The Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

Have you ever wondered about apps like Cogmed for brain exercise and memory improvement really work? So have I and it is really difficult coming up with a clear answer when you read the research about general brain fitness and memory in the scientific literature. Here's the great news: On this episode of Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you'll hear from Dr. Christina Till. Dr. Till is an Associate Professor in the Clinical Developmental Area in the Faculty of Health at York University. As she shared her scientific research on memory, multiple sclerosis (MS), Huntington's disease and other areas of mental cognition, this point leapt out at me: "My dream study [would] combine the benefits of physical activity with cognitive training. To maximize brain growth, we should be doing both." If you'd like to peer behind the scenes of how memory research is conducted with softwares like Cogmed in the mix and what the conclusions really mean when it comes to improving memory , download this podcast episode now. And get ready to dive deep because there's a ton of substantial information you will learn from Dr. Till's research and work and how scientists develop their studies and draw their conclusions. Press play now and you'll discover: How Christine came to be interested in memory. What "environmental enrichment" means and how it can help you improve your memory. What Huntington's disease is and how it degenerates the brain over time. The early manifestations of the Huntington's disease. The conditions or immune triggers that have been implicated in increasing the risk of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The metaphor goal suggestion with "machinery" when it comes to the brain and memory. How the cognitive network of the brain gets injured. (This may or may not relate to memory issues from other forms of brain trauma.) Why some people's cognitive performance can remain stable at early stages of disease. What the term "memory reserve" means and how it can be measured. How cognitive training can help your memory. How the software called "Cogmed" helps people with cognition training. The reasons for choosing "Cogmed" out of the number of programs for Christine's study. The conclusion of Christine's research study and what it really means for memory. The power of meditation and linking physical activity with cognitive training. What's coming up next for Christine and where can people learn more about her research and work. And a special interview here in video with Christine: Bonus Alternative To Cogmed For Brain Exercise On this episode, I mentioned to Christine that I was learning to juggle and recite the alphabet backwards. Here's a demonstration of this simple brain exercise and how you can learn it without any frustration by following a few simple principles: Part Two: Christian decides to share his juggling chops while reciting a poem in a video response: And then another follow-up with coins! Enjoy (and send us your video too if you've got one so we can feature your authentic brain exercise techniques)! Further Resources on the Web, This Podcast and the MMM Blog: Christine Till Profile profile on York University's website Till Lab Memory training points to new directions for treatment of Huntington's disease Why Bilingualism Makes For a Healthier Brain Coconut Oil and Memory: Can It Boost Your Brain [Advanced Study] Binaural Beats And Memory: Can This Crazy Music Make You Smarter The post The Real Data You Should Know About Cogmed For Brain Exercise appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Have you been looking for a memory method you can use to learn and remember difficult information? I'm talking about foreign language vocabulary. Programming codes. Charts and diagrams. Passwords. Names of people from around the world. And do you keep running into promises about how someone's "memory system" will help you achieve your learning goals? Maybe they offer you some brain exercises. Or maybe they promise the keys to the memory improvement kingdom with a mnemonic peg system or some other list of mnemonic devices. The BIG Problem With The Memory Systems Of The Memory Improvement Gurus There's nothing wrong about checking out mnemonic examples from memory experts you admire. Except this: Anytime anyone tells you that their "memory system" will work for you… Run away screaming! Why? Because memory systems don't work! Instead, you work the systems. And you'll do that a lot better if you create the systems yourself (with a little authentic help from your Magnetic Memory Method friends). It's kind of like singing and playing the guitar. Bringing the two together is a lot easier when you wrote the song. And the results are much more powerful. Why A "Magnetic" Memory Method Always Outperforms The Other Guy's Memory System So here's what's up: On this page, I'm going to explain exactly why what you really need is a memory method (not some other dude's system). And not just any old method with memory exercises and memorization techniques. What you need is a "Magnetic" Memory Method that lets you combine all of the memory techniques available into a streamlined approach. You don't need all kinds of confusing terms and mnemonic examples. You need to