The Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

Don't you hate that sinking feeling? You know the one. You crack open another memory improvement book. You're excited to take your memory training to the next level. You're hungry for the next-level techniques that no one has ever shown you before. And yet there it is again … Another Useless Memory Improvement Exercise! Seriously. I can't tell you the number of times I've read a memory trainer promising the world only to start things off with something like this: "Now that you know how to use your memory, practice with your shopping list." Yawn. But … I get why they do it. It's called giving the student a "quick victory." But there's a problem with quick victories. Especially when they're attached to gains that simply don't connect. To your heart. Your soul. That part of your mind that craves conquering even the toughest information in the world. For achieving that, I recommend these books instead: In other words, you want memory improvement books that give you the ability to … Remember Information That Instantly Improves Your Life! And unless you're memorizing the shopping list in another language for developing fluency or helping your brain thrive … life improvement is unlikely to happen. That's why you need to forget every memory exercise you've ever encountered and try the following instead. Instead of applying the memory skills you've developed to meaningless information or meaningless brain games … Apply them to information that will make an immediate difference! How To Perform The Magnetic Memory Method LifeBlood Test Chances are that the shopping list exercise isn't going to go away anytime soon. For that reason, let me teach you how to replace it with practice material that actually matters. The first thing you want to ask yourself is … What's the number one thing I could add to my memory today that would make my life better tomorrow? Think seriously about this. Go through all your problems and pains and find the ones where memory is the culprit. When I first learned memory techniques, it was loud and clear: Philosophical concepts and specific terms. Things like … Pregnans constructio Architectonic tautology Anagnorisis and peripeteia Then there was Biblical Hebrew. The alphabet, vocabulary, phrases. And I was real bad with remembering the names of authors and information like historical dates. And I remember one of my professors hated when said, "back then" or "in the past." And she was right to hate that. So I determined to be more specific when speaking about yesteryear in my seminar contributions. All These Improvements Make Life Instantly Better! And I don't use the word "lifeblood" loosely. It make my heart pump with pride, accomplishment and inspiration to learn even more. Because it's no longer about half-remembered facts clouded by opinions and beliefs. It's absolute historically scientific certainty that I knew what the hell I was talking about. And it's so great to know the dates of philosophers and when their books appeared. Your brain makes more connections. Even without the memory techniques, these mental and Magnetic links help fortify memories further. And the more you learn, the more you can learn. And the coolest thing of all is that the brain feels so much clearer. The fog dissipates. A laser intensity emerges. Magnetic Memory Method Lifeblood (TM) = 100% Pure & Concentrated Focus For you, it might not be any of these things. Your life might improve by appearing at work by knowing more about SQL for an IT certification. Or you're a medical student who needs to know both specific terms about the body, information about side effects and number-based data. You have to be able to look at a person and cross-reference their age, height and weight against dosage guidelines. Wouldn't it be great to process and … Remember And Access Information Faster Than The Speed Of Light! Or you might just want to cultivate greater awareness of the world around you by improving your memory. Maybe you'd like to give presentations better or you're a salesperson dying to remember those smooth patterns of persuasion your competition knows so well. You might be a Mason or an actor looking to remember and recall long lines of text. Or you're a perpetual student, tired of forgetting. You want to decipher the information you're studying, but you can't process the logic of it all. Why? Because you haven't got enough information in memory to contemplate the topic. And that's, frankly, what most of us need. Contemplation. The contemplation of connections. The deep connections. Because when you look at a genius like Elon Musk or Einstein or Frank Zappa or Da Vinci, you see balance. The balance of the tiny details with the bigger picture. You need the ability to process both and that level of processing only happens if you've got your memory abilities intact. Take some time and think this through. Your Most Sincere Desire To Improve Will Guide You If you really want to accomplish your life's most important goals, the facts and figures matter. But so does remembering the things you do for fun. It's not all professional reading. There's remembering the details of stories that you read or watch on a series. Whatever you do, you need to find the Lifeblood. It will drive everything. The only reason why people ever find anything challenging is because they're not tapped into their true passion and desire. But get that sweet fuel at the front of your mind, and it will help you sail past any and all challenges. How To Make Your Lifeblood Impossible To Forget Here's a friendly tip: Don't just think about your lifeblood. Write it down. Get it in front of your eyes. Then talk about it. Ask for feedback from the right friends (i.e. be careful that you don't share your Lifeblood with negative people). Process it through all the representation channels your body and mind have at your disposal. That will make it more real. And what's real gets done. Is This The Secret That Will Launch Your Memory Improvement Success? In Christopher Marlowe's excellent The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, we hear the famous line: "Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships, / And burnt the topless towers of Ilium." (Act V, Scene I.) I'll leave reading this play up to you, but give you the quote because Helen of Troy's beauty inspired some of the clearest battle tactics of legend the Western world has ever known. Faustus is referring here to the war that involved the Trojan Horse. And in many ways, that strategy is a great metaphor for what we'll use to slip any information you want into your long term memory. But You've Got To Have The Desire To Win! And the fuel comes from knowing what you're losing each and every minute you delay on taking action. Poor Faustus sold his soul for access to knowledge and paid a terrible price. But you have only the work of knowing what you want and using the tools of memory like a Trojan horse to slip beyond all objections. Straight into the center of your core desire. To all due respect to my fellow memory trainers, that's not likely to happen often by memorizing a shopping list. But information for college? For enjoying the ins and outs of wine? For recovering from brain damage so you can have a medical career? For passing the LSAT, MCAT, SATs or other qualifying exam? For mastering complex topics and remembering the key contents of 100s of books so you can comprehend them like a pro? Follow your gut and link learning the memory techniques with the information that matters most. And always complete this simple recovered memory Memory Palace exercise to make sure you never run out of tools for using the method of loci. The Information That Matters Now The information that will launch all the passion and energy you need to thrive so your hopes and dreams finally become a reality. And I don't just mean "now." I mean RIGHT NOW! Can you dig what I'm saying? Sincerely, Anthony P.S. If you're looking for my best memory improvement recommendation, it's this: The book you actually sit down, read from cover to cover and use (inserting info that matters in place of the shopping list/random items stuff, etc.) Seriously. That's the only memory improvement book that matters. The one you use. P.P.S. And this one reading suggestion could be the most important one you make in your memory improvement life: The post Why Even The Best Memory Improvement Books Are Wrong When They Teach You To Memorize A Shopping List appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Have you ever heard the phrase, "writing is re-writing"? It's an important principle for people learning to write. Why? Because there's a destructive fantasy going around: The fantasy that the first draft is good enough. The truth: The First Draft Usually Stinks! It needs revision. Often lots of it. Believe it or not, it's the same thing with reading books. Yes, you can use the Magnetic Memory Method to memorize a textbook. It's an incredible skill to have. But often enough … one read just doesn't cut it. And there are reasons why. Here are 11 of them. #1: Context Is King Get this: Once upon a time, I could only afford to take one course at university. I had to work three jobs just to afford the tuition! Looked at ironically, I was lucky I could afford to take just one course. Why? Because all those jobs left me with time enough to complete the reading requirements of only the one course! All joking aside, I read Plato's Republic that year while walking up and down the hill to the university. It was all the time I had. But it was fitting because many of the dialogues that make up The Republic take place outdoors. And although it's Aristotle who belongs more closely to the Peripatetic School of philosophy, walking around is … walking around. And because I'm a diligent reader who enjoys the slower process of MMM Bibliomancy as taught in the Magnetic Memory Method Masterplan or briefly here, I let the books I need to read absorb me based on the context of reading. The second time I read The Republic was as a professor living in Saarbrücken, Germany. This time I read The Republic as an audiobook, also while walking up and down a hill. But even though the mechanical operation of walking from place to place was the same, I was reading The Republic this time as an educator, not a student. And instead of reading The Republic in the context of other philosophers (like St. Augustine and Hobbes), I was re-reading it during a period when I was dialed deep into Eckhart Tolle and Wayne Dyer. Context changes everything and that means the same book was actually very different. The result? Context unlocked thoughts about its contents and "unhid" more interesting details to remember. Alethia for unhiding is a fancy ancient Greek word you're going to want to add to your collection, by the way. Keep it and context in mind as your go-to rereading strategy. You'll be delighted by what happens! #2: The Organic Source Of New Ideas Re-generates Itself You know that many of your cells regenerate, right? Not all of them, but enough that you can make the claim that we have a chronological age and a cellular age. And if you wait long enough to re-read a book, you're technically not the same the person as the first time you read the book. Sure, your heart, brain and bones are pretty much the same, but the rest? A whole new you. And that means completely new arms, hands and eyes that deliver the book to your brain. Isn't that exciting to think about? #3: Why Something Most People Dread Is Really The Icing On The Cake Most people regret getting older. I've never understood why, but I guess it's because they don't value the power of re-reading books. Think about it: As you age, you collect more Memory Palaces to help you remember information. Plus, your pool of imagery and associations to use within a Memory Palace gets larger year after year. And as you work with your memory, you discover so many resources set in stone that you never discover unless you're re-reading books. Put simply, age is a currency. It is traded on the strength of connections. The older you are, the more connections you make on autopilot and can engineer deliberately. Better be doing some brain exercises, though. You're always in danger of losing what you're not using, after all … #4: How Location, Location, Location Will Save The Life Of Your Memory Think about this: When you re-read a book, you can enter a multi-dimensional time-zone portal. For example, I'm about the re-read The Republic for the third time. This upcoming re-read is inspired by a conversation I had on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast with Brad Zupp. We got deep into the weeds on matters of memory and philosophy in that one! And as I re-read it, I can use Memory Palaces related to the university where I studied when I read The Republic for the first time. Likewise, I can use Memory Palaces related to the university where I taught when I read it the second time with this rereading strategy. That will save me a ton of memory loss from stress. And oh yes, you'd better believe I'll be using Memory Palaces right here on the campus of QUT in Brisbane where I live to lock and load details I want to remember from my third read. But without re-reading this monumental book from my past, all that Location, Location, Location juice goes untapped. That would be tragic, sad and a complete waste of the constantly renewing cellular matter throughout my body. What are you doing with your