going to tell you about. And it's all happening right now in this step-by-step guide. This page will show you how to use The Freedom Journal to experience multiple levels of mental freedom while using it to learn a language with consistency and confidence. The best part? You don't have to journal blindly. You don't have to start from scratch or wonder exactly how you're going to chart your path towards improved fluency. You just have to: Click play on the podcast above. John Lee Dumas himself is on this episode of the MMM Podcast to help explain how this amazing tool came into existence. Grab yourself your very own Freedom Journal (ideally in print for the fullest brain benefits). Then, have the language you want to learn… A couple of Memory Palaces… 5-10 minutes in the morning, another 5-10 in the evening… And you're ready to experience brain benefits and fluency like never before. Ready? Let's go! A (Very) Brief History Of Journaling You know what journaling is, right? Your words. About you. On paper. Or written inside a digital document. Take your pick. More carefully defined: A journal (or diary) is a place you store entries on a daily or near-daily basis. It is voluntary, helps you put problems to rest and keep yourself moving forward. You can journal to maintain flow, learn more about yourself and use the Magnetic Memory Method better as you go. Or, like the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote in Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν (To Myself), you can journal purely to capture your thoughts. These days, "To Myself' is known as Meditations. Aurelius wrote it in the second half of the 2nd century AD and, even though this book started as his journal, it is still a bestseller today. Here's the important point: Journaling is powerful and the practice has stood the test of time. Therapeutic Journaling And How It Can Help You Learn A Language Did you know that in the 1980s, James Pennabaker's expressive writing paradigm opened scientists onto a whole new world of understanding what makes journaling so good for your health? He started by looking at journaling as a tool for helping people deal with trauma. But soon after that, dozens and soon hundreds of studies started to appear showing similar effects. A lot of them are gathered up and synthesized in one of my favorite books of all time, 59 Seconds: Change Your Life in Under a Minute. Sounds like hype, right? It isn't. Wiseman is one of the best science writers of our era and if you want the hard data on why journaling, ideally by hand on paper, works so much magic, you'll want to read 59 Seconds. Here's why all this matters: Journaling Makes You Feel Better And Remember More Feeling better literally helps you remember more because the absence of pain is an incredible way to increase your focus and concentration. And that is a huge help when you're learning a language. That said, if you don't feel frustrated or discouraged, then maybe you don't need journaling. But before you decide, check out these… 3 Warning Signs That Scream You Need Journaling To Succeed With Language Learning We've talked before about these 15 Reasons Why Learning A Foreign Language Is Good For Your Brain. And the reason you need at least bilingualism in your life is simple: Learning a language is excellent for the resilience of the white and grey matter in your brain. The ongoing use of other languages creates has been shown to fend off Alzheimer's and Dementia. (So long as you're not reducing your results with Digital Amnesia and self-deception about your attention-span.) But often, scientific proof isn't enough to create significant motivation for language learning. In fact, you might be experiencing one of these 3 warning signs that you need journaling for Language Learning. 1. You're Not Consistent There's no doubt about it: Learning a language takes time plus consistency. Consistency is a skill, and for many of us (including me), not always one that shows up on autopilot. Journaling can help. 2. You Struggle With Organizing Your Time Let's be honest: Time is a slippery fish. Yes, yes, we all know the old line: "Everybody gets the same 24 hours a day." But you know what's so maddening about that cliche? Even if it's true… Not everyone has your life situation, nor your obligations! Journaling (with the right journal) can help you find a tailor made solution. 3. You Forget Where You Left Off (And Even Why You're On The Journey) Do you know why artists use sketchbooks? Yeah, they're convenient. Duh. But they're also a time machine. They reveal the ongoing progress and serve as reminders of where things need to go. And just as an artist needs to see the development of their strokes and abilities with shading… So too do they need clues about what to work on next. It's exactly the same with language learning. With a journal, you can look both forward and back into the past with ease. How To Stop Gambling With Your Language Learning Success Gambling? C'mon, Dr. Memory. Isn't that a rather theatrical way to put it? Not if you value your time. After all, every minute you spend learning a language only to forget what you've learned… Frustrates you. Demotivates you. Chips away at your resilience and makes it harder and harder to succeed. Enter John Lee Dumas And The Freedom Journal All of a sudden one of the most impressive Kickstarter campaigns I have ever seen was everywhere. Great videos and images were talking about how to gauge your pace by setting proper goals and breaking them up into sprints. I'd already been journaling for years. I'd already seen variations on the "regimented journal" many times before. But The Freedom Journal was different. I instantly saw how it could help language learners. And, quite frankly, I was pretty sure it could help me too. Because if there's one thing I hate above all things… It's gambling with my time! My First Experiment (And MASSIVE Success) With The Freedom Journal Learning a language is a big project. And I had just started with Chinese at the time. But I had another project I knew I had to get off my shoulders. The Zeigarnick Effect it was giving me had gotten far too strong. The course is called Genre Frameworks and I'm delighted that it's finally done. But before I sought help from The Freedom Journal, this incomplete project was interfering with my mental space for Chinese and a few other things. So I decided to see if I could bolt the two things things together: 1) Finally get one of my old Film Studies lecture courses into video format and… 2) Learn enough Chinese to ask April's dad for his blessing to get married. After a bit of small talk, of course. All while still showing up for my day job, which involves: Blogging Vlogging Podcasting Developing Branding You Academy Plus… …wearing the 9000 other hats stubborn entrepreneurs with a massive vision for improving lives around the world gladly heap onto their heads. No matter what your calling, perhaps you can relate to be being busy in your own life too? At any stage of your career, or in any life situation, you really can get multiple things done if you have a plan and follow a structure. So to pull of these two projects while still keeping the Magnetic Memory Method ship rolling along without skipping a beat, here's what I did: How The Freedom Journal Helps You Take Charge Of Your Time & Memory The Freedom Journal starts off by helping you define a goal that you: a) Want to achieve b) Can achieve within 100 days It walks you through a simple process for "fact checking" yourself so that you're not stacking the chips against you and your project. Remember, no one likes to gamble with time. When you do, you always lose. With the Magnetic Memory Method on my side, and all the things I've learned from Olly Richards about how to consistently get quick victories with language learning courses, I hopped on a call with my Chinese tutor. I booked every single session with my tutor in advance, another little trick I learned from Olly to "brute force" your way into showing up consistently. Using the Magnetic Memory Method Vocabulary Builder in combination with The Freedom Journal, we charted out a course for the next 100 days with 2-3 speaking sessions per week. Using the Freedom Journal, I broke the 100 day mission into 10-day sprints. For language learning, that process looks like this: 1. The Rule of Ten Magnetic Memory Palaces Create 10 Memory Palaces with no less than 10 Magnetic Stations (ideally a bit more than 10 to give yourself some breathing room and fend off Memory Palace Scarcity). Then keep creating Memory Palaces for the spatial memory benefits. 2. The Rule of Ten Words Per Memory Palace In each of these Memory Palaces, memorize 10 words per day. If you're more advanced, you can immediately add phrases to each word. If you're not yet skilled enough with memory techniques, do this instead: Focus on individual words for the first 2-3 sprints. By the time you hit your stride in 2-3 weeks, you'll easily be able to memorize both core vocabulary and entire phrases. 3. The Rule of Journaling Every Day The Freedom Journal is so valuable because on a time budget of just two pages a day, you get all the emotional benefits and psychological benefits discussed in the scientific research that supports the benefits of journaling. You also get the art sketchbook effect where you can see your progress over time and comfortably predict the future. And by the end of the 100 days, you'll have 100 words and anywhere from 50-80 phrases in long term memory. A Detailed Anatomy Of The Freedom Journal For Language Learning Part One: Conquer the Morning, Conquer the Day Step-by-step, here's how a typical morning using The Freedom Journal works: 1. A Powerful and Inspiring Quote First, you get what I've come to think of as a "Mindset Adjuster." It's a great way of thinking positively and remembering the things that really matter. Many of them are worth committing to memory too. 2. Quick Reflection Next, you reflect on what makes you grateful. Now, you might be wondering… Does gratitude actually work? The answer is "absolutely." Again, 59 Seconds is great reading for the proof, but you can also check out Dr. Erin Olivo. The way she describes journaling really resonates with me: Journaling has been demonstrated beyond doubt to create greater levels of happiness. Thus, happiness is a choice. Bonus tip: Over deliver on gratitude by pushing for as much as you can. When you realize how lucky you are to have things like food and water, it's gets pretty difficult to focus on the wee bit of effort learning a language takes. After all, you could be wandering through the desert under the weight of two barely functioning buckets instead of reading this post on a mobile phone on the bus or in a Starbucks, right? 