The Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, we're going to talk about how to memorize numbers. More specifically, we're going to talk about memorizing numbers using the Major Method. And even more specifically than that, we're going to talk about doing this in a way that will get the numbers you memorize into long term memory. But if you want to jump over to how to apply the Major Method to music mnemonics, that's cool too. Just make sure you know how to memorize numbers with letters, as discussed in my Get Good at Remembering Numbers playlist on YouTube: With that covers, here's more information, inspired by a very nice letter I received from a young high school student who takes Advanced Placement courses. As you can read in his letter, he is a very advanced young man indeed! Dear Anthony, I'm proud to report the success of my first memory palace! I've been reading your newsletters daily since summer back in June and I haven't been able to take your Masterclass lessons or fully read any of your books yet, since being a high school student in a magnet program, taking college level classes, I don't have any time to get a job to make a little money, so my only money comes from my birthday and Chanukah in December. I have though read previews of many of them, and in December, I plan on trying to take the Udemy course or buy the medical terminology book you wrote. I've been reading your newsletters daily and each day I find myself wanting to use the Magnetic Memory Method more and more, but frankly, I've never gotten around to experimenting with it yet because of school work and studying for tests. Also, I've been a little apprehensive of using the Magnetic Memory Method before taking any of your courses because I don't want to make a flawed Memory Palace. I was able to check in on a small portion of the live streaming you did awhile back for free, and took some notes. Couple months go by, I've been continuing to read your newsletters, emailing you ideas about using the music in Memory Palaces and using the same memory palace but with different conditions, but still haven't created my own Memory Palace. Last Friday, on the hour bus ride to school, I listen to your podcast, Hindi Alphabet Memory Palace Secrets, and on the way back home I listen to a majority of your podcast, How to Memorize 50 Spanish Provinces On Your First Go, and they get me excited thinking of the possibilities of the Magnetic Memory Method. The weekend goes by working on school work and essays I had due today, and this afternoon on the bus, I searched around for a way just to test out the Memory Palace. I just wanted to try it and use it successfully, I wanted the short term success, he was talking about that he had on his first memory palace, even if it was minuscule compared to the 50 provinces he remembered. I took a list of ten items and wanted to memorize them: fish, margarine, a chess set, milk, light bulbs, a football, a ladder, a clock, measuring tape, and a dog bowl. My "journey" was short and simple and went like this: I get on the bus and my bus driver has a chef hat on sitting in the drivers seat with a black steel cooking pan containing a grilled fish, he then smiles at me and throws a thin square of margarine butter on the finish and it sizzles, I then say good morning and turn to walk to my seat when I notice the back half of the bus has been turned into a limo like setup with a huge chess table like lounge, with sophomores sitting around it playing chest, one invites me over after taking a sip of milk from a glass and accidentally spilling it on herself, she laughs and invites me over, all the sudden the bus turns dark, and rainbow light bulbs light up my way to the lounge around the chess table, just as I sit down comfortably, a shout of victory comes out from another student as he wins, and out of the roof of the bus a disco football comes out of the ceiling, and it then flies out onto a ladder laying built into the back of the bus window, and jumps each set of the ladder leading up towards a clock, when hits the clock it buzzes like a hockey buzzer, and two measuring tapes shoot out across the bus from the roof, and out from the ceiling of the bus bowls of dog food plop randomly landing on the strong measuring tapes holding them up. I created this journey little over two hours ago on the bus, and I was thrilled to have recalled the list perfectly, in increasing time intervals, started the timer on my iPad 5 minutes, recalled the journey, 15 minutes later, recalled the journey, 30 minutes recalled the journey, now a hour later and I was able to recall the journey and the list. It did take me awhile to create the short journey and for only memorizing ten random items does make the success feel a little minuscule but I know once I'm able to take or read one of your products in about three months time, I'll learn how to apply this method to bigger feats like learning Spanish. I also want to learn how to apply it to memorizing more than just what one word is this, or memorizing a list of items, but how to memorize content like this for my AP US History class: Back during the period of the second president of the United States, John Adams, signed the Jay's Treaty with Britain giving them exclusive trading rights with the States in return for their promise not to impress our seamen into their navy. This resulted in France getting angry and attacking American merchant ships. John Adams sent three ambassadors to France to negotiate a peace treaty ending up becoming the XYZ affair resulting in France wanting bribes to be able to start negotiations. Instead of declaring war against the French, John Adams takes Washington's advice given in his farewell address, and takes a passive indirect approach causing many American colonists to criticize him. To quell the criticism Adams passes the Alien and Sedition Acts, which resulted in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, resulting in the idea that the States created the federal government through a compact and they could nullify any federal laws if it broke that compact. I was wondering if it was possible in some way to use a Memory Palace and take a journey to memorize content like this… How would you use the senses and imagination of imagery to associate to such content? Also, I don't know if you already have something like this, but maybe you could do a YouTube video or a podcast, or make a short PDF, just giving interested people a small concise summary of the magnetic memory method and a short example of something to memorize, like a ten item list, without giving your premium content away, to show people the effectiveness of the magnetic memory method. Give them a small sample of the power behind it and then entice them to buy your premium content to be able to apply the method to incredible feats. Just witnessing the power of the small journey I created was incredible. In conclusion, I'm excited this December to be able to take the method to the next step, until then I'm going to try to experiment a little and make tiny journeys for practice stakes, just to get in the hang of it. I'm starting to introduce one of my friends to the method too and so far, being the brainiac he is for philosophers, like Newton and so forth, he liked the historical context of the Magnetic Memory Method. Here's My Written Response Hi there, It's great to hear that you're using these techniques! You can definitely use a Memory Palace to memorize this historical story. All you need to do is apply the same techniques you've used to memorize the list you're talking about to this material. The first thing you need to do is create a Memory Palace. Next, start with the first piece of information you want to memorize. But here's a tip: Don't say "back during the period." This is not proper form. Figure out the dates used by historians and memorize them. Be specific. Teachers tear their hair out when students write things like "back during the period" or "several hundred years ago." Demonstrate that you know something through specificity. Use the same tools you used to memorize that list to memorize the date. It's really easy and fun and important. Plus, I've dedicated this episode of the podcast just to you, so … Have a listen, share the post with everyone who needs it and let me know if you have any more questions. And keep experimenting. It's the best way to gain traction and keep moving forward. If you'd like more information on using the Major Method to memorize numbers in combination with a Memory Palace or method of loci and other mnemonic techniques, please study my treatise on the