The Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

Can you write legibly with both your left and right hands?

Midway through a gig, can you swing the guitar to your left arm and continue strumming the ballad?

If you can, you are part of that 1% of the population who do not have a dominant hand and experience ambidextrousness.

And as you’re about to discover, ambidextrousness truly is an experience!

If you are ambidextrous, you’re in good company too. Or at least, interesting company.

Other members of this ‘exclusive’ group include Benjamin Franklin,  Kobe Bryant, and even Nikola Tesla, just one of many reasons I featured him on the cover of The Memory Connection:

Nikola Tesla ambidextrousness

Many people believe training oneself to use both your hands equally unleashes hidden creativity and even improves memory.

The idea that becoming ambidextrous boosts brain function has existed for over a century.

Moreover, it is also claimed that if you harness this ‘power’ you can improve your academic performance, decision making skills and grasp difficult concepts quickly.

Can ‘learning’ to become ambidextrous really have all these advantages?

Let’s find out:

Ambidextrousness: A Dual Handed Benefit?

 

There is a bit of confusion regarding the actual definition of ambidextrousness.

You are ambidextrous, if  you can perform any task equally with either hand, for instance, write legibly using either of your hands.

However, if you do some tasks with your right hand and others with your left, experts will term it as being mixed-handed.

Jimi Hendrix is a good example of mixed-handedness. He used his left hand to throw and comb his hair, but he wrote, ate and held the telephone with his right hand.

 

How To Become Ambidextrous?
(Because Few Are Born This Way)

 

In the 1800s Paul Broca and Carl Wernicke discovered that different hemispheres of the brain handled different functions such as speech, language and even motor functions.

But it was only in 2009 that scientists researched around 25,000 families and found certain genes were responsible for ambidextrousness in people.

Then in 2015, researchers found that brain function within the cerebellum is responsible for creativity.

This certainly proves why many ambidextrous people have unconventional problem solving abilities.

Creative Geniuses, Or:
The Celebrities Of Ambidextrousness

 

Nearly 60 years after his death, neurosurgeons studying Einstein’s brain discovered that his brain hemispheres were extremely well-connected. The ability to use the right hemispheres creativity and the left hemispheres logic gave the Father of Relativity a significant advantage from his peers.

Despite a lack of evidence proving Einstein’s ambidextrousness, the study confirmed Einstein’s non right-handedness.

Another historical figure who belonged to the ambidextrous club was Leonardo Da Vinci. The famous artist (and scientist of art) could easily write with both hands.

When Da Vinci wrote an ordinary letter, he used his right hand.

However, he wrote his secret diaries in mirror writing using his left hand which made it difficult for others to read.

Are All Ambidextrous Individuals Creative Geniuses?

 

Not really!

Left-handed tennis player Evgenia Kulikovskaya can switch her racket hand mid game to keep hitting forehands when her left hand gets tired. She doesn’t have a backhand!

Take a look at this video:

 

 

The Controversial History Of Ambidextrous Training:
John Jackson

 

Though many modern studies link ambidextrousness with increased brain function in both hemispheres of the brain, this idea was not well received at first.

In 1905, English educational reformer, John Jackson established the Ambidextral Culture Society. He believed that a two handed, two brained society encouraged superior learning as it engaged the entire brain.

He also expected a lot from his disciples. Whether it was playing the piano with one hand or writing a letter with the other, he required his disciples to execute them flawlessly.

Was he successful in his mission?

Not quite.

His society was a laughing stock of the scientific community at the time.

Leading British neurologist, James Crichton-Browne criticized the society and even warned Jackson against going the evolutionary process.

John Jackson’s movement died out in the 1920s.

However, his ideas did not. They continued to fuel misconceptions regarding the power of ambidextrousness.

Can Being Ambidextrous Make You More Creative?
A Few Myths Busted

 

Jackson’s theories were not random ideas. They were derived from Paul Broca’s studies of brain lateralization that states that some cognitive brain activity is dominant in one hemisphere, and that each hemisphere was linked to the opposite hand.

No wonder people believed that using your less dominant hand would help activate both hemispheres of the brain leading to higher mental abilities.

That’s just the beginning…

Ambidextrousness and The Power of the Other Hand

In her book, The Power of Your Other Hand, Lucia Capacchione claims that writing and drawing with the non-dominant hand gives greater access to the right hemispheric functions like feeling, intuition, creativity and even spiritual wisdom.

These claims are based on the fact that the function of the right hemisphere is responsible for creativity.

Is there any truth to these claims?

