The Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

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.

Luca Lampariello, a specialist in language learning techniques, shares invaluable insights on mastering new languages. He emphasizes the crucial role of working memory and the pitfalls of rote learning. Discover why understanding cultural nuances and humor can enhance language acquisition. He also explores how personal competence in your native language impacts learning, while daily practice brings impressive growth. Luca's approach blends motivation with engaging methods, making language learning an exciting, captivating journey.

Dear Memorizers, In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you'll learn about using a Memory Palace even while suffering the crushing side effects of medication. Program Notes: Following from Magnetic Memory blog posts like The Dyslexic Memorizer Who Aced All His Exams and Memory Palaces vs. Alzheimer's, another question about using mnemonics, Memory Palaces and other memory techniques to help overcome mental "problems." In this case, it's the negative effects of taking medication on memory has come in. Have you worked with anyone who was working against medications and/or an illness that randomly scatters chunks of memory? I'm on an anti-seizure med for some fairly extensive nerve damage, and since I've been on it, my already compromised memory is suddenly like trying to catch butterflies with a hula hoop. Now I'm wondering if I'm just a hopeless case. Thanks for any advice/thoughts! I don't want to prattle on about myself, but I am one such person. In fact, my whole adventure into memory, something I've only recently started talking about, came from the devastating cognitive effects of lithium, which I was taking at the time to control Bipolar Disorder. Now I take something else that has less extreme effects, but back then, there seemed to be no alternative … Until I found mnemonics. In truth, I have only anecdotal evidence that mnemonics helps bring clarity into the mind, and I was also discovering a whole lot of other things at the same time, so the clarity that came into my mind through the use of Memory Palaces was assisted by things such as self-hypnosis, meditation and a better diet combined with fitness, improved sleep, writing down my dreams each and every morning, and spending some time writing down my goals and things that I'm grateful for on a daily basis. I learned a lot of these "hacks" from Richard Wiseman's 59 Seconds, as well as from taking hypnotherapy certification which was part of my doctoral research into friendship (sounds like a stretch, but it turns out that we do hypnotize each other in a certain way as we become friends). But in terms of Memory Palaces strictly speaking, one of the biggest things that being able to command my memory brought was confidence. The stress and negativity that surrounded me as I worked to read some of the strangest and most obscure books of philosophy and cultural studies almost caused me to drop out of graduate school. And that's not counting the fogginess and poor concentration that made it very difficult for me to read in the first place. And in truth, I still experience all of these things today. The difference is that Memory Palaces cut through all of it, provided that I use them and use them in the right way. For me, the right way is the Magnetic Memory Method and it applies to just about everything I – or you – could ever want to learn. Of course, as I teach it, the MMM is a "method" and not a "system," which enables users to adapt the basic principles to their own learning style. Most people don't need to change much, but the whole purpose of how I designed it for myself was to make what really is impossible for a person with my frenzied brain possible. These techniques are an almost fool proof means of getting things into my mind so that I can find them whenever I want. Think of it like this: The Magnetic Memory Method is like a wheelchair and a ramp. Without the ramp, the chair cannot be wheeled up to the next level. Without the wheelchair, the person cannot be moved anywhere. Put them together, however, and there's no level that cannot be reached. The Magnetic Memory Method is a structured means by which both the chair and the ramp can be built in stages in order to bring the material in the chair to wherever in the mind you want it to go. But it's not about wheelchairs and ramps … It's about Memory Palaces. Mental constructs based on familiar places. That's the key: familiar places. When you get more advanced, you can use less familiar places from deep in memory and even invented Memory Palaces or Memory Palaces based on video games, TV shows, etc. Thus, instead of trying to catch butterflies with a hula hoop, see if you can't just catch one Memory Palace in your mind. Start with your own house. Using the Magnetic Memory Method principles of not trapping yourself and not crossing your own path, create a linear journey through the Memory Palace. Then, spend some time just traveling that journey. Make it really vivid in your imagination. If you can't actually see it in your mind's eye … Stop trying. Feel it instead. Feel it as a