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HowtoImproveYourMemory
BYRICHARDC.MOHSHEALTH|BRAIN&CENTRALNERVOUSSYSTEM

TheMethodofLoci
Theoldestknownmnemonicstrategyiscalledthemethodofloci("loci"isthepluraloflocus,whichmeanslocation,orplace).It'sbasedon
theassumptionthatyoucanbestrememberplacesthatyouarefamiliarwith,soifyoucanlinksomethingyouneedtorememberwitha
placethatyouknowverywell,thelocationwillserveasacluethatwillhelpyoutoremember.

DevisedduringthedaysoftheRomanEmpire,themethodoflociisreallyasortoflinkingmethodwithatwist.AccordingtoCicero,this
methodwasdevelopedbythepoetSimonidesofCeos,whowastheonlysurvivorofabuildingcollapseduringadinnerheattended.
Simonideswasabletoidentifythedead,whowerecrushedbeyondrecognition,byrememberingwheretheguestshadbeensitting.From
thisexperience,herealizedthatitwouldbepossibletorememberanythingbyassociatingitwithamentalimageofalocation.Theloci
systemwasusedasamemorytoolbybothGreekandRomanorators,whotookadvantageofthetechniquetogivespeecheswithouttheaid
ofnotes.Datingbacktoabout500b.c.,itwasthemostpopularmnemonicsystemuntilaboutthemid1600s,whenthephoneticandpeg
systemswereintroduced.

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BrainFitnessPictures

Thismethodworksespeciallywellifyou'regoodatvisualizing.Here'showitworks:
Thinkofaplaceyouknowwell,suchasyourownhouse.
Visualizeaseriesoflocationsintheplaceinlogicalorder.Forexample,picturethepathyounormallytakeinyourhouseto
getfromthefrontdoortothebackdoor.Beginatthefrontdoor,gothroughthehall,turnintothelivingroom,proceedthroughthe
diningroomandintothekitchen,andsoon.Asyouentereachlocation,movelogicallyandconsistentlyinthesamedirection,
fromonesideoftheroomtotheother.Eachpieceoffurniturecouldserveasanadditionallocation.
Placeeachitemthatyouwanttorememberatoneofthelocations.
Whenyouwanttoremembertheitems,simplyvisualizeyourhouseandgothroughitroombyroominyourmind.Eachitem
thatyouassociatedwithaspecificlocationinyourhouseshouldspringtomindasyoumentallymakeyourwaythroughyour
 home. LikeHowStuffWorksonFacebook!

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Here'showitwouldworkifyouwantedtorememberthefollowingshoppinglist:
shavingcream PREV NEXT
peaches
hotdogs
ketchup
icecream

Asyouvisualizeyourhouse,imaginesprayingshavingcreamalloverthefrontdoor.Don'tjustimaginetheword"shavingcream."Reallysee
itasyoudepressthenozzleandspraythefoamalloverthefrontdoor.Trytoimaginethesmelloftheshavingcream,aswell.

Nowopenthedoor,enterthehall,andimagineagiantpeachrollingdownthestepsinthefronthallandheadingrightforyou.Nowwalkinto
thelivingroom,andvisualizeasixfoottallhotdoginabunwearingacowboyhatandloungingbythefireplace.Enterthediningroomand
pictureabottleofketchup,dressedinanoldfashionedmaid'suniform,settingthetable.Finally,gotothekitchenandpictureagallonofice
cream,meltingasitslavesoverahotstove.

Afteryou'vevisuallyplacedallyourlistitemsaroundthehouse,whenyoutrytorememberyourshoppinglist,allyouhavetodoisvisualize
yourfrontdoor.Youwillinstantlyseetheshavingcreamasyouenterthehall,thepeachwillpopintoyourmindandsoon.Themore
outrageousandunusualyoumakeyourmentalimages,theeasieryou'llfinditistorememberthem.