“Although there are recurrent claims of increased creativity in left-handers, there is very little to support the idea in the scientific literature.”

This from renowned psychologist Chris McManus in his book Right Hand, Left Hand – The Origins of Asymmetry in Brains, Bodies, Atoms and Cultures.

 

The Truth About Learning To Be Ambidextrous
And Getting A Sharper Brain

 

While there is no hard data to prove that training your non-dominant hand can improve your mental prowess, there is now evidence to state that if you are born ambidextrous, you may have some mental health issues.

After 8 years of research, German psychologist, JB Sattler discovered that children who switched from their dominant left hand to a non-dominant right or the reverse did not see “a change in cerebral dominance but rather a multifaceted cerebral disturbance or damage”.

The psychologist noted that ambidextrous children even had decreased memory for all three areas of information processing – encoding, store and recall.

Sattler said: “Ambidexterity is therefore neither a goal to aspire to nor is it a gift from God. Instead, it is first and foremost the mark of brain damage.”

 

It May Sound Crazy, But It’s True!

 

A study published in the 1998 edition of Neuropsychologia confirms Dr. Sattler’s research.

In this study around 12,770 children were tested for their verbal, non-verbal, and mathematical ability and reading comprehension skills. They found that ambidextrous children had lower test scores as compared to those who were left-handed or right-handed.

Need more proof?

Another independent study led by Alina Rodriguez from Imperial College London showed that ambidextrous children exhibit higher symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Ambidextrousness may also have a lasting effect on adults as well.

In the creatively titled paper “Handedness and intellectual achievement: an even-handed look”, Michael Corballis reveals that ambidextrous adults perform more poorly on IQ tests (arithmetic, memory, and reasoning).

Ambidextrousness May Actually Harm Your Brain

 

Here’s why:

For right-handed or left handed people most of their brain activity is localized in the opposite part of the brain. So your brain can easily access information through the majority of one hemisphere.

For ambidextrous people information has to flow back and forth between both hemispheres of the brain through the Corpus Callosum.

This can be a big problem.

This rapid transfer may lead to mental dysfunction in some cases.

 

Are There Any Possible Benefits to Ambidextrous Training?

 

Yes, though they are not as dramatic as advertised.

Mr. Corballis writes that it’s possible to train your non dominant hand for artistic purposes – like playing the piano for example.

Other than that, there are no studies to prove that becoming ambidextrous can improve brain function.

But what about improved memory?

Ambidextrousness and Memory: A Genetic Connection

 

Ambidextrous tendencies has been associated with improved memory.

But here’s the catch:

To reap even the slightest memory benefits of ambidextrousness, you would be need to have at least an ambidextrous parent or sibling.

A 2001 study shows that families with one-left handed member may have better episodic memory rather than semantic memory.

Which means they have a better time recalling the context of the story rather than the facts present in the story.

The Only Trick You Need To Know To Make
Both Sides of Your Brain Work

 

There is one guaranteed method to improve both your episodic and semantic memory as well as autobiographical memory, spatial memory and procedural memory.

One more thing..

This method won’t be painful and labour intensive as using your non dominant hand.

Okay here it is:

Creating Memory Palaces the Magnetic Memory Method way.

Magnetic Memory Method Podcast Memory Palace

 

Memory Palaces have the unique characteristic that all other memory techniques can be used inside of them (not the other way around).

So if you need to store a massive amount of information, Memory Palaces engage both hemispheres of the brain.

How do they do this?

Memory Palaces require a great deal of creative visualization, therefore it helps to activate your right hemisphere associated with creativity.

You need more than one Memory Palace and as many as possible. That way you can revisit the technique to recall tons of information.

If you want to know more – here’s some vital information about Memory Palace Science.

If you want a complete brain workout try this brain fitness method…

Click on the link below to get started:

A Direct method To Improve Your Memory

 

Learning to use your non-dominant hand to improve your memory can be a bit wasteful. You would have to spend days and weeks practicing to write with your other hand instead of focusing on what you need to learn.

While this may be fun, it’s not useful.

Memory improvement training should always be linked to memorizing information that will immediately improve your life.

Using the Magnetic Memory Method is great because, once you’re rolling, good memory abilities get you more time.

More time means you can practice memory enhancing techniques more often.

And that means experiencing better memory, better focus, clarity and concentration.

Ambidextrousness might be fun to develop if you take caution.

But, as we’ve seen, developing your memory is far more valuable!

So, what are you waiting for?