execute your moves in one swift blow each and every time you encounter information. When you have this approach, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how much your memory skills can grow. Which means that the pain and frustration of forgetting information within seconds disappears. If you're ready, let's dive into the 8 reasons having a memory method is the only approach that makes sense. Reason #1: Each Person's Memory Is Unique And Needs A Unique Memory Method Flexibility is what makes the teaching on this memory improvement blog unique. Anyone can use the memory techniques I teach because you learn about yourself as you discover the methods so that everything fits into place quickly. Why is figuring out how you stand so important? A few reasons. First, memory techniques rely upon association. You're taking information you don't know and Magnetically weaving it together with things you already know. For example, when learning some Chinese poetry, I wove the corner of a building together with some weird imagery that made it easy to recall the sound and the meaning of the phrase. The images involved Lee jeans, a kite, E.T. (The Extraterrestrial), a burning cup of yen, Emil Zola, Che Guevara and sheep. I Know That Sounds Like A Mouthful Of Mnemonic Examples! But here's the thing: All of these images came to me freely and quickly because I have a memory method. It's trained to be flexible, and that's why it works so fast. What exactly have I trained? Speedy access to the same kinds of information each person has available to them now: A Proper Memory Method Digs Deep Into Your Personal history By using a flexible memory method, you can easily access a host of friends, family members, teachers, preachers and other members of your community. I suggest listing them all out frequently. It's a kind of memory improvement game you can play with your childhood anytime. A Proper Memory Method Exploits Your Personal Culture You also have your culture. I often draw upon Canadian politicians. These are names that an international audience might not recognize, but that are deeply impressed upon in my memory. But I'm Canadian and so memorizing the Canadian Prime Ministers makes a lot of sense (maybe, lol). Even if you're not into politics, I'll bet you have at least a couple local and regional figures you can bring to mind and use to make simple associations. Having them ready will help you improve your memory for studying a great deal. Why Everything You Already Know Is Dying To Become A Memory Tool Then there are musicians, actors and artists. These are all part of your culture. Only a flexible memory method will help you unpack them all. Some other guy's system? That's probably the same guy who encourages you to memorize with a "Mind Palace" like Sherlock Holmes. (Yawn…) Sorry, but the very suggestion that your memory can be like a fictional character's is fraud. How about you be you and use Sherlock Holmes as a Magnetic Bridging Figure in a well-formed Memory Palace instead? Reality is far better than fantasy when you have a substantial memory method, that's for sure. You can go even deeper into your toy collection, video game collection and personal library if you wish. And I recommend that you do. You are unique and the more you unpack all of the wealth of material alre

What if I told you that recovered memory is a skill that you can use to create a better Memory Palace Network? And what if you had a simple autobiographical memory test you could give yourself again and again to keep improving your memory? If that sounds interesting to you, you're in luck. Tap or click play now and discover: Exactly how to unpack memories from your past you may have lost – and turn them into a Memory Palace Network! How I memorized the dates in Walter Ong's Ramus, Method, and the Decay of Dialogue More on Lynne Kelly's amazing account of memory and memory techniques of the Aborigines and other prehistoric groups in The Memory Code The simple steps of this incredible memory training exercise you can use to help recall more from your past The significance of juggling information in your mind without the aid of technology and the quest of balance in the age of computers How to map out a simple Memory Palace using your elementary school The right questions to ask yourself while completing this autobiographical memory and episodic memory training activity. How you can benefit from these brain exercises over the long term. How these kinds of memory recovery exercises can help you deal with depression in ways that improve memory The importance of taking consistent action along your memory improvement journey And that's just the beginning! The Profound Reasons Why You Have A Super Autobiographical Memory In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I introduced a Memory Palace training exercise with Olivia. Olivia had a blank spot in her mind when I met her. So I took the opportunity to teach her a quick Memory Palace training exercise that anyone can do. It will let you experience recovered memory at a profound level that helps you learn languages. And when you unlock all of those Memory Palaces lying dormant in your autobiographical memory… Recovered Memory Can BecomeThe Most Powerful Memory Training Asset In Your World Autobiographical and episodic