There is no doubt the GMS methods works. The only point is LOCI is faster and better. But that does not mean that someone can not sell GIURDANO BRUNO’S methods to smash “memory sellers and champs” in business.
The GMS man is very prudent by leap-frogging all other Memory sellers in every way possible. The end results are “Financial” - who makes the most ? Today it is GMS.
I’ve never really looked closely at GMS, so I don’t know much about it, but let’s not spend too much time talking about the quality of memory systems based on financial success. There is a lot of snake oil in the “personal improvement” industry, so income is not necessarily a good measure of quality. 
Personally, I do things because I like the ideas behind them, not because of money. I wouldn’t recommend choosing one memory system over another due to the creator’s financial successes or failures.
I’d rather keep the conversations focused on merits and drawbacks of specific techniques.
Thanks!
I am trained as a scientist. I am also a raving fan of personal development. I have never found a “snake oil” even though so many insist there are snake oil. Please be specific - which product"S" are snake oil ?
I will show you that most likely they are not - certainly no more than any ‘memory’ system like Dominic,Buzan, World Memory Champs etc. - meaning none of this snake oil but if they are… then they are all.
I don’t really want to debate the personal development industry here. There are many good things in “personal development”, but also many highly questionable things. Most people want to improve their lives in some way, and there are people out there who won’t hesitate to take advantage of that. So I’m not impressed by how much money any particular product makes – only about whether it’s useful.
I’m not going to call out specific products, except I can link to a page where I’ve already commented about one that seems to make highly questionable claims. Here is another guy who is making claims about reading at 100,000 words a minute, with the books upside down. Companies like that make money, but I’m highly skeptical about their effectiveness.
The forum is a friendly place for people to share their experiences with memory techniques and to meet like-minded people. Instead of having this debate, why not a new thread and tell us about your interest in memory techniques? What are you memorizing? What techniques do you use? Are you planning to compete and/or do you use the techniques for studying? How did you discover memory techniques? Start a new thread and let us know…
I know that Pmem is a polarizing subject, but do you think phenomenal memory is worth completing the course if you have already purchased it? I bought it a number of years ago, and haven’t gone through the course. Call me a sucker, but I’m in a position where I can go through it, if I like, or explore other options.
My concern is that I don’t want to learn an “inferior” (if that’s the right word) system. I’d like to learn a system with proven efficacy, results and is broadly accepted as a good system. Perhaps that means I should go through the resources provided here and learn things that way. The other side of me says that results are results regardless of the method used. I will say that there are a few niceties with the course which I haven’t found elsewhere. The biggest draw to Pmem is the fact that courses are made and ready for a student to work through them. I don’t need to conjure up lists of random items to remember in order to train.
If you look at the top memory competitors, there are a variety of methods they use to achieve their goals
Ben system (2700 images based on a consonant-vowel-consonant system)
PAO system
100 image system based on major mnemonic system
1000 image system based on major mnemonic system
10000 image system based on major mnemonic system
Info on all the above can be found using a search on this website
If pmemory teaches any of the above, you should be fine
It doesn’t.
It’s very funny when people discuss a course they’ve never completed.
There are many messages here that pmemory contains materials that you can find in the internet for free and you are somewhere right, but the main advantage you get when you buy this course is that all the information there is designed methodically for you, you get constant support and guidance during the whole course and, what is most important, you get practical exercises. You don’t just pay for the access to the information, you pay for a carefully constructed and well thought-out course, that gives you the opportunity to improve your memory in the quickest and smartest way.
A very good comparison can be done with working in the gym. You can have a lot of theoretical lessons with pictures and explanation what to do but you can’t get beautiful and strong body without exercising.
One more proof that pmemory is not a scam is video of Mattias Ribbing that completed pmemory course and become Grand Master of Memory:
https://www.bulletproofexec.com/mastering-memory-with-mattias-ribbing-podcast-140/
There is a free ebook offered on the pmemory site that contains most of the techniques from the first 4 or 5 lessons.