Please make sure you’ve claimed my free Memory Improvement Kit and use it to start experiencing better memory now.

The post Ambidextrousness And Memory: Can Dual Handedness Boost Your Brain? appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Direct download: Ambidextrousness_And_Memory__Can_Dual_Handedness_Boost_Your_Brain_.mp3
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7 More Mental Exercises For The Brain From Around The WorldDo you have enough mental exercises to genuinely help you experience real and lasting memory improvement?

Whether it’s for learning a language, or even just remembering directions while traveling the world.

Be honest about your answer.

No one here is to judge.

Quite the opposite.

This blog post (and the podcast – hit play above!) is about about helping you better understand how to judge your memory as it is now and take the right steps toward improving it.

To that end, last week we covered 3 Powerful Memory Training Techniques From Around The World.

And I just hopped on a live video session to demonstrate just how powerful memory techniques can be in everyday life for memorizing the information in life that matters:

This week, we’ve got 7 more mental exercises you can use to experience true memory improvement.

Are memory techniques for everyone?

Yes and no. But you can’t decide for yourself without the fullest possible range of perspectives.

And let’s make this point as clear as possible:

Memory techniques give you the best mental exercise on the planet. Study them well, everywhere they appear around the glob.

With that point in mind, let’s get rolling with…

 

1. USA: Moonwalking With Einstein
(And Elaborative Encoding) For Total Recall

 

US memory champion Joshua Foer’s book Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything talks about the importance of memorizing events and stories in human history.

Brain Exercises Around The World Joshua Foer Magnetic Memory Method Podcast Moonwalking with Einstein

Sadly, Foer also documents the decline of mental exercises for memorizing in modern life.

By the same token, with partial thanks to his book and the internet, the techniques that people need to adopt to restore the art of remembering have never been more popular.

The memory trick that Foer explains in his book involves a process known as “elaborative encoding.”  This involves converting information, such as your grocery list, into a series of “engrossing visual images.”

For instance, if you want to remember a list of objects like gherkins, cottage cheese, etc. all you need to do is visualise them in an unforgettable manner.

Memory expert Ed Cooke – who helped Foer develop his techniques – suggests remembering an item on a shopping list by imagining something like “Claudia Schiffer swimming in [a] tub of cottage cheese.”

Of course, why someone would waste time on memorizing shopping lists in the best memory improvement books is beyond me.

But feel free to memorize anything you like. Whatever works. So long as it really works to give you the memory improvement outcomes you seek!Nelson Dellis Preparing to Memorize Decks of Cards

To ensure that, be sure to deposit these images you’ve created using elaborative encoding in a specific order in your Memory Palace. With practice, a mnemonist can trace a certain path around these memory rooms to recover thousands of images – and with them, thousands of memories.

 

Nelson Dellis, repeat champion of the USA Memory competition, also uses a combination of vivid imagery linked with placing those images in your Memory Palace to remember a list of words.

 

2. Germany: Memorizing Names Through Association

 

German memory champion Simon Reinhard is one of the top memory athletes in the world. He holds two records for memorizing a 52-card pack of playing cards in just over 21 seconds.

Reinhard uses the “association” method to memorize names and faces.

And it makes for great mental exercise.

How does memorizing names work?

When he hears a name for the first time, Reinhard imagines someone else (a familiar figure) with the same name and then try to find similarities between the two or associate it with a feeling.

“Sometimes the names fit perfectly, for example a bald headed white Thomas could be the middle age monk Thomas von Aquinas. But if that doesn’t work and I don’t find an immediate connection, I try to search a bit more thoroughly what this name could tell me.

For example the name reminds me of a feeling of anger and then I either try finding some angry expression in the face or the exact opposite, if the person is laughing. It is kind of a multi-faceted approach that doesn’t work automatically but comes easily when I look at the name with an open mind. This is my basic, natural approach.”

This quote comes from an interview that Reinhard gave to Memory-Sports.com.

Reinhard also uses memory palace method or the method of loci to remember decks of cards and digits.

 

3. Japan: Kioku-Jutsu Or The
Ninja Mnemonic Method

 

Ninja’s were highly trained Japanese spies who were expected to gather and remember crucial information without having to resort to any written text.

In order to sharpen their memory skills, Ninja’s used the method of “association” to remember complex numbers.

They would associate numbers with body parts or food – something that you will definitely recall.

They used another extreme method.

 

Please Do Not Try This Mental Exercise At Home!

 

If the information was extremely crucial, Ninja’s would cut a body part – the arm or leg – when trying to memorize that information – this helped them associate that memory with a scar or the pain of injury, making it unforgettable.

