Memorization methods help us better absorb necessary information and train our brains. There are many of them, but the most common include the locus method, storytelling, chunking, mnemonics and interval repetition.
The brain absorbs information better when it is vivid, imaginative, and engaging. This means that we need to make the information we want to remember interesting to the brain. For example, you can learn a particular strategy for BlackJack online if you train and see how it’s working. In this case free demo games are useful. To use any memorization technique successfully, you need to find what works for you and set your goals correctly.
Let’s focus on some of the best known memory techniques that will help you, for example, to remember more quickly the names of people you meet at work.
Table of Contents
The Locus Method
The name of this method comes from the Latin word locus – “place.” It also has several other names: the spatial mnemonics, the palace of memory, the mind’s chambers, the mental walk.
The locus method is thought to have originated in ancient Rome, thanks to the orators who had to keep all the information for many hours of speeches in their memory. The essence of the method is visualization, linking facts to be remembered to well-known locations. Facts can include anything: foreign words, shopping lists, names of people, etc.
How does the locus method work? Imagine that you are standing in your house. Mentally walk through that house, memorizing its distinctive features – you can use them to store the information you want to remember. Each stop along your path will be that “locus” to which you can tie an idea or object. For example, the front door might be one locus, the nightstand in the hallway might be the second locus, the lamp in the living room might be the third locus. If you need to remember a word, make an association between that word and one of the objects in the house. Fix it in your head. When you think of your memory palace, you will remember not only the route, but also the objects tied to the locations.
Mnemonics
This method is a collection of techniques and methods that make it easier to remember different information. Usually, it requires more effort to use effectively, but is better used in situations where you need to memorize, such as lists or structures. For example, if you need to remember a list of medications of a certain type, mnemonics can help you do it better than other methods.
Mnemonics is based on the formation of associative series and sequences, when one replaces abstract objects with real concepts. The key is to use vivid, interesting associations.
Chunking Method
This method involves combining several items that need to be memorized into one small group. Many people use it when trying to remember phone numbers, bank account numbers, but this method can also be used for other types of information. The chunking approach is often reflected in the way we write down phone numbers – through the dash. We do it that way in order to better perceive a set of numbers and remember them faster. Is there a difference between perceiving a set of numbers: 89265660000 and 8-926-566-0000? Of course there is.
The key principle that makes this technique work is the combination of items based on semantic coding, that is, items are placed in small groups according to context or some pattern.
For example, some might group their grocery list alphabetically, others by food type. Either way, this method is only successful when you identify the patterns that are most natural to you and follow them.
Interval Repetitions
The essence of the method is that a person repeats the information learned according to certain, constantly increasing intervals. This method even has a specific formula: Y=2X+1, where Y means the day the information will begin to be forgotten and X means the day of the last repetition. Thus, if you learned the information, for example, a week ago, you will need to repeat it in 8 days. In this case, the potential of the interval is infinite.
The technique of interval repetition is often used with cards. The most common example: when learning a foreign language, you make cards with unfamiliar words and then repeat them at certain intervals.
The Storytelling Method
Our brains love stories so much that good storytelling can trigger the release of oxytocin, a hormone that enhances empathy in people.
Stories encompass all the qualities of information that make our brains love and remember it: vivid and colorful images, appealing storylines. The advertising industry exploits these features all the time, but you too can use the storytelling method to remember important information. Especially since it’s quite simple.
The point of the method is that you create different storylines that include the elements you need to remember. As a result, these elements come together in a sequence and create stories that the brain learns and perceives better.