topic. The post How To Memorize Numbers With The Major Method appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, MMM practitioner Rose goes into detail about how she memorized the Hindi alphabet using the most potent memorization tool known to humanity: The Memory Palace. Even if you don't want to learn Hindi, you'll learn a lot from this podcast, so be sure to tune-in. And in case you prefer to read, here's the … Prose Version Of Rose's Guest-Podcast! I did it! I did it! I am so excited to learn Hindi! And I'm having a blast doing it! You're right Anthony! You can learn an unknown and many-charactered alphabet in an hour and a half using the Magnetic Memory Method! For me it was actually an hour and 40 minutes for 48 distinct characters of the Hindi alphabet (There's actually 60+ but I'll get into that in a moment). My name is Rose and I am on the edge of my seat, so to speak, with so much enthusiasm and 'can't wait to do more' kind of energy. I am recording my initial experiences for you in case it is of some benefit to another person who's thinking about learning this outrageous method. I hope any background noises from a roaring monsoon filled river and many singing birds outside my window here in the foothills of the Himalayas won't interfere with hearing this. To be clear I am able to start anywhere in the alphabet, go forward or backward, jump around, etc. I recognize and remember the symbols and stories and locations of where I 'planted' them; I can retrieve them quickly and it's all vivid and hilarious. That is astounding! Yet even more amazing, which to me is nothing short of a miracle, I thought I'd see how well I'd do at writing the symbols. I figured that would require more sessions of practicing, practicing, practicing. To my astonishment I was able to easily draw them all correctly just by remembering the image/ picture/story I had given it, and I did that in less than 5 minutes! I am truly blown away by this! Recognizing something visually and then taking pen to paper to draw it are two very different mindset applications. I can understand why you would love to see more and more people using this astounding method!!! And I see what you mean when you say building Memory Palaces does a lot more than help memorize vocabulary, poetry, names, concepts or whatever. Once I started coming up with images it became easier, just as you say. It was as if the rusty cogs in the brain machine were getting oiled. But even better, I was having a blast coming up with more and more outrageous images and stories. Feeling more creative? Trusting my imagination and what it brings forth? Laughing out loud while memorizing a foreign language? Are you kidding? Wow! I'm 62 and I now know I can learn Hindi and have fun doing it. This should be taught in all schools!! Can you imagine kids being excited about learning? So let me back up to how I arrived at this – The preparation required to even begin the actual memorizing part was enormous, but what a fantastic learning experience. You recommend to just get started. Just do it and see how it unfolds. I figured if I waited to read everything you've written or listen to all the podcasts before actually doing anything, I'd never get around to doing anything. So I took your advice and your course and just dove in…. and nearly drowned….but your Excel spreadsheet idea was my life preserver. Here's why. The first thing was determining how many letters there are in the Hindi (Devanagari script) language. That was an adventure unto itself and my first challenge. Depending on which source I looked at there are 11-13 vowels and 33-40 consonants (I won't get into all the whys and wherefores of this). So anywhere from 44- 53 distinct symbols. Add to this the fact that 10 of the 11 vowels have two forms, two distinctly different symbols depending on what positions it holds in a word. So you have to learn 10 more distinct symbols. Then there are many conjuncts but 6 have unique symbols that don't look anything like their individual parts along with making a new sound. So those must be learned. Now we're up to what number? I've lost count. I'm saying all this just to point out how important it is to know where to begin, what you're dealing with. I began with pencil and paper. I thought I knew how many stations I'd need, etc. Then I'd check one of my resources and there'd be another variation. Okay. Cross that out, start over. New piece of paper…..this happened several times. This is when I thought I was going to drown, going a little crazy, saying well, what the heck is the alphabet then? I just want to build a darn memory palace!! Using your Excel spreadsheet idea (another learning curve for me) I was able to make changes and adjustments more easily. I also went out and purchased a 1,000 page Hindi to English dictionary (no English to Hindi in it!). This was a great investment. I figured the Oxford version should be reliable. It was actually a great exercise and very enjoyable (I can't believe I'm saying that) to just flip through the pages and learn about the history of the script, how Oxford went about setting up the dictionary, how the letters are ordered and organized, and very importantly which letters had a lot of pages or just a few which would help me know what size memory palaces to build for each letter when it comes time for me to start memorizing actual words. All of this preparation took several hours just to get to a complete 'alphabet' and how I was going to set up the memory palace. I may have belabored it more than I needed to, but it just wasn't a straightforward alphabet. It was the best thing to do though. It helped me understand how the script is put together, what some of the nuances and exceptions are and I have a much better foundation to build upon. Now I see why your video on 'Preparation and Predetermination' is so valuable. About memory palaces in general. I didn't see how I would ever be able to come up with so many memory palaces as I'm a rather reclusive kind of person. But your suggestions of homes you've lived in, neighbors' and relatives' homes, neighborhoods, parks, schools, doctor's offices, stores, streets, and on and on, got my mind rolling. So I just put the course on pause and took a long walk down memory lane starting from my childhood, thinking of all the places I had been. It was actually an interesting journey to see who and what popped up along the way, but I easily came up with over 100 potential memory palaces just from that one 15 minute effort. So I now know I can easily build on these. And you're right, you do start paying attention to your surroundings and ventures out into the world more! Just last night I went to a local restaurant and looked at it from the perspective of using it as a memory palace. I just have to laugh. I now understand why you are so specific in your guidelines such as beginning your first memory palace with one word or letter per room,. Well I didn't do that because with an alphabet of 60+ distinct symbols I couldn't grasp (at the time) how to do that with multiple memory palaces. I surely didn't have a place I could recall well enough that had close to that many rooms. I also wanted to keep the alphabet in my current home, which is on the small side. By the time I really understood why you said that I had gotten too far into the process to make such a drastic overhaul. But I got to learn from experience that my first memory palace had too many substations in each room (8 in each) and it required more thinking and remembering on my part, just as you say. In fact, each room had a different number in the beginning. I realized soon on that would be too much remembering. Does the guest bedroom have 4 substations or 6? How many substations do I have on the balcony? By putting the same number in each room I didn't have to use my mind to remember how many for that room. Thanks to the flexibility of the spreadsheet I adjusted and made each room consistent. Yes, I found consistency is important. You talk about setting certain rules or guidelines for yourself to minimize extra memorization. I found that helpful too. For example there are some symbols that have a 2nd version with a dot underneath. I made a rule that anytime the dot was part of a symbol there was a certain 'thing' it represented to the overall symbol. Or a rule that if I used a door as a substation it would only be the side when exiting the room, then I wouldn't have to remember did I use the door in that room for a substation? Both the inside and outside? Or deciding not to use doors at all. Another example is in the bathroom- there are 4 different