Mental Exercises Ninja Memory Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

These methods of “association” are similar to the Peg System. It is also based on the principles of the Memory Palace technique – where you visualising a room and then associate each object in the room to each piece of information you want to memorize.

Memory expert Tony Buzan equates the Ninja Kioku-Jutsu technique to hanging a coat on a hook. You can always remember where to find your coat (which is a new information) if you hang it on an immovable hook (a number or a word you can remember easily).

4. Australia: Can You Ever Forget
The Obvious Elephant In The Room?

 

Tansel Ali is a 4 x Australian Memory Champion, most famously known for memorizing two Yellow Pages phone books in only 24 days. He is also the author of The Yellow Elephant and How To Learn Almost Anything In 48 Hours, and a celebrity memory coach.

Tansel Ali Anthony Metivier Mind Exercises Around the World Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

Ali advocates using the Major System along with the Memory Palace (which he terms as the Journey System) to memorize playing cards.

I also recommend checking out Florian Dellé’s Major System recommendations. He will take your ideas on what you can do using this wonderful memory tool to the next level.

 

5. UK: A Person-Action System To Call Numbers To Mind

 

British mnemonist Dominic O’Brien is the eight time World Memory Champion.

Accomplishments like these are no small feat!

A master of memory, O’Brien is a major innovator in the field of memory techniques. His Dominic mnemonic system  is a brilliant memory training system that he invented to remember long strings of digits.

Dominic O'BrienIt is somewhat similar to the mnemonic major system and is widely used by brain athletes in memory competitions.

While the Major System associates sounds with numbers, the Dominic System is designed as a person-action system where the letters comprise the initials of someone’s name.

“Like the mnemonic major system, the Dominic system can be combined with a memory palace, thereby creating the Hotel Dominic.” (Ron Hale-Evans, Mind Performance Hacks: Tips & Tools for Overclocking Your Brain)

Another of O’Brien’s big contributions to the world of memory is his Rule of Five. It states that we should recall information strategically by using the following pattern:

First review: Immediately

Second review: 24 hours later

Third review: One week later

Fourth review: One month later

Fifth review: Three months later

Also notable from the British world of mnemonics is Mark Channon. Mark brings great insights from the worlds of acting and setting highly effective goals. He also gave a wonderful presentation at Magnetic Memory Live in London in 2015.

 

6. India: The Katapayadi Shankya To Remember Numbers

 

Ancient Indians used various mnemonic techniques to remember complex texts and numbers, the most talked about being the Vedic Memory Method.

More on that later.

First, let’s look into the ancient Indian numerical notation – Katapayadi system – that assigns letters to numbers so that the numbers may be easily remembered as meaningful words or verses.

Under this system, several letters can be assigned the same number, however every letter is not allotted a number.

Have a look at this chart:

Ka Ta Pa Yadi Memory Mnemonic System for Magnetic Memory Method Mental Exercises Blog Post

Ancient Indians used this system to encrypt mathematical formulas into their devotional hymns to Lord Krishna and also recorded historical data in the codified lyrics.

Take for instance, this verse written in praise of Lord Krishna:

Gopibhagya madhuvrata srngisodadhisandhiga|

Khalajivitakhatava galahalarasandhara||

When translated it means:

Oh Krishna, the fortune of the Gopis, the destroyer of the demon Madhu,

Protector of cattle, the one who ventured the ocean-depths, destroyer of evildoers, one with plough on the shoulder and the bearer of nectar, may (you) protect (us)!

Have a listen:

How is the mental exercises involved in memorizing this text relevant?

The answer might astonish you:

Using the Katapayadi system when you replace the letters of the verse with its corresponding numbers, like this – ‘go’ by 3, ‘pi’ by 1,  ‘bha’ by 4, ‘ya by 1’ and so on, you get the following result:

31415926535897932384626433832792

Why is this number important?

This is the decimal representation of pi up to 32 decimal places.

Look like memorizing a long digit like that requires magic?

Far from it.

All it takes is a dedicated mnemonic technique! If you like,  listen to Brad Zupp talk about how he memorized way more of Pi than you see here. Brad also shares his thoughts on using your memory in place of a passwords manager.

 

Vedic Memory Techniques:
Ancient Science Or Just A Fad?

 

Vedic memory techniques were systems put in place to memorize ancient texts known as the Vedas, which were composed and handed down orally over a period of about 10 centuries, from about the 15th to the 5th century bce.

