M
mahipal reddy
Guest
Some things we remember better. Some we forget quickly. Some people leave a lasting impression on us and we remember them for long. But in case of some, we do not register mentally even their names. Why is it that our memory does not always work uniformly? Why some have good memory compared to others?
Good memory is not a product of some special gift, except very rarely. It is mostly a product of organized and conscious effort on the part of each individual, fired by the need to know and remember or succeed in some specific way. It is both an art and science which can yield wonderful results through persistent efforts. Even a little practice and some general awareness of the factors that lead to better memory may yield some positive results.
Interest: This is the rule: "If you are not interested you do not remember." We remember what interests us. We remember that with which we can relate ourselves in some tangible way. We remember that which invoke our curiosity or that which touches us deeply. If you are specially interested in a particular subject or event, you are less likely to forget it. So to improve memory, you have to cultivate interest in the subject you want to remember.
Attention: This is the second rule: If you are not interested you will not pay attention, and if you do not pay attention, you will not remember." Pay attention to the details. Look for distinguishing features. Compare and contrast things with things similar or dissimilar. See them as if you are seeing them for the first time. Shut down the mental noise as you observe and assimilate. Let your senses do their best. As the Buddhists say, "be mindful " and let the senses do the rest.
The process of observation consists of four essential elements, namely concentration, focus, creative pause and conscious appreciation. Concentration and focusing are not one and the same. They serve the same purpose but in different ways. Concentration is in relation to a specific spot, while focusing is in relation to a specific area. In concentration you see minute details, while in focusing you see the larger picture, the parts as well as the whole. The creative pause helps you to look at things anew, from various angles and become consciously aware of what has been observed. As you pause, as you concentrate, as you focus your attention, you are likely to remember better.
Comprehension: This is the third rule: You do not remember what you do not understand. You remember what you can comprehend, what is familiar or that which makes some sense to you. It is therefore essential that you analyze and try to understand what you are learning. Clear your doubts and seek clarifications, make mental notes or write explanatory notes, till you are certain that you understand fully what is to be remembered.
Repetition: This is the fourth rule: Let the memory be etched in your mind so that it can last for long. let it not be like a foot print in the sand, to be blown away after a brief existence. Reread, rewrite, redraw, memorize till the subject is firmly fixed in your mind. Some subjects require more effort, some less, but in all cases more repetitions ensure better remembrance.
Review: From time to time, review what is remembered. Review is a way of consolidating your memory, of keeping the neuron connections alive, of resurfacing that which has been pushed back by the new layers of knowledge.
Application: Apply what you have learned. Practice that which you have grasped. Put your theoretical knowledge to practical use. If you are learning a language and have learned new words, start using them in your conversation. If you have learned new techniques of operating some instrument or system, start putting those techniques into practice.
Recall: Review and recall serve the same purpose. But recall is slightly different from review in the sense that it is essentially a mental exercise, in which you try to deliberately remember what you have experienced some time in the past. In review you use external aids like books, papers, maps etc, where as in recall you rely more on your mind and your ability to think, visualize and reconstruct mentally what you want to remember.
Association: Certain things invoke the memory of certain other things. It is because of the associations we form mentally in our minds. Since all human knowledge is relative, we remember things in association with other things. We all tend to associate new knowledge with the old knowledge that is already stored in our minds. The process is akin to the way we organize information in files for ready reference. You can improve your memory by making this process a little more deliberate. Suppose you have learned something new about the Internet. Try to connect it with the information you already have in your mind about Internet. This will help you to establish continuity and connectivity and integrate your new knowledge with the existing knowledge. Whenever you learn something new, ask yourself, "How can I connect it with the information I already have? What is new in what I have learned now? Where can I place it in the context of the the current data I already have?." This will help you to expand your knowledge base as well as improve your memory of the same.
Imagination: Does imagination help memory? Yes to some extent. For example, exaggerate in your imagination in some peculiar way what you have learned and the chances are you will remember it better. Suppose you have read something and want to remember it. Create an image map of it mentally or visualize the whole thing mentally as if you are seeing a film or a picture. Place the events and characters in that film as creatively as you can. Develop interesting associations. This will enable you to remember the subject more efficiently and also for longer periods. Students of history can greatly benefit from this exercise. So also the students of science, especially when they want to remember the various processes that take place at celluar, atomic or sub atomic levels which they cannot perceive through normal means.