faucets. At first I designated them as substations before assigning images and stories. When I came to that location on my journey I realized I was getting too confused keeping the images and stories memorized correctly. I experienced the extra effort required to memorize using all 4 faucets. So I chose to use only one. It worked so much better. Yes, Minimize the extra stuff. Now I see why you devote one of your course talks on the "Perils of Perfectionism". I witnessed the tendency in me to want it 'right'. But like you say there isn't a 'right' way, it's what works for the individual. As I've shared I made many changes along the way…a change to an image, a change in a story, a change to a station. I found as I went along certain things made more sense to my mind than what I may have originally come up with. And each step along the way more and more understanding and flow comes (just like you say!!) And so much fun!! Oh, and now I don't live alone. My house is full of strange animals, funny people, and weird objects doing bizarre things. By the way, Now I see why you say we must actually set aside the time to do memorization and recall because before you know it you'll find your head on your pillow realizing the day somehow slipped by yet again without doing any vocabulary memorization. So setting a specific time, whatever that may be, is really vital. This brings me to your recent survey asking people whether they would see benefit in having you provide images for students to use to help them memorize instead of coming up with their own associative-imagery. I SAY A RESOUNDING NO! Had I not taken the course and jumped in to do it I may have said yes, that sounds like a good idea. But the 'yes' most likely comes from the uncertainty people feel about starting. Because it's such an 'out of the box' approach to learning/memorizing we ask ourselves if we're really creative, if we have a good enough imagination, or an imagination at all, or doubt that we know enough places to designate as potential memory places. What if I don't get it right? On and on… Now that I've actually 'done it' (by making lots of blunders) I fully agree with you that the images coming from one's own imagination will be the strongest and easiest to remember. The imagery you presented in the survey was surely interesting. But what if I don't know who Ezra Pound is? Or I am not familiar with the Christian symbol for fish? Or the eels don't look like eels to me? Then I'll have to memorize even more than the alphabet letter these images are meant to represent. I agree with you, it's more work. It's adding another layer that isn't necessary. Our cultural and educational backgrounds, our life experiences, our emotional nature….all of these will contribute to our understanding or lack thereof of someone else's images. I would say because of your unique background, extensive education and expansive life experiences you can draw on a vast number of images that I wouldn't have a clue about or any connection with. You give examples of your images and stories in the course which I feel are enough to spark one's own imagination. Maybe giving a few (just a few J) more graphic examples would be helpful just to let people see how far out there one can take it. I say just start. Trust yourself. Trust the process. It may go slow in the beginning, but very quickly a door opens up into a whole new world and perhaps a whole new relationship with your mind. It's like giving yourself permission to be inventive, creative, a little crazy. And who knows where that will lead! I wouldn't give up the fun I've been having making up images and wild stories! I'm also glad I didn't listen to all the podcasts or read too much before building my first memory palace. There's more than enough in your course already. All the other tips and suggestions from you and other experts in the field would only put too many ideas in my head and then I would be overwhelmed as to where to begin. I can always pursue those at a later time. For me, the course stands on its own. It is so finely crafted, inclusive, easily paced with short enough segments. I never felt I had to stop in the middle of a section because it was too long. Taking notes was helpful along with the titles you used for each segment. I was able to go to that particular section or review my notes as it was really useful for me to revisit certain ideas as I was creating my first memory palace. I found your presentation style engaging yet simply straightforward and accessible. Your course(s) and newsletters reveal your enormous generosity with your time, knowledge and experience, a genuine commitment to helping each person with their questions, and an uncommon generosity to network people and support other experts in the field. I appreciate your passion for learning and experimenting with life and the brain's infinite capacity. Quite a package you are Anthony! A rare bird indeed. You're an inspiration and I send oceans of gratitude, and blessings to you for your gifts to reach out to an ever-widening circle of people. Next for me is choosing the vocabulary to memorize. I have decided to devote approximately 10 memory palaces to themes such as food, time, colors , numbers, grammar, etc. as I get the feeling this will be helpful to have for quick reference, as well as for words I can use right away in everyday activities. Then I'll have memory palaces for each letter as well. Okay Monsieur Metivier. All for now. I hope this hasn't been to long, but if any of this can be of benefit to another you are welcome to share. I'm just so glad I found you, and I know if I get stuck or overwhelmed that I can email you my questions and you will respond. That's a gift in itself. One more thing… P.S. Before I finish here I thought you may want to know how I found you.. I stay connected with my mom by playing an online scrabble type game. I 'accidentally' saw a video of yours that popped up on a site I came across when doing a search for two-letter words. I got drawn into the site… I found myself clicking on memorization techniques (primarily because I never remember the two-letter words, or much else for that matter!) a video of a 6 year old who had memorized the U.S. presidents using different rooms in her house, and another video about Ron White, who apparently is a champion memorizer (I'm new to this). But somehow, without my conscious intention or choice, a podcast of yours came up ( I can't even find it again on this website!?!) and I listened to it…I really was drawn to the sound of your voice, what you were saying, even though I had never seriously thought about improving my memory, and next thing I knew I went to your website, Then I signed up for your newsletter (I am typically loathe to do that! I'm a chronic unsubscriber!), read several and enjoyed every one, found myself getting excited about improving my memory and learning Hindi (I've been living in India for way too long not to know it!), then I signed up for your online course. Here's the part you can laugh at if you'd like. It's embarrassingly funny (to me). You offer your online course on Udemy. For some reason I thought Udemy was only offered on IOS devices. This was because I use an Ipad for most all my internet stuff. When I clicked through to your course from the website I had to download an app for Udemy. Well I'm not so up-to-date on all things technical – the app required IOS 6 or later. I still had 5.1 and for reasons I won't go into I can't currently upgrade. I thought, well, my phone, an old iPhone 3 has IOS 6 and I'll download it on there. So I proceeded to take your full course looking at this tiny little screen, using a magnifying glass whenever you showed documents. Do you think I was serious about learning? Okay, here's the funny part. When I finished the course and I got to the part where I wanted to use an Excel spreadsheet I took out my 7 year old Macbook and as I was setting it up and doing some internet surfing I had a flash (talk about belated). Wait a minute, I wonder if Udemy is available on laptops. So I found the site and signed in and saw that I could have taken the course with a normal view. OMG! I just didn't connect the two in the beginning. The other great surprise was how much more info is available-all the answers you give to questions. Further Resources: 17 Student Fails That Destroy Memory (And What To Do Instead) Why Mnemonic Examples Rarely Work Checkerboard of the Gods on Learning Tamil Great resource for Hindi Vocabulary The post Hindi Alphabet Memory Palace Secrets appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, Daniel Welsch discusses