{"id":104589,"date":"2023-06-07T21:58:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-08T01:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=104589"},"modified":"2023-06-08T09:22:26","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T13:22:26","slug":"memory-principles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/memory-principles\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Memory Principles That Underpin Memory Techniques"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What’s a foundational memory? Can you deliberately create one? Why are concrete things easier to remember than abstract things?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Memory Book<\/em> is a classic book that can help you put to memory and recall all kinds of information. Authors Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas share the basic memory principles that underpin the strategies they recommend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn about these five principles of memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Basic Memory Principles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lorayne and Lucas discuss five basic memory principles that guide all of their memorization techniques. Let’s look at each principle in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Principle #1: To Remember Something, Create a Foundational Memory of It<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The authors argue that when you say you\u2019ve \u201cforgotten something,\u201d it\u2019s typically because you never actually absorbed the information<\/strong> in the first place. To remember something later on, you need to first create a foundational memory<\/em> of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Some research suggests that we can improve our ability to absorb information and create memories by practicing meditation.<\/a> For instance, one 2013 study found that two weeks of training in mindfulness meditation<\/a> improved participants\u2019 ability to recall information by minimizing distracting thoughts<\/a>. These findings suggest that having fewer mental distractions allows us to better process and learn information we receive from our senses. Additionally, it may improve our ability to store information in short- and long-term memory. Learning, processing, and storing are all necessary skills to create the foundational memories Lorayne and Lucas discuss.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Principle #2: Create Foundational Memories Through Close Observation <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To create a foundational memory, pay close attention to what you\u2019re trying to remember<\/strong> and mentally absorb the information (instead of just looking at it). If the thing you want to remember is related to an action<\/em>\u2014for instance, if you want to remember where you chain your bike\u2014this means actively thinking about the action you\u2019re completing while you\u2019re doing it, even if it\u2019s small. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, have you ever opened your phone to look at the time, then realized that you couldn\u2019t remember what you saw when you closed your phone a few seconds later? To remember the time, deliberately notice the numbers on the screen by actively thinking something like, \u201cI\u2019m opening my phone to look at the time on my lock screen. I\u2019m going to look at the numbers and nothing else. The numbers are 1, 3, 4, and 7, meaning it\u2019s 13:47.\u201d This deliberate attention to your actions trains your brain to catalog the information you observe, helping you retrieve it later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increasing Your Powers of Observation<\/strong>

If you\u2019re looking to improve your powers of observation and strengthen your ability to create foundational memories, practice is essential. As with other skills, the more you practice observation, the better you\u2019ll be at it and the more naturally it\u2019ll come to you. These strategies can serve as a starting point for your observational practice:<\/a>

Visiting a new place.<\/strong> This helps you practice observation by increasing your awareness of unfamiliar details. Places where close observation is encouraged, such as museums, are a good place to start.

Journaling.<\/strong> Sit down somewhere and record what you see, what you hear, who you talk to, and so on. Try sketching some of the things you see. Recording the world around you provides good practice by encouraging you to pay attention to everything around you.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Principle #3: Visualizing Is Akin to Seeing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to the authors, visualization\u2014mentally picturing the thing you want to remember\u2014is a great tool for memory creation.<\/strong> Sight is deeply connected to memory. So, when you see<\/em> information, you\u2019re more likely to retain it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Sight\u2019s interconnectedness with memory may relate to this sense\u2019s general importance in our brain. In Brain Rules<\/em><\/a>, John Medina argues that vision dominates the other senses<\/a>\u2014interpreting visual information is an energy-intensive process and about half of the brain is devoted to vision. This means sight shapes our perception of the world<\/a> and influences our learning and memory<\/a> more than any other sense. If we receive contradictory information from multiple senses, the visual input usually dominates our perception of the information, thus dictating what we retain.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, some studies suggest that visualizing an image in your mind activates electrical signals in your brain that are nearly identical to signals activated when your eyes perceive a physical image. Therefore, just imagining<\/em> you can see something strengthens it in your memory as much as actually seeing it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helping People \u201cSee\u201d With Sound<\/strong>

Picturing images in your mind\u2019s eye may not be the only way to artificially activate the brain signals associated with seeing an image. Some studies suggest that people who are blind from birth can learn to recognize images using sound<\/em>.<\/a>

Researchers used devices to scan images and reinterpret them as soundscapes for congenitally blind participants to listen to. After training, participants were able to recognize faces, everyday objects, and even words based on the soundscapes. Additionally, when they listened to the soundscapes, parts of their visual cortex activated that normally activate when people see<\/em> the same images. Prior to these findings, activation of the visual cortex was thought to be impossible in people who are born blind. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Principle #4: Tangible Information Is Easier to Remember<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The authors assert that it\u2019s easier to remember information (such as a word) that has a concrete meaning than information that\u2019s abstract and intangible<\/strong>. This applies when using visualization techniques, as something has to have clear, concrete meaning for you to picture it. For example, names are often more difficult to remember than other words because they don\u2019t have any specific image or meaning associated with them. You likely can\u2019t form a picture of a name like \u201cSchaeffer\u201d by itself, but you can<\/em> picture a word that has tangible meaning, like \u201chorse.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Supporting the argument that tangible information is easier to remember, Moonwalking With Einstein<\/em><\/a> <\/em>author Joshua Foer suggests incorporating as many of your senses as you can into your mental representations<\/a> of things you want to remember. He states that the more senses you incorporate, the more cues you have to remind you of the memorized information. If applicable, imagine how something looks, smells, sounds, feels, and tastes. In keeping with Lorayne and Lucas\u2019s advice, including more sensory information<\/a> will also make your mental representations<\/a> more tangible.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Principle #5: It\u2019s Easier to Remember Strange Things<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Lorayne and Lucas state that you\u2019re more likely to remember information (especially an image) if it\u2019s novel, illogical, or strange.<\/strong> In contrast, it\u2019s easy to forget images and information that are ordinary or common. For example, you\u2019ll likely more readily recall a sensational, unusual culinary dish you ate years ago\u2014such as rhubarb pizza\u2014than whatever ordinary meal you had for lunch last week. Likewise, you\u2019d be more likely to remember a woman named Mustard than a woman named Pam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Some experts argue that forgetting ordinary, everyday information isn\u2019t just an inconvenience or a quirk of memory\u2014it\u2019s an important function of a healthy brain.<\/a> Since we\u2019re constantly exposed to new information, our brains need a way to filter out unnecessary details to make room for novel, useful information. We\u2019re more likely to forget ordinary information\u2014like whatever we ate for lunch last week\u2014because our brain already has memories stored about the ordinary thing, and more memories of it will take up space that we\u2019d use for new information.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What’s a foundational memory? Can you deliberately create one? Why are concrete things easier to remember than abstract things? The Memory Book is a classic book that can help you put to memory and recall all kinds of information. Authors Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas share the basic memory principles that underpin the strategies they recommend. Keep reading to learn about these five principles of memory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":59603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,160],"tags":[1053],"class_list":["post-104589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","category-science","tag-the-memory-book","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nThe 5 Memory Principles That Underpin Memory Techniques - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas share the basic memory principles that underpin the strategies they recommend in their classic book. 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