Greetings, colleagues. Been studying mnemonics for 2-3+ years, its theory scattered through books, practice, learning principles and so on.
I would like to share my observations with you. Feel free to agree or disagree. Discussion is welcome.
To begin with, at this point I’m looking at practical mnemonics and comparing it to sports mnemonics. For me, the value of mnemonics lies in the ability to learn new sciences qualitatively and better. Many pitfalls arise that need to be circumvented. This rubric can be written in several parts, so as not to confuse the reader.
[talking points]
0. With the Cicero/Loki etc. method, you don’t need to memorise long-term information.
0.1. this method is needed to memorize sequential information quickly and for a short period of time (3-5 days at the most). On a familiar sequence we add an unfamiliar one.
0.2 In practice, it would be an inefficient waste of energy to memorise a huge amount of practical information on a cicero.
most (or all?) popular mnemonics books are rubbish, at most a slightly interesting work of fiction.
1.1 They do not create a system in the reader’s head, only a set of simple memorisation techniques which are not backed up by anything.
1.2 Useful tips not= I became a mnemonist
Sports mnemonics are necessary for the practical.
2.1 Mnemonic (remembering) speed, perception and endurance are increased.
2.2 Drawback: many people try to apply sport mnemonics to practical learning in serious study and are doomed to slow failure, burnout and fade out.
[Note]
I can see why such books are so hotly debated and followed all the time. Ugh, study in 20 hours…! Super memory! Speed-reading! There’s a little bit of meaning left in those words, BUT…People are looking for the easy way - that’s their main mistake in learning.
Mnemonics really allows you to do a lot of work and reduce your time + increase quality. It’s a skill, a system, a tool, a lifestyle - call it what you like. But you need to understand what you need to remember and how to be effective in learning new things.
(Maybe I’ll write about it, but another time)
[conclusion]
If you have anything to add, write. I think it is necessary to systematize knowledge about mnemonics + remove trash information spread by best sellers and media. This does not mean that I am a radical opponent of it all, but when you try to find something working, you come across a lot of nonsense about mnemonics.
This is a small part of what I want to describe. Thanks for the introduction. In future parts I will try to briefly explain what learning is, mnemonics, why your memory has always been OK and which approach is most effective (from my point of view).
Interesting read. My take on things is that mnemonics are merely a tool that, if used correctly, will increase memory performance whatever that may mean in a broader application context. Any tool should obviously be fit for purpose and the tools in a mnemonist’s toolbox each have a special place and application. I also believe that the user or teachers of mnemonics have different motivations for teaching the skills and passing them on to others in the first place. Indeed many have a profit motive that drives them in publishing memory books and courses. Certainly one could talk about a “memory industry” whereby authors promise improvements in school marks, work opportunities, etc. on the back of an improved memory that their courses promise to yield. Often cited statistic is that humans only use between 6- 10% of their brain capacities. How that metric is measured in the first place is beyond me? There are also many charlatans with impressive demonstrations posted on youtube to supposedly justify their claims… e.g a Napalese gentleman who can speedread books and commit them to memory, etc. There is also a magician whose name evades me but (watch Nelson Dellis’) channel. The magician claims he can commit cards to memory at lightning speed which is just pure fantasy and a magician’s sleight of hand at work in performing the trick. There are obviously reputable memory self-improvement books out there and I would count Harry Lorrayne’s and Dominic O’Brien’s as worthy additions to any mnemonics enthusiast library. That being said, I have found an immense array of ideas, etc. that are freely shared on this Blog page (The Art of Memory) that Josh Cohen started. Anyway, welcome to the group you’ve arrived at what I believe is the best place on the internet for memory enthusiasts of all shapes and sizes from hobbyists to memory athletes. In closing let me share a meme I found on the internet that drives home the point I am making above about being a discerning reader and believer in what people promise…
I’ve been looking at mnemonics on and off for about a decade, some random thoughts:
What mnemonics are good for:
Information where there is no underlying the logic, or the underlying logic is to difficult to immediately grasp (rules and regulations, lists of random items).
Information where order and arrangement is important (e.g. the Bible, remembering what book chapter and verse, timeline of historical events)
Information that has a direct connection to something concrete, rather than abstract.
What it is difficult to use mnemonics for:
Information that is always changing and being reorganized.
Information that is very abstract (for example, verbatim memorisation of words such as “extrapolation”, “intransigent”.
Information where it difficult to prepare a system beforehand (e.g. random words in a language you’ve never spoken before)
In the end, mnemonics are a structure or scaffold, which uses the humans brain’s incredible ability to remember sensory information. Like any tool, there are situations where you want to rely upon your natural memory, but there are times you need that scaffolding to keep things in place.
