Learning To Visualize
The first thing one has to learn to apply memory techniques is how to visualize the things one wants to remember.
Memorizing a list of objects consists basically on creating in your mind an image of an object of the list linked with the next one. You follow the whole list of objects creating images of the objects in such a way that the first image indicates the current object of the list, and leads you to the next one. Every image contains then, two objects: the current one and the next. This process is called memory linking, and is it well described at The Skillful Brain and at Memory-Sports.
Let’s say that we have to learn the following three objects: car, beach and bed. In order to learn those three objects or places, as well as their order in the list, we have to create two different images: one that links car with beach, and another that links beach with bed.
For that example, I would start imagining a car on the beach of Barcelona, lying on the sand on top of a towel, taking sunlight, with sunglasses, using protective oil. This image indicates the first object (the car) as the subject and links it to the next one (the beach)
Next image is the water of the beach, and emerging from it by the sea, a very cute bed which includes pillars, sheets and pillows.
Memory theory says that this set of images will stuck into our memories for a long time. There are, though, some details that will help in obtaining more memorable images:
- Make the images as strange and non-real as possible. For this, you can change sizes of objects, assign animated behaviors to non-animated objects, or include the objects in strange places like space, hell or under the sea.
- Include in the scene as many details as possible.
- Use as many senses in the image as possible. Visualize the color of the things, how do they smell, is there any sound around…
I am a very bad visualizer and I think that this explains my bad memory. All people I know that have a good memory explain how they imagine the things they are talking about, hearing, or learning. This may explain their good memory…
In any case, we need to master visualization in order to apply the memory techniques, since they are completely based on that.