in detail how he memorized all 50 Spanish provinces using his first Memory Palace in one go. Amazing results anyone can achieve any place, at any age and at any time. Yes, even if you're a Spanish speaker: Download this interview now and you'll also learn: * How to make great leaps towards fluency even without traveling to a new country. (Though you should definitely experience as many different countries as you possibly can!) * The facts about how people have always been holistically and organically learning languages (and how you can put these simple principles to work for yourself). * The importance of looking at art in order to improve your visual memory. (This simple discussion is worth the time you'll spend listening to this podcast on its own). * How to visualize for success during a job interview – especially when the interview is not in your first language! Daniel's thoughts on this will raise your game. * How Daniel memorized all 50 of the provinces of Spain using a simple Memory Palace. * How to "think" visually even if you can't "see" in your imagination. * The specific time investment he needed to accomplish this feat of memory – which was surprisingly little! * Detailed notes on exactly how much work is involved in using the Magnetic Memory Method – and the painful alternative. * How Daniel memorized hundreds of years of monarchs using a new Memory Palace. * Why memorization is nothing more than a confidence game and how to get a quick victory in order to build your belief in yourself along with determination, tenacity and the daring courage we all need to develop new skills. * Why you need to start your journey as an advanced Memorizer with things that interest you before diving into complex and abstract information. * Why visualizing spelling is a great introduction to the technique. You've been looking at printed letters your entire life, after all! * Why the most powerful writing you can do takes less than 59 seconds – assuming you do the recommended exercise by hand (no typing). * Daniel's immediate discouragement with using the Magnetic Memory Method, the joke surrounding it and how he overcame the frustration using a codfish and blood sausage. * Why using a Memory Palaces is really no different than playing a game. * The controversy with mnemonic examples and why even things that make no sense for you can still teach you how to use the Magnetic Memory Method (and any form of mnemonics) so long as you take action. * Why everyone has imaginative ability and why you're doing it whether you realize it or not. * Why you should stop worrying about the sex and violence elements of memory skills and start loving the results of memorizing and recalling just about anything you want. * How working with a Memory Palace according to the Magnetic Memory Method will defeat the serial positioning effect, the primacy effect and the forgetting curve each and every time that you properly use Magnetic Recall Rehearsal. * How memory skills relate to the fear of losing your time, money and sanity and how to ease this unconscious fear using Memory Palaces. * Why focusing on vocabulary can give you amazing advantages in terms of guessing what's going on while traveling – though there is no getting past the "Tarzan stage" without grammar. * The number one reason why "poor learners" fail to improve and what to do in order to overcome any negative thinking you may have about your abilities to pick up new knowledge and skills. * … and much, much more. Tune in now to this special episode of the Magnetic Memory Method and learn just how little it takes to experience massive success with your memory. Further Resources Daniel Welsch dressed in flannel as if it were 1992 Daniel Welsch on Amazon Helpful videos by Daniel Welsch If you need more help learning Spanish, you can also check out Olly Richards' Fluent Spanish Academy (highly recommended) If you're a Spanish speaker learning English, check out: Curso de inglés básico – 25 artículos ¡Gratis! 6 Claves Para Aprender Inglés by Daniel Welsch 31 Phrasal Verbs For English Business by Daniel Welsch Wikipedia article on the forgetting curve – not that you need to worry about it ever again! Olly Richards' Free Video Series For Learning Spanish The post How To Memorize 50 Spanish Provinces On Your First Go appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast … The Truth … The Facts … And the Lies about … Memorizing Facts with Mnemonics Program Notes Dear Memorizer, This podcast episode is based on a note I received recently. It goes like this: Hello Anthony! First of all, congratulations for these great methods that you have developed, they really work and have been very helpful for me to memorize a lot of stuff. I have read some of your books, heard all of your podcasts and understand very well how to memorize by using memory palaces and "crazy" associations. However, I study advanced economics and I have found it very difficult to memorize certain concepts and theories due to the fact that there are several variables which correlate with each other in many different ways. Also I find it difficult to create vivid and colorful images of interest rates, change rates, investment and other things like that. Every time I try to imagine weird things, I end up making up complicated stories in my mind which add complexity to the memorization process. Could you give me some advice on this please? Thank you very much in advance for your reply!! Have a great day! Thanks for your message and for entrusting me to answer your question. First off, you might want to watch what is probably my most popular video on the topic addresses concept memorization. With respect to variables and correlations, I recommend not focusing on these. Instead, focus on core information and then experiment with building Memory Palaces just for correlations and just for variables. Without knowing your subject, it's difficult to tell you exactly how, but even if I did, your experimentation will do more for you than my instruction now that you know the techniques. The thing to go for is what I call the "rhizomatic" effect. We often use the term "building knowledge," which assumes that it's a bottom up process. But what if we could build knowledge laterally? And in a way that goes up and down? In a way that little bubbles of new knowledge spring up spontaneously as we proceed? That's what multiple Memory Palaces will do for you. And the more strategically designed they are, the better for creating these kinds of connections. So again: I personally don't think fussing too much about the variables etc. will bring much unless you treat them as individual units (as such). So, let's so that: Core information x has 25 variables. You could either: 1) Build a Memory Palace for storing all kinds of core information and then have secondary Memory Palaces for variables. 2) Build a Memory Palace just for one piece of core information and then include all of the variables and correlates you need along that journey. I would suggest experimenting with both. Why? Because … You never lose by experimenting. In fact, you create that rhizomatic effect I'm talking about even if things don't work out. Because the Memory Palaces and procedures that didn't work still exist. They've taught you something. They might even have a bit of information in them that can be salvaged.Finally, complicated images and stories are a trial by fire that we all need to go through at the beginning. With experience, you'll learn to streamline the process. You'll stop throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. But this "economy of means" can only be achieved by experience, experimentation and doing. And like I said, all experiments will be valuable.Just don't overthink the process. Don't fall prey to doubt. Think of it like exercise: How do you learn to execute a properly formed pushup?By feeling your way into it. By experiencing the consequences – even if only a little – of a poorly formed pushup. It's really that simple. Keep me posted on how you fare and let me know if you have any further questions. Further Resources Earlier post on how to memorize concepts referred to in this episode of the podcast. How to Create a Large Memory Palace by Florian Delle. About the author: Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary, dreams, names, music, poetry and much more in ways that are easy, elegant, effective and fun. The post Memorizing Concepts Made Easy (And Magnetic) appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, Timothy Moser of Master of Memory, Accelerated Spanish and Ace Productivity joins us for the second