The Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

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.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, Stephen Turnbull talks about Memneon, a fast-paced, exciting and tense memory game released by his company, Alchemista. Tune in to the Podcast now and learn: * Exactly how and why games like Memneon and Rubik's Cube involve memory. * The role of pattern recognition, how this relates to memory as well as to the controversial concept of right and left brain cognition processes. * How the London Tube map and Scrabble relate to the complexity of location-based memory strategies. * The relationship between gaming, memory and education. * Why you can learn from games even if the specific objective of a particular game itself is not focused on education you about something, (i.e. like Minecraft). * The potential dangers of a world in which the raison d'etre of learning has become completely tied to gaming. * Why the actor, polyglot and author Stephen Fry went "delightfully dotty" after playing Stephen Turnbull's Memneon game. * The relationship between the spatial-location memory challenges of Memneon, chess and the World Memory Championships in terms of high-value memory training and memory drills. * How Bubblingo (currently in development) will use interactive, tagged video to help you learn a language. * The different metaphors that have been used to describe memory and how the brain does and doesn't function like a computer when it comes to concepts like neuroplasticity. * How memory champions are working to use a Memory Palace and other mnemonic strategies to give them a competitive edge on the game. * … and much, much more. As the CEO of Alchemista, Stephen Turnbull has demonstrated with Memneon that something as simple as an idea can truly be turned into gold. His background in Media Studies and Teacher Training, back by a history in making short films has enabled him to combine logistical creativity with a strong visual game that brings a riveting user experience together with learning. Have a look at the Memneon game here in this great YouTube video: Further resources and reading: Memneon on iTunes Wikipedia page on Memory Minecraft homepage – and for more on the use of Minecraft in memory work, be sure to check out the previous Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode, Tap the Mind of a Ten Year Old Memory Palace Master. 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 Memneon Creator Stephen Turnbull Talks About the Metaphors Of Memory appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method, we have a special interview with Phil Chambers. Phil is a World Mind Mapping Champion who works closely with the World Memory Championships as a scorer and statistician who does not believe that memory competitors have even come close to reaching their limits. As a memory skills trainer, Phil is also the founder and managing director of Learning Technologies and author of Brilliant Speed Reading. Amongst other co-authored books, he has written with James Smith How to Remember Equations and Formulae. Tune in to this episode with Phil Chambers now and learn: * How Tony Buzan's Use Your Head program and Use Your Head Society introduced Phil to Dominic O'Brien and how this led to him competing in the third ever World Memory Championships. * Why accelerated learning is a "framework" that allows you to learn faster and deeper. * Why anyone (including you) can use the same techniques that memory champions take to competitive extremes and use them to increase your productivity and social success in every day life. * The two major aspects of learning and studying that most students get wrong … and how to get both of these right. * How to build a structural foundation in your memory when studying for exams. * Why the non-linear thinking possibilities of mind maps can revolutionize how you learn, remember and recall information while also creating new insights and knowledge. * How Phil recommends students use index cards in combination with mind maps in order to see connections in powerful ways that will advance your success in high school or university beyond your wildest dreams. * Why Phil prefers journeys based upon real locations rather than fictional Memory Palaces – and an explanation of exactly why Memory Palaces and journeys are both the same and different. * The exact difference between semantic memory and memories based on experience and how memory techniques allow you to transform semantic memories into experienced memories with ease so that even the most abstract material becomes much more memorable. * How an understanding of the psychology of memory can help you come up with your own memory techniques – or at least hack the classical principles so that they suit your own personal learning style with greater precision. * Phil's thoughts on the "upper-limit" of exactly how much we can remember and how Memory Champions are constantly pushing themselves to reach new heights and achieving new levels year after year as the national and global memory competitions continue offering memory athletes the opportunity to stretch their skills. Phil Chambers with Tony Buzan * How competitors like Ben Pridmore have changed the Major Method so that it can compress three digits and are working now even on four digits to increase the amount of information that can be memorized. * Why the only real limit to card memorization is how quickly you can move your hands and how this memory skill will move beyond the matter of physical dexterity using technology to increase the speed of card retention and recall in what is now being called an "extreme sport." * A range of techniques that people who feel non-visual can use to increase their ability to use memory techniques grounded in associative-imagery. * Why Dominic O'Brien's habit of daydreaming provided the source of him becoming a World Memory Champion eight-times over. * A quote from Leonardo Da Vinci that will deeply improve your imagination within seconds. * Why even in our age of