There are four Vedas, the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva with over 100,000 plus verses.

So how did the ancient Indians ensure no errors crept into the original texts?

“The oral tradition of vedic learning has preserved the entire vedic texts by purely human memory for several generations…This has been made possible by a diligently devised systematic scheme of chanting the vedic corpus.”

This quote is from Krishna Prasad Miyapuram in Divide and Link: Robust Memory Techniques from Vedic Learning.

That’s not all…

They developed highly complex techniques of recitation that had mathematical precision to ensure that the Vedas remained unchanged in content, intonation, and inflection.

“The first (technique) is Samhita, the simplest form of recitation that approaches the mantra as it is, for example, ‘the sky is blue’ (abcd). Next is Padha, where each word is broken down, as in, ‘the/sky/is/blue’ (a/b/c/d). Krama, the third technique, adds the first real level of difficulty into the recitation through a pattern of ‘the sky/sky is/is blue’ (ab/bc/cd). Jatapatha, the first of the more challenging, alternates between a repetitious interposing and transposing of words to create a pattern of ‘the sky sky the the sky/sky is is sky sky is/is blue blue is is blue’ (abbaab/bccbbc/cddccd).

“Between Jatapata and the last technique are six other techniques (called Mala, Shikha, Rekha, Dvaja, Danda and Ratha) that again are built-in combinations and permutations that have ensured that the order and words of the Vedas remain unchanged. The ultimate and most complex technique is called Ghanam. It’s mind-boggling backwards and forwards pattern is, ‘the sky sky the the sky is is sky the the sky is/sky is is sky sky is blue blue is sky is blue’ (abbaabccbaabc/bccbbcddcbbcd).”

This quote is from Suhag A. Shukla, Esq in Peeling Back the Layers of Sanskrit and Vedic Chanting.

The Vedic way of dissemination of knowledge was mainly through Shruti or the oral tradition of seers and knowledge used to flow through the teacher-student lineage.

Moreover, all these memory techniques were not operated in isolation. Learning was considered a lifelong process and a way of life during the Vedic times.

What does all this mean?

It means Vedic memory science was based on memory training systems or mnemonics. There was no learning by rote or memorising through concentration involved.

Retaining information accurately is an essential part of any good memory training system and that has been demonstrated very clearly in the vedic memory science.

You might be wondering…

 

If The Vedic Memory Technique Was So Awesome…

 

… why did it disappear?

One simple reason is that since the techniques were closely linked to a particular way of life. Students would live in an Ashram (sort of a boarding school without summer breaks) to get education.

But once that way of living changed, we lost this ancient science of super memory training. It might also be due to the rise of people who lack a mind’s eye. But don’t worry if you have that condition. Here’s Aphantasia: Develop Your Memory Even If You Cannot See Mental Images.

As you can see,  all is not lost. Far from it!

And if you are skeptical about whether memory techniques work at all, you might be in for a treat!

This is because…

Skeptics Succeed With Memory Techniques Better Than Anyone Else

7. Global Mental Exercises For Better Memory:
Tony Buzan And The World Memory Championships

 

Tony Buzan – the inventor of mind maps – is a true master of memory as his mind mapping techniques have the potential to unlock multiple intelligences.

As the co-founder of the World Memory Championships, Buzan actively promotes memory skills along with mind mapping in a wide range of books and software programs.

Even Michael Jackson once sought him out in order to gain deeper insights into his creativity and mental abilities.

So what is a Mind Map?

Word Mind Map Day Mind Map By Phil Chambers

It is a powerful graphic technique that harnesses the full range of cortical skills – word, image, number, logic, rhythm, colour and spatial awareness – to unlock the potential of the brain.

You can use a Mind Map in every aspect of your life to improve your learning ability or induce clearer thinking.

The question is…

Can You Bring Mind Mapping And The Memory Palace Together?

 

But of course!

Reigning World Mind Mapping champion Phil Chambers can help you with that question in this podcast where he talks about Mind Mapping and how to bring this creativity, memory and learning tool together with a Memory Palace.

Anthony Metivier with Tony Buzan and Phil Chambers

So, now that you know about so many memory athlete techniques, you might be wondering…

What’s the best memory training course?

 

One Sure Way To Coach Your Brain To Remember Everything

 

If you read through this post carefully, you would have noticed how many of the world’s top memory athletes used some form of Memory Palace Method to sharpen their brain power.

How can you use a Memory Palace yourself?