memory involve personal memories from the past. However, they are not exactly the same. If you're interested in improving your episodic memory, check out the links in the resources section below. You can also watch this video version of the session with Olivia: The Truth About Your Magnetic Repressed Memory Symptoms Okay, okay, I'm being a bit dramatic. But having worked with thousands of people over the years, I've noticed something. People are afraid to use Memory Palaces. I call this fear "Memory Palace Scarcity." When so many people around the world just want to remember what they learn… Only to get hung up on not having enough Memory Palaces… Well, then, yes! I do think this problem counts as "repressed memory." You see, many people are chasing after a solid flashbulb memory definition. The True Path To So-Called FlashBulb Memory That search will never end unless you create multiple Memory Palaces and Dive in to the exercise I gave Olivia on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast. It's powerful because it completely eliminates Memory Palace Scarcity. Kind of the same way using The Freedom Journal for language learning keeps you focused on making the most out of your time. Give the quick autobiographical Memory Palace training exercises you'll learn on this episode a try. This process will improve your practice in creating and finding more Memory Palaces. But you've got to use them for the future as well as the path. Sure, the exercises you'll learn will help you recover some of your past. But the most important element is how you use your Magnetic Memory Palace Network to easily learn and remember information for the future. How Accurate Are Your Memories? I hope that Olivia's openness to learning about brain exercises and the Memory Palace exercise I gave her inspires you to dive deeper into your autobiographical memory. I'm confident too that you'll be amazed by how learning more about your episodic memory helps you on your journey to remembering numbers, facts and vocabulary. They are truly all intertwined. And from there, you just need to give yourself simple memory tests. Oh, and if you're a parent, combine this episode with these memory improvement techniques for kids. Let me know in the comments below how you fare! Oh, and if you haven't got this yet: … don't you think you should? It will be useful for you if you master the basic foundations and fundamentals of creating Memory Palaces to make the most out of it. Further Memory Improvement Resources: Episodic Memory And How To Improve It: A Step-By-Step Training Guide The Memory Code: Prehistoric Memory Techniques You Can Use Now How to Find Memory Palaces Ramus, Method, and the Decay of Dialogue by Walter Ong 3 Shocking Ways Smartphone Addiction Erodes Your Brain And Memory The post 2 Powerful Recovered Memory Palace Training Exercises With Olivia appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

This is perhaps the best Magnetic Memory Method Review online so far: "The more you try it, the better you do. Every attempt is incrementally better than the last time." -Jesse Villalobos Since constant improvement is what the memory method taught on this website is all about, I was delighted to hear these words from one of our course participants. Even better: In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you can hear them directly from Jesse Villalobos too. Scroll up and click play. Listen in we talk about: How Jesse based his PAO system on the Major Method for remembering numbers… Jesse's Magnetic Journey using the PAO system (Person Action Object)… How Jesse used this approach to get a raise and a promotion at his job! Of the many tips you'll discover, here's one of the most important points: Jesse keeps listening to the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast for motivation week after week. Yes, even though he completed the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass. This point is important. Jesse's approach combines a solid study ethic and continually feeding himself with ideas and inspiration. And when Jesse started, he was serious about getting results. He wanted to get really good at memorizing numbers. His success secret? Taking action! It's not just about learning about memory techniques. It's about applying them in meaningful ways one S.I.P. at a time: S.I.P. Study memory techniques Implement memory techniques Practice memory techniques with information that improves your life It's this approach that helped Jesse get the mastery over the Person Action Object and Major Method that he wanted. Aside from remembering numbers, Jesse also learned how to remember names and faces. This skill provided other unexpected benefits from memory training that Jesse hadn't even anticipated! If you've been looking for an extra bit of insight about how the Magnetic Memory Method can help you, try Jessie's advice: Just dive into learning and using memory techniques. Download this episode and learn from Jesse's experiences and insights. You'll learn exactly how improving his memory has helped his personal confidence and well-being. Press play now and you'll discover: How memory techniques help Jesse in his work. It involves remembering a lot of numbers. Why using memory techniques is an "out of body experience." Jesse's feeling