How to Improve Memory, and Your Life

Maybe the most important thing to know about memory improvement is, that if you want to improve your memory, you have to start using it.

We don't use our memory as often as we should. Usually when we need to remember something (like shopping lists) we write it down, not even trying to memorize it. Of course, there is really nothing wrong with writing some things down, it is the best way to record and preserve information. However, if you look at it from the standpoint of your brain, more useful would be to memorize the information.

Many people (and maybe you too) use excuses like: "I have a bad memory" or "my memory isn't what it used to be". You may even think that there is no way you could remember long lists and numbers, different names and faces, birthdays, dates etc. But this is simply NOT true! There is absolutely nothing wrong with your memory. Your brain is capable of storing vast amount of information and recalling it whenever needed; it just needs training.

Even memory-training specialist, Harry Lorayne, mentions in his book How to Develop a Super-Power Memory that "... there is no such thing as a bad memory. There are only trained or untrained memories". I totally agree with him - if you train your memory, you could remember anything you want, without worrying about forgetting it!

The existence of forgetting has never been proved: We only know that some things don't come to mind when we want them.
~Friedrich Nietzsche

In his book, The Mind of a Mnemonist, A. R. Luria describes a young Russian journalist (referred to as "S") who attended an editorial meeting. It was noticed that "S" wasn't taking any notes and when questioned, he became confused and didn't understand why anyone should ever take notes. He clarified that he could remember everything what the editor was saying, so why bother writing it down. When being challenged, "S" reproduced the entire speech, word for word, sentence for sentence, and inflection for inflection.

For the next thirty years Alexander Luria, Russia's leading psychologist and expert on memory tested and examined "S". Luria confirmed that the man was in no way abnormal, but that he had a perfect memory, because at a very young age he "stumbled upon" the basic mnemonic principles that became part of his natural functioning.

What's the point of the story? Well, to put it simply, he was a normal person - just like you and me (only the way he used his brain made him different). Furthermore, through history there have been similar cases of memorizers. In every instance, their brains were found to be normal, and in every instance they had, as young children, "discovered" the basic principles of their memory's function.

Another thing many people fear is that they are simply too old to start improving memory. But actually, the age of a person really isn't that big of a factor. Your memory won't decline very much with age, only when it's not used! That's why there are even young people with a poor memory; they simply aren't using it enough.

So, we already know that it does not matter how old you are and if you memory is poor to begin with. But, what do you need?

The only things required for memory training are time and devotion.

It can take a long time before you start noticing real results and it's easy to get discouraged. So, if you can't bring yourself to invest some time and energy into memory training, you will definitely fail. But know this: the more you exercise, the more you will be able to memorize. With training, you will eventually get to the point where remembering anything is possible.

Your brain uses huge amounts of energy and is the most metabolically active organ in the body; therefore it needs constant fuel to function efficiently. If the brain doesn't get the needed nutrients, your memory starts to deteriorate.

The best way to keep your brain healthy (and memory sharp) is to eat "brain-healthy" foods that are rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have shown that a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids can cause concentration problems. Modern diets often don't provide enough of this nutrient.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut, other marine life such as algae and krill, certain plants (including purslane), and nut oils. Omega-3 fatty acids are also helpful against depression and anxiety.

Just like with a diet, it is best to avoid the bad fats and only eat healthy fats. Try to cut back on sugar and foods with animal fat. Studies have found that animal fat and sugar can affect mental performance by weakening the ability to learn and remember.

Now that we know (the basics) how to keep your brain healthy, let's take a look at how you can train it to improve memory when using memory improvement techniques.

Already the early Greek and Roman civilizations possessed the knowledge to memorize a huge variety of information. They developed specific memory systems to various tasks like remembering names, faces, speeches and books. With the help of memorization techniques, some were even able to remember names of all the people in Rome or memorize and repeat two thousand words only after hearing them once.

A study about brain functions in Princeton has shown that when we remember something, like a moment from our childhood, we "go back in time" to this exact moment and context when we have formed this memory. We revisit in our imagination that situation and our brain generates similar emotions and thoughts once again. Mnemonics work in a similar way to remember information.

Numbers, for example, are very hard to remember because they are completely abstract and intangible. It's almost impossible to picture a number in your mind, but when associating it to an image, using our senses (sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch) and emotions (joy, sorrow, fear, hate etc.), it becomes much easier.

Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains; another, a moonlit beach; a third, a family dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes during a myrtle-mad August in a Midwestern town. Smells detonate softly in our memory like poignant land mines hidden under the weedy mass of years. Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once. A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth.
~Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses

There are many memory techniques that can help you to remember different things. As an example, here are some of them:

Link and Story system
This system works by converting things or information to images so it can be remembered more easily. After this, you create a story using these images.

The Roman Room system
This system works by imagining a room that is filled with different objects (the information you want to remember).

Rhyme system
This system works as the name suggests. You pick things that rhyme with the information you want to remember and create a story. It also works with numbers when converting them to similar sounding word (zero - hero; one - gun; two - shoe etc).

The Number-Shape System
This system helps you to remember numbers. You create a story out of objects that resemble numbers.

But how exactly do you use them?

Now let's take a look how to use one of the systems (Link and Story System) to memorize a list of ten words.

Many studies on human memory have indicated that we can easily remember crazy, idiotic things. The good news is, you can take advantage of this mortal trait by turning your tasks into silly scenarios. To remember them, we create an absurd story and use our emotions and as much of the 5 senses as possible. It is important to create clear images in your mind. The more ridiculous your story becomes, the better you will remember it.

Ok, let's try again to remember the next ten words. Look at the first three words and then read the example story below. Read the italics and imagine yourself to feel/taste/see/hear/smell them (close your eyes if you need to).

Bread, dog, stone, rose, sky, fire, ball, penguin, door, ice-cream.

Imagine yourself walking down the street as you notice a Bakery. You feel the Smell of freshly baked Bread and see one Golden-brown loaf of bread. You immediately go inside and buy it. While you are eating and feeling the Taste of the delicious food, you notice a Huge, Brown Dog. As it approaches you, it starts to Bark. You quickly turn around and start to run because you Fear it could catch you. When you can't hear the barking anymore you try to stop, but at that exact moment hit your toe at something Hard. You feel the Pain as you fall down. You look at the object and see a Tiny, White Stone. As you stand up you see a... .

Now look at the other seven words above. Try to continue the story and remember that the more absurd it gets, the better it is to memorize. Try using all of your 5 senses and emotions as much as possible. And don't worry if it takes longer than with the previous ten words, the more you practice, the better (and faster) you will get.

You probably had a much easier time remembering these ten words than the previous ones. Instead of remembering a bunch of random words you gave every word a meaning. This is because you created a story with them and connected the words with each other - this is basically the Link and Story System. In general it's limited to items but you could memorize as many, in the correct order, as you want to.

Now, if you liked this lens and are interested about improving your memory, take a look at the School of Phenomenal Memory.

The School of Phenomenal Memory is an online course that teaches people the needed skills to memorize everything they want, and this in 60 days. It is recommended for everyone, but especially for people who want some guidance when learning. So, if you are interested, visit the official homepage of School of Phenomenal Memory.