past, present and future untapped Memory Palace potential? #5: Why You're A Rookie If You Don't Have Reason Itself Working In Your Favor I'm talking not just the force of reason as used by skeptics of memory, but also multiple reasons. Clearly defined reasons. Back when I first read The Republic, the reason was simple: I'd ponied up for a course in Political Science. In order to pass the course, I needed to read the book. More than that, I wanted a degree. And I wanted knowledge and all the power and accomplishment it brings. The second time around, I wanted a few more things. First, I wanted the initial buzz of pleasure back. I also needed confirmation that the book said the things I remembered it saying. Plus, I had placed The Matrix on the syllabus of one of my Film Studies courses. I needed to at least re-read The Allegory of the Cave … so why not check in with the whole book? And now, I want to revisit that earlier conversation with Brad Zupp and think more deeply about how The Republic relates to memory. After all my research and teaching in the field, I'm excited to see the book from a whole new perspective. Plus, there's the whole notion of Virtual Memory Palaces and making Memory Palaces based on movie locations and series. And it occurs to me that the Allegory of the Cave might be one of the best fantasy Memory Palaces one could borrow. So I've got my reasons for re-reading intact. As I teach in the Masterplan, strategy is everything when it comes to improving your memory. What could you re-read that revives old reasons and harnesses the power of new ones? #7: What Wikipedia Can't Tell You About Sequels, Second Editions And New Translations Yes, yes, I know you can blitz your way through books you've read before by checking out the summaries on Wikipedia. And you know what? There's a place for that. I do it too and it's a great enhancement of information. In fact, I've already make my own little Wiki-adventure through and around a lot of The Republic and its many topics to set the stage for my re-reading. But Wikipedia is not the territory. It's not reading a new translations with a new introduction by a scholar with a different perspective. And it's not re-reading the book with all the benefits of new context, a new body and new reasons. Only re-reading the book itself counts as re-reading the book. Until you dive in, you'll never know the value. And if you're satisfied with skimming … well, you'll just have to see if you enjoy paying the price of not re-reading important books. Only time can tell. #8: Old Books Often Have Better Answers Than The New James Clear made the point a good while ago in his newsletter that new books don't have the benefit of hindsight. Worse: We simply don't know which of those books hitting the shelves this week will stand the test of time. Sadly though … we can make some solid predictions that most will be forgotten within a fortnight or sooner. That's why it's worth not only reading the classics, but also re-reading them. There are reasons why some books just won't go away and one read often isn't enough to squeeze out all the value. Plus, without romanticizing the past, we can say with certainty that life throughout history often offered challenges far harder than what most of us face. Can we learn about how to better thrive in the face of our "First World Problems" by looking at how people dealt with war, plague and famine in the past? You bet. And a lot of those survivors were great literary stylists too. Many are worth re-reading just to dip back into the soul of their wit. #9: How To Experience A Gold Rush Of OMG! Moments Every Day Using A Rereading Strategy You are studying a new language, right? Because you know how good it is for your health, don't you? If not, here are 15 Reasons Why Learning A Language Is Good For Your Brain. Well, re-reading books that you're familiar with in the language you're studying is a brilliant experience. First, re-reading a book you already know in a foreign language helps reduce some cognitive load. You can settle back a bit more because you know in advance where things are going. Second, you can zero in on features like dialog, descriptions and whatever area of the language you'd like to improve. And you can do it with some feeling of familiarity to guide how you focus your lens. Finally, you get to "spy" on the thinking of that culture. Ezra Pound called this feature of a language its logopoeia. It's the logical element of processing the world that is different than sound and imagery. And in re-reading you get to experience the logopoeia of your mother tongue and the language you're studying at the same time. What an incredible treat to give your exercise-starved brain! #10: Defeat The Shocking Ways That Digital Amnesia Is Destroying Your Brain A lot of people just accept it. Google and the other Kings and Queens of the Internet are slowly eroding your brain. It's called Digital Amnesia. Sounds scary, right? Don't worry. There's a simple way to defeat it. It's called a book. A real book. Paper. Ink. You and your body somewhere offline. And if you make that book a re-read of a book from the past, you're defeating Digital Amnesia because you're giving your brain the opportunity to revisit information from the past offline. And if you've read a book on your Kindle device or some other digital reader and feel like you forgot more than you'd like, then re-reading a physical copy is the perfect cure for that problem. #11: How Simple Memory Improvement Helps You Invent The Perfect Future The last reason that re-reading books is so good for you is simple: Since you first stumbled across this blog and the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, your memory is already better. As a result, every book you re-read enters your head blessed with greater potential for being remembered. All you have to do is use the techniques. Good thing they're so fun and easy. And because you know how to connect information with locations and things you're already familiar with, each and every day of life has the potential to improve your memory even more. And re-reading books fuels the engine of memory by accessing the familiar in a new way and from a new angle. You get to actively direct the future by harnessing the power of the past. Best part: It's never too late to get started re-reading books that you enjoyed in the past! So Let Me Ask You Something Personal … What book are you most excited about re-reading next? The post 11 Reasons You Should Reread At Least One Book Every Month appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Go ahead and admit it. You're skeptical that memory techniques will work for you. You might even be skeptical that memory techniques work at all. I mean … those memory champions could be using mirrors or some kind of technology, right? They're absolutely not, but … who hasn't given it a thought when you hear the incredible results of memory improvement training. Hundreds of words! Thousands of digits! Countless decks of playing cards! All under the pressure of time, cameras and competition. Here's the thing: As scientifically proven as the memory techniques are … Your Skepticism Is Good! In fact … It turns out that the more skeptical you are about memory techniques, the better they work! And over the years, I've discovered 3 reasons why skeptics succeed with memory techniques better than anyone else. Buckle in because if you've been sitting on the fence when it comes to using memory techniques … … or if you've been suffering less than stellar results every time you give them a try … The problem could be that you're just not skeptical enough. #1 Skeptics Are Ethical Kind of a weird place to start, right? But it's true. Because skeptics tend to follow, in one way or another, the laws of a universal rule: The responsibility for demonstrating the validity of a claim falls on the person making the claim. In other words: If YOU say something outlandish like, "Memory techniques won't work for me" … … AND you're an ethical person … YOU Will Do Something To Prove That You're Right! And that's where the fun begins. Why? Because it's almost impossible NOT to succeed with memory techniques if you're ethical. And you have to be seriously getting in your own way to make failure even a remote possibility. #2 Skepticism Comes Packed With Determination People anxious to prove that they can't use memory techniques bring truckloads of determination. So much so that they're able to quickly overcome the objections that people with only a passing interest in training their memory allow to disrupt them. What are these objections? I'm not creative … I'm not visual … I don't have the energy … It's too hard … … and a slew of other negative self-talkisms that no true skeptic would ever let stand in their way. No, skeptics want badly to get at the truth. So they tackle the training with all the due diligence it deserves. Aren't you starting to wish that you were a skeptic too? #3 Skepticism Creates Multiple Levels Of Energy Think about it this way: The fact that the skeptic motors in with all guns blazing to prove that they can't do it is one level of energy. But then when they begin to see that they're absolutely wrong … A new energy appears. The energy of total surprise and excitement from getting results! Because lo and behold, these skeptics discover … the memory techniques do perform with ease after all! And when that second level of energy doubles back to the memory of their skepticism … it grows even bigger! Why? Because they've returned to their ethical core and accomplished something profound. They didn't sit around whining and crying about their doubt. They went out and investigated. They picked the purportedly miraculous skill apart and learned it in the process. And, of course, to really learn memory techniques, you've got to also use them. And when that happens … You're Hooked For Life! Isn't that exciting? You bet it is. Just like it was for Tom, who attended one of the live Magnetic Memory Method trainings I give around the world. On this particular occasion … Guilin, China. At the end of the second session, Tom came to me and exclaimed, "You changed my life!" To be honest, that bold claim made me a bit skeptical! So we chatted a bit and I understood he was sincere. But it wasn't until the third day that he told me just how skeptical he'd been. Listening to me talk … … even before he took action … … the clarity that the Magnetic Memory Method brings to authentic memory improvement wasn't opening his mind or melting his heart … It was creating a plan of attack! And even in the planning, Tom could see that … He Would Fail To Prove That Memory Techniques Don't Work! Although … here's the ugly truth. It's easy to repeat the good news that "memory techniques work." But that's semantics. The truth is that memory techniques don't work. Oh no. Not at all. It's YOU who work the techniques. Never the other way around. You don't ask a skipping rope to fly in circles in the air, do you? No! You pick it up and twirl it around your body as you jump up and down. It's not magic – it's exercise! And the benefits of doing so? Immense! But for some reason, many people expect to buy a memory improvement book or course and have some kind of otherworldly, spellbinding transformation. Well … that's not so far off the mark. If you work the memory techniques, you absolutely can experience an entrancing metamorphosis of memory ability most people only dream of! But you've got to understand that all memory improvement begins and ends with picking up the tool and using it. And That's Why Tom Couldn't Prove That Memory Techniques Don't Work! He was too determined to pick up the tool and use it to prove that the memory techniques don't work. But to do that … He had to work the techniques! And so the third day he returned to me and said again, "You changed my life!" But this time it wasn't just with the claim that I'd changed his life. It was with a Magnetic Memory Method Memory Journal in tow. All the instructions followed to the letter. And let me tell you … His first Memory Palace Looked Beautiful! And on the page beside it, two columns of Chinese idioms. Not simple vocabulary, but small, complex phrases. And What Happened Next Didn't Surprise Me In The Least! You see, I've encountered many times before. Not that it doesn't give me a thrill each and every time. Quite the opposite. As I listened to Tom recite 20 Chinese idioms off the top of his head, my heart exploded with pride, excitement and the absolute edification that comes with seeing yet another skeptic move over to the Magnetic side of the Force. I've felt the same edification when using the Magnetic Memory Method to memorize Chinese poems. But oh how Tom doubted! And oh how he let his skepticism be his prime motivator. Which leaves us now with possibly … The Most Important Memory Improvement Question In The Known And Unknown Universe! If you're not already a skeptic, but you'd like to have the energy of a skeptic so that you can finally get some results, how do you bring the power of positive skepticism into your life? I'm so glad you asked because I'm unusually equipped to help you answer the question. After all, back during my professor days, I taught a fourth year course in Critical Thinking for a couple semesters. And now you can enjoy the broad strokes of that course in just a few minutes. But be cautious: What You're About To Learn Will Improve Your Entire Life Skepticism begins simply. It begins by inspecting