technology, we can still benefit from having improved memory skills. * Why the human brain scores way greater in the creativity department than what a computer will likely ever achieve. * The two major mistakes that would-be memorizers make that causes them frustration to the point of giving up – and exactly how to overcome both of them. * How to overcome any difficulties with memory techniques by starting with those strategies that give you an instant ability to memorize material without hassle (you'll learn exactly what these are). * Why someone with a "bad memory" who uses memory techniques will still have a better memory than even someone who seems to have been born with superior memory skills. * … and much, much more! Further Resources: UK Memory Trainings by Phil Chambers in 2014 Books by Phil Chambers on Amazon.com Books by Phil Chambers on Amazon.co.uk Mind Map article on Wikipedia World Memory Championships Website Phil Chambers moderating the 2013 Algerian Memory Championships on YouTube 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 Phil Chambers Talks About The Outer Limits Of Memory Skills appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Subscribe to the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. Dear Memorizers, As you learned about back in the post, What If I Wanted To Memorize 3000 Words?, there's really no memorization challenge that cannot be overcome. That said, there are a number of "painful truths" about memorizing that many people let get in the way of their progress. Let's look at some of these. 1. You will make mistakes. It's a basic fact that not only will we make mistakes when memorizing material such as foreign language vocabulary, names, faces and even our dreams, but we need to make mistakes in order to identify problem areas and grow. It's an old cliche but a stubbornly correct one: we learn by failing. Or better put, it's only failure if you refuse to learn from the mistakes. I think we've all probably had that experience of knowing that we're doing something wrong, but going ahead and doing it anyway. The trick is to stop, correct and then proceed along the newly corrected basis. And in doing so, we make the practice artful. And, of course, I'm always talking about projects for memorizing stuff that's important to you, like foreign language vocabulary, names and faces and poetry. But the same principles apply even if you're into competition and feats of extreme memory. And yes, even memory champions make mistakes when their skills are on display. 2. You will be tempted to show off. Showing off is not such a bad thing, but the reason that it's a painful truth when it comes to memory skills is that … you're going to make mistakes. For many people, this is enough to turn them off of using memory skills or a dedicated Memory Palace network forever. This is a shame because failure, slip-ups and all kinds of foibles happen all the time. And you can learn from them, simply by grabbing hold of yourself, letting yourself relax, apologize if necessary and then start again at a convenient place. Just like Alica Crosby did in the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode, Tap the Mind of a 10-year Old Memory Palace Master. She made a tiny little error, caught herself and then corrected. Like it was nothing. Which it was. So if you are showing off (and I hope that you do), don't let a tiny little mistake shame you out of continuing with memory development. And here's a tip: demonstrate your skills to others in low stress environments. For example, do card drills in front of your dog or cat. Your pets don't care if you get it wrong, but you will have the feeling that you're demonstrating your memory skills in front of a sentient being. Then scale it up to your mom, your dad or a friend you know will be chill if you slip up. You can even tell them that you're a bit nervous about making a mistake, which is a cool trick because when you don't make any mistakes, they'll probably forget that you said that or just think that you were being modest before unleashing the miracle. From there, you can increase the "social difficulty" as you please, always knowing that you can correct mistakes with a quick, "oh sorry," like Alicia did on the Podcast and carry on. 3. You have to learn to relax. I include this amongst the painful truths of memory skills because, at least in my experience of helping many, many people build either their first or their one hundredth Memory Palace, usually the number one problem they have with memorizing information and recalling it is that they aren't relaxed. There are a number of reasons why relaxation not only helps, but will completely take things to a new level for you. The first is that it helps over come the objections in the mind. I'm talking about that voice that says, "this is stupid," or "this is crazy," or "this will never work." Many a person has this voice turned away from the gift of mnemonics. But if you memorize in a state of relaxation, you can dampen, lessen or outright eliminate this voice and work on improving your memory in peace. The second is that relaxation enhances creativity. I don't know if this is because you enter a more dreamlike state, but there's a lot of scientific research which demonstrates a link between, for instance, meditation and creativity and I'm sure that your personal experience will demonstrate that this is true for you as well. Meditation is a pretty simple affair. As Alan Watts put it: sit just to sit. The rest will take care of itself. A third reason why relaxation is such a powerful tool for a memorizer is that it conditions you to associate relaxation with memorization and recall. This means that when you're tempted to show off, you can tap into that state of relaxation you used to memorize the stuff in the first place and use it in the moment in order to avoid getting flummoxed or embarrassed or otherwise feeling discouraged if you make a mistake. It's really cool, but also a painful truth of memory skills and it saddens me that so many people skip this step and then claim that