3. Break The Steps Down Yes, The Freedom Journal asks you to do this every day. For really long projects like the one I completed, I'll be honest with you… It got a little tedious. But I practice what I preach, so I'm going to put my Nikes on before I climb the soap box: Just. Do. It. The cumulative effects of reminding yourself of what needs to be done are powerful. 4. Action Plan On the day you see pictured here, I'd already done most of my language learning activities. You likely won't fill it out at the exact same time every day either. But that's the beauty of it all: By checking in with The Freedom Journal daily, you develop the habit of translating your journaling into action. So keep journaling and filling these parts out even after they become second nature to reinforce them. And if you're wondering about exactly what I did with my language learning ritual, check out Mandarin Chinese Mnemonics And Morning Memory Secrets. Basically, it works like this: Come already prepared with the vocabulary and/or phrases you want to memorize ready to go with your Memory Palace for the day already drawn in The Freedom Journal. See Part Two for more. 5. Morning Mind Relief We know from many creativity studies that a quick switch to something else helps keep you sharp. And so part of the genius of The Freedom Journal is that it gives you something else to think about for your creative projects by suggesting a resource each and every day. Even if you already use the tool under recommendation, it triggers ideas. And that's good for your brain. Part Two: Conquer the Evening, Conquer the Morning 6. Record Your Wins & Your Memory Palaces At the end of the day, I love listing two quick wins as structured by The Freedom Journal. And by luck, fate or some other level of synchronicity, there's just enough room in the corner to sketch out most Memory Palaces. But any time I needed more space, no problem. I would just use one of my Memory Journals or Mind Mapping journals, like the kind you see in this video: 7. Acknowledge Any Struggles We all have blind spots. And that means we keep bumping into obstacles. Or maybe it's physical pain, like I was struggling with at the time. But reflecting on what we might not be seeing can be huge for opening up even the most bruised and blackened eyes. And as they sometimes say, in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. Or in the case of chronic pain, acknowledging it and owning it is the best way to get over it and move forward. I certainly wasn't going to let my psoriatic arthritis symptoms get in the way. So if you want to finally rule over your obstacles and issues, this part of The Freedom Journal will help. 8. Prime The Future For Success If it's true that conquering the morning will help you conquer the day, then this is also true: Conquer the morning before you hit the sheets. The Mastery Journal, which is the "sequel" to The Freedom Journal has additional tools for making every tomorrow successful. But if you've been thinking Freedom Journal vs Mastery Journal, my suggestion is to start with The Freedom Journal and graduate upwards from there. Seriously, even just this little "tomorrow priming" section can make a huge difference. You can use it to pump yourself up or even make a quick action plan for the following day. 9. More Musing Please don't dismiss this step: There's tons of science that demonstrates just how good mind wandering really is for the human brain. You can literally allow yourself to just write anything. For more of the evidence supporting musing and mind wandering as a deliberate practice, check out Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang. 10. The Freedom Journal's Hidden Asset For Magnetic Language Learners No, it's not a huge amount of space. But I knew it would be just enough the instant I saw it. And it's just right for 10 words. Plus, if you do the math, 10 words over 100 days is 1000 words. 1000 Words Memorized In 100 Days? Totally Doable! Well chosen (perhaps using the MMM Vocabulary Builder), developed into phrases and used in combination with The Big Five Of Language Learning… … even just 500 words based on a 50% accuracy rate will represent an enormous boost in fluency. Most people who really get into memory techniques, however, will have a 85-90% retention rate, which is massive compared to rote learning studies. And even if the best can still get around 40% retention from rote learning using either index cards and Spaced Repetition Softwares, these approaches: 1) Cannot scale the way a solid Memory Palace practice quickly compounds over time 2) Take way too long and way too much discipline for the effects to settle in (for most people) 3) Bore the tears out of the majority of learners Again, some people get on just fine with rote learning. There's even a science to it that many polyglots have mastered. But even polyglots use memory techniques, especially for what they call the Stubborn Quintile. Your First 10 Days With The Freedom Journal For Language Study Most people don't want to be polyglots, however. They'd be happy to get traction in just one language and grow from there. To that end, here's a quick suggestion for your first 10 days using The Freedom Journal: Start with the pronouns. Like this (noting that some languages may not have each of these in play): Day One: I You She He We They Me Him Us Them Day Two: My Your His Her Ours Their Mine Yours Theirs Myself Day Three: Yourself Himself Herself Ourselves Themselves No one Anyone Someone Everyone Everything Day Four: Anything Something Nothing These Those This Days Five-Ten: Go back and add phrases to each of these core vocabulary words. Still Skeptical?… Good! If you're still skeptical that mnemonics can work for you, well… skepticism is good and will help you improve your memory. And if you need extra discipline, then The Freedom Journal in combination with the process you've just learned is a way to get it. Seriously. Just dive in. The map is definitely not the territory here. But The Freedom Journal is excellent for helping you create the map as you navigate the territory. One day a time. Plus… The Freedom Journal Gives You A Pat On The Back From The People Who Matter Most Can you guess who the first person is? That's right: It's you. You're the one gets to enjoy a massive boost in fluency. You're the one who gets to relax into better conversations and reading experiences. Not to mention going to the movies and listening to music in the language you're studying. And you can do it all while completing more than one project. The other people are your family. Your friends. Your tribe. The ones who notice and appreciate your success. Because the pat on the back I needed? Well, I've always like that phrase, "too cool for school." And even though it still breaks my heart a little that I don't have a traditional university to call home… Using The Freedom Journal, I not only reached my goal with Chinese and set the foundation for speaking the language with my new family… The Most Portable Language Learning Tool In The World I also got that dang video course off my back. (Without breaking my back either.) And with that massive project finally done, I now have the means to grow a completely new tribe with whom I get to talk about things other than memory. And in 100 days, I completely edited each and every lecture, which included getting the book version manuscript nearly print-ready. (It's called Genre Frameworks: How To Understand The Structure, Story And Symbolism In Any Movie) In that same 100 days, April helped me shoot each and every video for the online course version. And we still managed to take a trip around Europe too, The Freedom Journal forever close at hand: In sum: The Magnetic Memory Method snaps together very nicely with The Freedom Journal. You can get The Freedom Journal and then click the graphic below to get my free Memory Improvement Kit to learn how to create and use Memory Palaces: So what do you say? Do you think that The Freedom Journal could help you learn a language? I'm confident it will and can't wait to hear your success story. And you still have doubts, here's a replay of a live version of this post to show you how I use The Freedom Journal in practice and answer any questions you may have: And now you know how to use The Freedom Journal, let me ask you this: If you're struggling to learn a language, wouldn't even one word a day feel incredible? No matter where you're at now, this incredible journaling tool can help. Dive in and grab your own Freedom Journal here now! The post The Freedom Journal For Language Learning: The Ultimate 10-Step Guide appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Does your episodic memory help you remember your first prom? You wore a lovely turquoise gown, your mom couldn't stop smiling, and your dad was delighted to meet your date. It was a fantastic evening, right? Well… Let's just say, that's how you remember it. If you ask your mom, on the other hand, she would say: "It was a frantic evening. You couldn't decide what to wear and were almost in tears when the hair-rollers wouldn't set in. More annoyingly, your dad was upset about your date and was being difficult". Each person remembers a specific event in his or her unique way – this is called your episodic memory. By definition, episodic memory involves the recollection of specific events, situations, and experiences. Episodic Memory Examples Are Easy To Find Examples of episodic memory would include your memory of your first day of school or your first kiss. Apart from your overall recall of the event itself, episodic memories also involve your memory of the location and time that the event occurred. For another powerful episodic memory example, please watch this video. It includes some powerful exercises that will help you improve your episodic memory too: Someone else's recollection of that same event or experience would be different (maybe not as dramatically different as your prom night, but different nevertheless). If you want to remember past events in its full technicolor details, you must strengthen your episodic memory. Keen on storing everyday information in an easily retrievable place? Here's a quick demo of how to use Memory Palace to store information that matters to you: Are Episodic Memories And Autobiographical Memories The Same? Not exactly! Autobiographical and episodic memories are personal memories from the past. However, autobiographical memory is more general, for example, when you recall the street name of a house growing up. On the other hand, episodic memory is more specific to time. It's like remembering your 13th birthday party that took place on a particular street. (Electromagnetic Differences in the