information more closely than before. Instead of glossing over everything all the time, peer between the lines. Ask questions. And think. And ask you think and ask questions … Ask more questions. And go in with a particular attitude when you do: Expect Specific Answers That Make Sense And Must Be True So in the case of memory improvement, if a claim doesn't seem quite right (which is often the case in information about memory supplements), go to the source and ask pointed questions. Expect real answers and don't be satisfied until you get them. But please understand that when it comes to memory improvement training, it's something you learn by doing. So you need to know the difference between inbound questions and outbound questions. And it's usually more appropriate in this case questions like: Have I learned to create a well-formed Memory Palace? Have I used a Memory Palace that I created according to the best guidance I can find? Have I used information that will make my life instantly better (like 20 Chinese idioms) instead of practicing with a useless shopping list? Questions like these cut to the core of the matter and what you'll find is that the most powerful skepticism for our purposes today are skepticism not of the techniques. We're talking about skepticism of what you're doing with the techniques. And when you get to this point, test the facts against your own experience. Frequently. And keep track of the results. A Memory Journal is one of the best ways to do this and you will deserve massive congratulations. Why? Not merely because you're now using memory techniques. But because you've finally accomplished something truly special. You're now living a science-based life. Because here's what a skeptic really is (courtesy one of my favorite blogs, Science Based Life): A skeptic is a person who withholds judgment on beliefs, claims, and topics, until the relevant evidence is examined, regardless of previous beliefs etc. Only under a verification of said evidence will a claim etc. be considered valid. And notice that it is "withholding" judgment, not refusing to examine evidence. And in this case, all the evidence you need is in the scientific journals. It's in the anecdotal descriptions and historical records going back thousands of years. It's in the annals of the World Memory Championships which recently celebrated 25 years. And there are many, many more competitions out there who also verify incredible feats under test conditions and track everything. But there's no place you need evidence more than inside your own head. And the only way to get it there is to simple create a Memory Palace and use it. You'll need nothing more. Except more skepticism. Because every hurdle … Every learning challenge you'll ever face … Benefits from the force and energy of skepticism. And so all you need to do is ask the right questions and take responsibility for creating the evidence that will answer those questions. So Now Let Me Ask You A Question: Are you ready to start being a skeptic? For the sake of your memory and the improvement of mental literacy around the world, I certainly hope so. And if you're not ready, let me know how I can help! The post 3 Reasons Why Skeptics Succeed With Memory Techniques Better Than Anyone Else appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Ever feel frustrated by people with strong memory abilities? You know the kind. They rattle off names. They know all their credit card numbers. They say, "April 10th, 1972," not "back then" or "in the past." They're specific. And make no mistake: Specificity Makes Your Life Better They feel good when they call restaurant staff by name. They seem to know everyone in a deeper way. Their capacity for human interaction shines. And when they have to do something with numbers, they do it with confidence. They're in control. They've got it together. Even better: When it comes to conversation, they know how to hold their own. They don't mess around with loose generalities. They don't waver on the facts. They're detailed. Specific. Precise. And let's face it: It Annoys You To Your Core That You're Not Like This! It's a real problem too. All that time you're losing at work. Looking up the same procedural information again and again. Nothing you do solves the problem. You're trapped in a prison of repetition, and nothing ever seems to sink in. In conversations, you continue to flounder. You can't remember the names of actors, authors, even the titles of books you know you read. And the brain fog crushing your memory every time you sit down to do some math … It's downright, depressing, isn't it? Of course it is. The Simple Memory Improvement Solution Even A 10-Year Old Can Master Good news: You don't need memory championship training to remove these pains from your life. You just need these 5 brain exercises and a little bit of meta-level understanding of just what makes memory techniques so powerful. Here are a few reasons. 1) Memory techniques are diplomatic. Seriously. If you look up the meaning of diplomacy, you get a definition like this: Diplomacy is the conduct by government officials of negotiations and other relations between nations. That's all memory techniques are: An understanding of the official parts of your memory and getting them to negotiate with one another. For example, when you use the Magnetic Memory Method, you're learning a completely new way to think about spatial memory. And then you harness the power of spatial memory and get it to talk diplomatically with your episodic memory. There are other "nations" of memory in your brain that the Magnetic Memory Method taps into, but it's all about getting them to negotiate. 2) There's no discrimination. It doesn't matter if you're 8 years old or 88. The memory techniques simply don't care. If you learn how to use them so the different parts of your memory can discuss diplomatically, you'll amaze yourself. And if you need any convincing, check out Tap The Mind Of A 10-Year Old Memory Master. 3. They're Honest. There's no better art in the world than the art of memory. Why? Because there's no wiggle room. You either remembered the information, or you didn't. And the Magnetic Memory Method helps you embrace the power of that radical honesty. And to do so in comfort while you learn faster and remember more. Because there are only three things that stand in the way of you and getting amazing results from your memory. Efficiency Is Doing Things Right. Effectiveness Is Doing The Right Things. That's a quote from Peter Drucker. And it applies directly to the biggest mistake that even the best memory champions make. They don't practice as well as they could. Now, you don't have to aspire to memory competition to enjoy benefits from these techniques. In fact, as much as I love all the memory competitions out there … I sometimes worry that they discourage people who stand to gain the most from memory techniques. After all, if you're struggling with passing math exams in school … What's More Likely To Help Both Memory Champions And… Anyone? Images of a kid just like you rapidly memorizing complicated formulas … … or someone wrangling long lists of numbers from the depths of a Memory Palace. Same skills – same diplomacy – but it can be hard for some people to see the connection. But there is a connection. And if you buckle down and practice with real information you might actually use in the world, your memory will transform into the most powerful asset in the world. Take language learning. It's not only a great way to use memory techniques. Bilingualism also makes for a healthier brain. And You Will Be The One Who Owns The Asset! Of course, having great power leads to great responsibility. And there's no question that this can make you nervous. After all … Once you've spent a bit of time learning and practicing memory techniques … You Actually Have To Use Them! Seriously. There are lots of parallels between memory improvement and martial arts. But unlike a lot of martial arts where you learn "fight to the death" techniques you never want to ever use in real life … When it comes to memory improvement … Not a day will pass without an opportunity to win! And that can lead to the third big mistake: Lack of Faith In Your Memory As The Most Perfect And Beautiful Possession You Must Honor With All Your Love And Attention Some will say I'm being dramatic. But those who have lived a life of memory, even if only for a short while, know exactly what I mean. Yes, we can talk about levels of accuracy and the black and white certainties of getting it right or wrong. And yes, we know from the descriptions of even the best memory champions that they experience doubt even when they're at the top of their game. And as former World Memory Champion Ben Pridmore has said, his number one tip for anyone using memory techniques is to simply get out of your own way and trust your memory. Let memory techniques Do The Heavy Lifting For You And never forget the wisdom of Bruce Lee: No ego. No enemy. Because memory techniques aren't working, it's not about the techniques. It's about you. Remember, this is a black and white art. There's no one who can't use them and there are no excuses. And if you get past your limiting beliefs, there's so much more that living a life in tune with memory can bring. Because when you learn to use memory techniques and carry them with you throughout life, you begin to experience a depth of conversation with yourself and the world that eliminates all fear. Every problem, every pain, ever doubt you've ever had melts away. And all because you experience a complete and utter shift in thinking about the nature of your mind. You experience that thing called "you" in a new way. A diplomatic way. A way that governs the discussions between spatial, episodic, semantic and other "countries' of your memory. You rise above it all. You are the Magnetic King or the Queen of all things that pass in the realm of your memory and your mind. And all you have to do is surrender yourself to a simple process. Are you in? The post The 3 Biggest Memory Improvement Mistakes Even Experienced Memory Champions Make appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Home is where the heart is, right? Judging by my inbox and all the pains and frustrations with memory I hear … Maybe not. I mean, think about it: You pour all that hard-earned money into rent or your mortgage, and yet … You're Living In A Memory-Toxic Dump! It really doesn't matter how much you like your home. If you don't set it up for memory success and sufficient memory care home solutions, you're leading yourself down a path of mental destruction. And yes, there are things worse than Alzheimer's. Such as letting another moment slip by without the extraordinary powers available to you now for improving your memory based on Memory Palace Science. In addition to all the memory techniques you can learn here on the site, here are 15 more ways that your home is crushing your memory. Avoid these issues and your memory abilities will soar. 1. Your Fridge Is Filled With Memory Destroying Foods Here's a rule of thumb you must not forget: If it comes with a list of ingredients, it's probably wrecking your brain. I know it's hard these days. Almost everything comes wrapped in plastic and there are additives in everything. Heck, you can't even trust your local farmer's market. But sticking with foods that improve memory isn't hard. In fact, it's one of the easiest things you can do. And yes, it's the one time Magnetic Memory Method fans know I think it's okay to memorize your shopping list. So drop the sauces and start eating well. Your brain and memory will thank you for it. 2. No Mat, No Enlightenment, No Memory Improvement Getting sick of hearing about meditation? Don't. In study after study, scientists keeps piling on all the benefits of meditation for your memory. And the good news is that memory is good for all kinds of other life areas too. Don't believe me? Just listen: https://youtu.be/zP20eBfp2oM 3. No Dedicated Study And Memory Location People say they want to get smarter, but do they act like it? Just take a look around your own home and point to all the places you go to FOCUS. If you can't even come up with one, then you and your memory are in trouble. Don't you think it's time to fix it? 4. How Scribbling Can Save The Life Of Your Memory Once you have a place to focus in, it's good to have rituals. My morning rituals for Mandarin have changed a bit since I first shared them, but the basics are the same. And a huge part of getting my language learning done involves having an if-this-then-that chain of events. To help, I'm currently using The Mastery Journal, which is John Lee Dumas' follow-up to the excellent Freedom Journal. Why not just use an app? Digital amnesia, for one thing. It's killing your memory and your brain. Kind of like reading from screens is sucking your brain dry of the life it used to have. 5. Not Enough Dead Weight Two words. More books. Real books. It's true: People can't remember nearly as much of what they read from a digital device as they can from physical books. Why? I have a lot of pet theories, but the important thing is that you make sure you've got physical books in your home. Even if it's just a couple, so long as you actually read them, you'll be doing your memory and brain a favor. 