time. If you haven't heard that first interview, check it out. Timothy's ideas will make you more productive, especially when it comes to using memory skills. In this episode, we open the discussion further by talking more specifically about mnemonics and language learning. From there, we move into speculative areas about virtual Memory Palaces and the realities of teaching mnemonics to others. You'll also learn about: * Timothy's emphasis on stressing syllables in order to gain recall boosts when studying foreign languages … and even your own mother tongue. * Alphabetized Memory Palaces and journeys, including thoughts on how to mix these with Timothy's Memory Palaces for memorizing parts of speech. * Why you need to sit down and plot your Memory Palaces in order for them to fully effective. * The importance of relaxation in using mnemonics. * The relationship between Mad Libs and language learning. This is an excellent metaphor and way to think about your approach to acquiring new vocabulary using memory skills. * Why mnemonics are almost always fun (and the main reason they sometimes aren't). * The specific way Timothy uses location-based memory strategies from a "functional standpoint" * Timothy's patterned Recall Rehearsal and how he reduces revision over time. He's all about getting the most out of the minimum and he tells you exactly why so you can model the approach. * How to arrange words for the concept of time in Spanish using a single, theme-based Memory Palace. * How talking about mnemonics with other people will improve your understanding and use of the techniques. * The dangers and benefits involved in sharing associative-imagery with others. I've written about why mnemonic examples rarely work before, but Timothy has a fresh take on this. * Why professional mnemonists are opposed to giving examples – and why they are both right and wrong about their resistance in this area. * Ideas about music mnemonics and different approaches to using them. This is an area where people interested in mnemonics can definitely experiment more and stretch the limits. * The truth about "virtual" Memory Palaces and how to experiment with them in an informed way. There may not be a right or wrong way when it comes to success with imaginary places to store information in your mind, but certainly some ways are more realistic than others. * Why real locations are almost always better than invented Memory Palaces and why you should never discount the power of the places you know. * Why none of us will ever run out of Memory Palaces in our lifetimes and how to overcome Memory Palace "scarcity" (it's easy). * The relationship between sex, death, memory skills and video games. * The right and the wrong way to use rote repetition and the truth about spaced-repetition. * Why you need to be open to new ideas if you want to succeed with mnemonics. * Why those who learn about learning leverage the greatest results. * Why you shouldn't treat your education as entertainment and why you need to take action in order to get results (we tell you what you should do and it's probably the only way). * Own struggles and current projects with memorizing large amounts of information. * … and much, much more. This episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast gives you a fascinating look behind the scenes as two thinkers and action-takers in the world of memory skills show you exactly what it takes to get started, keep going and get amazing results. You'll hear from people actually in the trenches of memory who not only get great results for themselves, but for thousands of other people too. Further Resources Timothy has a number of memory courses you can study for free. These include lessons on memorizing a book of the Bible and using mnemonics to help you learn Spanish. I have several posts on memorizing music. This one was mentioned during the podcast. It's called Memorize Bach On Bass. How to Enhance Your Memory With Virtual Memory Palaces. Super-scientific PDF article called Building a memory palace in minutes: Equivalent memory performance using virtual versus conventional environments with the Method of Loci. The post Mnemonics, Language Learning And Virtual Memory Palaces In Discussion With Timothy Moser appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, we talk about recalling things from your deep past in order to write autobiography and fiction (and throw Jung, Lacan and Freud into the mix for good measure). Program Notes This Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode was inspired by the following question I received from a participant in my video course How to Learn and Memorize Poetry. Denver writes: While listening to the interview in Lecture 23, I wondered whether the Magnetic Memory Method is likely to aid in recall of past old memories. What thoughts anybody? One of the excuses I use for not getting round to writing the books in my head, is lack of confidence in recalling past details. I'm always staggered as to how writers do this. I know that note-taking is probably one of the keys, but "wow!", if you could just remember things, how great that would be! This is the original answer I wrote in response that forms the basis of the podcast, most of which is ad lib and goes into some rich areas about using wax tablets in your Memory Palaces, Nietzsche, sailboats and more. This is an interesting question, Denver. I could only offer anecdotal evidence, which is that, yes, practicing memory techniques can improve your overall recall. A caveat, however. The accuracy of that recall may not be adequate even if your Memory Palace work and work with other memory techniques and mnemonics is involved. Thus, I would exercise caution if and when claiming this material is the truth. I suspect that most writers and audiences realize this anyway, but it's an important point to keep in mind. Something related that comes to mind just for fun: Carl Jung used the word "cryptomnesia" to describe writing things and not realizing that you're "copying" something you've read before. He accused Nietzsche of being a plagiarist, for example, but a plagiarist suffering from this condition (through somehow I don't think Jung's diagnosis means that Jung forgave him). The problem with this accusation is that it would lead people to believe that the creators of The Matrix had read the 7th book of Plato's Republic (the "Allegory of the Cave"). This is quite likely, but it's not necessary that they did. What matters is that there is a core, universal story that has reverberated throughout history. What is being "remembered" or recreated is the echo of the narrative undertow and its deep structures. You don't need to have come across something before in order to "fall prey" to reconstructing it. This doesn't, by the way, relate to the idea that a thousands monkeys with typewriters would eventually come up with all of Shakespeare. As far as I know, they don't perceive culture, so that randomness could never attain to such meaning. Not only that, but what counts as "Shakespeare" has always been and will always be in question as new scholarship discovers new things and we continue to contend with the fragments of writing that were left behind and mostly unsigned by whoever wrote them. Back to writing the "truth" of one's past, another psychologist, Jacques Lacan, said that "there are too many words" to accurately reflect the truth of a situation after the fact. Try it out some time. I'm about to go to the grocery store and I can guarantee you in advance that so many things are going to happen, so many shapes and colors are going to be seen and so many people encountered, all of which will contain conscious and subconscious thoughts … There will be too many words available in English and every other language to ever describe it except by eliminating, or rather focusing possibility towards the construction of a possible rendition of what happened. Put another way, there aren't words enough. You could fill twelve telephone books trying to describe what will take place on that simple journey and never make an accurate description. You'd have to be me taking that short trip, and even I won't absorb even a tenth of it. Thus, I would suggest that it's not what one can remember that is important when writing about the past. It's the impressions that you shape from what you do remember that count. And the words you use to choose them will always come from a pool of too much to create too little based on the pounding of stimuli from what Freud called the "oceanic." There you have it. Three psychoanalysts in one answer. How's that for fearful