mnemonics don't work for them. They do work and they will work for even the most resistant mind if you just give relaxation a serious try. 4. You have to have a success-oriented mindset. Far too many people enter a field they want to conquer expecting failure. This rarely helps … I don't know why many of us go into things in a dark mood, but the relaxation tip I've just given is one way to move yourself in a more positive direction, in addition to simply deciding in your mind that you will succeed and nothing will stop you. Better yet, write it down. Literally. Get a notebook that you carry around with you and every day write down a list of your goals and the declaration that you will achieve them. Today was the first day of the Polyglot Gathering 2014 in Berlin and I showed someone who was skeptical that I actually do this my personal notebook that I carry with me everywhere. It has a date written in ink at the beginning and he could see that I certainly hadn't filled out half the book since arriving at the conference that morning and gotten it all worn and dirty from carrying it in my pocket. I really do this stuff and it has helped me combat negative-thinking and depression for years. I don't know exactly why it works, but Richard Wiseman talks about it in his book 59 Seconds and gives the science in those pages, so I highly recommend that you read it for more on this approach and even more little life hacks that are scientifically grounded that you can put to use in under a minute. 5. You will need to challenge your imagination. I was talking with another fellow today at the Polyglot Gathering today and he wanted to know why I recommend that people memorize the alphabet backwards. I told him that it's a great way to see how you can use a Memory Palace, it's great brain exercise, and it also helps bridge the gap between memorizing things that are familiar to you (the alphabet) and things that are foreign (like the alphabet backwards). You can use this skill to help when encountering foreign language words and seeing how to use mnemonics to store them in your mind and then later recall them at will. He still didn't quite see why one should do exercises like this, especially for him because he knows the techniques and uses them every day. So I asked him what he thinks it would be like if he could use the same techniques he already knows 10 times better? He didn't quite have an answer, but he thought it would be pretty cool. So I suggested that he give memorizing the alphabet backwards a try and explained that you could never really know what the strength of someone like Schwarzenegger feels like without putting in the time at the gym. In the same way, you can never know just how powerful your memory can be without doing some basic exercises. There is a huge difference between pumping 10 pounds and pumping 50 and only those who pump 50 get the outcome that only 50 can achieve. It's that simple. So if you want your memory skills to grow, you've got to add challenges. Even if you just want to maintain them, you've got to at least use your memory techniques. I don't really believe in the use "use it or lose" it idea in this case, but there's definitely a dampening of power if you don't memorize things for a long time, regardless of how well you understand the techniques. Not only that, but not having Memory Palaces prepared in advance can be a real drawback as well because then you've got to build them, or at least revisit them if you haven't kept them maintained. Never fear, however. This is not hard work and it is in fact a lot of fun to wander Memory Palaces just to keep them in check for when you might want to use them. Speaking of which … let's move on to … 6. You need to be obsessed with using memory skills. Actually using them, that is. I know all kinds of people and receive many messages each and every day from people who are deeply interested in mnemonics and love to read about Ars Memorativa. But so many people never actually build a Memory Palace, let alone use it. They have a problem that I call "mistaking activity with accomplishment." It's a huge problem that affects a lot of people in a lot of areas. But as awesome and even necessary as thinking about memory techniques is, it's not the same thing as using them or analyzing your use of them and then getting back in there and using them again. But if you're not obsessed with memory techniques, there's hope in yet another pain of mnemonics … 7. You have to be willing to get started. This is another huge barrier that people face, including myself. I got started with memory techniques almost by accident, but they still wound up helping solve the desperate situation I was in as a grad student on the verge of flunking out during some very dark days of depression. Other people come to memory techniques in their own way, but don't know exactly how to get started. I always like to say that mnemonics begins and ends with the Memory Palace. But this is not the only way, though it probably is the most Magnetic. All this said, in practical terms, one of the easiest and best ways to get started is to have a practical vision of what it is that you want to accomplish. Having a solid grasp of your intended outcome will guide and inform the process. It's kind of like getting a degree in college or university. Yes, some people go to "audit" courses and take them for personal or professional reasons as one-offs, but most people go to university guided by some kind of structure, a well-defined outcome, a Bachelor of Arts in … whatever. The same thing goes for memory skills … minus the degree. In order to achieve something, you need to know what it is that you're trying to achieve, so instead of saying, "I want to improve my memory," try saying, "I want to improve my memory so that I can _________." And then fill in that blank with a specific goal. From this basis, you'll not only improve your memory overall because of applying memory skills in a dedicated manner, but you'll achieve that goal alongside the learning and mastering of a memory strategy. Another way