If your goal is academic or job related, I’d try to complete the pmemory course if you already purchased it. If your goal is memory competitions you might find it to slow. Pmemory is a generic program that can be adapted to anything. A number of the other programs are designed for competitions, but require you to figure a way to convert them to other uses.
If you can get the pmemory technique (of recalling images based on 3 d, large and in color) go for it.
Absolutely correct. All basic principles (theoretical material) described in the GMS Manual and it can be downloaded from the main site of Pmemory for FREE.
I was very close to purchasing it until I read some of the manual pdf… I was using my iPhone but it looked like the URL was somewhere in the student area…not sure if I was reading private or public info but there quite a number of things that were red flags for me…the first thing was saying that under no circumstances were we to use emotion, action or bizarre imagery to make “connections” … “It is unnecessary and slows down the process” the standard procedure is to just imagine one image next to or superimposed on the other for about 6 second. What? First off I make bizarre action pictures in my head and it makes them extremely strong associations andi do each one in about a second. To me, his method is contradictory to everything ive ever seen out there. Then elswhere he talks ALOT about scientific memory stuff that is apparently his theory on how stuff works. And I found several times he contradicted his own philosophy. Plus, frankly a lot of stuff sounded made up. I don’t feel bad about not buying it now.
Your post is the worst ever. You communist trying to belittle the capitalist. What have you ever done, accomplished or sold in your entire life ?
You admit he sells valid techniques. Your disagreement is he is a capitalist operating “legally”.
Everyone sells something that already exists like APPLE at what you call “extornionate” costs.
A vendor can sell ANYTHING AT ANY COST. Its up to a buyer to get it or not. I HIGHLY recommend you buy this man and I also highly recommend APPLE products only. Get the best. Ditch the rest.
It works. It works great. He terminology is outstanding just like APPLE has terminology that is unique. If you like Apple products then get this Memory course.
Else if you like free virus ridden products similarly you’ll enjoy all other Awful useless memory courses.
Choose well my friend.
It’s okay for people to disagree, but please refrain from personal attacks. (Example: “Your post is the worst ever.”)
Instead of getting angry, why not explain the techniques? Why do the 6 second superimposed images work better than bizarre associations? Most users here are open-minded. If you provide well reasoned arguments, it’s likely that you will change some opinions.
The reason “bizarre” images are NOT needed has been tested in psychology and found that it is “not needed” contrary to the advice in 99.9999% of Memory training books that scam people [ fill in the blank of YOUR guru here].
So pMEMORY is absolutely correct. Besides - trust me , even “Memory Champs” Don’t have time for sitting around doing bizarre images else there is NO WAY IN HEAVEN or HELL you can memorise a deck of cards in under 45 seconds.
Summary:
pMemory is correct factually , scientifically, actually
pMemory has the right to charge as much as it wants. You have the right Not to buy it (and continue to use O’Brien et. al. - or others that “win” by doing it very different to their advice they trap you with )
Who ever said you need a bizarre image to memorize? It helps a lot to make a “bizarre” image, but I agree that it’s not necessary. If you have actually tried the Method of Loci, I think you will find that a bizarre image sticks much better than a boring one.
I personally am against buying pmemory because it seems like a total waste of money. Here’s the thing: most people think that you need really good instruction to become good, but all you need is the basic technique and lots of practice. With memory techniques, once you get the concept, you can modify it to fit what’s best for you. You do not need a $300 program to teach that. I read two books and one website on memory techniques, and after less than three months I was able to memorize a deck of cards in 38 seconds and anything else I ever needed to memorize. The point is, you just need to understand how the techniques work and the rest is practice. Seriously. That’s how the best do it, and that’s how the future best will do it.
@beryl:
Some people use bizarre images and some don’t. For example, see Dominic O’Brien’s latest book where he downplays the exaggeration of images. In any case, you can still use bizarre images at high speed if that is the way you learned the images.