symmetry? Further Resources and Nifty Things That Only An Internet Can Provide: Freud on the Oceanic in Civilization and its Discontents (probably better translated as "its discomfort") Wiki on Cryptomnesia Plato's Allegory of the Cave Previous MMMPodcast Episode: Tap the Mind of a 10 Year-Old Memory Palace Master Cool song that mentions Freud's "Oceanic": About the author: Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary, dreams, names, music, poetry and much more in ways that are easy, elegant, effective and fun. The post Do You Remember Enough To Write An (Accurate) Book About Your Life? appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, learn how to make sure that your associative-imagery is doing the work it needs to do: recall the information that you need to succeed when using a Memory Palace strategy (I recommend the Magnetic Memory Method). Program Notes This episode is a response to emails that I often receive like this one: I am new to memorization as detailed as you propose and am trying to justify learning it. I have bought and read two of your books, the one about Memory Palaces and am currently reading Magnetic Memory Mondays. I am 76 years old and have set a goal to reteach myself Classical Latin and from their progress to other Roman languages. I want to use your Memory Palace idea but am not a very visual person and thinking of a preposterous image for each vocabulary word seems over-whelming. I like the idea of using current and past homes or places but want the right one to begin with. Any suggestions? Can you send me a list of your other books on this topic? Listen, it was hard for me in the beginning too. If you look through all of the newsletters starting with Volume 1, you'll encounter dozens of ideas in addition to those in the book. It basically boils down to getting relaxed and getting started. Surrendering to the feeling of overwhelm is very dangerous, but taking action is always a benefit. Also, you can experiment with not actually seeing the images but just thinking about them. I've done this for years until I started to develop my imagination by drawing, looking at lots of art, paying attention to the visual aspects of movies I was watching and doing creative memory exercises like looking at an apple and then trying to "rebuild" it in my mind. One of my most difficult challenges right now as a primarily non-visual person is the Hiragana for Japanese. If you're not familiar with the Hiragana , they are these crazy little images that indicate sounds. As I teach in the book, to ease the "cognitive load," I use "bridging figures," characters that go along the journey. Because they can be used for more than one word or letter or piece of information at a time, that's one less aspect of the crazy image that I've got to come up with (or that you've got to come up with). Here's just three images with Ezra Pound as my bridging figure that I've created to help me both "see" and "hear" what these symbols mean: あ (a) Ezra Pound standing in Jesus Christ pose with a Christian fish symbol attacking his legs. He shouts Ah! い (i) Pound with two eels in his mouth, squirming, one long like an upside down seven, one short. They are squealing eee eee eee. う (u) Pound leaning on a stick with a beret cooing ooh as the weight is relieved by the stick. This process works great and by "leaning" on Ezra Pound throughout the journey, I was able to do fifteen in fifteen minutes. I'll soon be making more time from Japanese and expect that I can do between 40-60 characters in 1.5 hours with reliable recall. As I talk about in the book, there will need to be corrections and there will be the need to rehearse the material. But hey: it beats fussing around with index cards when you can turn the stations of your Memory Palace into amazing and vibrant indexes for silly little images to remind you of the sound and meaning of words, or in the case of the example I just gave you, the sound of certain typographical images and how they look. I really wish you the best with the experience and want you to know that I'm here to help as best I can, affording that I get lots of questions so can take up to a week to answer. But that's why the Magnetic Memory Newsletters are available from Kindle. I'm 100% confident that after writing 1000+ pages answering questions just like these that you'll find all the answers you need. My Amazon page is easy to find. I've also got some video courses if you like to learn by that medium. But really I think in this email you have all that you need, which in sum is: 1) Mindset. Toss worry aside and get started. Fear is the mindkiller. 2) Create a bridging figure when ever possible to reduce the cognitive load. If it's someone that you care about, all the better. I'm deeply fascinated by Ezra Pound and he also had a connection to Chinese and Japanese, so he works really well in this connection. In Latin, you could use Derek Jacobi or some actor you like who you've seen prancing around in a toga to keep things interesting. (Or an actor you've never seen in a toga, for that matter, to keep things extra memorable). The point is that it shouldn't be too difficult to come up with zany images if you take familiar things and put them in unfamiliar situations. 3) Make sure to rehearse the work that you do in order to ease the material into long term memory . 4) Enjoy! I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any further questions or if there is anything more I can do for you. About the author: Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary, dreams, names, music, poetry and much more in ways that are easy, elegant, effective and fun. The post Mindshock! How To Make Amazing Visual Imagery And Memorize More Stuff appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Dear Memorizers, Richard Gilzean, long time friend of the Magnetic Memory Method and the man behind the delightful blog peeleye, recently shared with me some great writing he has done to chronicle his adventures in using memory techniques and related skills like juggling. How are memory techniques and juggling related? Read on to find out. And a Magnetic thanks to Richard for not only sending this to me and allowing me to post it on the site. I'm proud to make it the first Magnetic Memory Method Guest Post ever and know that you're going to love reading these reports from a memorizer making great strides with the techniques. Richard is an inspiration to us all. Hanging Out With My Magnetic Memory By Richard Gilzean 28 July 2014: Where to start with this recollection on what I have learnt about myself over the past 12 months? The idea came to me this morning on the train as I was commuting in to work. While passing over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and looking out over the harbour, I was listening to the podcast interview between Anthony and Kerstin Hammes. Just after Anthony had explained what a "John Henry" was to Kerstin, she suggested that language learners can benefit from keeping a journal of their efforts in order to better see and appreciate where they have come from in their respective journeys. What a cool idea, I thought. I've been on my own personal development journey for almost a year and it is as good a milestone as any to take stock and recount what has happened. (Although in reality it is a process I have been undertaking with varying degrees of application for many years). In my case a whole bunch of factors came into play, not one particular flash of inspiration. I had wanted to get back into studying German language, but in a way that was different from my past efforts of going to classes, studying stacks of flash cards and reopening the German text books which had taken over a shelf in my study. There had to be another way. It was around this time that I came across Anthony's book How to Learn and Memorize German Vocabulary: … Using a Memory Palace Specifically Designed for the German Language (and adaptable to many other languages too) on Amazon. 