Brain during Memory Retrieval, Warren Scott Merrifield, 2007) In effect, although autobiographical memory involves episodic memory, it also relies on semantic memory. For instance, you can remember the city you were born in and the date, but you wouldn't have any specific memories of being born. Here's A Fascinating Fact: Research into links between memory and handedness suggest that ambidextrous people (who can perform some tasks with one hand and some with the other) tend to show better autobiographical memory than people who perform almost all tasks with either one hand or the other. In contrast to autobiographical and episodic memories, semantic memory refers to the understanding of factual knowledge that is not connected to any specific time and place. For example, the knowledge that the sky is blue. Semantic memory is similar to looking an item up in the dictionary. Often an individual has no specific recollection, or thoughts of re-experiencing, the event in which the semantic information was acquired; therefore, semantic memories are thought to be "known" rather than "remembered" (McKoon, Ratcliff, & Dell, 1986). Episodic Memory + Semantic Memory = Declarative Memory Episodic memory and semantic memory together makeup part of your long-term memory and are known as declarative memory. But before a memory is cemented into long-term memory as episodic memory, it must pass through the semantic memory, noted Endel Tulving of the University of Toronto in his book, Elements of Episodic Memory. Tulving and colleagues (Habib, Nyberg, & Tulving, 2003) reviewed a large body of neuroimaging research to develop the Hemispheric Encoding and Retrieval Model (HERA). According to HERA, the left prefrontal cortex (PFC) is more involved than right PFC in episodic memory encoding while the right PFC is more involved than left PFC in episodic memory retrieval. As the left hemisphere is related to semantic processing, encoding of the episodic information appears to involve the semantic network. (Intensive Semantic Memory Training: A Comparison to Traditional Episodic Memory Therapy in TBI, Elisabeth C. D'Angelo, 2016) Lost & Found: The Incredible Sense Of Episodic Memory In the 1913 novel In Search of Lost Time, Marcel Proust describes an interesting scene. The protagonist of the novel, upon tasting a Madeleine cake for the first time in many years, is overcome with a sudden change in his thoughts, emotions, and overall internal mental state. Initially, he struggles to define the change that has occurred. Soon, and with conscious mental effort, he is able to identify what change has overcome him: he has retrieved an episodic memory. The memory was of his youth when his Aunt used to serve him the small cake at her kitchen table. (Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Neural Activity During Human Episodic Memory Encoding and Retrieval, John F. Burke, 2014) And it's a memory that involves all the senses, just like we talk about with the Magnetic Modes: How Are Episodic Memories Formed? Forming episodic memories is not an easy recipe. Several individual steps are involved, each of which requires activating distinct regions of the brain. The first step is called encoding, a process that your brain follows each time you form a new episodic memory. The next step is consolidation, where the information moves from your short-term memory to your long-term memory. This enables the memory to become strongly ingrained so that it is not lost even if the brain suffers any impairment. The final process involves the recall. Under this process, information about a specific incident is retrieved. Sometimes recollection from long-term memory is effortless, while other times it may need a trigger – such as a word, an image or even a smell. Why You Need To Improve Your Episodic Memory In everyday life, episodic memories come to our rescue all the time. They are essential to recall the name of someone you have previously met, remember the current date, or remember to go to your dentist's appointment. Episodic memories also enable you to recall and reminisce personal experiences that are an important part of your life with other people who were part of those events. Such memories create a sense of personal history as well as a shared history with other individuals in your life. More importantly, episodic memories allow you to "travel back in time" (Tulving, 2002) and be consciously aware of a re-experience of important life experiences. Is There An Episodic Memory Advantage For People With ADHD? Recent research by Jeffrey S. Skowronek revealed that children with ADHD showed deficits in working memory but showed equal or enhanced performance on long-term episodic tasks. "When discussing a special-event in their life, children with ADHD provided lengthier and more descriptive narratives. This ability to recall very specific details results in a successful and impressive account of the event, rich both in event-specific details as well as semantically related knowledge". (Long-term Episodic Memory in Children With Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Jeffrey S. Skowronek, 2005) Then there's Jonathan Levi's frank discussion of ADD, which I'm confident you will find a compelling listen when it comes to how he uses his episodic memory to deal with this issue. Why Is This So Important? Put it this way: If you could strengthen your episodic memory, you would be able to remember better details about past experiences and events. A stronger episodic memory would also result in improved long-term memory in students – enabling them to do better in studies. More importantly, strengthening your episodic memory would also enable you to perform better in all aspects of your life starting today. However, episodic memory function is extremely susceptible to cerebral aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Just check out Jennie Gorman's memory loss story: Think about this, though: The older you get, the more events you witness and the more experiences you acquire. If you could retain and recall all those memories in detail, imagine how rich a repertoire of knowledge and experience you would have to pass on to the next generation. You may not be able to control aging, but there are ways to ensure your brain stays young and healthy even as the years pile on. And of course you can learn memory techniques any time to help improve your memory for studying. How To Improve Episodic Memory Exercise your brain. Regularly. Period. That is the most effective strategy to improve memory and retention. But here's the catch: To get tangible results, your brain exercises must be targeted towards specific goals. Playing brain exercise games on your "smartphone" is not necessarily brain exercise. Nor will doing crossword puzzles keep your brain young and active. Instead of improving your brain in its entirety, playing crossword puzzles or brain games on a handset will only improve your abilities for those games. You don't have to take my word for it. Just check out all the people on this live call who agreed: What's the solution? Watch movies. No, I am serious! Hear me out as I explain in detail How to Increase Memory By Watching Movies & Series. The next time you watch a movie, give it your entire attention with the intent to remember more. That's the first step. According to Harry Lorayne, (who always tells great stories)memory ability begins and ends with our attention. If you do an activity like watching a TV series or a movie with the intention of remembering more details, you'll have already given yourself a memory boost. 4 Step-By-Step Strategies To Improve Memory And Retention Using Movies 1. Watch the movie and try to remember the beginning, middle, and end of the plot with some details about the characters: names, clothes, objects they handled, houses they lived in, street names, maybe even dialogues. If you're interested in learning more about memorizing plot points, check out this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast on memorizing plot points. 2. Next, retell the entire story to a friend or your partner. (Just make sure it's not a movie they have been waiting to watch themselves. It can be extremely hazardous to reveal plot spoilers!) 3. For added benefits, verbally recount the movie and then write down a description. This will exercise more parts of your memory and deeply improve recall. 4. Another related method is to listen to your friend retell the latest episode of your favorite show. Commit to memory at least three major pieces of information from that story as your friend tells it to you. This Memory Strategy Works Amazing For Adults Next time you meet someone, memorize four details about that person – like what they are wearing or how they order their coffee. I learned about this when I discussed Memory Improvement Tips With Dr. Gary Small. This simple method of observation with intent and then detailed recall will strengthen your episodic memory and enable you to become a better observer of the world around you. Add A Memory Palace There's more: If you want a guaranteed method that will improve your episodic and semantic memory as well as autobiographical memory, build Memory Palaces the Magnetic Memory Method way. Unlike mind mapping, which unlocks multiple intelligences, a Magnetic Memory Method Memory Palace approach does that and more. This incredible combination of intelligence and memory strengthening is very powerful because, combined with Recall Rehearsal, the holistic process lets you move information from short-term memory into long-term memory faster. All you have to do is add the details from movies, or from people you meet in the streets to your Memory Palace. Even better: While you can use all other memory techniques inside of Memory Palaces, it never happens the other way around. For instance, you can't use Memory Palaces inside of the Major Method the way you can use the Major Method inside of Memory Palaces. If you choose this memory training technique… Click the link below to get started: Be Mindful Of Your Surroundings No, not this kind of mindful (though meditation for memory and focus will certainly help): Just be mindful of the things around you and repeat the stories that surround them to exercise your episodic memory. Being mindful and paying attention to everyday events is essential to creating complete memories and useful recall of information. The more mindful you are throughout the day, the more attention you'll pay. The more attention you pay, the more naturally and effortlessly you'll store events and facts you experience into your episodic memory. And remember, it all happens in time, with a beginning, middle and an end. And when you combine mindfulness with the magic of Memory