about how he gains more energy than he burns using memory strategies. Examples of a well-functioning Person-Action-Object system to memorize numbers based on the Major Method. The process of how Jesse created his Magnetic Memory Palace Network and how it all works in detail. The importance of drawing your Memory Palaces for total success. How Jesse handles problems with ghosting or the Ugly Sister Effect. How Jesse discovered the Magnetic Memory Method and what it has brought to him both personally and professionally. How Jesse got a raise and promotion. By demonstrating competence, his co-workers started perceiving him as an expert thanks to Magnetic Memory Palaces and memory techniques. A family-related memory issue that encourages Jessie to keep his mind active. The positive influence of listening to Magnetic Memory Method Podcast over time. Jesse's perspective on avoiding perfectionism. Other memory improvement books and courses that really impacted Jesse. Do you have questions about how the Magnetic Memory Method can help you perform better at your work? Do you want more answers to your questions about mnemonics? If so, please dive into the episode and learn more about how you can get on a call with me. If you want me to help you transform into a walking, talking mnemonics dictionary, I'd like to help. Further Memory Improvement Resources: Harry Lorayne Get Good At Remembering Numbers How to Memorize Numbers With A PAO System [Person Action Object] Major System Secrets And The Future Of Your Memory With Florian Dellé Want More Magnetic Memory Method Reviews and Testimonials? Lee Escobar's Magnetic Memory Method Review and Testimonial Paul Deery's Memory Improvement Demonstration and Magnetic Memory Method Review The Magnetic Memory Method Testimonials and Reviews Page The post How Jessie Villalobos Got A Promotion – Magnetic Memory Method Review appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Do you want to know how to improve your memory for studying? Who doesn't? After all, it's the 21st century and there's so much to learn! Seriously: There's too much to study in too little time – especially before an exam. But it's not just a time issue. It's not just an issue of volume when it comes to so many books and videos to consume. The core of the problem isn't any of those things. The core of the problem is memory… The things that your brain just can't memorize no matter how many times you repeat them. Why? Because you don't have a strategy for managing your learning and memory. But don't worry! In this article, I will show you seven powerful techniques to help you remember anything you have to study. You'll learn everything far more easily – facts, dates, formulae, equations, whatever. These techniques will make it far easier for you to ace your next exam. Let's dive in. 1. The Memory Palace (The Top Recommendation) Want just one simple method that helps improve memory for studying? Look no further than the Memory Palace. Memory champions and experts all agree that it's the most effective method to remember anything at all. In fact, one expert used the technique to memorize the value of Pi till nearly 112,000 digits. This memory technique was developed in Ancient Greece. It is sometimes referred to as the 'Method of Loci' or 'Cicero Method.' You might also hear it called the 'Roman Room' or the 'Journey Method'. Although there are many variations, here's the core of how it all works. With the Memory Palace technique, you associate each piece of information you want to memorize with parts of a location that you are very familiar with – such as your house or your school campus. Why "Method of Loci" Memory Technique Is Too Vague… In the Magnetic Memory Method, we don't use the term "loci." It's too vague. Instead, we work with Magnetic Stations. On these stations we place our Magnetic Imagery. For instance, if you wanted to remember a number of important dates about the Second World War, you could 'file them' in your medicine cabinet. Or, better said, "Magnetize" them in place. Associating each bit of information with a physical object within a familiar space helps the brain store the information. More than just store it, your brain stores the study material systematically and retrieves it easily when needed. Just make sure to draw your Memory Palace first for the best results. Like this: Seriously go ahead and draw your Memory Palaces. Once you know the strategy behind why Magnetic Memory Palaces serve better than the rest, each one should take 2-5 minutes (or less). The best part? You can use this memory retention technique to remember complex terminology, numbers, formulae – anything at all. If you are not a 'visual' person, you can still use the technique. You can also associate pieces of information with sounds, smells, touch – various sensory elements within the location. You do this by using the full range of the Magnetic Modes taught right here in this special infographic: Probably the biggest strength of the Memory Palace technique is that you can combine it with other mnemonic methods to improve your long-term memory. I will show you a few examples of how to do this in the following sections. To learn about the Memory Palace and what the Magnetic Memory Method brings to the game in more detail, check out this article. 