29 July 2014 In embarking on this quest for self-improvement, mastery, getting-my-act-together, call it what you will, I found myself quickly inundated with information and opportunities to explore this open-ended field of inquiry. I browsed the websites and purchased a bunch of e-books on memory improvement / training. Last October I watched the television documentary series Redesign my Brain on the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). From within the topics explored, including visualization, mnemonics, magic and memory training, I became interested in the art of juggling. After a few weeks of tossing and catching and dropping I became a reasonable 3 ball juggler. But more importantly I was reminded of the values of concentration, regular practice, focus, relaxation and keeping it simple. More recently, in one of his newsletters, Anthony disparaged that hoary notion "If something is worth doing it is worth doing well"; rightly noting that it is a load of old cobblers. Juggling tells me that something worth doing is invariably preceded by failure and persistence. Embrace failure people, because failure gets you closer to what you're good at. 30 July 2014 Slow Hand. Did I want to memorize a couple of packs of playing cards in under two minutes like those described in Joshua Foer's Moonwalking with Einstein? Not really. But I did like the idea of impressing family and friends by being able to shuffle a pack of cards and casually rattle them off one by one. So I followed the tried and true mnemonic system of associating each card in a deck to an image, rehearsed it a couple of times and now I have all 52 cards locked in – plus the joker for good measure. I'm still pretty slow at it after almost a year and so I still need to keep up the rehearsal – keeping my hand in, so to speak. I find using a deck of cards a great way to remember places that I have visited and spent some time in and which I want to use as Memory Palaces. The other day I went to the local Austrian Club – Community Cultural centre for a birthday lunch with a bunch of friends and their kids. While tucking into my Schnitzel and Weissbier and with an acoustic backdrop of yodeling music on a stereo loop, I made a mental note of the large hall which included a "Herzlich Willkommen" reception, Stammtisch, dance floor with band stage, drinks bar, maps and flags of the Austrian regions, air rifle trophies, several mounted animal heads and a painting of people sitting at a table that looked like it had been knocked out by one of the locals after one too many ales. With my pack of cards I have spent an enjoyable half hour recreating such Memory Palaces, as well as holiday houses, places from my childhood, museums, cafes and the local art gallery. 31 July 2014 Geography, poetry and the in-laws. One of main goals for wanting to improve my memory has been to increase my overall ability to communicate in German. One of the first exercises I undertook after reading Anthony's book on how to memorise German was to memorise the 16 Bundesländer together with the names of each capital city. I chose the house of my partner's long deceased Tante Annie in Munich. I never met Annie, but I did get to spend a couple of excellent summer holidays there a few years back. Her house has also become my Memory Palace for all of my German vocab words starting with the letter 'a'. Even though Annie's old house has now been knocked down and replaced with a bunch of townhouses, I will always have a strong imprint of all the rooms and apple trees in her house and garden. I have also memorized poems both in English and German. Not a huge repertoire to date, it includes Shelley's Ozymandias, the German children's poem Der bitterböse Friederich from the Struwwelpeter book of poems and Heinrich Heine's Die Lorelei – about a guy in boat with an unhealthy obsession for a girl. Armed with this new knowledge, I have tested my partner's knowledge of the German states (she didn't pass) and entertained my mother-in-law with a recital of Die Lorelei (she was very impressed with her son-in-law). 1 August 2014 The Memory Wars. 6am. I slide out of bed, shuffle downstairs and crack open the smart phone. There, in my inbox, sits my Magnetic Memory Newsletter; as regular as the ravens, kookaburras and lorikeets making a racket outside my window. This morning's post is not Anthony's usual considered replies to someone's magnetic memory question, but a spirited defence of the daily newsletter against the detractors and critics who have 'issues' with his approach. Personally I don't have a problem with the format of the newsletter. On some mornings I will quickly scan the text, satisfy myself that I'm across the main point and hit delete. But usually the points raised are of interest and I'll read a bit more closely and save the post for future reference. I recently read an article which argues that we live in an age of warring internet tribes. Whether it's climate change, immigration, religious belief or the kind of pet you have, people are going to have entrenched positions and whose opinions cannot be changed. I guess memory training and approaches to learning are not immune to blog wars and forum stalking. It's not just that we differ, but our sense of self is developed in our disagreements. Conflict is inevitable, but disagreement can still be productive. Which, in my mind at least, is what I took away from this morning's post. Personally I'll stick with Anthony's daily newsletter. His commitment to the cause confirms for me that he practices what he preaches. 2 August 2014 By now I have come up with more that enough memory palaces to serve as staging posts for all the things I want to be able to remember and use. I've already mentioned Tante Annie's house, but there is also the house I live in here in Sydney, my parent's apartment block, my son's local scout hall, the swimming pool, the places of my youth and journeys around my neighbourhood. Cafes are handy, as are cinemas and my daily commute from home to office. They are all listed on a spreadsheet and some are used more than others. I have a very large cork board sitting over my office desk (measures about 1m x 1.5m) and around the edge I have pinned a collection of business cards, postcards and photos, 35 in total. I've been training myself to employ this notice board for capturing the key points of podcasts that I listen to every now and again. 5 August 2014 Flash celebrities over at the school. Another website that I subscribe to is German Flashcards run by Antosch-and-Lin.com. The site turns out a daily newsletter containing a word and phrase of the day and is designed for the spaced-repetition brigade. I wrote a blogpost for their site a few months ago about my experiences and struggles with learning foreign languages over the past 24 years. You're welcome to have a look at Wrestling the Bear, Part 1 of what plan to be a three part series. Armed with the daily phrases that I consider to be useful and which add to my vocabulary, I have compiled a hefty list. But how best to memorize them? My solution has been to create an A-Z spreadsheet of famous names and people I know and assign a phrase to each of them. (I'm not sure where AM – Anthony Metivier fits in – famous or people I know – but you're in the mix). Each name / phrase is then placed on a route that runs from my front door and heads out towards my son's local public school, a Memory Palace I am very familiar with. So far I have gone from Andre Agassi to Conchita Wurst. With the exception of Q – X – Y (too hard), I have most of the spreadsheet filled with names. However, if someone can suggest a name with initials IO I'd be grateful. 6 August 2014 Meet Bob the Builder Roman Soldier. Of all the positive benefits I have achieved over the past couple of months, without doubt the most personally rewarding has been being able to impart my learnings onto my nine-year-old son. Math is not one of his strengths, and my wife and I have invested a lot of time and energy in helping him to stay on top of the topics covered in the class. Towards this end, and in part inspired by Anthony's interview with the young girl who memorized all of Shakespeare's play and sonnets, I have had some wins in using the Magnetic Memory Method to help with times tables, shapes and volumes. My son is now getting the hang of creating his own memorable characters, including Bob the Roman soldier, who walks through his mapped-out classroom and nominating stations for the Roman numerals I V X L C D & M and figuring out how the sequence of Roman numerals operates. The next big hurdle is the decimal system. After cogitating long and hard about how to introduce something that is active, vivid and magnetic, we came up with the idea of using one of his favourite cartoon characters "Ben TEN". It was while I was rummaging through his bookshelf that I came across one of his picture books: Animalia by the illustrator Graeme Base. After about 15 minutes of working through his amazing illustrations I was able to lock down a quick Z to A memory recital sequence. I wish I had been shown how to use my mind to memorize all the stuff that they threw at me during my school years. I wish I had been show how to study properly, period. I am