Youcanusethismethodtorememberlistsofitems,importantpointsinaspeech,namesofpeopleataneventormeeting,thingsyouneed
todo,evenathoughtyouwanttokeepinmind.Thismethodworkswellbecauseitchangesthewayyouremember,sothatyouusefamiliar
locationstocueyourselfaboutthings.Becausethelocationsareorganizedinanorderthatyouknowwell,onememoryflowsintothenext
veryeasily.

Youcanadaptthissystembyaddingotherbuildingsyouknowverywell:yourofficebuilding,amall,yourfriend'shouse,atripthroughyour
town,yourgardenanyplaceyouknowwell.Itdoesn'tmatterhowcloseorhowfaraparteachroomorlocationis.Whatisimportantishow
distinctoneplaceisfromanother.Inotherwords,youmightnotwanttouseyourtownlibrary,whichisprobablybuiltwithidenticalaislesof
shelvesfilledwithbooks.Inadditiontomakingeachlocationverydistinctandmemorable,you'llwanttobesuretohaveanassociation
betweenanitemanditslocationbyhavingtheitemandlocationinteract.IfyouweretryingtoremembertheFirstAmendmentandvisualized
areporterjuststandingbesideadeskinthefronthall,itwouldnotbeasmemorableasitwouldbeifthereporterwerebusytypingthe
Constitutionatthedeskinyourfronthall.

Youcanalsoplacemorethanoneiteminanylocation.Ifyouhavealistof50groceryitemstoremember,youcouldplace5itemsateachof
10locations.Eachofthesefiveitemsshouldinteractatitslocation.

Forexample,youmightthinkofyourdailyroutine,beginningathome:

yourbedroom
yourbathroom
yourkitchen
yourgarage
thedriver'sseatofyourcar

Nowyoumustlinktheitemsthatyouwanttoremembertoeachoftheseplaces.Ofcourse,firstyoumustremembertheplaces,butthis
shouldbeeasy,becausetheyareapartofyourdailyroutine.Thenchaineachitemtoaplaceremember,themorecreativeandvividyour
ideas,thebetter.Usingthegrocerylistexample:Youwakeupnexttoagiantcanofshavingcreamyoufindagiantpeachhavingabubble
bathinyourbathroomahotdoginachef'shatiscookingyoubreakfastabottleofketchuponwheelsisparkedinyourspotinthegarage
andagallonoficecream,wearingaseatbeltandsunglasses,ismeltinginthedriver'sseat.Youcouldthenpicturefivemoreitemsalong
yourroutetowork,fivemoreinyouroffice,andsoon.

Boththelinkingandthelocimethodsallowyoutorememberitemsonalist,butneitherletsyoulocatejustoneparticularitem.Forexample,
ifyouwantedtofindthetenthitemusingthelinkingsystem,you'dhavetoworkyourwaydownthroughthefirstnineitemstogettoit.Of
course,thisistrueforanythingwelearninaserialway:Mostpeoplewouldn'tbeabletonamethenineteenthletterofthealphabetwithout
countingfromAtoSfirst.

Thewayaroundthisproblemistoplaceadistinguishingmarkateveryfifthplace.Usingthelocimethod,atthefifthplace,youcould
incorporateafivedollarbillintotheimage.Atthetenthlocation,youcouldincorporateanimageofaclockwithitshandspointingtoten
o'clock.

Thesamethingcanbedonewiththelinkingmethod:Incorporateafivedollarbillimageintothelinkbetweenthefourthandsixthitems,for
example,oratendollarbillbetweentheninthandeleventh.Usingtheseaddedtouches,thereisreallynolimittothenumberofthingsyou
canrememberwitheitherofthesetwomethods.

Onthenextpage,learnaboutpegsystems,whichallowyoutouseassociationswithfamiliarideastohelpyouremembernewinformation.

Tolearnmoreaboutthevariousaspectsofmemory,see:
HowtoTestYourMemory
 ImprovingYourMemory:LifestyleChanges
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HowYourBrainWorks
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