2. Acronyms to Improve Memory for Studying Acronyms are the most commonly used memory technique and are great for remembering short lists or sequences. You have probably learned 'PEMDAS' in school – a sequence for solving equations. It stands for Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition and Subtraction. Another common acronym to help you remember a geographical list of names is HOMES, which is used to remember the Great Lakes – Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. Here's a simple tip to create your own acronyms for remembering things better. According to the Cambridge dictionary, acronyms are constructed with the first letter of each constituent word and they actually sound like words. That's what makes them easy to remember. We also use acronyms in the Magnetic Memory Method training, such us: D.O.C. Doing is the Origin of Consistency Doing is the Origin of Creativity Doing is the Origin of Courage Doing is the Origin of Clarity Doing is the Origin of Control To get into the "doing" of memory techniques that ultimately leads to control over your memory, all you have to do is S.I.P.: Study memory techniques Implement memory techniques Practice memory techniques with information that improves your life And as you saw in the infographic above, COG KAV helps us remember all the Magnetic Modes: Conceptual Olfactory Gustatory Kinesthetic Auditory Visual And let's not forget the Magnetic Mode of space. That's the Memory Palace itself. But moving from these examples of acronyms, let's get back to the technique of using them. You might be wondering… What do y

It's a popular perception among many people that listening to binaural beats has a special effect on the brain. They think binaural beats can help you follow a diet or stop smoking. Or they think these sounds can amp you up for a competition or calm you down, or even improve memory recall, focus and concentration. The question is… Doesn't listening to any type of relaxing music have a similar effect? Possibly. In this post, we'll find out if listening to specific frequencies can have a better impact on your mental prowess than listening to Mozart for Pink Floyd! What Are Binaural Beats? The word binaural means "having or relating to two ears." The process works by sending a slightly different sound frequency to each ear. This has to be done simultaneously and through earphones or headphones. When two different pure tones are presented separately but simultaneously to each ear of a listener, the listener hears the illusion of a third tone. This third does "appears" in addition to the two pure-tones presented to each ear. And it is this third tone that is called a binaural beat. Let's break this down:When you play a 350 Hertz (Hz) tone in the left ear and a 360 Hertz tone in the right, it yields a beat with a frequency of 10 Hertz. This third beat is the binaural beat. The brain then uses a process known as 'frequency following response' to follow along at the new frequency (10 Hz). This process produces brainwaves at that rate of Hertz. However, this outcome (apparently) occurs only if the the difference matches the alpha frequency range that lies between 7-11 Hz. Music or white noise embedded with binaural beats is very often used along with different meditation techniques and positive affirmations to gain varying results. In the memory training and memory improvement world, some claim you will experience results ranging from improvement in recall, concentration, focus, creativity and alertness. There is more: Listening to these beats is also said to provide relaxation, stress reduction, pain management, and improved sleep quality. Who Heard Them First? A Brief History of Binaural Beats Binaural beats were first described in 1839 by Prussian scientist H.W. Dove. However, it was Gerald Oster's article in Scientific American in 1973 that brought this process to modern attention. According to Oster, the tones needed to produce binaural beats had to be relatively low-frequency and the beats themselves were in the range of one to 30 hertz. This is the range the human brainwave frequencies fall in. What to know the real story? Humans have the ability to "hear" binaural beats as a result of evolutionary adaptation. "Many evolved species can detect binaural beats because of their brain structure. The frequencies at which binaural beats can be detected change depending upon the size of the species' cranium. In the human, binaural beats can be detected when carrier waves are below approximately 1000 Hz." (Oster, 1973) The Binaural Process In Real Music Of course, binaural beats in terms of therapy is quite different than the binaural process found in music. This process was apparently invented by Manfred Shunke who used models of the human head created with the help of computer design software. As music historian Rob Bowman wrote in the notes for Lou Reed's Between Thought and Expression:"The detail was as precise as possible down to the size, shape, and bone structure of the ear and ear canal. Microphones were then designed to fit each ear so, theoretically, what they recorded would be exactly what a human sitting in the position the head was placed would actually hear." Binaural Beats To Manage Pain:Why The Truth Matters For Your Memory Chronic pain impacts between 