Kindred's attempts to memorize numbers

Before today, I’ve thought about numbers and how to remember them using images. I’ve learnt about several methods, including number rhymes, number shapes, and the Major System. I hadn’t used them until today.

Today, I had an idea to pair an image with an anthropomorphised image of a calculator, so I’d know that what I’m looking at is a number.

My plan was also to link the number to a letter of the alphabet, as I want to be able to say the alphabet backwards and know which number the letters correspond too.

My first attempt was going ok. Calculatorman plus snake plus Alice from the book Alice in Wonderland. It didn’t click until I tried adding another number a few hours after I had memorized the wrong number! I had meant to memorize 1, instead I started memorising 0. What a fool I felt.

Im going to try to remember 1 now. It’ll probably involve the calcuatorman, Alice and a door. 0 is basically just a calculatorman being ravaged by a snake.

Calculator + nuts + bee

Calculator + mouse + cat

I’m interested in how you translate those images to the numbers.

Is each image/element translated to a single digit? Or are you compressing 2 digits in a single mnemonic element?

Like, how would you visualize 123456?

If you have pre-defined image associations for each single digit or two digit number, you don’t really need the “calculatorman” in your scenes. You will know the images represent numbers because you have designated those images as numbers. Less cluttered and complex scenes are easier to remember and less repetitive scenes are easier to remember. Something to consider!

Im just learning numbers. Im probably getting it all wrong.

Each image is a single number. Im hoping it’ll work that way. I want to get to 99.

I haven’t thought of grouping numbers yet.

I haven’t got to 6.

It may be a calculator man getting parts of himself caught in a door then a hoard of mice come and bite him. Something like that.

I’m not really sure.

I’m finding hat I’m doing evolves everything I make an effort to remember things. I hope that makes sense.

I’m getting the feeling that rather than choosing stock images, I should be contemplating on the consonants until I see them without effort in any object word.

Stock images don’t seem to fit with how I remember things. The images that stick often change dramatically.

I dunno. I’m sure I’ll figure it out.

Numbers are really kicking my butt. Nothing is sticking as a number.

I want to stick to the Major System.

If anyone has any advice please help.

If I can get one number to stick. I’m sure I’ll be fine.

It has only been 3 days. No need to panic just yet. That said, learning numbers with Major should be a simple process. I think you are overcomplicating things for yourself.

Try to start by learning just the 10 primary sounds. One for each single digit number. Don’t worry about the alternate sounds until a little later.

To aid this, try using a familiar location where you can pick out 10 unique and sequential landmarks. You will place each number and an image that gives you the sound at each landmark. Then when you imagine navigating this route, you will have reinforcement for each number. Your home is usually a great place to start.

Lets say that the first 3 locations are your parking space, the stairs to your building, and the door in to your home.

I’ll give you a suggestion for the image that will be solely based on the Major sound. Try using them at first. You can modify them later, but give these a try to start while learning the sound associations.

1 = T. The straight line down of a 1 should remind you of the straight line down of a letter t. The image for 1 is a Tie. As you arrive at your parking space (location 1) you see that instead of pavement or concrete, you have parked on a giant colorful outlandish necktie. 1 = Tie. 1 = the T sound.

2 = n. If you turn a lowercase 2 on its side, it looks like an n. There are 2 “legs” on a lowercase “n”. The image for 2 is Neo from the matrix. You are walking up the stairs (location 2) and Neo is doing his iconic bullet dodging move as he flops down the stairs like a slinky past you. 2 = Neo. 2 = the N sound.

3 = M. The 3 looks like an m on it’s side. There are 3 legs on an m. The image for 3 is “me.” Picture yourself. You open your door (location 3) and you are startled to see a clone of yourself greet you. This clone is creepily mirroring your every move. 3 = Me. 3 = the M sound.

You can continue this approach with the rest of the digits. Determine 7 more sequential landmarks. Take images for 4 (R), 5 (L), 6 (J), 7 (K), 8 (F), 9 (P), and 0 (S) and link them in a memorable way to those locations. Here are my suggestions:

4 Ray (a ray gun)
5 Lei (a flower necklace)
6 Jay (bluejay bird)
7 Key (old fashioned big skeleton key)
8 Fu (a kung fu master with a big fu manchu mustache)
9 Pie (steamy fresh baked apple pie)
0 Saw (like a lumberjack would use)

As you navigate those 10 locations, say the number and the mnemonic image, and the sound for that number. You should be able to learn the 10 base sounds very quickly this way. Like, within an hour or two.

Try it out. Work on it for a few days and they should stick and be just about second nature. Once they are locked it, work on adding the alternate sounds:

0 S/Z
1 T/D
6 J/Ch/Sh
7 K/G
8 F/V
9 P/B

That is only 7 additional sounds and then you’ll have the entire major system phonetic mapping learned. Once you are comfortable with that, you can start searching for matches for the 1 digit numbers, like 10 = ToeS. 11 = ToaD. 12 = ToNy… Etc. But, get the basics down first so that you have a strong foundation to build from!

Thank you. I’ll give it a shot.

I have locations for 1-9 and images. See what happens.

0 is snake

When memorizing something with letters and numbers, how to not get confused?

Is it because numbers = one image and words are broken down into sounds i.e. more elaborate images or just more images?

My ultimate aim (for now) is memerizing verbatim text that combine letters, symbols and numbers.

1-9 is good. I’m working on adding 0 to the same memory palace.

Now I’m going to work on 00-99 while I practice 1-9+0.

The 1-9 are attached to their own spots in my memory palace.

I’m thinking of attaching 00-99 to one peg. See how that goes.

0 = Superman riding a zebra

1 = door

2 = nuts

3 = moose

4 = rat

5 = need to change

6 = need to change

7 = need to change

8 = fountain

9 = bats

4 of clubs = Club Rat (nightclub for rats)

What is the shadow of a rat?

Jack Daniels = Jack (playing card)