Palaces you can move information into long-term memory faster and with predictable and reliable permanence. Sounds good, right? Now if only you could remember what you got Uncle Alan for his last birthday, you can save yourself the embarrassment of sending him the 'crazy uncle' mug for the fifth time! The post Episodic Memory And How To Improve It: A Step-By-Step Training Guide appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Is coconut oil good for memory? Well, many people think that a diet rich in coconut oil is essential to prevent brain fog, memory loss, dementia and even Alzheimer's disease. But… Here's the thing: For years, coconut oil has been been a staple in ketogenic diets for its high fat levels and low carbohydrate content. Interestingly, a 2016 study by Klaus W.Lange and his team revealed that "both the direct administration of ketone bodies and the use of high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets have been shown to be efficacious in animal models of AD (Alzheimer's disease) and clinical trials with AD patients." But there's a catch… The study stated that "the mechanism underlying the efficacy of ketogenic diets remains unclear, but some evidence points to the normalization of aberrant energy metabolism. At present there is only limited evidence of the usefulness of ketogenic diets in AD." Don't get deterred through… There are other foods that improve memory well worth checking out too. And yes, I like to cook with it myself, such as when making my Memory Friendly Chocolate Pancakes With Cacao Powder: But despite being a wonderful ingredient in memory recipes like ours at the Magnetic Memory Method Headquarters in Brisbane, one question remains… How vital is coconut oil in boosting your brain? Let's find out. Starting with: The History Of Coconut Oil And Its Link With A Healthy Brain Settlers in tropical countries used all parts of the coconut tree. The leaves were weaved into baskets and mats, the sap of the flowers used to create syrups and the meat of the coconut served as food. Gradually, the settlers pressed coconut meat to produce coconut oil. For at least 2000 years, coconut oil has been an integral part of Ayurvedic medicine. It has been used to heal wounds, treat hair fall, as a skin moisturiser and sunscreen, taken as a health tonic and even considered beneficial for the heart. You could say coconut oil was the 'swiss army knife of medicine'. But there's the kicker… Despite its rich history, coconut oil is not used as extensively as it used to be. Why? In the 1950s physiologist Ancel Keys discovered that hydrogenated oils had saturated fat which was responsible for heart disease. Remember, hydrogenated coconut vegetable oil was used extensively for cooking at that time. In response, the vegetable oil industry blamed saturated fats in processed coconut oil and gave it a bad name. The tactic worked and throughout the 1950s and 60s coconut oil was replaced by polyunsaturated vegetable oils. New Discovery Brings Coconut Oil To The Forefront Again Half a century after Dr. Keys discovery, scientists found that Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) which are present in coconut oil can improve memory for Alzheimer patients. That again changed public perception of this humble oil. In a 2004 study, elderly subjects were fed either MCT oil or a placebo at random. Subjects who had symptoms of Alzheimer's showed an immediate improvement on the paragraph recall memory test after consuming the MCT solution. Then in 2008, Dr. Mary Newport – who was researching possible treatments for her husband diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease – came across the patent application for Ketasyn (which contains MCT), which stated that the oil was derived from coconut oil or palm kernel oil. Here's where it gets interesting: Dr. Newport fed her husband around 35 grams of coconut oil each day. In her popular article "WHAT IF THERE WAS A CURE FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND NO ONE KNEW?", she described rapid change in her husband's behavior two months after the treatment. From the case study by Dr. Newport: "He walks into the kitchen every morning alert and happy, talkative, making jokes. He is able to concentrate on things that he wants to do around the house and in the yard and stay on task, whereas before coconut oil he was easily distractible and rarely accomplished anything unless I supervised him directly." So the question is: Will guzzling gallons of coconut oil result in improved mental alertness? Before we answer that let's understand the connection between coconut oil and ketones. The Ketones Story: How to Power Your Brain Our body uses glucose to power brain cells under normal circumstances. If there is no glucose available, our body burns fats to produce ketones which are then transported to the brain. However in case of Alzheimer's and dementia, your brain cells tend to resist glucose, and won't function effectively. PET scans have shown that areas of the brain which resist glucose, use ketones as an alternative source of energy. Why does this matter? Coconut oils consists 60% of MCTs which contains Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs) that release ketones when burnt. The Popularity Of Coconut Oil: Is It All Just A Marketing Gimmick? It seems a lot of popularity of using coconut oil for memory loss is based on Dr Newport's research. On September 27, 2011, Dr. Mary Newport published Alzheimer's Disease: What If There Was A Cure? The book detailed her husband's struggle with Alzheimer's and how regularly consuming coconut oil drastically improved her his condition. Notice the spike in coconut oil searches on March 2012, a few months after the release. Coincidence? Maybe not. It's quite possible that her positive experiences with coconut oil treatment was a ray of hope for families with Alzheimer patients. In their bleak situation, it's understandable that families would try anything for the wellbeing of their loved ones. Just How Bleak Is Alzheimer's Really? Trust me, it's bleak. Worse: Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia and one of the earliest and most distinctive aspects of Alzheimer's is its effect on memory. And so far… There's no cure for Alzheimer's. We do have these 3 Things To Remember About Alzheimer's, however. Plus, there are a few treatments and medications to help manage the disease. But here's the problem: The costs of these treatments can be an additional burden on families. On the other hand, being so inexpensive, coconut oil treatment seems like an attractive option. Coconut Oil… A Miracle Cure? And under such circumstances, it is understandable that families wanting a miracle cure will grasp anything that even remotely suggests a cure. No wonder, Dr. Newport's studies were treated as the gospel truth. Soon after, hundreds of families reported that coconut oil improved their family member's symptoms. Their claims were not as dramatic as Steve Newport's progress, but any development was hailed as positive. Especially improvements to episodic memory because we use this to share the stories of our lives. This is a common psychological phenomenon… We tend to see or believe what we want to see. The Newport's story was so remarkable that it was even featured on CBN. Soon after this report appeared, the coconut oil fad reached its peak. Is Coconut Oil A Superfood? Some sure like to say so. Coconut oil is marketed as a superfood. A few health bloggers claim that coconut oil can improve mental performance, support the immune system and improve digestion. Companies even sell coconut oil pills. Will popping an oil pill make you smarter, boost your memory and keep that brain fog away? The truth is harder to swallow.. Dr. Newport states that a person needs to take fourteen 1 g pills to receive the same effect as 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. That is a lot of pills even for the most ardent pill popper! Before we go further, take a quick peek at the truth about the best supplement for memory and concentration: Coconut Oil And Memory: No Real Connection? Should you take coconut oil to improve memory? Dr. David Morgan, CEO of BYRD Alzheimer's Institute states: "There is only anecdotal information that shows it can be beneficial, but there is not enough research on the matter." And I think he is right. Although there are studies prove MCTs might benefit brain health such as improving brain cells and learning in older dogs and rats , there exists no clinical data that MCTs promote long-term brain health. Another study shows that MCT supplements have shown to increase in memory and motor skills in a few Alzheimer patients. But here comes the sad part… The effects are only short term. What Does MCT Have To Do With Improving Memory? As it turns out, nothing much! Under normal conditions, brain cells require glucose. Only after your body runs out of glucose, ketones supply energy to your brain cells. So an additional source of MCT in your diet just produces additional ketones which may not be even used by your brain. There are some embarrassing side effects to this treatment too. Patients who took MCT supplements reported cases of diarrhea, flatulence, and dyspepsia. That's not all… You also need to be vary of the dark side of coconut oil. According to a recent paper on Dietary Fatty Acids Directly Impact Central Nervous System Autoimmunity via the Small Intestine: "Lauric acid (LA), which usually makes up 50% or more of coconut oil, tips the balance of T-cells (immune cells that actively participate in the immune response) towards the production of inflammation, and also, in mouse models, exacerbates multiple sclerosis (MS), in which your immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body." A More Nourishing Way to Build Your Memory Cells No known supplement or oils can help your memory. There is an easier and far less complex way to help you improve your memory: build Memory Palaces, using the Magnetic Memory Method way. Memory Palaces work even in the most broken brain. But they work REALLY well in healthy brains. Memory training through daily exercise that keeps your mind active, in tune, and fully under your control is a great way to noticeably improve your brain. Just look at Nelson Dellis and Climb for Memory charity. Nelson is a firm believer that "exercising" the brain daily can keep the mind sharp and delay, or even prevent, Alzheimer's disease. It gets better: The Memory Palace is the best memory technique because it allows you to develop and use spatial memory in a way. Spatial memory, the basis of the Memory Palace technique, unlocks the power of multiple levels of memory, including: Autobiographical memory Episodic memory Semantic memory