Good memory is not a product of some special gift, except very rarely. It is mostly a product of organized and conscious effort on the part of each individual, fired by the need to know and remember or succeed in some specific way. It is both an art and science which can yield wonderful results through persistent efforts. Even a little practice and some general awareness of the factors that lead to better memory may yield some positive results.
Interest: This is the rule: "If you are not interested you do not remember." We remember what interests us. We remember that with which we can relate ourselves in some tangible way. We remember that which invoke our curiosity or that which touches us deeply. If you are specially interested in a particular subject or event, you are less likely to forget it. So to improve memory, you have to cultivate interest in the subject you want to remember.
Attention: This is the second rule: If you are not interested you will not pay attention, and if you do not pay attention, you will not remember." Pay attention to the details. Look for distinguishing features. Compare and contrast things with things similar or dissimilar. See them as if you are seeing them for the first time. Shut down the mental noise as you observe and assimilate. Let your senses do their best. As the Buddhists say, "be mindful " and let the senses do the rest.
The process of observation consists of four essential elements, namely concentration, focus, creative pause and conscious appreciation. Concentration and focusing are not one and the same. They serve the same purpose but in different ways. Concentration is in relation to a specific spot, while focusing is in relation to a specific area. In concentration you see minute details, while in focusing you see the larger picture, the parts as well as the whole. The creative pause helps you to look at things anew, from various angles and become consciously aware of what has been observed. As you pause, as you concentrate, as you focus your attention, you are likely to remember better.
Comprehension: This is the third rule: You do not remember what you do not understand. You remember what you can comprehend, what is familiar or that which makes some sense to you. It is therefore essential that you analyze and try to understand what you are learning. Clear your doubts and seek clarifications, make mental notes or write explanatory notes, till you are certain that you understand fully what is to be remembered.
Repetition: This is the fourth rule: Let the memory be etched in your mind so that it can last for long. let it not be like a foot print in the sand, to be blown away after a brief existence. Reread, rewrite, redraw, memorize till the subject is firmly fixed in your mind. Some subjects require more effort, some less, but in all cases more repetitions ensure better remembrance.
Review: From time to time, review what is remembered. Review is a way of consolidating your memory, of keeping the neuron connections alive, of resurfacing that which has been pushed back by the new layers of knowledge.
Application: Apply what you have learned. Practice that which you have grasped. Put your theoretical knowledge to practical use. If you are learning a language and have learned new words, start using them in your conversation. If you have learned new techniques of operating some instrument or system, start putting those techniques into practice.
Recall: Review and recall serve the same purpose. But recall is slightly different from review in the sense that it is essentially a mental exercise, in which you try to deliberately remember what you have experienced some time in the past. In review you use external aids like books, papers, maps etc, where as in recall you rely more on your mind and your ability to think, visualize and reconstruct mentally what you want to remember.
Association: Certain things invoke the memory of certain other things. It is because of the associations we form mentally in our minds. Since all human knowledge is relative, we remember things in association with other things. We all tend to associate new knowledge with the old knowledge that is already stored in our minds. The process is akin to the way we organize information in files for ready reference. You can improve your memory by making this process a little more deliberate. Suppose you have learned something new about the Internet. Try to connect it with the information you already have in your mind about Internet. This will help you to establish continuity and connectivity and integrate your new knowledge with the existing knowledge. Whenever you learn something new, ask yourself, "How can I connect it with the information I already have? What is new in what I have learned now? Where can I place it in the context of the the current data I already have?." This will help you to expand your knowledge base as well as improve your memory of the same.
Imagination: Does imagination help memory? Yes to some extent. For example, exaggerate in your imagination in some peculiar way what you have learned and the chances are you will remember it better. Suppose you have read something and want to remember it. Create an image map of it mentally or visualize the whole thing mentally as if you are seeing a film or a picture. Place the events and characters in that film as creatively as you can. Develop interesting associations. This will enable you to remember the subject more efficiently and also for longer periods. Students of history can greatly benefit from this exercise. So also the students of science, especially when they want to remember the various processes that take place at celluar, atomic or sub atomic levels which they cannot perceive through normal means.