You said that the use of bizarre images has been scientifically tested – could you link to specific studies about it? I’m interested in learning more about it.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the price. Everyone has to make a living. People have the right not to want to pay a certain amount for something though.
Also, are you affiliated with pmemory? It’s okay if you are, but you should disclose any affiliation. Thanks…
I repeat: it doesn’t matter what O’Brien or others “say”. Its not scientific and its incorrect !
You don’t have time for bizarre images at high speed. You said something along the lines “you can use bizarre images at high speed if you learnt it that way”. True. But you don’t need to learn it that way - is the point.
As for scientific studies: look at Ken Higbee’s one and only book on Memory (he strips away so much pseudoscience nonsense that its brilliant). You’ll see him cite the science there relating to this.
As for pMemory: what it states is absolutely correct. Forget all these other so called un-scientific “gurus” from O’Brien to Buzan and all others. Besides they are of the old-school now. We’ve moved on from their sheer “slowness” many years ago by better more innovative more powerful practical methods - people that thrashed their records.
Beryl,
I don’t disagree with the amount of money pMemory charges. Its a great price. In fact, as a marketing professional, my advice to anyone with a memory product is to charge MORE for it…while you still can.
There might come a day when everybody automatically goes through training in Mnemonic systems …no different than how language is taught to every human…or how every household has a TV and a computer.
The fact that the fundamental information is “out there” for free is 100% irrelevant no matter what your talking about. Anyone can find out how to fix a leaky faucet.yet there are still two dozen books you can buy that tell you how to go about the task. In every industry or subject the same situation exists.
Now Beryl, as far as the scientific correctness of pMemory…I’m going to reserve my right to feel squeemish about some of the things I read…they just didnt feel right to me based on what I have learned personally so far. I certainly could be wrong…but maybe its really just the fault of pMemory’s presentation of the theory or material, not the actual facts behind it…for me the result was it scared me off, rather than strike a cord with me that said " ya that makes sense".
pMemory is going to have a larger customer base of people who are new to the Mnemory game, and starting from scratch…people who are already knee deep and looking for more are likely going to be turned off by pMemory because it appears to go way off the beaten path to teach the techniques…and that is what happened in my case.
As far as the “Bizzarre” images debate. Ultimately I think it comes down to what works for a person. Some people are naturally more vivid with their imaginations than others so maybe for them to picture a rabbit just sitting on a desk is no problem…for me I need the rabbit to bash his head through the table. As far as pMemory’s claim that making bizzarre pictures is too time consuming…that again is a matter for the individual to decide. An easy work around that apparently the creator of pMemory didn’t think of, which works for me, and I’ll bet plenty others, is to have a set number of different actions Ive prepared beforehand that I can use on a peg…often times during a session it is the same action over and over…I don’t have to think extra about anything. If I have a Peg word that is a toaster I know beforehand that there are a number of things I can do to interact with it based on some of the innate characteristics of it…if my peg word is teeth…obviously I’m going to have some chewing in there…sometimes action is just sort of built into the imagery, y’know?
If I could recommend anything to pMemory it would be this…teach both processes of visualization, Bizzarre and Static. The thing is, you cant be too strict and rigid with this sort of skill…and it seems like pMemory is trying to re-invent the wheel. There is simply too much that each individual adds to his or her own way of doing things…we create little rules for ourselves as we develop our skill…when I add such and such to an image it means this or that. etc.
…and Finally, for you to say that 99.99% of the memory courses out there are scams…is frankly a huge problem in my book, as far as earning any credibility with me…and I’ll wager it holds true for everyone else reading this…most of whom attained their skill from such courses.
My encouragement to you as far as defending a product, you are clearly quite attached to, would be instead of lashing out at every other product, give us something of substance that shows some of the strengths of the product, share your personal experiences, etc.
Respectfully,
Poe The Monk