Procedural memory And more… So that you can move information into long term memory faster and with predictable and reliable permanence. This incredible combination of intelligence and memory strengthening is very powerful. Combined with Recall Rehearsal, the holistic process lets you move information from short term memory into long term memory faster. If you choose this memory training technique… Click on the link below to get started: Build Your Memory With Vitamin M Vitamin M comes from creating Memory Palaces the Magnetic Memory Method way. This is by far the coolest and easiest way to boost your brain function and make it easy to learn and remember anything. Far better than duping yourself or letting yourself fall prey to other realms of hypnosis and memory improvement. So in sum… Vitamin supplements or coconut oils are not the best "nutrients" for gaining improvement in memory or recall. You could try using coconut oil for hair loss, though. I've been thinking of doing that myself. In the meantime, here's what is likely going to work best: A balanced diet, meditation, sleep, and an effective, dedicated memory strategy (like the Magnetic Memory Method) are the real ingredients to enhance your memory, concentration and focus. Bilingualism can also make for a healthier brain. Ready to improve not just your memory, but your entire life? Let's get cooking! The post Coconut Oil and Memory: Can It Boost Your Brain? [Advanced Study] appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Can you write legibly with both your left and right hands? Midway through a gig, can you swing the guitar to your left arm and continue strumming the ballad? If you can, you are part of that 1% of the population who do not have a dominant hand and experience ambidextrousness. And as you're about to discover, ambidextrousness truly is an experience! If you are ambidextrous, you're in good company too. Or at least, interesting company. Other members of this 'exclusive' group include Benjamin Franklin, Kobe Bryant, and even Nikola Tesla, just one of many reasons I featured him on the cover of The Memory Connection: Many people believe training oneself to use both your hands equally unleashes hidden creativity and even improves memory. The idea that becoming ambidextrous boosts brain function has existed for over a century. Moreover, it is also claimed that if you harness this 'power' you can improve your academic performance, decision making skills and grasp difficult concepts quickly. Can 'learning' to become ambidextrous really have all these advantages? Let's find out: Ambidextrousness: A Dual Handed Benefit? There is a bit of confusion regarding the actual definition of ambidextrousness. You are ambidextrous, if you can perform any task equally with either hand, for instance, write legibly using either of your hands. However, if you do some tasks with your right hand and others with your left, experts will term it as being mixed-handed. Jimi Hendrix is a good example of mixed-handedness. He used his left hand to throw and comb his hair, but he wrote, ate and held the telephone with his right hand. How To Become Ambidextrous? (Because Few Are Born This Way) In the 1800s Paul Broca and Carl Wernicke discovered that different hemispheres of the brain handled different functions such as speech, language and even motor functions. But it was only in 2009 that scientists researched around 25,000 families and found certain genes were responsible for ambidextrousness in people. Then in 2015, researchers found that brain function within the cerebellum is responsible for creativity. This certainly proves why many ambidextrous people have unconventional problem solving abilities. Creative Geniuses, Or: The Celebrities Of Ambidextrousness Nearly 60 years after his death, neurosurgeons studying Einstein's brain discovered that his brain hemispheres were extremely well-connected. The ability to use the right hemispheres creativity and the left hemispheres logic gave the Father of Relativity a significant advantage from his peers. Despite a lack of evidence proving Einstein's ambidextrousness, the study confirmed Einstein's non right-handedness. Another historical figure who belonged to the ambidextrous club was Leonardo Da Vinci. The famous artist (and scientist of art) could easily write with both hands. When Da Vinci wrote an ordinary letter, he used his right hand. However, he wrote his secret diaries in mirror writing using his left hand which made it difficult for others to read. Are All Ambidextrous Individuals Creative Geniuses? Not really! Left-handed tennis player Evgenia Kulikovskaya can switch her racket hand mid game to keep hitting forehands when her left hand gets tired. She doesn't have a backhand! Take a look at this video: The Controversial History Of Ambidextrous Training: John Jackson Though many modern studies link ambidextrousness with increased brain function in both hemispheres of the brain, this idea was not well received at first. In 1905, English educational reformer, John Jackson established the Ambidextral Culture Society. He believed that a two handed, two brained society encouraged superior learning as it engaged the entire brain. He also expected a lot from his disciples. Whether it was playing the piano with one hand or writing a letter with the other, he required his disciples to execute them flawlessly. Was he successful in his mission? Not quite. His society was a laughing stock of the scientific community at the time. Leading British neurologist, James Crichton-Browne criticized the society and even warned Jackson against going the evolutionary process. John Jackson's movement died out in the 1920s. However, his ideas did not. They continued to fuel misconceptions regarding the power of ambidextrousness. Can Being Ambidextrous Make You More Creative? A Few Myths Busted Jackson's theories were not random ideas. They were derived from Paul Broca's studies of brain lateralization that states that some cognitive brain activity is dominant in one hemisphere, and that each hemisphere was linked to the opposite hand. No wonder people believed that using your less dominant hand would help activate both hemispheres of the brain leading to higher mental abilities. That's just the beginning… In her book, The Power of Your Other Hand, Lucia Capacchione claims that writing and drawing with the non-dominant hand gives greater access to the right hemispheric functions like feeling, intuition, creativity and even spiritual wisdom. These claims are based on the fact that the function of the right hemisphere is responsible for creativity. Is there any truth to these claims? "Although there are recurrent claims of increased creativity in left-handers, there is very little to support the idea in the scientific literature." This from renowned psychologist Chris McManus in his book Right Hand, Left Hand – The Origins of Asymmetry in Brains, Bodies, Atoms and Cultures. The Truth About Learning To Be Ambidextrous And Getting A Sharper Brain While there is no hard data to prove that training your non-dominant hand can improve your mental prowess, there is now evidence to state that if you are born ambidextrous, you may have some mental health issues. After 8 years of research, German psychologist, JB Sattler discovered that children who switched from their dominant left hand to a non-dominant right or the reverse did not see "a change in cerebral dominance but rather a multifaceted cerebral disturbance or damage". The psychologist noted that ambidextrous children even had decreased memory for all three areas of information processing – encoding, store and recall. Sattler said: "Ambidexterity is therefore neither a goal to aspire to nor is it a gift from God. Instead, it is first and foremost the mark of brain damage." It May Sound Crazy, But It's True! A study published in the 1998 edition of Neuropsychologia confirms Dr. Sattler's research. In this study around 12,770 children were tested for their verbal, non-verbal, and mathematical ability and reading comprehension skills. They found that ambidextrous children had lower test scores as compared to those who were left-handed or right-handed. Need more proof? Another independent study led by Alina Rodriguez from Imperial College London showed that ambidextrous children exhibit higher symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Ambidextrousness may also have a lasting effect on adults as well. In the creatively titled paper "Handedness and intellectual achievement: an even-handed look", Michael Corballis reveals that ambidextrous adults perform more poorly on IQ tests (arithmetic, memory, and reasoning). Ambidextrousness May Actually Harm Your Brain Here's why: For right-handed or left handed people most of their brain activity is localized in the opposite part of the brain. So your brain can easily access information through the majority of one hemisphere. For ambidextrous people information has to flow back and forth between both hemispheres of the brain through the Corpus Callosum. This can be a big problem. This rapid transfer may lead to mental dysfunction in some cases. Are There Any Possible Benefits to Ambidextrous Training? Yes, though they are not as dramatic as advertised. Mr. Corballis writes that it's possible to train your non dominant hand for artistic purposes – like playing the piano for example. Other than that, there are no studies to prove that becoming ambidextrous can improve brain function. But what about improved memory? Ambidextrousness and Memory: A Genetic Connection Ambidextrous tendencies has been associated with improved memory. But here's the catch: To reap even the slightest memory benefits of ambidextrousness, you would be need to have at least an ambidextrous parent or sibling. A 2001 study shows that families with one-left handed member may have better episodic memory rather than semantic memory. Which means they have a better time recalling the context of the story rather than the facts present in the story. The Only Trick You Need To Know To Make Both Sides of Your Brain Work There is one guaranteed method to improve both your episodic and semantic memory as well as autobiographical memory, spatial memory and procedural memory. One more thing.. This method won't be painful and labour intensive as using your non dominant hand. Okay here it is: Creating Memory Palaces the Magnetic Memory Method way. Memory Palaces have the unique characteristic that all other memory techniques can be used inside of them (not the other way around). So if you need to store a massive amount of information, Memory Palaces engage both hemispheres of the brain. How do they do this? Memory Palaces require a great deal of creative visualization, therefore it helps