Mental calculation with visualization supported with synesthesia

General Memory Chat
#1

hi!
I wanted to share with people that are interested in mental calculation in a technique that I recently across when I was trying calculate using the palace of memory and it cross to my head the idea of changing the colors of the number with the intention of make them more easy to visualize them in my head (using the memory palace). Actually I am just change the colors of the numbers but in a week I will make a list of the numbers 0-9 and associate them with a color and after that make the same with the numbers 10-19 until arrive the number 100.

I was expecting for more ideas of you guys, for make the numbers more memorable with the mix of more techniques.

Now I will go with the technique…

  1. Visualize a board in front of you in a room of a palace of memory.

  2. Make a multiplication. Per example: 12x14.

-First: multiply 4x2, that is 8.
-Second: multiply 4x1 and 2x1 after that plus them and it will be 6.
Third: multiply 1x1 that will be 1.

So the result its 168.

However, it is not easy sometimes remember the multiplication while you are doing at the same time that the reason about decide the colors of the numbers and I think that change the size of the number it will also work.

#2

I myself use my PAO system, with which I can easily memorize 6-digit numbers, whenever I need to. Combined with my smallest memory palace, I can use it to remember 35 different 6-digit numbers. Though after some practice, every calculation with 2-digit numbers has become doable for me without any trouble, I can keep track of the raw numbers during the calculations, and I don’t bother with translating my number into a PAO image and back, as that would take more time. If I need the result a while later, I just convert that into a PAO.

I do have trouble seeing how this is synesthesia, do you mean that you have Grapheme-color synesthesia? I am asking as memorization is mainly translating abstract numbers to concrete data which your brain can use to remember it. Synesthesia is more of a perceptive issue, and while the best known form (Grapheme-Color Synesthesia, associating letter/numbers with colors) might be useful for memorization, an Auditory-Tactile (feeling sounds as physical sensations) form or even Misophonia (certain emotions triggered by certain sounds, without clear cause) would be horrible for it.

#3

no no, the only thing i do is change the color with the intention of remember better and not forget the multiplication that I am doing. I tough that change the color of the things, in this case the numbers, would also consider as synesthesia.

#4

Synesthesia litterally means “combined sensations”, someone with the symbol-color kind of synesthesia also often can’t change a color attributed to a number or letter. Mnemonics on the other hand can do that quite easily.

I take you also use the color to quickly remember a single number, and not a whole sequence separated over multiple loci. I tried it with some colors just now, and I forgot the colors I attributed to some loci in my memory palace quite soon, but then again I have always hated working with colors, so it might just be because it doesn’t suit my brain. In the end, everyone has to use the things that suit his/her brain. I prefer my cartoons :stuck_out_tongue: especially pikachu!

#5

This is s a great technique!

Numbers are usually dull objects.
Tagging them with colors makes them a lot more memorable.
So this technique will work very well.

Also; I recommend you work from left to right instead of right to left.
In your example, start with 10 X 10 = 100 instead of 4X2.
This will make sure you pronounce the answer in the natural way.
We don’t pronounce the answer as 8 plus 60 plus 100.
Instead we say hundred, sixty eight.

Using the same flow as we pronounce the answer makes it also easier on the brain and memory.
Try it.