structure, a series of squares that are connected. You can also feel the journey in terms of time. How long would it take you to move from the bedroom to the kitchen? Approximately how many steps? When done with eyes closed, even a non-visual person can begin to attribute visual elements to this inner sense. Because the journey is known in real life and has now been recreated in the mind, you can move on to the next step. Assuming that you've got ten stations along your Memory Palace journey and assuming that you've got ten Spanish words lined up, then you're ready to work on memorizing the first Spanish word by placing it at the first location. All of this is premised upon the absolute certainty that you know where to find that word later when you're looking for it as part of your Magnetic Memory Method Recall Rehearsal procedures. Of course, there are ways that you can read about in the book that help you make sure that you're picking the best possible words, and you can experiment with all of these. The most important thing is to get started. John Cage once said, "begin anywhere," and that remains true. But if you're struggling to find a place to start, start by embedding your home in your mind and try to always focus on what is possible. That is in fact the number one lesson I have ever learned. I used to focus so much on what was impossible that I hypnotized myself into taking zero action. But through all kinds of mysterious and interesting and strange circumstances, I learned to focus only on the possible, something I have to relearn all the time. Miraculously, when I use Memory Palaces in the right way, they never fail me. And barring some terrible brain trauma – and even then (if you've heard my Podcast interview with Michael Gusman then you'll know why I'm making this exception), I don't think Memory Palaces that are correctly built can ever fail. I sum, if I can make the following suggestions that I think will help you deal with the effects of your medication, based on the understanding that I'm not a doctor (at least not the medical kind, just a dude with a PhD), work on Memory Palaces as described by the Magnetic Memory Method, but also: * Meditation * Good diet and fitness * Writing down your dreams (ideally every morning) * Writing down your aspirations (ideally ever day) * Writing down at least ten things you are grateful for (ideally ever day) Do this writing by hand so that you train your brain to connect your gratitude and wishes with movements of the hand, with mechanical acts of doing that are not integrated with computers. The research Richard Wiseman presents in 59 Seconds shows you why this is important, but it also just makes sense when you think of the difference between blunt force writing via typing and the elegance of handwriting … Or the lack of it, which reminds me that if you ever get bored of writing down the same thing every day, try writing with your non-dominant hand instead. It took me only a short time to develop this skill and it has really happy effects. I guess it lights up different centers of the brain. I don't know if writing with your non-dominant hand will do that for you, but if you're going to pick up these habits, then you might as well give writing with your non-dominant hand a try too. It cannot hurt. I hope these thoughts help. Let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything further I can do for you. 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 Can A Memory Palace Overcome Medicinal Side-Effects? appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Let's face it… We've all suffered from nightmares. Sometimes they come out of nowhere, sometimes they're deeply connected with a rough passage through life. And yet… Since first starting with dream recall, I've never had what I'd call a "nightmare." My childhood was littered with them, however. I think these terrible nocturnal experiences were tied to all the surgeries I needed thanks to a ruptured eardrum. As a result of this problem, I needed tubes. These were taken in and removed repeatedly over several years … But I'm not going to fill your ears with these tales of nighttime woe or the images they involved. I don't even particularly want to hear descriptions of your nightmares. I'm not a dream therapist, after all. What does interest me, however, is what you've done to deal with your dreams when they haven't been nice. Do you just let it go and get on with your day? Do you carry a feeling with that takes time to subside? Do you tell a loved one or friend? Ideally, if you're practicing dream recall, you'll write it down. It's part of creating that nighttime portrait I was telling you about. It's like creating a graph that lets you see spikes of activity over time. Form becomes as important as content, especially when you hit an earthquake or volcano. You can relive it in the safety of paper as you externalize and study your nighttime seismograph. And over time, with a dedicated dream recall practice, you can bring balance to your nighttime life. The other thing I would suggest to speed up the process of healing nightmares is to place your disturbing dreams in Memory Palaces. Yes, I know that Memory Palaces are precious things. You