to activate your right hemisphere associated with creativity. You need more than one Memory Palace and as many as possible. That way you can revisit the technique to recall tons of information. If you want to know more – here's some vital information about Memory Palace Science. If you want a complete brain workout try this brain fitness method… Click on the link below to get started: A Direct method To Improve Your Memory Learning to use your non-dominant hand to improve your memory can be a bit wasteful. You would have to spend days and weeks practicing to write with your other hand instead of focusing on what you need to learn. While this may be fun, it's not useful. Memory improvement training should always be linked to memorizing information that will immediately improve your life. Using the Magnetic Memory Method is great because, once you're rolling, good memory abilities get you more time. More time means you can practice memory enhancing techniques more often. And that means experiencing better memory, better focus, clarity and concentration. Ambidextrousness might be fun to develop if you take caution. But, as we've seen, developing your memory is far more valuable! So, what are you waiting for? Please make sure you've claimed my free Memory Improvement Kit and use it to start experiencing better memory now. The post Ambidextrousness And Memory: Can Dual Handedness Boost Your Brain? appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Do you have enough mental exercises to genuinely help you experience real and lasting memory improvement? Whether it's for learning a language, or even just remembering directions while traveling the world. Be honest about your answer. No one here is to judge. Quite the opposite. This blog post (and the podcast – hit play above!) is about about helping you better understand how to judge your memory as it is now and take the right steps toward improving it. To that end, last week we covered 3 Powerful Memory Training Techniques From Around The World. And I just hopped on a live video session to demonstrate just how powerful memory techniques can be in everyday life for memorizing the information in life that matters: This week, we've got 7 more mental exercises you can use to experience true memory improvement. Are memory techniques for everyone? Yes and no. But you can't decide for yourself without the fullest possible range of perspectives. And let's make this point as clear as possible: Memory techniques give you the best mental exercise on the planet. Study them well, everywhere they appear around the glob. With that point in mind, let's get rolling with… 1. USA: Moonwalking With Einstein (And Elaborative Encoding) For Total Recall US memory champion Joshua Foer's book Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything talks about the importance of memorizing events and stories in human history. Sadly, Foer also documents the decline of mental exercises for memorizing in modern life. By the same token, with partial thanks to his book and the internet, the techniques that people need to adopt to restore the art of remembering have never been more popular. The memory trick that Foer explains in his book involves a process known as "elaborative encoding." This involves converting information, such as your grocery list, into a series of "engrossing visual images." For instance, if you want to remember a list of objects like gherkins, cottage cheese, etc. all you need to do is visualise them in an unforgettable manner. Memory expert Ed Cooke – who helped Foer develop his techniques – suggests remembering an item on a shopping list by imagining something like "Claudia Schiffer swimming in [a] tub of cottage cheese." Of course, why someone would waste time on memorizing shopping lists in the best memory improvement books is beyond me. But feel free to memorize anything you like. Whatever works. So long as it really works to give you the memory improvement outcomes you seek! To ensure that, be sure to deposit these images you've created using elaborative encoding in a specific order in your Memory Palace. With practice, a mnemonist can trace a certain path around these memory rooms to recover thousands of images – and with them, thousands of memories. Nelson Dellis, repeat champion of the USA Memory competition, also uses a combination of vivid imagery linked with placing those images in your Memory Palace to remember a list of words. 2. Germany: Memorizing Names Through Association German memory champion Simon Reinhard is one of the top memory athletes in the world. He holds two records for memorizing a 52-card pack of playing cards in just over 21 seconds. Reinhard uses the "association" method to memorize names and faces. And it makes for great mental exercise. How does memorizing names work? When he hears a name for the first time, Reinhard imagines someone else (a familiar figure) with the same name and then try to find similarities between the two or associate it with a feeling. "Sometimes the names fit perfectly, for example a bald headed white Thomas could be the middle age monk Thomas von Aquinas. But if that doesn't work and I don't find an immediate connection, I try to search a bit more thoroughly what this name could tell me. For example the name reminds me of a feeling of anger and then I either try finding some angry expression in the face or the exact opposite, if the person is laughing. It is kind of a multi-faceted approach that doesn't work automatically but comes easily when I look at the name with an open mind. This is my basic, natural approach." This quote comes from an interview that Reinhard gave to Memory-Sports.com. Reinhard also uses memory palace method or the method of loci to remember decks of cards and digits. 3. Japan: Kioku-Jutsu Or The Ninja Mnemonic Method Ninja's were highly trained Japanese spies who were expected to gather and remember crucial information without having to resort to any written text. In order to sharpen their memory skills, Ninja's used the method of "association" to remember complex numbers. They would associate numbers with body parts or food – something that you will definitely recall. They used another extreme method. Please Do Not Try This Mental Exercise At Home! If the information was extremely crucial, Ninja's would cut a body part – the arm or leg – when trying to memorize that information – this helped them associate that memory with a scar or the pain of injury, making it unforgettable. These methods of "association" are similar to the Peg System. It is also based on the principles of the Memory Palace technique – where you visualising a room and then associate each object in the room to each piece of information you want to memorize. Memory expert Tony Buzan equates the Ninja Kioku-Jutsu technique to hanging a coat on a hook. You can always remember where to find your coat (which is a new information) if you hang it on an immovable hook (a number or a word you can remember easily). 4. Australia: Can You Ever Forget The Obvious Elephant In The Room? Tansel Ali is a 4 x Australian Memory Champion, most famously known for memorizing two Yellow Pages phone books in only 24 days. He is also the author of The Yellow Elephant and How To Learn Almost Anything In 48 Hours, and a celebrity memory coach. Ali advocates using the Major System along with the Memory Palace (which he terms as the Journey System) to memorize playing cards. I also recommend checking out Florian Dellé's Major System recommendations. He will take your ideas on what you can do using this wonderful memory tool to the next level. 5. UK: A Person-Action System To Call Numbers To Mind British mnemonist Dominic O'Brien is the eight time World Memory Champion. Accomplishments like these are no small feat! A master of memory, O'Brien is a major innovator in the field of memory techniques. His Dominic mnemonic system is a brilliant memory training system that he invented to remember long strings of digits. It is somewhat similar to the mnemonic major system and is widely used by brain athletes in memory competitions. While the Major System associates sounds with numbers, the Dominic System is designed as a person-action system where the letters comprise the initials of someone's name. "Like the mnemonic major system, the Dominic system can be combined with a memory palace, thereby creating the Hotel Dominic." (Ron Hale-Evans, Mind Performance Hacks: Tips & Tools for Overclocking Your Brain) Another of O'Brien's big contributions to the world of memory is his Rule of Five. It states that we should recall information strategically by using the following pattern: First review: Immediately Second review: 24 hours later Third review: One week later Fourth review: One month later Fifth review: Three months later Also notable from the British world of mnemonics is Mark Channon. Mark brings great insights from the worlds of acting and setting highly effective goals. He also gave a wonderful presentation at Magnetic Memory Live in London in 2015. 6. India: The Katapayadi Shankya To Remember Numbers Ancient Indians used various mnemonic techniques to remember complex texts and numbers, the most talked about being the Vedic Memory Method. More on that later. First, let's look into the ancient Indian numerical notation – Katapayadi system – that assigns letters to numbers so that the numbers may be easily remembered as meaningful words or verses. Under this system, several letters can be assigned the same number, however every letter is not allotted a number. Have a look at this chart: Ancient Indians used this system to encrypt mathematical formulas into their devotional hymns to Lord Krishna and also recorded historical data in the codified lyrics. Take for instance, this verse written in praise of Lord Krishna: Gopibhagya madhuvrata srngisodadhisandhiga| Khalajivitakhatava galahalarasandhara|| When translated it means: Oh Krishna, the fortune of the Gopis, the destroyer of the demon Madhu, Protector of cattle, the one who ventured the ocean-depths, destroyer of evildoers, one with plough on the shoulder and the bearer of nectar, may (you) protect (us)! Have a listen: How is the mental exercises involved in memorizing this text relevant? The answer might astonish you: Using the Katapayadi system when you replace the letters of the verse with its corresponding numbers, like this – 'go' by 3, 'pi' by 1, 'bha' by 4, 'ya by 1' and so on, you get the following result: 31415926535897932384626433832792 Why is this number important? This is the decimal representation of pi up to 32 decimal places. Look like memorizing a long digit like that requires magic? Far from it. All it takes is a dedicated mnemonic technique! If you like, listen to Brad Zupp talk about