By building Memory Palaces the Magnetic Memory Way. Here’s how to take my free course to learn all the details so you can get the benefits of this mental exercise:

Free Memory Palace Memory Improvement Course

Creating Memory Palaces using the Magnetic Memory Method allows you to develop and use spatial memory.

What’s so cool about that?

For one thing, this particular approach to the Memory Palace technique unlocks the power of your multiple intelligences. It also combines your autobiographical memory, episodic memory, semantic memory, procedural memory and other kinds of memory.

We talked a lot about how to do that in part one of this two-part series about memory techniques around the world, so please be sure to link back to the first one for more information about the Magnetic Modes.

 

But That’s Not All…

 

When you build Memory Palaces with the Magnetic Memory Method, you learn to measure your memory improvement activities.

Here’s why that makes everything better:

Tracking your outcomes leads to rapid improvement which means you could be playing with the big guns at the next memory competition!

Hiragana Memory Palace by Anthony Metivier

Or if you’re not into competing, you can simply enjoy using the memory techniques to help you learn a language, pass an exam, or get better at your job so that everything becomes easier and more fun.

If you choose this memory training technique…

 

You Will Unlock The Most Powerful Aspects Of Your Brain!

 

Think about it:

Being able to recall 1000 of names, phone numbers, decks of cards or flight information is a super power!

And as we’ve seen, anyone can train themselves using the techniques that memory champions do to improve recall and retention.

The only question is how fast will a method start showing results.

With the Magnetic Memory Method, you can move information from short term memory into long term memory faster. When combined with Recall Rehearsal you will be able to retrieve that information at the snap of a finger.

Memory Championships aside…

Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could remember every word to every song you ever loved?

Plan to woo your date with a ballad? And succeed?

Use the right memory techniques for the job and you got this!

The post 7 More Mental Exercises For The Brain From Around The World (Part 2) appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

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Memory Training Techniques from Matteo RicciMemory training techniques involve more than just training. The use of mnemonics is an ancient art, craft and science practiced around the world.

And it’s not new. People have been training their memory for thousands of years.

The best part?

They’ve left many wonderful tips we can use to learn, memorize and recall more information in ways that are fast, easy and fun.

Whether we’re talking about Matteo Ricci’s recipe to overcome forgetfulness or French scholar Aimé Paris’ Mnemonic Major System, strengthening the cerebral muscles of memory has mattered to people across time and around the world.

In fact, there are numerous techniques used worldwide by memory champions as well as amateurs to train their brain.

 

The Most Common Question About Memory Training Techniques In The World

 

The question is:

Is Ricci’s method better than Paris’ or would you be more interested in Alex Mullen’s PAO system that helps him memorize a deck of cards in less than 17 seconds?

These are good questions and I believe everyone should expose themselves to as many memory experts as possible.

But here’s the deal…

Like honing any other skill or strengthening your body’s core muscles, hacking your brain to remember anything takes time and practice.

It is not difficult to build a better brain, but you must be sure which memory workouts will train it better to help you achieve particular learning outcomes.

Before you start reading and executing different memory training techniques practiced around the world, take a quick look at this video. It will introduce you to some powerful prehistoric memory techniques you can use now that Lynne Kelly put together for us in her book, The Memory Code.

 

Why Anyone Can Be A Memory Champ, Even If They Have Never Had Formal Memory Training    

 

According to a study published in March 2017, anyone can reshape their brain’s networks by using the same tricks as the world’s top memory champions.

To understand how memory athletes remember huge strings of information, researchers recruited 23 of the world’s top-ranked memory champions.  They compared the brain scans of these memory champions with those of people who had never practiced memory techniques at all.

The scans revealed that memory athletes’ brains were not built differently from yours or mine. Far from it.

But…

These scientists did find something distinctive.

The champions’ brain showed unique patterns activity in regions that involved memory and cognition.

The researchers then put some of the rookies through a memory training program and observed how their brains changed with exercise.

The more the newcomers practiced the memory training techniques, the more their brain activity started to resemble the brains of memory athletes.

 

Six Weeks Or Less To A Measurable Increase In Brain Power?

 

You bet. In fact:

It took only six weeks for the rookies who had never used memory techniques before to show an increase in brain power.

“These really incredible memory feats … are not some form of inborn talent. It’s really just training”. This is from Martin Dresler, a neuroscientist at Radboud University in the Netherlands and the lead author of the study.

And what these findings mean is that anything these people can accomplish in terms of brain fitness, you can do too.

 

Travel Back In Time:
Important People In the History of
The Major Memory Method

 

Let’s start with some history.

Remember Monsieur Paris?