6. Not Enough Playful Romance (And Yes, Sex) If you want to keep your brain and memory healthy, you've got to do it. Often. But more than just get physical with your partner, you've got to be romantic and make love in memorable ways. How? Ask questions. Tease. Remind your lover of the things you remember and prove that the past of your relationship matters. Because it does matter, doesn't it? And if you can't imagine it mattering, maybe you need to get checked out for aphantasia. 7. Too Much Idiot Box Okay, everybody knows the truth here: TV has gotten better. And you can improve your memory by watching long form series and making a network of Memory Palaces from them. But here's the thing: No matter how good TV gets, it's still twitchy. Instead of helping you extend your attention span, it's constantly shrinking it. Not only that, you're continually being exposed to bad news that create the perception of a negative world. Well, guess what? That world doesn't actually exist. And if you don't believe me, just read The Better Angels Of Our Nature by Stephen Pinker. 'nuff said. 8. Too Many Interruptions From Mobile Devices If the TV isn't interrupting your attention, instant notifications from a dozen or more less than useful apps are probably yapping at you. Seriously, does the latest post on Facebook really matter that much to you? Wouldn't you rather be experiencing the benefits of learning a new language instead? Listen, I use social media too, but there's a time and place for it and the home isn't one of them. Try digital fasting and use social media only when you're out at a cafe or some other place. My prediction: You'll enjoy where you live more than you ever imagined possible. 9. No Wheels, No Memory Skills Crazy, but true. I know all kinds of people who prefer driving to work when they could ride. A bike. They're not only great exercise, but you can use bikes as Memory Palaces too. And driving instead of cycling means a few things: You're robbing yourself of exercise while polluting the environment. You're also robbing yourself of experiencing the world at a deeply infinite level. You see more when you go slower and that means you have more interesting thoughts to think. Plus, you'll discover you have more Memory Palace options in your environment than you ever realized before. These will come in handy when you know how to improve memory for studying. 10. Only One Language Spoken At Home This one's a kicker. Far too many people live monolingual lives. Worse, they've hypnotized themselves into thinking that learning another language is hard. It costs time, energy and maybe a bit of money. No doubt about it. But hard? That's just negative self-hypnosis. Check out The Big Five Of Language Learning and put this nonsense about language learning being difficult to rest. Your home will become so much more vibrant when you have multiple languages flowing through it. And that can't help but be super-healthy for your memory and your brain. 11. Clutter, Clutter Everywhere And Not A Thought To Think Okay, I'll admit it. I've got a fair amount of clutter around me a lot of the time. But I also spend a few moments every morning clearing it up too. It's written into my Mastery Journal as part of my morning routine. And not just the clutter around my physical desk. I spend at least 5-10 minutes arranging the files on my desktop into folders too. It does a lot to create focus and peace of mind, not to mention a heightened ability to find things fast. 12. No Musical Instruments Like language learning, studying music is incredible for your memory. Not only that, but you can explore music and mnemonics together in many fascinating ways. Plus, you're already probably familiar with the music mnemonics they teach in schools. Why not revive them and put them to some use? 13. Not Using Your Home As A University Campus Did you know that you can get university level certifications for free? Welcome to the wonderful world of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). For more information about these, check out my interview with Barbara Oakley. Why should you listen to what she has to say about Massive Open Online Courses? Simple. She's the creator behind the biggest MOOC in the world! She's also the author of several great books, including the wonderful Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential. That library I was suggesting you should build in order to ensure that your home stops crushing your memory? Add MindShift to it. 14. Not Teaching The Kids How To Use A Memory Palace (And Then More Than One Memory Palace) If there's one crime against humanity that gets the hounds of hell howling louder than any other, it's this one. Memory improvement techniques for kids are easy to teach and do so much good for everyone in your home. Whether it's learning history, the multiplication table, or just the simple ability to memorize the names of new people, your kids will be much more delightful to be around if you give them the gift of memory. And let's be clear: Introducing your kids to memory techniques shouldn't be done on a whim. It's kind of like a Martial Art, especially if you do it the Magnetic Memory Method way. They don't call me the Bruce Lee of Memory for nothing, after all. One of the key reasons for this honor stems from the MMM's concentration on making meditation part of the memory process. And meditation, provided it's free from dogma and mythology, is very likely good for your kids and their memory too. 15. Not Using Your Home As A Memory Palace Of all the ways your home is crushing your memory, the quickest thing you can do to break the trend is the easiest: Turn your home into a Memory Palace! Not only is Memory Palace creation one of the best brain exercises on the planet, but it does something remarkable: It instantly quadruples the value of your home! Why? Because now instead of just living in the place, you can use it to learn, remember and recall anything. And that's more valuable than anything else in the world. Bonus: 16. You're Not Using The Solution! But then again … … if you haven't given memory techniques a try, you wouldn't know. That makes me sad, so let me extend this simple invitation. Grab my FREE Memory Improvement Kit now and start the process immediately. You'll learn how to create a Memory Palace in 4 simple steps. After that, you'll be amazed by all the wonderful things you can do with the simple power of your natural imagination. Have fun and keep me posted on your progress. Talk soon! Sincerely, Anthony Metivier The post 15 Ways Your Home Is Crushing your Memory appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Hey, it happens. We've all forgotten a name. Where we left our keys. Whether or not we locked the front door. But there's a difference between mild forgetfulness and more serious memory problems like memory loss. And mild forgetfulness is particularly vicious because it can creep up on you. In fact, it could be biting up parts of your brain as we speak. But it's not the same as memory loss, which is what we really need to focus on curing. And to help you out, here are five signs of serious memory loss problems you need to take seriously: 1. Asking The Same Questions Over And Over Again This is a big warning sign that you have memory loss problems. You might even be suffering from one of the big memory loss diseases like Alzheimer's or Dementia. It's not just that you've forgotten the answers to the questions. You've even forgotten that you asked the question before. If this happens to you or someone points out that you've been asking the same question multiple times, please get it checked out. No shame in having the problem. Just something that needs attention. 2. Getting Lost In Well-Known Places This problem can occur at any age. It's not necessarily a sign of Alzheimer's or dementia, either. It could be a sign of fatigue, dietary problems or thyroid issues. But if you find yourself getting lost in places you've been in many times before (including your home), you know that it's more than well-warranted to get yourself to the doctor. 3. Inability To Follow Directions No, I'm not talking about rebellion. I'm talking about literally not being able to understand and execute. We all have this from time to time. Sometimes, the instructions are to blame. But other times, it's a sign of serious memory loss. 4. Experiencing Confusion About Time It's normal to forget the day of the week every once in awhile. But if it becomes a common occurrence, you need to do something about it. Not only that, but you can use a Memory Palace to help ensure that you always know what day of the week it is. Here's how: Look at the wall nearest your bed. Imagine it has seven quadrants. In each quadrant, place an image. For example: Monday = the moon Tuesday = a can of Tuna Wednesday = a weathervane Etc … Having a mnemonic calendar like this will make the days of the week more memorable for you as such. But to know for sure, you can imagine crossing out a huge X over the can of tuna before going to bed on a Tuesday. Or you can do something even more imaginative, like seeing it smashed by the weathervane that represents Wednesday. In this way, when you wake up, you can think of what happened before you went to sleep on your mnemonic calendar. That will instantly remind you of the current day. And this works just as well for young people as it does for people coping with age related memory loss. Having a mnemonic calendar is also one of many great brain exercises that will help you keep sharp. 5. Not Taking Care Of Yourself Seriously. Some people forget to eat, bathe and otherwise take care of themselves. I know this problem well from the periods when depression has crushed my memory so heavily my hygiene went down the drain. It sucks and if it happens to you, get it checked out. 8 Simple Cures For Memory Loss And Forgetfulness The good news is that people are winning the battle against memory loss and forgetfulness. Here are 8 things you can do starting today that will give you the upper edge in the battle against these critical memory problems. 1. Learn A New Skill Seriously. Juggling, piano, simple sketching. Anything you can find will help. I'm currently learning more about video production and photography while learning Chinese. The improvements to my memory are noticeable on a daily basis. 2. Volunteer It could be at a school, community service office or church. It really doesn't matter what, so long as it's with other people and you genuinely feel happy about helping others. These kinds of experiences create powerful new memories that will last a lifetime while exercising your brain. 3. Spend More Time With Friends & Family Be honest. You're not getting enough face time with the people that matter. And it's killing your memory. Get out your calendar and cell phone now. Make the call. Book a time. Your memory will thank you for it. 4. Put Your Wallet, Keys & Glasses In The Same Place Every Time Look, I can teach you how to remember where you put objects in the house. But sometimes it's good to give your memory some relief. That's why instead of imagining explosions every time you set your keys down, you can take the pressure off your memory by dedicating a spot for these easily lost items. 5. Get More Sleep Easier said than done, to be sure, except … It is easy if you set a computer curfew. Seriously: Shut the machine down at the same time every day. Read a book. Play a game. Get in bed. Rest your #memory.Click To Tweet I like to spend about 5 minutes wandering a Memory Palace and sometimes exposing myself to something new before turning out the lights. However, I read a study recently that older people get less memory consolidation than younger people during sleep. Nonetheless, the additional exposure to information can't hurt – AND those studies are still relatively new. Point being: Get off the computer and get more sleep. It's good for your brain and memory. 6. Exercise, Hydrate & Eat Well There's nothing that helps improve memory better than having a healthy brain sitting in a healthy body. There's no doubt that walking, pushups and other forms of fitness provide great memory benefits. And it's a no-brainer that eating foods that improve memory like salmon, blueberries and walnuts are far better for your memory than pizza, chocolate bars and foods bursting with bizarre preservatives. Get rid of the junk and enjoy memory friendly foods. Drink tons of water too. Studies show that just a touch of dehydration shrinks your brain and harms your memory. Who wants that? 7. Ditch The Booze I haven't touched alcohol for over a year now (except for a bit that touched my tongue by accident at a party). I used to drink a fair amount, but in the last year, the benefits for my memory are really just the beginning. Not drinking has contributed to losing a lot of weight and feeling better all around. 