10-50% of the adult population, while costing U.S. businesses over $61 billion annually. The neuromatrix theory suggests that the brain's inability to return to a state of equilibrium is at the crux of chronic pain (Melzack, 2001; Melzack, 2005). Binaural beats has been effective in synchronizing brain waves, also known as entrainment, with an external stimulus (Kennel, Taylor Lyon, & Bourguignon, 2010), and has been associated with a number of positive psychological outcomes (David, Katz, & Naftali, 2010; Lane, Kasian, Owens, & Marsh, 1998). Research shows that an external audio protocol of theta-binaural beats is effective at reducing perceived change in pain severity. How does this affect your memory? The answer is simple: Pain free people pay better attention to their surroundings. Freedom from pain means that your levels of focus and concentration are automatically better than when impacted by ongoing or recurrent pain. Being pain free is especially important for learning, something that requires high levels of concentration. Kind of like crossword puzzles require high levels of concentration (not that there is much evidence they will improve your memory). Speaking of which: Do Gamma Brain Waves Improve Memory & Concentration? The highest frequency

This guest post on effective brain training exercises for mental illness sufferers comes from Alex Moore. Take it away, Alex! Would you like some brain training exercises to keep you sharp and on top of your game all the time? I hope the answer is a resounding, "Yes!" Here's why: Conditions such as mental illness and aging contribute to mental decay. All the more so if you're already suffering from mental illness, not to mention the medicinal side effects of psychiatric medicine. These medicines, even when useful, can cause your memory a lot of harm. Here's the good news: Losing control over your cognitive functions can be hard, but it doesn't need to happen. There is a way to avoid cognitive decline, and all it involves is training your mind. In this post, you'll learn everything you need to know about brain training exercises to help keep your memory healthy. All About Brain Training Although many people believe that brain training is a modern invention, it actually has a rich history. To take one example, check out the brain training exercises admired by the Edwardians nearly 100 years ago. In fact, mnemonic systems were all the rage in 19th century Great Britain. Famous author Mark Twain even had one called "The Memory Builder". Then there's Pelmanism. Like the brain exercise training favored by the Edwardians, Pelmanism is a product of Great Britain, and became very popular during the first half of the 20th century. Get this: More than 500,000 people reportedly used it, and one of them was the Prime Minister of the country himself! Why was it so popular? First, the system revolutionized brain training because it targeted the same mental functions we focus on optimizing to this day: Attention Concentration Creativity The Pelman Scientific Mind Training Program focused on each of these to help people exercise their minds. Participants were mailed monthly booklets with games and exercises designed specifically to stimulate one or more of these functions. All of which goes to show that brain training isn't new. And of course, Anthony is always coming up with different brain exercises you can explore. Check these out: Even better: We have even more scientific evidence than ever to guide us these days. Modern neuroscience has managed to prove beyond any shred of doubt that our brains are in fact malleable like plastic. In fact, we all have to ability to modify the structure and functions of our brains. Of course, a lot depends on the internal and external factors of our lives, such as other bodily processes or environmental changes. But overall, every single person can intervene and create a better mental life. Sadly, though, cognitive decline is becoming increasingly common past the age of 30. One reason is that people don't understand the difference between memory loss and forgetfulness. Nevertheless, slowing down the aging of our brain through training is a prospect that fills us with hope. And research shows that it's completely achievable. However, if having a sharper memory is something you aim for, you need to know right now that it takes work. In order to remain in a constant state of connectedness regardless of whether you're 30, 50 or 80 years old, you need to push your mind to learn something new each day. There is nothing more stimulating for your synapses than being put at work. In turn, this leads to tangible improvement in more than one aspect. For example, according to Dr. Jee Hyun Kim of the Florey Institute, focus diminishes with age. Due to this deterioration of focus, stimulating your attention regularly can be crucial. By activating the frontal cortex and the hippocampus, you are not working only on this function, but on your memory and thought as well. How Brain Training Can Increase Focus And Attention There are many ways to achieve better focus and attention. One possibility lies in a simple, yet intellectually stimulating mobile app. Similarly, reading new books, especially with a re-reading strategy, or solving math and logic problems puts all the areas of your