almost don't want to get them involved. But the fact of the matter is that Memory Palaces can serve as neutral territory. Just as we use Memory Palaces to enliven the material we want to remember using vibrant color and intensified action, we can drain our negative dreams of the intensity that terrifies us by placing those fears in a familiar location we've reconstructed in our minds. Try it sometime. When you wake up from an unsettling dream, place as many details as you can remember into one of your Memory Palaces. Or write them down as you would normally to get the fullest possible recording of the dream on paper and then transport the dream into a Memory Palace. (If you're new to Magnetic Memory Dream Recall, then writing them down first before doing Memory Palace work is probably the better option). Either way, once you're in the Memory Palace with the dream, or looking at it from whatever way that you look at dreams you've placed there, before you do anything else, drain the dream of colour until it's black and white. You may even want to make it like an old scratchy movie, which will allow you to eliminate and reduce the sound. This is another powerful strategy for neutralizing a nightmare. For especially bad dreams, you can speed them up and add sound, as in a comedic movie where everything speeds up and everybody sounds like Mickey Mouse. Make it so that you have no choice but to laugh at the dream. To that younger version of myself, who from the ages four to ten had intense nightmare that caused so much disturbance throughout the day that it could not help but to invite new nightmares the next night, I would advise myself to eliminate the color from the dream and then using the powerful safety of a Memory Palace, wrap it up like newspaper and throw it out the door like Sigourney Weaver ejected the monster in Alien out into space. I ain't saying that this will be easy. It could take some deliberate practice with dream recall. And definitely some familiarity with Memory Palaces. But if you're interested, and for some reason not already on board the Magnetic Dream Recall nightmare-healing journey (potentially, depending on your sincerity of effort), the train departs from here: How to Remember Your Dreams The post Can A Memory Palace Heal Nightmares? appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I follow up on the "How to Memorize a Textbook" podcast with "How to Write a Dissertation" (or any article or essay). Tune in now and you'll learn: * The best ways to use index cards to create a "skeleton" that you can use again and again for other writings or to memorize material for a public presentation. * Why index cards are better than Evernote and Anki. * How to make writing a dissertation as interesting as writing a screenplay for television or the movies. * How to use the floor of your apartment to organize an entire dissertation into multiple chapters so that you can present the evidence in the best possible order simply by sitting and writing. * The best conditions to create and maintain a writing space for composing your writing. * The need for syncing to Dropbox or some similar service while you're writing. * How to avoid the need to re-read your dissertation before the defense. * How to know almost exactly where in your dissertation you've made various points. * The best way to keep your research material "mobile." * How to apply the techniques in this podcast and "How to Memorize a Textbook" to memorize and write blog posts about gardening, cooking or whatever area of interest you might want to write or present about. * … and much, much more. I also invite you to an upcoming webinar titled Memory Secrets of an A+ Student, which I highly encourage you to sign-up for and attend. I'll be talking more about using memory techniques as part of scholastic success with an eye to making sure that the techniques can also be used by everyone. As a student, as you may know, I was pretty foggy in my mind most of the time for various reasons I've talked about before. Memory skills and the index card research technique that I talk about in the podcast were key to my success and although paper and pen seem like ancient technology to students today, I still highly recommend using them. Handwriting uses, rather obviously, the hand, and there are good, scientifically grounded reasons that explain why that handwriting creates higher levels of cognition. Couple this with a Memory Palace, location-based memory technique and you'll quickly experience much larger results than typing. It's not entirely clear to me why typing differs from handwriting, but the effects are plain and the practical benefits evident. As I talk about in this episode, it's easy to lose or accidentally delete a computer file, but so long as you have an ordered stack of index cards, you know the order of points you talked about in the writing and can re-write it relatively easily. You may even be able to dictate directly from the index cards, which is a point that I neglected to address in the podcast itself. If you have dictation software and are able to verbally respond to index cards off-the-cuff, then the writing processes can go even more quickly for you, making your