how he memorized way more of Pi than you see here. Brad also shares his thoughts on using your memory in place of a passwords manager. Vedic Memory Techniques: Ancient Science Or Just A Fad? Vedic memory techniques were systems put in place to memorize ancient texts known as the Vedas, which were composed and handed down orally over a period of about 10 centuries, from about the 15th to the 5th century bce. There are four Vedas, the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva with over 100,000 plus verses. So how did the ancient Indians ensure no errors crept into the original texts? "The oral tradition of vedic learning has preserved the entire vedic texts by purely human memory for several generations…This has been made possible by a diligently devised systematic scheme of chanting the vedic corpus." This quote is from Krishna Prasad Miyapuram in Divide and Link: Robust Memory Techniques from Vedic Learning. That's not all… They developed highly complex techniques of recitation that had mathematical precision to ensure that the Vedas remained unchanged in content, intonation, and inflection. "The first (technique) is Samhita, the simplest form of recitation that approaches the mantra as it is, for example, 'the sky is blue' (abcd). Next is Padha, where each word is broken down, as in, 'the/sky/is/blue' (a/b/c/d). Krama, the third technique, adds the first real level of difficulty into the recitation through a pattern of 'the sky/sky is/is blue' (ab/bc/cd). Jatapatha, the first of the more challenging, alternates between a repetitious interposing and transposing of words to create a pattern of 'the sky sky the the sky/sky is is sky sky is/is blue blue is is blue' (abbaab/bccbbc/cddccd). "Between Jatapata and the last technique are six other techniques (called Mala, Shikha, Rekha, Dvaja, Danda and Ratha) that again are built-in combinations and permutations that have ensured that the order and words of the Vedas remain unchanged. The ultimate and most complex technique is called Ghanam. It's mind-boggling backwards and forwards pattern is, 'the sky sky the the sky is is sky the the sky is/sky is is sky sky is blue blue is sky is blue' (abbaabccbaabc/bccbbcddcbbcd)." This quote is from Suhag A. Shukla, Esq in Peeling Back the Layers of Sanskrit and Vedic Chanting. The Vedic way of dissemination of knowledge was mainly through Shruti or the oral tradition of seers and knowledge used to flow through the teacher-student lineage. Moreover, all these memory techniques were not operated in isolation. Learning was considered a lifelong process and a way of life during the Vedic times. What does all this mean? It means Vedic memory science was based on memory training systems or mnemonics. There was no learning by rote or memorising through concentration involved. Retaining information accurately is an essential part of any good memory training system and that has been demonstrated very clearly in the vedic memory science. You might be wondering… If The Vedic Memory Technique Was So Awesome… … why did it disappear? One simple reason is that since the techniques were closely linked to a particular way of life. Students would live in an Ashram (sort of a boarding school without summer breaks) to get education. But once that way of living changed, we lost this ancient science of super memory training. It might also be due to the rise of people who lack a mind's eye. But don't worry if you have that condition. Here's Aphantasia: Develop Your Memory Even If You Cannot See Mental Images. As you can see, all is not lost. Far from it! And if you are skeptical about whether memory techniques work at all, you might be in for a treat! This is because… Skeptics Succeed With Memory Techniques Better Than Anyone Else 7. Global Mental Exercises For Better Memory: Tony Buzan And The World Memory Championships Tony Buzan – the inventor of mind maps – is a true master of memory as his mind mapping techniques have the potential to unlock multiple intelligences. As the co-founder of the World Memory Championships, Buzan actively promotes memory skills along with mind mapping in a wide range of books and software programs. Even Michael Jackson once sought him out in order to gain deeper insights into his creativity and mental abilities. So what is a Mind Map? It is a powerful graphic technique that harnesses the full range of cortical skills – word, image, number, logic, rhythm, colour and spatial awareness – to unlock the potential of the brain. You can use a Mind Map in every aspect of your life to improve your learning ability or induce clearer thinking. The question is… Can You Bring Mind Mapping And The Memory Palace Together? But of course! Reigning World Mind Mapping champion Phil Chambers can help you with that question in this podcast where he talks about Mind Mapping and how to bring this creativity, memory and learning tool together with a Memory Palace. So, now that you know about so many memory athlete techniques, you might be wondering… What's the best memory training course? One Sure Way To Coach Your Brain To Remember Everything If you read through this post carefully, you would have noticed how many of the world's top memory athletes used some form of Memory Palace Method to sharpen their brain power. How can you use a Memory Palace yourself? By building Memory Palaces the Magnetic Memory Way. Here's how to take my free course to learn all the details so you can get the benefits of this mental exercise: Creating Memory Palaces using the Magnetic Memory Method allows you to develop and use spatial memory. What's so cool about that? For one thing, this particular approach to the Memory Palace technique unlocks the power of your multiple intelligences. It also combines your autobiographical memory, episodic memory, semantic memory, procedural memory and other kinds of memory. We talked a lot about how to do that in part one of this two-part series about memory techniques around the world, so please be sure to link back to the first one for more information about the Magnetic Modes. But That's Not All… When you build Memory Palaces with the Magnetic Memory Method, you learn to measure your memory improvement activities. Here's why that makes everything better: Tracking your outcomes leads to rapid improvement which means you could be playing with the big guns at the next memory competition! Or if you're not into competing, you can simply enjoy using the memory techniques to help you learn a language, pass an exam, or get better at your job so that everything becomes easier and more fun. If you choose this memory training technique… You Will Unlock The Most Powerful Aspects Of Your Brain! Think about it: Being able to recall 1000 of names, phone numbers, decks of cards or flight information is a super power! And as we've seen, anyone can train themselves using the techniques that memory champions do to improve recall and retention. The only question is how fast will a method start showing results. With the Magnetic Memory Method, you can move information from short term memory into long term memory faster. When combined with Recall Rehearsal you will be able to retrieve that information at the snap of a finger. Memory Championships aside… Wouldn't it be awesome if you could remember every word to every song you ever loved? Plan to woo your date with a ballad? And succeed? Use the right memory techniques for the job and you got this! The post 7 More Mental Exercises For The Brain From Around The World (Part 2) appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Memory training techniques involve more than just training. The use of mnemonics is an ancient art, craft and science practiced around the world. And it's not new. People have been training their memory for thousands of years. The best part? They've left many wonderful tips we can use to learn, memorize and recall more information in ways that are fast, easy and fun. Whether we're talking about Matteo Ricci's recipe to overcome forgetfulness or French scholar Aimé Paris' Mnemonic Major System, strengthening the cerebral muscles of memory has mattered to people across time and around the world. In fact, there are numerous techniques used worldwide by memory champions as well as amateurs to train their brain. The Most Common Question About Memory Training Techniques In The World The question is: Is Ricci's method better than Paris' or would you be more interested in Alex Mullen's PAO system that helps him memorize a deck of cards in less than 17 seconds? These are good questions and I believe everyone should expose themselves to as many memory experts as possible. But here's the deal… Like honing any other skill or strengthening your body's core muscles, hacking your brain to remember anything takes time and practice. It is not difficult to build a better brain, but you must be sure which memory workouts will train it better to help you achieve particular learning outcomes. Before you start reading and executing different memory training techniques practiced around the world, take a quick look at this video. It will introduce you to some powerful prehistoric memory techniques you can use now that Lynne Kelly put together for us in her book, The Memory Code. Why Anyone Can Be A Memory Champ, Even If They Have Never Had Formal Memory Training According to a study published in March 2017, anyone can reshape their brain's networks by using the same tricks as the world's top memory champions. To understand how memory athletes remember huge strings of information, researchers recruited 23 of the world's top-ranked memory champions. They compared the brain scans of these memory champions with those of people who had never practiced memory techniques at all. The scans revealed that memory athletes' brains were not built differently from yours or mine. Far from it. But… These scientists did find something distinctive. The champions' brain showed unique patterns activity in regions that involved memory and cognition. The researchers then put some of the rookies through a memory training program and observed how their brains changed with exercise. The more the newcomers practiced the memory training techniques, the more their brain activity started to resemble the brains of memory athletes. Six Weeks Or Less To A Measurable Increase In Brain Power? You bet. In fact: It took only six weeks for the rookies who had never used memory techniques before to show an increase in brain power. "These really incredible memory feats … are not some form of inborn talent. It's really just training". This is from Martin Dresler, a neuroscientist at Radboud University in the Netherlands and the lead author of the study. And what these findings mean is that anything these people can accomplish