brain to work and boosts cognition in the process. Then there's meditation. You can do a walking meditation or sit just to sit Buddha-style for improved memory and concentration. And recent studies that will be discussed shortly suggest that it might even help treat mental illness. Treating Mental Illness With Brain Training Exercises Let me give you some context: I have spent the last couple of years researching alternative treatments for mental conditions that affect memory and cognition. Why did I choose this path? Well, three years ago, someone I care about deeply was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I have spent all my days since trying to educate myself on the topic as much as possible. In my journey, I have found that many specialists believe that brain training can help prevent degenerative neural diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer's. And that's not all. In fact, such practices can help with instances of mental illne

Are you a polyglot? No, I don't mean a ghost that walks around the attic making loud noises and moving objects. That's a poltergeist! A polyglot, on the other hand, is a more tame individual who is fluent in several languages. Then there are the hyperpolyglots – those who actively learn and master six or more languages, like Emil Krebs, a 19th-century German diplomat who had mastered around 65 languages by the time of his death. While only 1 percent of people are polyglots; more than half of the world's population is bilingual (those who speak fluently in two languages). Being bilingual (or multilingual) is said to enhance your better problem-solving abilities, and improve your concentration and focus. These are valuable resources in everyone's life! And reason enough to start learning a new language. If you are geared to pick up a new language or just want to get better in your mother tongue, use these five amazing hacks: And while you practice your German or French, ask yourself this: Will Being Bilingual Help You Get a Healthier Brain? Seriously: There is a ton of research backing claims that being fluent in more than one language is good for your brain. More importantly: Unlike other areas of science and memory, few articles evoke grave doubts on the advantages of being bilingual. That said… A 2015 article in the New Yorker by Maria Konnikova "Is Bilingualism Really an Advantage?" makes an interesting point: Konnikova says the bilingual advantage seems to have more of a protective effect on the aging brain than it does anything to enhance executive-control functions of healthy individuals. While the Konnikova's arguments are persuasive, I am sure of one thing: When you learn a new language and use new words and grammar rules, multiple areas of your brain work together. This is a great long-term workout for your brain. And since your brain is a muscle, it needs regular workouts to remain strong, supple and stable! The Inside Story: Why Bilingualism Is Not Just About Speaking Two (Or More) Languages Contrary to general perception, bilingualism is not just about the ability to speak two languages fluently. There are a lot of little nitty-gritty aspects involved. For instance: You could be a "simultaneous bilingual" who learns two languages from birth. Or, you could be an "early sequential bilingual." What the heck do those terms mean? "Early sequential bilingual" is a fancy term for those kids who speak one language at home but learn to speak the community language at school. There is also the "late sequential bilingual" – someone who grew up with one language and then moved to a country that speaks another. Why are these terms important? The differences in how and when you learned your second language often leads to different levels of proficiency and fluency. This, in turn, affects your level of being bilingual. For instance, if you were fluent in French (along with English) in high school but have been using only English ever since, your bilingualism and its related advantages may have deteriorated. In fact, according to a study, simultaneous bilinguals and early sequential bilinguals show different levels of behavioral performance in a lexical representation task that measures how quickly you can classify a stimulus as words or nonwords. (Sebastián-Gallés, Echeverría & Bosch, 2005) Remember this: The more articulate you are in a language, and the more fluently you use both your languages in your daily life, the more bilingual you will be. "You have to use both languages all the time. You won't get the bilingual benefit from occasional use." This quote is by the cognitive neuroscientist, Ellen Bialystok who has spent almost 40 years learning about how bilingualism sharpens the mind. A recent study by Yeh-Zu Tzou shows how working memory is important but language proficiency in the native language (L1) and second language (L2) assumes a more critical role in a person's ability to process and store information simultaneously. Another study shows bilingualism is not a categorical variable (that is you are either bilingual or not) but rather the "bilingual experience is composed of multiple related dimensions that will need to be considered in assessments of the consequences of bilingualism." The Trouble With Knowing Two Languages: Each Fight For Supreme Control As a bilingual, when you use one language, the other is also active at the same time. This creates a persistent linguistic competition which can result in language difficulties. For instance, bilinguals are known to be prone to the tip-of-the-tongue syndrome where you can remember specific details about a word but cannot conjure the word fully. Some mnemonists and memory champions also term it as "ghosting." I refer to it as "Magnetic fossilization." Either way, if you have ever been in a position where someone's name is right on the tip of your tongue but you can't get your brain to say it out loud, remember that the word is competition with some o