job simply one of editing. If you've enjoyed this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, please add a comment here, subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher and feel free to share it with anyone you know who is currently writing a dissertation or writing in general. Talk soon! Sincerely, Anthony Metivier 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 How To Write A Dissertation (Or Essay) appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I talk about a strange book called How to Memorize the Bible Quick and Easy in 5 Simple Steps that claims mnemonics are a form of witchcraft! In addition to debunking this claim, in today's episode you'll learn: * The real reason I wrote How to Learn and Memorize the Psalms of the Bible. * Why I have been asked to help people stop memorizing the scripture. * Why actually reading scripture may be more important than memorizing them. * How the laws of physics, force and velocity relate to the universal principles of mnemonics and Memory Palace construction. * Why you need to take dedicated memory training so that you can learn to build effective Memory Palaces, understand journeys and asssociative-imagery and learn Recall Rehearsal. * Why memorizing textbooks verbatim is not necessarily the best goal and an invitation to learn how to do it the right way. * Why books that mix mnemonics and theology are can be dangerous for your health (and what to read instead). * Why asking God to help you memorize the Bible will probably involve a dedicated memory technique (possibly even the Magnetic Memory Method). * Why belief (not faith) can be a mnemonic strategy and how to properly place it. * Why memorizing only the material that leaps out at you might be good for "bibliomancy" when memorizing a textbook, but probably won't help you when trying to memorize scripture verbatim. * Why mnemonics are most certainly not blasphemous. * Why mnemonics bears absolutely no relationship to witchcraft (because witchcraft doesn't exist). * Why memorizing long strings of numbers is absolutely fantastic for building your memory skills. * The relationship between weight-lifting and memory skills. * Why rote-learning is the "blunt force hammer" of learning. * The benefits of reading books twice before you memorize them (either in whole or in part). * The mysteries of "chunking" and "rechunking." * Why the future of the human species is going to be better than its past. * Why the words "atheist" and "agnostic" are ridiculous words (but not ones that should be forgotten). * Why Memory Palaces and location-based memory techniques are the best of all mnemonic methods. * Exactly how to ensure that you never forget where you left your keys again. * How to find more Memory Palaces than you can shake a Magnetic stick at. * Why your memory has no saturation point whatsoever. * How to leverage the natural ability of the mind to memorize all the information you could ever want. * … and much, much more! If you're interested here's the book talked about in the podcast: Here's my book about how to memorize the psalms: And this is the video course I mentioned that goes even deeper into memorizing verse in general. Use coupon code "nonstrology" for a special introductory discount on your one time investment in this revolutionary memory training. It comes with a 30-day Magnetic Decision Guarantee. +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 Of Witchcraft, Nonstrology And Mnemonics appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you'll learn 8 simple and effective strategies that you can apply to your dedicated memorization efforts when you using mnemonics to study, memorize poetry, foreign language vocabulary or even a deck of cards. Listen now to learn: * The important connection between space in your Memory Palaces and where you use your Memory Palaces. * The amazing value of having a solid routine so that you can see the compound effect of the work you're putting into your memory (developing your memory is more like play than "work", so don't let that nasty word put you off!) * Why you need to start simple each and every time you memorize something so that you can sail into the more complicated matters with ease (this one tip alone is worth at least a million Magnetic dollars). * How to leverage the power of mistakes and turn them into the most powerful memorizing experiences you could ever wish for. * When to ditch parts of your Memory Palace so that you can memorize even more material and not get stuck in a ditch. * The most important rule in the world for getting past the whining and crying of frustration so that you are always calm and relaxed when working on memorizing material. * The productivity secrets of specialization and why you need one. * How to train your brain using rewards (I used to think this was corny too until I finally gave it a try … it works!) * … and a whole lot more! Listen to this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast and be amazed by what you can achieve using the natural abilities of your mind. +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 Your Free Memory Improvement Master Plan appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.