8. Get Help If You Feel Depressed Not a lot of people know this, but even a mild depression can cause memory problems. For that reason, don't be shy or embarrassed to reach out for some help. In fact, doing all of the above almost guarantees that you'll never get depressed. But wait! There are more cures for memory loss and forgetfulness. Introducing … Why Do Memory Loss Problems Take Place To Begin With Now, before we get started, you might be asking yourself … Why do these memory loss problems take place in the first place? Lots of reasons. It could be that you're reacting to a new medicine – or an old one that has started compounding elements in your body. Seasonal or contextual depression might be in play. You might be lacking certain vitamins and minerals in your diet. Perhaps you've had too much alcohol. Blood clots or tumors might be growing in your brain from a health issue or injury. Or other parts of your body might be affected. The Ultimate Cure For Memory Loss & Forgetfulness For most of us, we're fit enough that we don't have to worry that our health is affecting our memory. We don't suffer from Alzheimer's. There are no vascular issues causing dementia. We're not boozing or vitamin deficient. So why then do we struggle with our memory abilities? The Answer Is Simple Lack of memory exercise. Yes, it is a must to see a doctor if you have any of the memory problems I've listed above. But if it's just general lack of memory ability we're talking about, then I've got just what the doctor ordered. The Magnetic Memory Method doctor, that is. I do hold a Ph.D., after all. Although I am making no medical recommendations of any kind, I can tell you this: Nothing has boosted my mood more than using memory techniques and experiencing the raw power of recall. Seriously. This morning my wife woke me up with a simple request: To sing a Chinese poem she'd taught me. Which one? I asked. Yes, I've memorized more than one. Quickly. Efficiently. In ways that make me happy. Boost my confidence. Are ridiculously fun. In fact … It's Impossible To Be Depressed When Using Your Memory! So if you'd like to experience the cure for memory loss and forgetfulness yourself, I urge you to scroll up and enroll in my free memory improvement course. You'll learn the best way to use create and use a Memory Palace. Having one of these easy to make memory tools will let you learn, remember and recall anything. And it's the ultimate memory improvement exercise, especially since I teach you exactly how to make sure that you're memorizing the information that matters in your life. Then again, you probably already know exactly what would make a huge difference if you could remember it now, don't you? Either way, giddy up and sign up for my FREE memory improvement course now. Enjoy and until we speak again … Keep yourself Magnetic! Sincerely, Anthony Metivier The post The Most Important Difference Between Memory Loss And Forgetfulness In The World appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Ever hear that crazy phrase, "knowledge is power"? Sounds kind of cool, right? But have you ever asked yourself … What The Heck Does That Silly Cliche Mean? Well, "power," it turns out, is an interesting concept. Especially when it comes to memory and memory improvement. To begin, understand this: People have defined it thousands of different ways throughout history. Ever since I discovered it in university, I've always liked Michel Foucault's definition. He's a philosopher who you should check out sometime. Don't worry if you think philosophy is boring. Foucault didn't dally around. He gets right down to defining it in many books. For Foucault, power amounts to "the ability to conduct the conduct of others." Now, let's be honest: Who In Their Right Mind Wouldn't Want A Taste Of That? And let's be clear: When it comes to memory improvement and using memory techniques as a way of life, that's what we going for: Power. Exactly as Michel Foucault defined. Why? Because if you're using memory techniques to help you learn a language, guess what? Speaking a language "controls" what others think. Just like my words are controlling what you think now. Controlling what you're thinking, feeling, deciding to do next. And more than that … Power Is Productive It produces the next action in line. When it comes to the power that using memory techniques creates, think of it this way: If you're using memory techniques for numbers so that you can quote SKU numbers at work or cite aspects of the law, you're instantly better at controlling how your colleagues work with you. Pretty neat, huh? Well, hold on now, because it gets even better. Because there are a lot of things about memory you probably don't know. And all of them will give you more power. Which equals more control. Particularly over the most important person in your life you need better control over. You. So with all that in mind, let's get started: 1. Memory Loss Starts At A Much Younger Age Than Most People Think Sad, but true. We have this image that memory loss starts when you're forty or older. Worse, we project the idea that struggles with memory belong to the elderly or people with Alzheimer's. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Long before the age of digital amnesia, scientists knew that memory struggles begin already in our mid-20s, if not earlier. And the more people relegate their memory activities to smartphones and computers, the more younger people start experiencing memory problems. Don't Blame The Machines For Everything! Of course, we can't just blame the machines or the questionable fact that they don't teach learning and memory techniques in schools. (They do.) This is what's more important: We're exposing young people to information they don't care about. Want to help the young person in your life learn how to discover exactly what they care about to help guide their studies? Make sure you listen to the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast for the link to the listener only audiobook, The Ultimate Memory Improvement Secret. I promise. That book will help. And then giddy up on improving your memory. No matter how young and spry you think you are now, memory loss is always around the corner. 2. You Change Your Memories Every Time You Remember Them I love that scene from Lost Highway. For two reasons: A) It exposes a fundamental truth about human behavior. B) The whole movie is about how memories change merely by recalling them. And it's true. Every time you remember something, you're engaging in an exchange of chemicals. You know this, right? Your mind is produced by your brain: soft, squishy material made up of all kinds of nutrients and acids. The kind of stuff that aliens probably love to eat. And in that pool of chemical substances, sit your memories. Your memories are part of that stuff, not different from it. Every time you access one of them, it's like putting bread into a toaster. Chemical change. And, as you know, bread that has been toasted ain't never going back to being bread again. It's different now, and different it shall remain. 3. Your Memory Is More Like A Neighborhood Than A Computer Not only are your memories made of physical material, they are also dispersed like multiple spheres in a pinball machine. Think of it the way Gary Small suggested when I interviewed him on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast. He explains that the computer metaphor for the human brain and memory is false. Instead, your brain is like a series of neighborhoods, bigger and more complex than the biggest cities of the world. And every time new information enters your "memory city," it doesn't book a room in a hotel someplace and wait patiently to be called for a business meeting when you need it. Instead, the information is broken up and sent into many different homes in many different neighborhoods. The Businessmen Your Memory Slices And Dices Everyday Think of it like this: Say that you learn a German phrase like, "Ich möchte mir etwas kaufen, aber ich weiß nicht was." (I want to buy myself something, but I don't know what.) If that phrase was a businessman, your memory wouldn't store him altogether in the same place. Instead, it would take his hat and put it in one home in one neighborhood of your memory. Then, in an entirely different neighborhood, your memory would deposit his briefcase. And that neighborhood might be just around the bend, or it might be hundreds of thousands of miles away. And the division keeps going, taking each arm of the businessman to a unique location. It might even be the case that each individual toe goes to its own home in a variety of different neighborhoods. Sounds Complex, Doesn't It? Well, that's the miracle and challenge of memory. Next time you struggle to recall something because you're missing a part (like a last name when you have the first name), understand that this is why: Your memory stored the first and last name, just not necessarily in the same neighborhood of your "memory city." And this is why memory techniques are so fantastic, especially for remembering a lot of names at events: When you use a Memory Palace, and particularly the Magnetic Memory Method, you're rigging the game in your favor. You are literally requesting that your mind store the information in a more compact way. You are creating connections that put you in control of information storage in ways that no computer can beat. 4. You Cash In On Your Memories Overnight I know, I know, you're tired of hearing about how important SLEEP DEFICIT page is for your memory. I'm sorry. Get used to it. Nothing could be more important for your memory. I've experienced a lot of sleep deficit over the past few years due to traveling the world in search of new Memory Palaces. I can tell you one thing: Nothing hurts your memory more than exhaustion. Why? Because even with the most powerful memory techniques in the world, memory "consolidates" during sleep. It seems to be related to the same way that we experience muscle growth during sleep. Work out all you want in the gym, but if you're not putting in the snooze time, you'll never see anything like the results you want. Does Memory Consolidation Work If You're Old? Recent research shows that sleep consolidation might not be nearly as important for memory as an adult as it is for a younger person. But in my own experiences as someone now in his forties, I can tell you that I still feel a huge difference. I've also done experiments with changing when I memorize Chinese vocabulary, and I do seem to have much stronger recall when I use the Magnetic Memory Method at night, rather than the morning. Here's the real kicker, though: Practicing your memory first thing and before you go to bed. WINNING! 5. Technology Can Augment Human Memory, But Also Harm It Some of my friends think I'm a Luddite. After all, I didn't update my iPhone 4s until 2017. And even then I never used it as a phone anyway. It's a computer for reading and writing. All things told, all my devices are good for memory in certain contexts and I appreciate having them. But we're killing our memory abilities in so many ways. I talk about this a lot on my post about digital amnesia, so I'll step off my soapbox for now. Just please understand that we need balance in our life and that's why vinyl records are so popular, not to mention physical journals (I recommend The Freedom Journal). 6. Repetition Can Be Fun Most people don't know this, but rote learning does have a fun button written into its code. No, that's a lie. Rote learning is always a crime against humanity. If you have to repeat anything a zillion times or you're bombing through flash cards without at least the assistance of some mnemonics, you're doing it wrong. No exposure to information should be without excitement. And every memory activity you engage in should CREATE energy, not CONSUME it. Think of that the next time you repeat something mindlessly with the hope and the wish and the prayer that it will stick in your memory. Remember: power is productive. If rote learning and spaced-repetition software give you your jollies, rock on. But if you're sick of hammering your brain with same information and having it drain you of enthusiasm, get out into the real world and use a Memory Palace and the rest of the Magnetic Memory Method instead. 7. Human Memory (Probably) Has No Limits People often think that their memory is like a sponge. If they bring in new information, they ask, won't it squeeze the old stuff out? The answer is no. Memory is nothing like a sponge and there is no metaphor of "storage" or "absorption" that fits the bill. It's also important to understand that when we use the word "memory" we are mushing together all kinds of different memory? There's no way we can use them all up. And if you have a good Memory Palace technique by your side, here's the thing: You can ALWAYS find a building you've never been in before. Get out your Memory Journal, make a quick sketch. Chart out your Magnetic Stations. And then use them to memorize some information. Bang Presto. It's easy, fun and you don't have to be a world traveler to do it. I'll bet there are at least ten cafes and restaurants you haven't been to in your city or town that would make glorious Memory Palaces. You don't even have to spend money in them to create your Memory Palaces. You could just go during off hours and tell them what you're doing. Most will be okay with that. If Not, Just Move On … And if you don't like restaurants or cafes, go to movie theaters. Go to libraries. Museums. Churches. Even well-structured parks can serve if you're into outdoor Memory Palaces. The point is to not trick yourself into thinking that you're running out of Memory Palaces. That can't and won't happen. That's called "Memory Palace Scarcity, " and sadly it stops many people cold in their tracks. Don't let it happen to you. 8. You Probably Remember Less From Ebooks Than Physical Books I'll bet you love Ebooks. I know I sure do. The problem is … You're much less likely to remember information you read digitally than from physical books. Why is this? Well, you can check out the research for yourself, but I have a pet theory. And the theory is more than the obvious points that information is "located" inside of books in a way that it cannot be inside a computer. In other words, it is probably useful to your memory that you know on a conscious or subconscious level that a piece of information was 1/4 or 3/4 of the way into a book. The location of the information within the physical space of the book is a kind of memory hook. You don't get that feeling in an Ebook, even though devices like Kindle will show you a percentage to give you a sense of progress. I also don't think it's just about the physical differences between holding a book and holding a digital reader. Those elements are important too, but far more critical it seems to me is this: Your Brain Is Chemical Your brain is chemical. Books are chemical. And computers are chemical too … And yet somehow … I don't know how to explain it. And I'm happy to be dead wrong, but I just think we are at a strange remove from "digital ink" that doesn't exist when you've got a book in your hand. It may have to do with presence. The best way I can think of to explain it is to relate books to vinyl records. Check out this cool video from Vinyl Eyezz to expand your thinking on the matter. Then go buy something physical. 