He’s the French scholar we talked about earlier.

(If you had to scroll up to check out what we had said about Paris, maybe you need a quick boost of these vitamins for memory improvement.)

Paris was the first person to publish a version of the mnemonic Major Method in its modern form that is used by memory experts.

However, French mathematician and astronomer Pierre Hérigone is said to have devised the earliest known version of the major system. Herigone apparently used both consonants and vowels in Latin and French.

What’s the real story?

Watch this video for more and a free memory improvement exercise:

As complex as the history of memory techniques may be, here’s something about which most memory historians agree:

The Major Method for memorizing numbers has its roots in the ancient Greek memory tradition. This is a tradition that combined strategic, systematic thinking with strong guidance from the larger guiding principles of memory.

And using the Major Method, numbers are converted into consonant sounds and then developed into Magnetic words by adding vowels.

Oh, you can make any kind of words if you wish, but it’s attention to involving as many of the Magnetic Modes as possible that will make these words impossible to forget.

 

What Are The Magnetic Modes Of Memory?

 

The Magnetic Modes come into play whenever you combine a dedicated Memory Palace with associative, Magnetic Imagery. You use both of these tools to create links between information you already know, with new information you’d like to remember.

Your Magnetic Modes are based in brain science, and easily tapped when the Magnetic Images you create in your Memory Palaces are:

  • Bright
  • Vibrant
  • Dynamic
  • Big
  • Colorful
  • Crazy
  • Strange
  • Emotional
  • Physical
  • Animated
  • Forceful
  • Loud
  • Rhyming
  • Punning

For more information on how all this works, please take my free course:

 

Why The Major Method Is The Most Popular Memory Technique

 

The answer is simple:

This memory training system, once you’ve practiced it, will help you remember short sequences of digits like telephone numbers or historic dates.

You can also use it to remember long sequences of numbers like Pi, or to help you memorize a deck of cards as an alternative memory improvement exercises based on annoying apps.

Plus, the Major Method is just plain easy.

Why?

Because, like most memory techniques, the Major Method works on the principle that the human brain remembers images far more easily than plain numerals.

So now that you know the most popular memory athlete technique, let’s start our two part series on different memory techniques used around the world and the people who use them.

 

Memory Techniques Around The World (Part 1)

 

Different countries hold different kinds of memory championships.

Sure, they might use different rules and offer different prizes. But at the end of the day, these are the competitive meetings where mind athletes of every stripe compete with each other to prove the superiority of their cognitive prowess.

Now:

While there are no memory athlete techniques unique to any given country, several mnemonists from various regions have modified ancient mnemonic techniques to perfect memory training exercises for professionals and amateurs alike.

Ready to take a look?

Let’s go!

1. China: Ming Mnemonics To Memorize
Reams Of Classical Poetry  

 

In the 16th Century an Italian Jesuit priest became the first westerner to pass China’s highest civil service exams.

Why is this relevant?

The exam involved memorizing reams of classical poetry – a task that only 1% of people who took the test were able to perform successfully.

Yet, Ricci passed these exams after only 10 years, despite not having spoken any Chinese before.

How did he do that?

Ricci did it with the help of the Memory Palace technique.

But more than just use the techniques personally, get this:

As Jonathan D. Spence writes in The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci:

“…Ricci taught the Chinese how to build a Memory Palace”.

 

Why The Memory Palace Is Better Than Rote Learning

 

During that time, the Chinese had their own diligent study methods that used repetition and recitation as memory aides. This was coupled with mnemonic poems and rhyming jingles that were part of the traditional Chinese memory practice.

“To everything that we wish to remember, we should give an image; and to every one of these images we should assign a position where it can repose peacefully until we are ready to reclaim it by an act of memory,” wrote Ricci in his Treatise on Mnemonic Arts.

Ricci suggested 3 locations for these “mental” buildings – they could be based on real buildings one has seen, they could be imaginary locations or a mix of both.

Ricci’s memory training techniques helps with memorizing entire books and large volumes of vocabulary.

What’s more?

He also developed a means for memorizing how to write in Chinese.

Memory champions who participate in China’s popular reality and talent show – The Brain – have used Memory Palaces (probably evolved versions of Ricci’s system) to memorize decks of cards or information about airline flights.

In each episode, seven contestants must perform mental challenges like memorizing the names and birthdays of over 900 infants or solving a series of Rubik’s Cube completely blindfolded in under five minutes.

For more, check out this video of the first episode of Season 1 of The Brain:

How To Memorize A Deck Of Cards Chinese Style – Fast!

