Mnemonics- the Tool to Enhancing Your Memory

Posted on 20. Dec, 2007 by George in Improve Your Memory, Self Improvement, Study tools

I know you love to remember or memorise every single detail in your textbook, but it is virtually impossible. And you do not want to depend on drugs to do this. One effective way to improve your memory is to use the technique called mnemonics.

What exactly is mnemonics? Mnemonics is one of the many memory techniques used to memorise abstract or hard to remember information by changing them in a way so they are much easier to remember.

Complex stimuli are perceived by our senses, and then absorbed by our brains as memories. These memories are actually complex models of the stimuli.

In today’s world, information comes to us in the form of words. Unfortunately, our brains are not used to this type of written words and therefore our brain finds it more difficult to memorise.

Mnemonics enable us to memorise this written information by using strong mental images to encode data. Hence, information becomes easier to remember.

Now, you may ask me how to use it. Just do the following:

1. Use positive and pleasant images to encode the information since our brain is more likely to memorise these.

2. Use images that stimulate your five senses.

3. Your image should be in 3D so they are easier to recall.

4. For certain parts of the image that you think is very crucial, make that part of the image bigger.

5. Input humour into your image, the funnier your image is, the easier to recall.

6. When our information is too complex, use symbols to simplify it.

The 3 main principles of mnemonics are basically imagination, association and lastly location.

Imagination is a tool to create and further enhance the associations required to make effective mnemonics. The more exciting and clear your imaginations get, the easier you will memorise.

Association is a technique whereby you link what you want to memorise to the method of recollecting it. You can organize your information such that there is a pattern to it. (Placed beside one another, ranked according to weight etc)

Using the last principle which is location, you gain a coherent context where you can place data that it is grouped together. Location enables you to tell the difference between the mnemonics.

Mastering this skill is equivalent to mastering your fear over the need to memorise lots of stuff in your tests, exams, presentation or speech. Make use of mnemonic to enhance your life! You can see the difference!

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