to think of this, returning to the university degree metaphor is that one never takes a degree just in a particular subject. You learn both the subject and how to learn about that subject which translates into how to learn about something in general. Thus, when I did my BA and my first MA in English Literature, I wasn't just learning about English Literature, but I was learning about how to learn about English Literature at the same time, guided by the structure of a program and its carefully defined goals and outcomes. Make sense? Good. So let me conclude by defining exactly what it is that separates the Magnetic Memorizer from all the rest: * The Magnetic Memorizer overcomes all of the pains of memory skills in order to become free of forgetfulness at will. Others accept forgetfulness and let it rule the road of their life without taking focused and directed action. You can be Magnetic and you can have freedom from forgetfulness. * The Magnetic Memorizer practices self-leadership and firmly takes the task of memory development from the whims of nature into her or his own hands. As a Magnetic Memorizer, you're not looking for something from nothing. You know the value of hard work and you refuse to be a victim of forgetfulness. Finally … * The Magnetic Memorizer places high value on the powers of the human mind and its natural abilities and approaches the Magnetic Memory Method as a method. The Magnetic Memorizer does not look for a "cookie-cutter," one size fits all memory training program. You adapt and you form and you fashion based on the universal principles that you've learned, ideally grounded in the Memory Palace tradition for the reasons I have outlined many times before. And if you are a student (which is the best time to tackle these painful truths), I recommend checking out the free webinar on Memory Secrets of an A+ Student. It will help you overcome each of these of painful truths about memory skills. 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 The 7 Painful Truths Of Succeeding With Memory Techniques appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this episode of the podcast, I tell you about the memorization process behind the writing of Lucas Parks and the Download of Doom, my first novel to feature a Memory Palace. Apparently it's mesmerizing! Tune in now and you'll learn: * How to turn a movie theater into a Memory Palace. * How to use your dreams to create stories for novels and screenplays (it's easy: just wake up and start writing down everything you remember and then use the plot points discussed in this podcast to structure a story around those narrative fragments). * Why Stephen King's 2000 word a day rule is not nearly as important as he makes it seem (and how to be relaxed about it while still getting massive amounts of writing done). * The plot points I consider to be the most important when writing a story (like the conflict between conscious desire and unconscious need, dilemma, the visit to the underworld and the battle). * How to get a copy of Lucas Parks and the Download of Doom for free (no catch whatsoever). * My story as a young scholar reading Plato's Republic while also working as a janitor in a movie theater (crazy times indeed). * … and much, much more! Frankly, if you've ever wanted to write a short story, screenplay or novel, there's no better way to do it than to memorize the major plot points that have been with us since stories first became popular. I've been studying screenwriting gurus like John Truby and Robert McKee along with general ideas from narratology for ages in order to get insight into how stories work and have even served as a story consultant myself on several unproduced films and even Assault on Wall Street. Here I am on the set of that film with director Uwe Boll and the actors Dominic Purcell and Edward Furlong (yes, he played young John Connor in Terminator 2): I got my story consulting gigs partly because of two kind of strange and mysterious books I've written on screenwriting: Disaster Genre Secrets for Screenwriters and Horror Genre Secrets for Screenwriters. These are based on my lectures on American Film Genres that I gave at the Universität des Saarlandes in Germany and talk about things that really no other screenwriting books discuss using weird words like "abjection." Since we're on the topic of memory skills, you might find it interesting to know that I rarely gave my lectures from memory. Why? There was no time! Between preparing for the lectures and writing my dissertation while also running the short film club at the Uni, not to mention keeping up with my bass guitar studies … I was swamped! But I know Film Studies so well that I didn't really need to memorize anything. All I had to do was draw up a few notes based on my research and preparation for the lectures and press the go button on my mind once I reached the podium. The notes guided my lectures so that I kept on track and the rest came from a different kind of memory: long term memory. There are different ways that material gets into long term memory, and a lot of my knowledge about film that allowed me to lecture from notes got into my long term memory through Memory Palace work, particularly using the combined index card/Memory Palace method. I talked about this procedure in detailed a previous podcast episode called "How to Memorize a Textbook." Anyhow, I'm really happy to be able to talk about not only the various plot points I used to structure Lucas Parks and the Download of Doom, but also about how I memorized them for visiting again and again in order to deeply contemplate how to apply them to the stories I write. If you're a writer and found this episode useful, please share it with your friends. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time. Update: Film Studies is back in my life with this YouTube playlist all about the genres: Enjoy and let me know if you have a chance to check it out and find anything memorable! The post How To Memorize Plot Points (For Writers Only) appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.