9. Memories Can Be Manufactured Just as each memory transforms ever time you recall it, you can be compelled to create memories that never happened. There are a lot of angles to this problem, some of which fall under the title of false memory syndrome. But I think it's more complex than that – and quite possibly sinister. For example, look at this seemingly innocent manufacturing of memory regarding a hot air balloon experience: Then imagine that the cops have accused you of committing a murder. Scary stuff, right? Well, now that you know about this problem, you can fend off any threats that might emerge around it in your life. And the best thing for it is to train your memory so that you're starting off strong in the first place if trouble ever arises. 10. The First Memory Palace Probably Comes From The Buddha, Not Ancient Greece I love the story of Simonides of Ceos. It not only demonstrates just how easy it is to remember stories, but the story itself contains all the traits of what makes a story memorable. But here's the thing: The idea of "location-based mnemonics," (the sexier, but more accurate term for the Memory Palace technique) predates Simonides by a long time. For example, many yogic and Buddhist rituals involved using parts of temples to recall passages of rituals. You might imagine a bridge in one corner of the temple, for example, and a black dog in another. Then, during your meditation, you would mentally "visit" these Magnetic stations in the temple Memory Palace and decode them as part of completing the meditation. Sure, they didn't call it a Memory Palace and probably didn't think of it as a memory technique. But that's what's going on beyond a doubt. And the best part is that when you understand this relationship between space and memory, the role of churches of all stripes throughout history becomes much clearer. Stations of the Cross, anyone? 11. Stories Filled With Emotion Are The Easiest Information To Remember Yesterday I ate a sandwich. It was good. … not very memorable, is it? Of course not. But what if I told you that yesterday at 11:49 p.m., I was so ravenously hungry that a furious rage overtook me. I hopped into a tank I stole from the local military and drove it through the wall of the nearest McDonald's. Then, with a wave of my magic wand, I made my mouth so big that I could fit all the food in the restaurant into my mouth. I'm talking EVERYTHING. I vacuumed it in like I was the Hoover Vacuum King of Fast Food. Then I burped a strawberry vanilla-scented wind that put the police in a relaxed state so that they turned around and went to the nearest Buddhist temple to meditate about bridges and dogs. Stupid story, I know, but it's a heck of a lot more memorable. Why? Because it's got emotions in it: The NEED of hunger. The ANGER of irrational aggression. The EXCITEMENT of magic. The WEIRDNESS of dream logic. And all those elements mixed together make bland information much more memorable. Go ahead and try it. Pump a reminder into your phone for later today: What was Anthony's story at the end of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast? Take a moment to jot it down. Then come back and compare notes. I'll bet your 85-99% accurate in your recall. Here's What's Even Better: You can apply that same, emotion-based zaniness to even the most deadly boring information in the world. And so long as you know how to create a Memory Palace and use Magnetic Imagery to encode and decode the information through the Recall Rehearsal process … Power! Sheer power! And power in the positive senses we've been talking about. So listen … There's no need to struggle with bad memory anymore. In fact, no one has a bad memory. People who suffer from forgetfulness just don't know enough about the miracle of memory. But now you do and the future is wide open and bright for more discovery about your memory and your mind. Get out there and have fun and until next time … Keep yourself Magnetic! The post 11 Empowering Things About Memory You Probably Do Not Know appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Guest post and podcast narration by Lukas Van Vyve. Have you ever wished you had the ability to memorize information in real time? Believe it or not, you can. Interpreters do it all the time. They listen, understand, memorize, translate and speak – all at the same time. Impressive, right? Conference interpreting is certainly not for the faint-hearted. In fact, research shows that conference interpreting is one of the most stressful jobs in the world. One study put the stress levels experienced during interpreting on about the same level as those of an air traffic controller! Go figure. How To Succeed In Conference Interpreting Without All The Stress However, people who wind up with great conference interpreting jobs were not born with these skills: they developed their abilities by learning and practicing specific techniques. If you'd like to do the same, pay attention because I'm about to show you exactly how it works. 1. How One Simple Test Will Strengthen Your Memory And Boost Your Fluency Here's the single most important thing you can learn from conference interpreters: They focus a lot on flexibility. You see, no matter how good your memory is or how many words you know, sometimes you're going to forget something or wind up stuck looking for words. It even happens in your mother tongue! Interpreters know that if you want to boost your fluency, you need the flexibility to retrieve at least something to say from your memory in every situation. The good news: this ability to remember is something that can be trained! Even better, if you're already a conference interpreter, you can continue learning and potential boost your conference interpreting salary! How To Hear The Future As A Conference Interpreter Before It Happens One way interpreters go about this is by making it a habit to guess what a speaker is going to say next. That buys them time to think of a good translation. Now you know why your interpreter friends are always finishing your sentences! As annoying as that habit might be, exercises in which you anticipate words might be the key to increasing your flexibility. The most important exercise used by interpreters to train this skill is the cloze test. This exercise is fantastic, and I use it all the time. How To Close In On The Cloze Test For Maximum Memory Results So how does the cloze test work? You get a sentence with certain words blanked out. It's your job to fill in the blanks with an appropriate word (or word group). That word can be anything, as long as the sentence makes sense and is grammatically correct. An example: David wants to ____ a table for 5 tonight. Answers: David wants to book a table for 5 tonight. David wants to reserve a table for 5 tonight. David wants to make a reservation for a table for 5 tonight. David wants to make a call to the restaurant for a table for 5 tonight. David wants to ask if you've booked a table for 5 tonight. … and so on … You get the point. Try to come up with as many appropriate answers as possible. The more you can find, the more flexible you are in speaking a language! The Truth About What Really Improves Your Fluency Here's another reason I really like this exercise: It builds flexibility by teaching you how to take advantage of context. In this regard, it relies a lot on your association powers. The better certain language patterns and structures are ingrained in your brain, the easier words to fill in will come to mind. That translates to improved fluency. However, there's more. What really makes the cloze test stand out for me is that it shows how context can be a mnemonic for learning words or expressions! Context: The Ultimate Conference Interpreting Equipment That Sits In Your Awareness (Priceless!) To give you a basic example: whenever someone says "Thank you" to me, I'll immediately, without even thinking about it, respond "You're welcome!" Just hearing these words triggers my memory and gives me the appropriate response. The association between those two phrases became so strong that they act as a mnemonic for each other. If you'd like to take advantage of the cloze test to memorize vocabulary and use context as a mnemonic, I found that the easiest way to do that is by making flashcards (physically, or use an app like Anki (link)). Here are the steps: 1. Make a flashcard with sentences in the language you're learning. 2. Blank out the words you want to memorize and add them at the back of the flashcard. 3. Review your flashcards and try to guess which word would fit in the sentence. Try to experience the situation described in the sentence as vividly as possible! Read it out loud, visualize it, feel it. 4. Every time you review the flashcard, the connection between the context and the word you're learning will become stronger! My experience is that learning vocabulary this way works wonders. Incorporate this in your language learning routine, and you'll start seeing the benefits in no time. 2. Flexibility 2.0: How These 4 Improvisation Techniques Help Conference Interpreters Remember Translations Ever started a sentence in a language you're learning and gotten completely stuck because you couldn't think of a certain word? You go blank, start stuttering. Maybe you even decide it'd be better to just shut up until you become more fluent. Interpreters feel your pain. They'll often hear words in a speech that they understand, but for which they don't have a translation readily available. Shutting up because of a cognitive overload is no option, though: your audience is counting on you for an accurate translation! Experienced interpreters have learned how to work around this and always remember a suitable translation. How? You guessed it: by working on their flexibility. In this case, to increase flexibility, interpreters rely on improvisation. Let's go through some of the tricks they use, that might come in handy for you as well! • First of all, if you don't know a word, just try to find a description with words you do know. For example, a 'civil servant' could be described as 'someone who works for a state's administration'. • Second, you could also just use something opposite. Instead of a 'civil servant', you could say 'someone who doesn't work in the private sector'. Most of the time people will understand what you mean soon enough. • Third, use a more general or more specific word. For example, if you can't think of the word 'car' you could say 'means of transport' or 'vehicle'. Or you could go more specific and say the brand of the car ('Ferrari'). • If nothing else works, assess how important the word really is to your story. If you want to say: 'Yesterday, I went to the cinema by car. It was a great movie', is 'by car' really important? If not, leave it out so you can continue the conversation. There you go: 4 techniques to make sure you always remember an appropriate translation. Use them to never get stuck while speaking a foreign language! Interpreter Memory Booster Bonus: These techniques are extremely useful while learning vocabulary as well. Whenever you see a word, apply the techniques mentioned above. You'll instantly make associations with synonyms, opposite words and examples which will make the words stick so much faster! 