in terms of brain fitness, you can do too. Travel Back In Time: Important People In the History of The Major Memory Method Let's start with some history. Remember Monsieur Paris? He's the French scholar we talked about earlier. (If you had to scroll up to check out what we had said about Paris, maybe you need a quick boost of these vitamins for memory improvement.) Paris was the first person to publish a version of the mnemonic Major Method in its modern form that is used by memory experts. However, French mathematician and astronomer Pierre Hérigone is said to have devised the earliest known version of the major system. Herigone apparently used both consonants and vowels in Latin and French. What's the real story? Watch this video for more and a free memory improvement exercise: As complex as the history of memory techniques may be, here's something about which most memory historians agree: The Major Method for memorizing numbers has its roots in the ancient Greek memory tradition. This is a tradition that combined strategic, systematic thinking with strong guidance from the larger guiding principles of memory. And using the Major Method, numbers are converted into consonant sounds and then developed into Magnetic words by adding vowels. Oh, you can make any kind of words if you wish, but it's attention to involving as many of the Magnetic Modes as possible that will make these words impossible to forget. What Are The Magnetic Modes Of Memory? The Magnetic Modes come into play whenever you combine a dedicated Memory Palace with associative, Magnetic Imagery. You use both of these tools to create links between information you already know, with new information you'd like to remember. Your Magnetic Modes are based in brain science, and easily tapped when the Magnetic Images you create in your Memory Palaces are: Bright Vibrant Dynamic Big Colorful Crazy Strange Emotional Physical Animated Forceful Loud Rhyming Punning For more information on how all this works, please take my free course: Why The Major Method Is The Most Popular Memory Technique The answer is simple: This memory training system, once you've practiced it, will help you remember short sequences of digits like telephone numbers or historic dates. You can also use it to remember long sequences of numbers like Pi, or to help you memorize a deck of cards as an alternative memory improvement exercises based on annoying apps. Plus, the Major Method is just plain easy. Why? Because, like most memory techniques, the Major Method works on the principle that the human brain remembers images far more easily than plain numerals. So now that you know the most popular memory athlete technique, let's start our two part series on different memory techniques used around the world and the people who use them. Memory Techniques Around The World (Part 1) Different countries hold different kinds of memory championships. Sure, they might use different rules and offer different prizes. But at the end of the day, these are the competitive meetings where mind athletes of every stripe compete with each other to prove the superiority of their cognitive prowess. Now: While there are no memory athlete techniques unique to any given country, several mnemonists from various regions have modified ancient mnemonic techniques to perfect memory training exercises for professionals and amateurs alike. Ready to take a look? Let's go! 1. China: Ming Mnemonics To Memorize Reams Of Classical Poetry In the 16th Century an Italian Jesuit priest became the first westerner to pass China's highest civil service exams. Why is this relevant? The exam involved memorizing reams of classical poetry – a task that only 1% of people who took the test were able to perform successfully. Yet, Ricci passed these exams after only 10 years, despite not having spoken any Chinese before. How did he do that? Ricci did it with the help of the Memory Palace technique. But more than just use the techniques personally, get this: As Jonathan D. Spence writes in The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci: "…Ricci taught the Chinese how to build a Memory Palace". Why The Memory Palace Is Better Than Rote Learning During that time, the Chinese had their own diligent study methods that used repetition and recitation as memory aides. This was coupled with mnemonic poems and rhyming jingles that were part of the traditional Chinese memory practice. "To everything that we wish to remember, we should give an image; and to every one of these images we should assign a position where it can repose peacefully until we are ready to reclaim it by an act of memory," wrote Ricci in his Treatise on Mnemonic Arts. Ricci suggested 3 locations for these "mental" buildings – they could be based on real buildings one has seen, they could be imaginary locations or a mix of both. Ricci's memory training techniques helps with memorizing entire books and large volumes of vocabulary. What's more? He also developed a means for memorizing how to write in Chinese. Memory champions who participate in China's popular reality and talent show – The Brain – have used Memory Palaces (probably evolved versions of Ricci's system) to memorize decks of cards or information about airline flights. In each episode, seven contestants must perform mental challenges like memorizing the names and birthdays of over 900 infants or solving a series of Rubik's Cube completely blindfolded in under five minutes. For more, check out this video of the first episode of Season 1 of The Brain: How To Memorize A Deck Of Cards Chinese Style – Fast! Want to know what system Chinese mnemonist Wang Feng uses to memorize a deck of cards? Feng, who is two-time winner of the World Memory Championships, uses a technique similar to Ricci's to exploit the brain's natural ability to memorize images and locations. To memorize the order of a deck of cards, Feng first gives each card a two digit number. Next he turns that number into an image and then puts that image in familiar location – from where he can retrieve it easily when needed. Notice the similarity with Ricci's Memory Palace system? Now that you know it, you toocan modify Ricci's system to build your own memory training course (like making a gym in your own mind for mental fitness). Or you can create Memory Palaces the Magnetic Memory Method way. Ultimately, I believe the Magnetic Memory Method approach is better for most learners. Why? Because it not only helps you remember the information faster, but also helps you get predictable and reliable permanence that grows in strength with practice. But more about that later. Let's turn now to: 2. Mongolia: The Genghis Khan Way To Brain Strength The founder of the Mongol Empire – Genghis Khan – would probably be delighted to know that in some of the most recent world memory statistics, ten of the top 50 people are his descendants! Mongolia – home to one of the world's last nomadic cultures – wants to be a titan in the obscure world of mental athletics and is using mental athletics as a nation building exercise. At the Mongolian Intellectual Academy, students are taught to flawlessly remember the Periodic Table of Elements and other brain feats by using the same principles that govern the Memory Palace technique – linking unfamiliar words and numbers to familiar mental images or stories that can be ingrained in a person's long-term memory. The teacher points to the periodic table and moves through the first column turning letters and numbers into vivid and outrageous images. The visuals are accompanied by an engaging story that offers a way to remember the name of the element, its atomic number and its atomic mass. When asked to recall the period table memorized using this mnemonic technique, there are virtually no errors! Impressive accuracy aside, the Mongolian team still faced tough competition in the 2015 Extreme Memory Tournament. The opponents were: Simon Reinhard, the world's fastest card memorizer and the reigning XMT Champion; and Alex Mullen, the 2015 World Memory Champion. Despite the steep competition, using memory palace training exercises paid off for 17-year-old first-time competitor Enhkjin Tumur, who set a tournament record by recalling 30 images in 14.4 seconds. 3. Canada: A Hunter-Gatherer Memory Technique Two time Guinness World Record holder for being able to memorize 59 decks of cards in order, Dave Farrow, is a Canadian who has either invented or improved some memory training techniques to remember information and recall them with ease. One method that Farrow uses is the Peg System – where you memorize a list of information by linking or pegging them with words or numbers you already know. You literally hang information on a number. This is what Farrow says about his memory technique: "Memory techniques work by taking advantage of a natural mechanism in the brain that we all have that allows us to memorize information without any repetition. It's a hunter-gatherer fight or flight mechanism—if you needed repetition to remember where you saw that predator, you would not be alive anymore. What I do and what I teach people how to do is trick the brain into triggering that mechanism at will." How To Use Colors To Remember Numbers Another method I've heard Farrow talk about is sometimes called the Alpha Numeric Spectrum system. This approach uses numerical and phonetic codes to memorize numbers and recall them with ease. It uses an arrangement like this (you can create your own version): 1 = red 2 = orange 3 = yellow 4 = green 5 = blue 6 = purple 7 = brown 8 = silver 9 = gold 0 = black Why Are There So Many Memory Training Techniques? As we come to the end of this first part of a two part series on memory training techniques around the world, you might be wondering… How on earth did so many memory techniques proliferate. Well, the truth is that there really aren't that many differences between how memory techniques have been used around the world. Rather, there exists a limited set of varied approaches that different people use according to their learning styles. Remember when we talked about the Magnetic Modes above? Well, it turns out that the precise approach a person using memory training techniques chooses has a lot to do with how the Magnetic Modes match up with their learning style. But if one important aspect binds them all together, it is the use of spatial memory to create Memory Palaces. So come back next week for the second part to see how memory training techniques work in Germany, Japan, the UK and the USA. There are more tips and surprises that you can use to help guide your practice. Stay tuned! The post 3 Powerful Memory Training Techniques From Around The World (Part 1) appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.