It has been a while. The frustration of me not being able to make MOL a default behaviour was very real and challenging at the same time. So this is post for the ones who know the method, has used it with relative success, is cognitively less demanding activity but do not use it that often. So this is on the side of behavioural continuity which is the upper tie of method. People generally do not know that the method has two parts, the base is to know and be able to execute the method which is foundational but not sufficient to grasp the totality of the method. The upper part is the habitual integration which when strengthed, people begin to realize the whole movement of memory, how they cling to oneself, how they alter the default behaviour of an individual, how the loci, images, narratives only work as scaffold and trying to cling to it stops episodic memories to move to semantic memory which is very quick and so on. I shall only talk about the upper part.
Realize first that whatever I said about the upper part of method are experiential things. You do not have to take my words for it and when done properly, you experience them yourself. So it is not necessary to obsessively read what happens when base and upper half integrate to make the method whole. I will only talk about the gateway which I believe has the least friction to move to the upper half(habitual integration of the method).
So the whole idea is to take a ‘biteable’ chunk of the information that you want to remember(please note the word, I am using remember and not memorize, those are very different things in neuroscience). After that use the method to encode and retrieve the chunk from memory. Now jump locations and do the same. Retrieve something partially. See if the hint of location would immediately retrieve the associated fact. All in all be playful. You will develop this sense of euphoria due to the capability you have developed. See if you can retrieve that information after 30 minutes, while jogging, while cooking and so on.
Never compromize on that euphoric feeling. That is dopamine surging and it is not only for happiness as the mainstream media suggests. It is there for habitual continuity. Never ever grind the method when not in calm state, atleast not in the beginning.Do NOT encode too much and retrieve the information after a while. That introduces fatigue and distrust with the method. Given you have encoded a material, immediately retrieve it. MARVEL at your prowess.
This is you mimicking your default learning behaviour. You are excellent in it, wether you realize it or not. The analogy I am giving you is you learning whistling. Retrace how you did that and apply same mechanism for the method.
I did see that being able to execute the method was not the problem. The problem was people incapable of making it a default behaviour and searching answer of it in cognitive science. Figure it out from behavioural science.
I hope this helps for people who come to forum saying that they knew the method and could execute 4 or 5 years ago but could not help with continuation.
Often it’s not the methods that are at fault, but how they are used and the objectives.
I usually use a logical-creative method…
I create atomic notes: I try to do this in two or three days for an entire book, marking everything difficult with a notation I created myself, since I only review the easy parts and have to study the difficult parts using another method that consumes energy, so I have to do that in the morning, which is when I have the most energy.
Studying something is not just about working like a workhorse, but about knowing how to use your time wisely, noticing when you get stuck, and stopping to think a little.
There are mnemonic methods that greatly speed up the process, but if you don’t know how to use them, they will stall you… so it’s better to take time to practice and learn about the methods and elsewhere just study with spaced repetition, knowing where to invest your energy.
There are many methods for memorizing formulas, words, etc. I know quite a few for words and formulas, so I don’t easily run out of images, but this is due to study and practice.
I can use methods creatively, combine them, and create new ones as needed.
I am adding some mechanism level activities which could be useful to many of you. It is more important for speed memorization, competition and stuff but can be used by everyone.
First you should learn what traversal is. It is you mentally walking from previous locus to next one. So if you imagine yourself reaching kitchen from doorway than you are ‘traversing’. It does not matter how you traverse. Some have birds eye view, some move from one locus to another instantly, some feel as they are walking from one to another. It does not even matter how you do it.
Say you want to remember numbers( note I am using word remember, you remember using MOL and not memorize, which is very very different thing) using PAO. There are generally 2 ways people do it. First is you go to location and place image in it. Example, no is 07=James Bond, locus front door of house, I go to the door and see James Bond there. This is energy draining and less stimulating(said based on empirical research, so even some of you athletes use it and have served you, you are still spiking cognitive load).
The second approach that I am suggesting which many of athletes may use but have not mentioned explictly is to traverse to second locus with anticipation. That is: You are in first locus, number is 07=James Bond. The number is translated to image by brain(at this level this should be almost reflexive, similar to musician directly hear harmonic movements no second guessing just reflex). Now you traverse to second locus with anticipation that you will see James bond there. The traversal confirms it.
This excites your predictive regions of brain and is very very addictive. The activity feels like home.
I do not know why but I am experiencing that encoding with the second approach feels way robust than the first one. I think I need to figure that out next.
Note: I figured out that I could encode and retrieve 80 numbers in 30sec. So, people who are atleast at a minute mark should easily relate. However, the general audience should test the encoding strategy.
try to do this in two or three days for an entire book, marking everything difficult with a notation I created myself, since I only review the easy parts and have to study the difficult parts using another method that consumes energy, so I have to do that in the morning, which is when I have the most energy.
Hello, I just took a quick overview of this entire thread again. Could you share how you are using memory techniques for the exams, which appear to be one among others, if not the primary,purpose of the thread?
Specifically about how you have organised the information, and your reflections on the experience.
I would also like to enquire about the text of ad herrenium which I was suggested to consult last time. I have found a version on internet archive, the work appears to deal extensively with the art of rhetorics, in conjunction with memory, thus i am a little perplexed about how to start with it.
I think I could find a thing or two hearing about your experience.
I apologise if I have made an uncomfortable request.
Another update to my thread. ‘Familiarity’ with the information is very very important before encoding with MOL. When you are intimate with the material than brain tries to reorganize the information and make some associations. After that you take a specific information that you want to remember and try to do free recall. Chances are you will not be able to make clean recall of information but the brain somewhat chunks many informations and that delebration also gives certain structure to it. Finally use MOL to encode.
That way, the brain very quickly makes visual representation, encoding is easier, placing is easier, even the complex imagery becomes ‘clean’ and most importantly retrieval feels like rcognition. For behavioural continuity, this is very important.
I want to make a discussion here. The presumption here is that a person is past location selection, traversal and theories about images.
Is it the case that beyond presumption, the capability to make better representation(visual or otherwise) is where the core lies and is accelerated by natural talent? I am seeing better location selection and traversal of bigger journeys hits ceiling in their desired qualitative essence and what we are left with is representation. The capability to make better representation, chunk whole concepts to single figure, develop representation which is meaningful to you is primarily driven by natual capability.
It’s not innate; it’s learned. The thing is, sometimes you’re limited by what you know. In Bruno’s books, there are 30 ways to “figure,” but Bruno is a concept that isn’t well understood. That’s why I’ve explained it in a way that’s easy to grasp in the book I’m about to release, which will focus more on “figuring.”
For example, memorizing entire paragraphs is easy if you have 30 ways to do it, rather than just 1 or 2… but I’ve actually noticed that one of the most effective groups of memorization techniques consists of about 5, which are the ones I use the most.
It has been a while. The concrete realization that I have of MOL is that revision strengthens the pathway of info rather than understanding of information. Given the representation of target data is strong, the perspective changes from what is the data to where is it. The training strengthens this pathway.
Took me some time to experience it but I did at last. Analogically it is same as singer finding his textured voice. Anything else is just the improvised expression of this basic understanding.
I am finally at the position to realize what the technique actually is and it is way easier than what assumptions I had of it.