3. How Interpreters Use Their Memory to Understand Words They've Never Even Heard Of Before The previous point showed you how you could use improvisation if you understand the meaning a word but can't remember the translation. Sometimes, though, you won't even understand the word and have absolutely no clue about what it could mean. So how do you react when you don't understand a word during a conversation in a foreign language? Do you panic? Do you start looking so hard for the right translation that the rest of the conversation becomes background noise? This isn't an option when you're interpreting. Your audience expects you to understand everything, and make them understand as well! So what do you do? A good interpreter will stay calm, keep listening and try to make sense of the word. How? By using two things: context, and their memory. But wait, that doesn't make sense, right? How can your memory help you understand a word you've never even heard before? It's possible, if you've already built a strong memory connection in your mother tongue between the meaning of this word and some other words in the sentence. Tap The Mind Of A Panic-Free Conference Interpreter Let me explain by telling a story. I once had to interpret a German speech that dealt with the salt concentration in the Adriatic Sea. The speaker kept talking about the cycle of 'kondensieren' and 'verdunsten'. Now, kondensieren (condensate) is self-explanatory, but I'd never heard from 'verdunsten' before. The pressure was high: after a few minutes I had to interpret the speech and I had never heard from one of the keywords of the speech! However, I stayed calm and relied on the memory connections I'd already made with the word 'condensation'. In high school, I'd learned (in my mother tongue) about the cycle of condensation and … evaporation, of course! That was indeed the meaning of the word verdunsten. I was saved! What's the moral of the story here? Your brain is smart and capable of making connections, if you don't panic, keep listening and try to understand the context. Rely on the memory connections you've already made in your mother tongue. Don't get frustrated if you don't understand every single word in a speech or conversation. Just dive in and try to understand the bigger picture. More often than not, the meaning of that one word you don't understand will become clear automatically! 4. Why Conference Interpreters Memorize Everything They Read or Hear, And How That Makes Them More Fluent First of all, a word of warning: students of interpretation are usually rather skeptical about this in the beginning. I was, and you might be too. Please hear me out! It's more logical than you think! Ask any professor of interpretation what makes a good interpreter, and most of them will give you the same answer. I know what you're thinking, but it's not amazing memory skills! It's not even perfect fluency in a foreign language. The Most Important Thing About Conference Interpreting In The World There's something more important: a broad general knowledge. A good interpreter needs to be an excellent public speaker, in his mother tongue. Granted, he or she needs to understand a foreign language, but most of all he has to be able to explain things in his mother tongue in a coherent way, without making mistakes. For that, you need to have general knowledge and know a lot of words. There are hundreds of thousands of words in the English language, and you can't know them all. You don't need to, either. Yet, working on your mother tongue and on your general knowledge will bring you so many benefits, not in the least when learning foreign languages. We're coming back to context here: the more knowledge of the world you have, the more you'll understand in other languages as well. If you know a thing or two about a topic, you'll only need to understand a couple of words from a conversation in a foreign language to know what it's about. I'll give you an example: I'm in Italy right now and the country has just held a referendum on a constitutional change. It's quite a big thing: everyone seems to be talking about it. I'm not a lawyer, but I read some articles on the referendum (in my mother tongue; my Italian isn't that good yet) and memorized the basic facts. Now, every time I hear an Italian say the word 'referendum,' I know what he's talking about. There will be many words I don't understand, but everything will make much more sense because I can rely on the information I've memorized before. Interpreters are masters at this. They need to be versatile and 'know a little about a lot' because you'll never know what the people you're interpreting for will talk about. That's why interpreters always keep learning to improve comprehension in any language. You should do so, too. Oh, and if you feel like your general knowledge is lacking and you can't remember basic facts, I'm sure Anthony has a cure for that 5. How Conference Interpreters Mimic Others to Improve Their Memory And Get An Amazing Accent Interpretation puts enormous stress on the brain's working capacity. After all, you're listening to what a speaker has to say in a foreign language, trying to understand, translating and speaking in your mother tongue – all at the same time. Most new interpreting students – and most people in general – are not trained to do so many things simultaneously. The obvious result is a cognitive overload, and, quite often, miserable failure. So how do you cope with that? Interpreters use a technique to learn how to listen and speak at the same time. If you're into geeky language learning techniques, you might have heard of it already. It's called shadowing. What's this all about? You listen to someone speaking and you immediately – with a couple of seconds of delay, that is – repeat what's been said in the same language. Doesn't seem too difficult, does it? Well, give it a try: it'll surprise you how even such an easy task can confuse you. Once you get the hang of it, though, you can start reaping the benefits. How To Use Shadowing To Become A Better Conference Interpreter First of all, you're improving your memory and focus. Shadowing will train you to listen and speak at the same time, and it will improve your short-term memory. That's some excellent brain training you're doing there. Second, you can also use shadowing to familiarize yourself with a foreign language. In fact, this is the first exercise I use myself when I start learning a language. It gives me a huge advantage when it comes to pronunciation and listening skills. If you want to try this exercise yourself, here are the steps: 1. Find a speech, podcast or other media in the language you're learning. Take a slow one if you're not that proficient yet! You could also slow down the video a bit with an app like Audacity. 2. Use headphones, but only in one ear: you want to hear yourself talk! 3. Play the audio and repeat immediately what's being said. If you want to focus on pronunciation, stay as close to the speaker as possible. If you want to train your memory, you increase the delay to a couple of seconds. 4. That's it! You're listening and speaking at the same time. Now marvel at your brain's capacities and see your memory and pronunciation improve. Start with slow conversations or speeches (find language learning podcasts for example, or Youtube videos), and slowly work up your way toward materials at normal speed. Then amaze native speakers with your flawless accent and listening comprehension. One last piece of advice: do the exercise with audio only, so without reading a transcript at the same time. Using a transcript might be temping, but you really want to focus on memory and sounds only. 6. How Interpreters Use Memory Palaces And Mnemonics to Memorize Speeches on The Spot Nowadays, conferences mainly use simultaneous interpretation (with the interpreters sitting in a booth and instantly translating), and even consecutive interpretation (with the interpreter standing next to the speaker, translating after the speaker has finished) is usually only done in 5-10 minute chunks. Back in the early days of the profession, though, the world's best interpreters were interpreting speeches of 30-60 minutes long in one go. Yes! Conference interpreters memorised speeches of more than 30 minutes, in one listening. Now those are some impressive memory skills! Of course, these geniuses were no stranger to nifty memory techniques, including our beloved Memory Palace. One of the founding fathers of conference interpreting, Kaminker, reportedly said the following about his memorization strategies: Kaminker assigned each speech to a district of Antwerp that he could recall, in his mind's eye, in all its topographical detail. He assigned each idea of the speech to a shop and thus by walking down the streets of his childhood he was able to recreate the speech. Check out the book 'Naissance d'une profession' for more info. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? The famous polyglot Luca Lampariello, who studied translation and interpretation, talked about this at length during an interview on the Magnetic Memory Podcast as well (among other topics people interested in conference interpreting will want to discover. Using Memory Palaces to learn a speech by heart is nothing new, of course. Even the famous Roman orator Cicero did it. Anthony and many others have talked about it as well. Still, for, me, how interpreters do it is an inspiring showcase of the power of the Memory Palace. Mind you, these interpreters heard a speech only once, and that was enough to place it firmly in a Memory Palace and reproduce the full speech in another language immediately. What About The Crazy Names Of People And Conference Interpreting? The same goes for remembering names, numbers and dates. If you struggle with those, imagine how much worse it would be in a foreign language, when instead of a John Johnson, a German name like Gerhard Düsediekerbäumer might show up. Or you interpret for a speaker that mentions a date in every other sentence. Impossible? Of course not. Interpreters usually try to jot names, numbers and dates down during a speech, but you don't always have the time. Moreover, many interpreter students seem to have difficulties with writing down figures, dates or percentages. And it's not only forgetting: I even noticed that, even though I remembered the figures, I often remembered (and even wrote down) wrong ones! One of the ways interpreters deal with this is just leaving out unimportant numbers. But hey, that's not really professional, is it? A much better way to deal with this is using some basic memory techniques. After I started using mnemonics and the Major Method, I noticed a dramatic improvement in how well I remembered dates and figures. I've connected each number to an image, and whenever I hear a number or date I just instantly connect the images. That way, when I'm interpreting after the speech, I will have the images in mind and will always remember the correct numbers! The same goes for names: by using imagery (read and listen to Anthony's teaching on remembering names at events here). it became much easier to remember difficult names. 7. How Interpreters Achieve Laser-Like Focus & Instant Memorization by Listening The Right Way I've saved this one for last, as it's a bit more abstract than the other tips. Let me explain. In the previous points, I've shown you how interpreters take advantage of improvisation, context, shadowing techniques, Memory Palaces and mnemnoicsThese skills will improve your concentration, but to achieve laser-like focus, you need more. I, for one, often have difficulties paying full attention when someone speaks for longer than 5 minutes. I'm sure I'm not alone. When I'm interpreting, though, something changes. I think athletes would call it being 'in the zone'. The beautiful thing? It's actually possible to achieve this state, just by changing the way you listen. The Core Secrets Of Analytic Listening For Raw Conference Interpreting Power First of all, you'll need to learn to listen for ideas and for structure. In every sentence or paragraph, grasp the main idea (sometimes just one word) and you'll be fine. Then go after the structure. One of the first things you learn as an interpreter is to pay extreme attention to conjunctions (like AND, BUT, ALTHOUGH, HOWEVER,…). These mark events and twists in a text and are important for structure and for following the story. Interpreters call this 'analytic listening'. Write these structure words down along with one keyword per idea, and you'll be amazed how much you remember after listening. The Secrets Of Using Strong Imagery To Make Even The Dullest Information Impossible To Forget Second, you must make an extreme effort to imagine the speech you hear as vividly as possible. For me that includes mainly visualisation, others swear by auditory experiences or feelings. The more senses you use the better. Anthony and other memory experts have been saying it for years: To make ideas more memorable, exaggerate them to make them so absurd that you just can't un-see them anymore. Now, for interpreting, I find this a bit dangerous. After all, no matter the improvisation tricks you used to translate everything, you still need to convey the right message as the original speaker. When you start exaggerating or changing things in your mind, chances are you're going to screw up and say things that are just wrong. There's another way, though. When I'm going to interpret a speech, I try to wonder all the time what's going to happen, and I try to be genuinely surprised by the important facts. Yes, also if they're super boring. Belgium's GDP has increased by 0.2% last year? Incredible! There was a local chess tournament yesterday, with 6 participants? What, chess, and 6 participants? I can't believe it! This works because you're artificially adding emotion to what you're hearing. Good stories often use suspense and surprise to suck you in, right? And because you were so curious about what was going to happen next, you're super focused and your brain absorbs everything you hear. That's why almost everyone can recount a fairytale like little red riding hood after hearing it only once. This emotional connection is what you're trying to emulate here. Getting in this state of curiosity makes your mind much more receptive and completely sucks you into a speech. When you're in this state, you'll get laser-like focus and memory so even the most boring facts will stick. And emotions and story help with motivation when learning a language too. Back To Basics? So there you have it. 7 techniques that will give you conference interpreter superpowers and are all very applicable in everyday situations. Just try to incorporate some of the tips while learning languages, memorizing a speech or whenever you hear something you want to remember. You'll never want to go back to a forgetful life again. Good luck, and let me know in the comments if these techniques were helpful to you! Oh, and no matter where you're at with your language learning journey, grab my Back to Basics guide now and learn how to set up or improve your language learning routine. You'll also discover how to track your progress based on a clear overview of your goal language learning goals. The post 7 Killer Memory Improvement Tips From The World Of Conference Interpreting appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