determined to make sure that my child will be able to realize his potential and dreams without the stress and pressure that hangs over the education system like a heavy cloud. So I lend my wholehearted support towards the idea that mnemonics – and the Magnetic Memory Method in particular – have a worthwhile and important place in the education toolbox, regardless of whether you are 9 or 59 years old. So that just about sums up what I have achieved in a relatively short period of time. My German vocab excel spreadsheet continues to grow and I still find the whole process mostly fun, even on those days when it seems like some word is not sticking despite repeated attempts to recall. Just remember that it is not a race and to relax. As for the future, well I have a desire to memorize all sorts of things including music, Japanese, Italian, chess patterns and especially my command of my mother tongue. About the author: Richard has a background in fiction writing, ESL teaching and mnemonics. He has a love of all things German, believes that more men should wear proper hats, and would never be want to be called a 'polyglot' because it sounds like a pathological condition. Check out his post on memorizing German phrases for an updated tutorial on his progress with learning, memorizing and recalling German en masse. The post Hanging Out With My Magnetic Memory appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this very candid interview with polyglot Olly Richards, we're getting a look behind the scenes into the workings of one of the hardest working, most effective and interesting language learners on the scene. Tune in now and you'll learn: * The difference between the desire to communicate and the desire to learn a language and how bringing these two distinct quests together can give your study efforts a boost. * Why consuming a lot of information will not enable you to suddenly speak the language. * Why even self-directed learners will need to use some of the same techniques used in traditional language-learning classrooms. * How to escape the prison of blaming grammar for your language learning troubles and what to focus on instead. * Why "context is king" in language learning. * Why perfectionism is your worst enemy and how to overcome it. * The relationships between learning languages and learning music. * Why studying jazz enabled him to be able to hear the auditory elements of the languages he has learned at a deeper level and react quickly in his mind even at the early stages in order to create greater conversational flow (improvisational jazz, as my virtual bass teacher Scott Devine has described, is the art of correcting yourself as you go). * How to know if the particular language aspects you're studying have a "high surrender value" so that you're spending your time in the right areas that will serve you the most over the short and long term. * Exactly when (and why) Olly resorts to mnemonic devices instead of relying on spaced-repetition alone. * The importance of knowing when to stop forcing a learning step and how to come back to it later with a more receptive mind. * What Olly does to break the monotony of flash cards and get started using the new language he's studying (this technique may surprise you!) * The amazing benefits of incorporating Excel files into your language learning. Check out Olly's amazing video about this below. * An in-depth analysis of what the term "language hack" means and how best to use this concept to approach your language learning efforts. * How to focus on your methods in order to focus better on the content of the language. * The "language mediation" phenomenon in which people in your target language will make it easier for you to converse with them instead of launching into idioms and expressions that won't make any sense (just one of many reasons why you should never fear just getting out there and speaking). * Olly's fascinating definition of "fluency" (one of the most powerful we've ever heard on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast in addition to what we've heard from Luca Lampariello and David Mansaray). * Olly's personal feelings about losing a particular level of fluency in a language, but why there is never any reason you can never go back and achieve even greater heights if you treat learning multiple languages as a revolving door. * … and much, much more. Further Resources Olly's "Remote Learning" Guest Post on Benny Lewis' Fluent in 3 Months. Olly's I Will Teach You A Language YouTube Channel Olly's "Learn Kanji the Smart Way" Olly on the Actual Fluency Podcast Olly on how you can learn to speak Thai YouTube documentary on Olly by Jan Van Deraa: Olly's video on using Excel as part of your language learning: The post Olly Richards Talks About Language Tech And Real Communication appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In today's episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, Kerstin Hammes talks about the real meanings of fluency and memory. Kerstin provides us with a number of fresh perspectives on what is really involved in learning a language and is a very inspiring figure in the language learning world. Tune in now to learn: * Exactly what it feels like to know multiple languages. * How learning a language can be just like putting up a little shelf to place books on. * Kerstin's thoughts on the one-upmanship in the polyglot community and why it is often more destructive than it is useful. * Why language learning is sometimes like entering an discouraging gym ad how to overcome some of the more prominent challenges. * Why "fluency" is a funny word and not something one should really aim for because it is a mostly "meaningless" goal – and what you should be shooting for instead. * Exactly where the title of Benny Lewis' title "Fluent In 3 Months" come from and why it isn't sales pitch flim flam. * The various personality aspects that can create barriers to your language learning experience and how to overcome them. * Why spaced repetition learning software most likely cannot teach you a language. * "Vocabulary curation" and how to maximize your efforts in gathering the most useful and important words quickly. * How to play "Sherlock Holmes" while learning a language and use other people to effectively speed up your learning process. * Why most of the problems people face with language learning really have nothing to do with the languages themselves. * The relationship between time signatures and culture and how the way we learn our culture effects our ability to understand others at a deep level. * Why language learners need a structure to follow and usually do not benefit from "random acts of learning" like watching foreign language films from time to time. * Why Kerstin finds mnemonics helpful and why they are one of the best ways to experience contextualized learning (as opposed to decontextualized learning and semi-contextualized learning). * Why leaving stickers around the house to the label your furniture with what these items are called in your target language is a kind of Memory Palace and how Kerstin uses the physical layout of the objects in her home to "see" words she wants to recall in her mind. * Why Kerstin finds spelling to be a "visual" aid to recalling vocabulary. * Why Bon Jovi might be the best way to learn English in context because they are a "piece of reality." * The specific benefits of blogging about your language learning experiences. * The relationship between memorizing names and foreign language vocabulary and how the stems and origins of words can help you draw connections between your mother tongue and the target language. * Why grammar is more like a map, rather than a set of rules. * The four skills you need to achieve language competency and how they will build your confidence and move towards greater fluency. * … and much, much more! Further Resources: Interview with Kerstin Hammes on Language Boat Books by Kerstin Hammes Post by Kerstin Hammes on the question of "hard languages" and "easy languages" Kerstin Hammes on Twitter Creative Language Learning Podcast by Kerstin Hammes How To Stop Information Pollution From Poisoning Your Memory Kerstin's amazing French Grammar course on Udemy About the author: Anthony Metivier is the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, a systematic, 21st Century approach to memorizing foreign language vocabulary, dreams, names, music, poetry and much more in ways that are easy, elegant, effective and fun. The post Kerstin Hammes Talks About The Real Meanings Of Fluency And Memory appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.