 

Want to know what system Chinese mnemonist Wang Feng uses to memorize a deck of cards?

Feng, who is two-time winner of the World Memory Championships, uses a technique similar to Ricci’s to exploit the brain’s natural ability to memorize images and locations.

To memorize the order of a deck of cards, Feng first gives each card a two digit number. Next he turns that number into an image and then puts that image in familiar location – from where he can retrieve it easily when needed.

Notice the similarity with Ricci’s Memory Palace system?

Now that you know it, you toocan modify Ricci’s system to build your own memory training course (like making a gym in your own mind for mental fitness). Or you can create Memory Palaces the Magnetic Memory Method way.

Ultimately, I believe the Magnetic Memory Method approach is better for most learners.

Why? Because it not only helps you remember the information faster, but also helps you get predictable and reliable permanence that grows in strength with practice.

But more about that later. Let’s turn now to:

 

2. Mongolia: The Genghis Khan Way To Brain Strength

 

The founder of the Mongol Empire – Genghis Khan – would probably be delighted to know that in some of the most recent world memory statistics, ten of the top 50 people are his descendants!

Mongolia – home to one of the world’s last nomadic cultures – wants to be a titan in the obscure world of mental athletics and is using mental athletics as a nation building exercise.

At the Mongolian Intellectual Academy, students are taught to flawlessly remember the Periodic Table of Elements and other brain feats by using the same principles that govern the Memory Palace technique – linking unfamiliar words and numbers to familiar mental images or stories that can be ingrained in a person’s long-term memory.

Memory training techniques in Mongolia Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

The teacher points to the periodic table and moves through the first column turning letters and numbers into vivid and outrageous images. The visuals are accompanied by an engaging story that offers a way to remember the name of the element, its atomic number and its atomic mass.

When asked to recall the period table memorized using this mnemonic technique, there are virtually no errors!

Impressive accuracy aside, the Mongolian team still faced tough competition in the 2015 Extreme Memory Tournament.

The opponents were:

Simon Reinhard, the world’s fastest card memorizer and the reigning XMT Champion; and Alex Mullen, the 2015 World Memory Champion.

Despite the steep competition, using memory palace training exercises paid off for 17-year-old first-time competitor Enhkjin Tumur, who set a tournament record by recalling 30 images in 14.4 seconds.

3. Canada: A Hunter-Gatherer Memory Technique

 

Two time Guinness World Record holder for being able to memorize 59 decks of cards in order, Dave Farrow, is a Canadian who has either invented or improved some memory training techniques to remember information and recall them with ease.

One method that Farrow uses is the Peg System –  where you memorize a list of information by linking or pegging them with words or numbers you already know.

You literally hang information on a number.

This is what Farrow says about his memory technique:

“Memory techniques work by taking advantage of a natural mechanism in the brain that we all have that allows us to memorize information without any repetition. It’s a hunter-gatherer fight or flight mechanism—if you needed repetition to remember where you saw that predator, you would not be alive anymore. What I do and what I teach people how to do is trick the brain into triggering that mechanism at will.”

Dave Farrow using memory training techniques

 

How To Use Colors To Remember Numbers

 

Another method I’ve heard Farrow talk about is sometimes called the Alpha Numeric Spectrum system.  This approach uses numerical and phonetic codes to memorize numbers and recall them with ease. It uses an arrangement like this (you can create your own version):

1 = red

2 = orange

3 = yellow

4 = green

5 = blue

6 = purple

7 = brown

8 = silver

9 = gold

0 = black

 

Why Are There So Many Memory Training Techniques? 

 

As we come to the end of this first part of a two part series on memory training techniques around the world, you might be wondering…

How on earth did so many memory techniques proliferate.

Well, the truth is that there really aren’t that many differences between how memory techniques have been used around the world.

Rather, there exists a limited set of varied approaches that different people use according to their learning styles.

Remember when we talked about the Magnetic Modes above?

Well, it turns out that the precise approach a person using memory training techniques chooses has a lot to do with how the Magnetic Modes match up with their learning style.

But if one important aspect binds them all together, it is the use of spatial memory to create Memory Palaces.

So come back next week for the second part to see how memory training techniques work in Germany, Japan, the UK and the USA. There are more tips and surprises that you can use to help guide your practice.

Stay tuned!

The post 3 Powerful Memory Training Techniques From Around The World (Part 1) appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Direct download: 3_Powerful_Memory_Training_Techniques_From_Around_The_World_Part_1.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:04am EDT

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