No question about learning and memory enters my inbox more often than than "why aren't these memory techniques taught in schools?" The question reeks of conspiracy. It creates pictures of entire nations hoping to keep their children in ignorance so they will become mindless slaves working for the state. But worse than all of that paranoia … The question is … Completely Irrelevant! First off, memory techniques are taught in schools. I recognize this simple fact even if once upon a time I dropped out without a high school degree (part one of this three-part series) and mercifully figured out what to go back to school for (part two). How are memory techniques already used in schools? How about the song we teach children to help them remember the alphabet? Its melody is a memory technique, loud and clear. Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge for music is a memory technique. We have simple mnemonics for astronomy, art, math, biology, geography and chemistry. Heck, just search Wikipedia for "list of mnemonics" and you'll find more than you can shake a stick at. But Are Simple Mnemonics Enough? That's the real question at hand. Because the problem is that a lot of the images and word play you'll find on that Wikipedia page are useless. Worse than useless, they create a ton of overwhelm. Why? Because they don't come with any understanding. They're not loaded with strategy … They Have No Method … And that's why the Magnetic Memory Method is such a roaring success. No, not for everyone. Not everyone wants to learn how to think about memory. Many people want formulas, gimmicks and "systems." I'm sorry, but that's not reality. And it's not what we do in the Magnetic Memory Method Family. Far from it. Instead of pretending that there's some kind of fix all system that will magically improve your memory for all things forever and ever amen … We Break Memory Techniques Down To The Basics And once that's done, we understand the how, the why and the what. So that it doesn't hurt so much to learn. Here's why you feel pain with learning, by the way (thanks to Miklós in the SuperLearner community for bringing it to our attention): It's even easier to stop the pain than the video suggests. How so? By making sure that you understand how to really get results from the techniques by aligning them with your real reasons for learning, remembering and recalling information. It's often not what it seems. Because here's the deal … At the Magnetic Memory Method Headquarters, I strive to achieve just one thing: Mastery. Mastery over your memory. Mastery over your concentration. Mastery over the rate at which you learn. Mastery over the pain of forgetfulness. So That You Never Have To Feel That Pain Again! But it's not going to happen without study. It's not going to happen without effort. It's not going to happen without creating and using Memory Palaces. Above all, it's not going to happen without consistency of effort. And that's what's so cool about the Magnetic Memory Method. If you've been following the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you've heard the stories of success. Just one for today: These success stories with learning and memory techniques all boil down to one thing: Learning the techniques. Using the techniques. Analyzing your results and then improving your abilities using them. The best part? I've had the chance to teach the Magnetic Memory Method to some of the finest students on the planet. And guess what? Success Leaves Clues All of the most successful students share one thing in common. They don't wait around waiting for success to happen! They invest in themselves. They study the material they've invested in. They take action. They experiment, explore and when they're done, they experiment and explore some more! Having The Humility To Learn Is A Skill What I've learned from all of the Magnetic Memory Method success stories is that everything begins with a decision. It's a decision to set aside time to learn. To really learn. I've done it myself. After years of success with my own memory and as a memory trainer, I went to learn from one of the best on the planet. Not just to collect data and "spy" on the competition. To Truly Learn As a result, I'm better for it. In fact, I still buy books and courses from people. Some are from authors who help only a fraction of the audience the Magnetic Memory Method has gathered. Some are from towering figures who practically rule the memory world. I'm talking about taking some courses that cost 4x the amount of the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass and Mastermind combined. Yes! Memory improvement courses that expensive really do exist! The Best Always Invest In Themselves Here's the thing: Even when you get to the top – which is incredibly rare – you still have to keep learning. And let's not beat around the bush: The ones who sail past the obstacles in life are the ones who are in motion to begin with. Wouldn't you like to be in motion? Of course you would. You just need to get started with learning and memory techniques. And the best part about them is that learning can be fun. Seriously. Learning how to learn doesn't have to be the horrid and depressing playground of the school system where everyone winds up asking, "Why don't they teach the most important skills in the world in school?" Again, that isn't the real question. Let's Ask The Really Important Questions About Learning And Memory The really important questions have to do with the quality of the memory techniques you study and the quality of the action YOU take. And let's face it: The quality of your action comes down to the quality of the philosophy behind the education. And my philosophy of learning and memory is that you need someone to teach you how to fish, not someone to do the fishing for you. Are you in? The post Why They Don't Teach Learning And Memory Techniques In Schools appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Did you ever fantasize about dropping out of high school? I sure did. So much so that I wound up taking the leap into the unknown. Stupid as it was, I dropped out and left Canada's free education system without a high school diploma. (Don't get distracted now … … but for the full story, right-click and open a new tab to read What To Do If You Or Someone You Love Wants To Drop Out Of High School.) The question is … Given all the amazing information I found myself learning on my own without interference of schools, boring teachers and their rules … Why On Earth Go Back To School? It's a simple story, really. I went back to graduate with my friends … even though I wasn't graduating. Actually, as cool as all my friends in high school were … There was a girl named Kelly. I had a huge crush on her! I don't remember all the circumstances, but somehow I wound up taking her to a prom to celebrate a graduation I wasn't completing! Everyone but Kelly thought it was awkward and weird. I mean … just imagine: One of the most popular girls in school was going to attend high school graduation with a dropout. It Was A Year Of Living Dangerously! In reality, I was the obvious choice. After all, I'd gone through an entire encyclopedia during my time off and listened to educational radio programming every morning. Whereas most others had sat in desks and tapped their pencils against textbooks they found exhausting, I'd left disgusted by what I saw as an epic waste of time. But as smart as that move may have been, I was still a Heavy Metal Moron with barely two nuts rolling around in my head. No one in their right mind drops out of high school. Even so, I'm glad I did. And because I did, I could make my return as a Heavy Metal Renaissance Man armored in everything but the Magnetic Memory Method. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Oh, my … Kelly … I remember her so well. Kelly wore a tight blue dress. The Kind Of Dress That Should Be Illegal … Then again, it's the illegal character of her dress that made it so memorable! For my part, I dressed like James Bond. My white Tuxedo jacket made me stick out like a sore thumb, but it was fun. Different. Totally my style. Together, Kelly and I looked like we were trying to be undercover spies in a high school espionage movie. Only Sheep Need A Leader But at some point during the evening, Kelly squirmed away from my protective grip and I found myself hanging out with Sophie. Background: Sophie and I became fast friends in Grade 10 and worked on a Western Civilization project together. It was called Only Sheep Need A Leader and involved an alternative history of Ancient Egypt. I won't get into it the entire assignment, but just imagine Moses battling aliens after discovering that the pyramids were actually interstellar space ships. Somehow we got an A on that project, even if we completely rejected factual history in our reports. Whatever. We had weird teachers … The thing is this: I wound up spending a lot of time with Sophie and often went with her on trips to her mom's place near Vancouver. Her mom was a professor and made a HUGE impression on me. After all, she was an author of a book you actually came across in bookstores in Canada and always seemed to be writing or traveling somewhere to give a speech. But that kind of future as an author and professor was beyond my imagination … Especially As A High School Dropout! That's why it must have been an act of fate when Sophie's mom found out on graduation night that I was attending only to celebrate, not walk away with a Dogwood like everyone else (Dogwood = fancy talk for "high school diploma" out in B.C.). I wasn't using memory techniques back then, so can't rattle the exact discussion off the top of my head. But it started with dismay … Then shifted to refusal … And ended with persuasion. Persuasion so strong I did exactly what Sophie's mom told me! You must finish your high school degree, Sophie's mom told me. You're exactly the kind of guy who should become a professor. Stay In School Until You've Reached The Very Top! That was her ultimate message. Get every degree you can until they won't reward you any more.Click To Tweet Even though it wasn't easy … Even though I wound up experiencing a long series of mysterious twists and turns … And even though I don't teach at a traditional university outside of the Magnetic Memory Method Online University these days … Memory Techniques Helped Me Get Every Degree You Can Get (And They Will Help You Too!) And don't think for a second that it wasn't painful. I had to go back and sit with a group of kids younger than myself for an entire semester to get that Dogwood. But here's the thing: Even though I was embarrassed and felt totally out of place when I went back to high school … I was never bored. Not anymore. You see, Sophie's mom had installed within me a picture of hope and triumph during an uncertain time. A time during which, no matter how smart a kid I may have been, without a degree I probably would have wound up cleaning toilets or flipping burgers. Having done both … I know just what a nasty fate that can be. That's Not The Fate I Want For You! Wherever you are, whatever your current state of education, no matter how you feel about your memory … Each of us needs someone who believes in us. Someone who can see exactly what we need.Click To Tweet My feeling is that people need memory training on an ongoing basis. Someone to help them along on a monthly basis Even though I'm quite good with memory techniques, I still continue studying and practicing on a daily basis. I don't have to. I could just continue talking about memory. Lots of people on the Internet talk and talk about memory techniques without actually using them. You, like me, can instantly see through them. But here's the thing: Even with all the ruffians, lurkers, haters and trolls … Memory Improvement Never Ends But back when Sophie's mom challenged me to return to school … it was a difficult choice to make. Not just because of the shame involved in going back to high school. But because school wasn't that much fun. Far from it! And it was a long time yet to go before I would find the memory techniques that made it a blast. Learned them to the bone. Fashioned them into something I could own. Used them every day. Set up elaborate online teaching systems so I can offer them to the world. For you: No need to take such a long journey through educational hell. School never has to be tough for anyone again. Never. Just learn and use memory techniques. You'll be more than fine. You and your memory will be Magnetic. The post What To Go Back To School For And Why (Even If You Don't Use Memory Techniques) appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.