Can stress cause memory loss and confusion? Not if you've got a gun in your face. Like Ben Thomas. Ben was walking through an L.A. neighborhood when he was robbed at gunpoint. Next day, when the detective asked him to identify the perpetrator, Ben was able to do it very easily. Over time, however, the author who experienced this violent incident, reported that he "remembered fewer images and more facts: the colors of the thief's hoodie and pants, the words he'd said, even the exact time displayed on my iPod (12:36) at the moment I'd handed it over to him". Why would Ben remember more facts than images? It's because some memories formed under highly stressful situations get so strongly encoded in our brains that we never forget them. But does that mean you should put yourself under stress to memorize your sales presentation? The Answer Is A Big NO! Because, in general, stress impairs memory, makes you forget things or even remember things differently. Ben, for instance, could recall the thief's face vividly for a day or two but after a few weeks, he couldn't picture the guy's face at all. And keep in mind that Ben's no dummy. He's not only an author, but also someone who happens to be an independent researcher who studies consciousness and the brain. High IQ or not… When we're stressed, some memories stick like super glue while others get warped or lost. For that reason, please understand this: It's never a good idea to induce stress when trying to memorize a book, your lessons or your campaign presentation. You never know what essential information your brain will skip remembering! Instead, increase focus and concentration from the ground up using a WRAP technique: When Are You Under Stress? A Scientific Definition This quote is worth reading twice: "When an organism faces emotional distress or is physically challenged the autonomic nervous system, a subdivision of the sympathetic nervous system, is automatically activated. Once activated, a cascade of physiological changes occurs that better enables an organism to confront (i.e. fight, freeze) or escape (i.e. flee) danger. The term "stress" applies to the condition under which the autonomic nervous system is activated and stress hormones are released." (Impairing and Enhancing Effects of Psychosocial Stress on Episodic Memory and Eyewitness Report, Siobhan Marie Hoscheidt, 2011) And guess what? When you're frozen, or busy running away, learning gets really tough. Worse, there's a part of the brain that controls stress that can really wreak havoc on your focus and concentration. When you undergo a stressful event, the amygdala – a part of the brain that enables emotional processing – sends a distress call to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is like a command center that communicates with the rest of your body through the nervous system so that you have the energy to fight or flee. Stress Can Make You Forget Things… Even If You're a Memory Champion Want in on a little secret? Stress doesn't discriminate between the regular Joe, a presidential candidate or a memory champ. It does and will mess with your brain. Like it did for world memory champion Jonas Von Essen. When Jonas was called to recite the closing credits of Newsnight from memory, he struggled to remember the presenter Jeremy Paxman's surname as well as some other names. If that doesn't put the spotlights on just how bad stress can be for even the best memory athlete, I don't know what does. Even as a memory expert, Jonas felt on the spot and stress was part of his embarrassing flub on TV. But is it really a fail? The answer is a bit more complex, so let's have a look. How Does Stress Affect Your Memory: The Inside Story When under stress, brain freeze like what Jonas encountered happens mostly because your thinking is preoccupied with the stress-inducing stimuli – am I looking cool on TV – blocking out other thoughts. But that's not the complete picture. While low levels of anxiety can affect your ability to recall information; high-stress situations, like being robbed at gunpoint, increases your brain's ability to encode and recall traumatic events. A study by Marloes J. A. G. Henckens and team demonstrated how "acute stress is accompanied by a shift into a hypervigilant mode of sensory processing in combination with increased allocation of neural resources to noise reduction. This reduction of task-irrelevant ambient noise, in combination with a stress-hormone-induced optimal state for neural plasticity, may explain why stressful events attain a privileged position in memory". What Does This Stress Memory Loss Chemical Connection Mean? In simple words, when you are anxious, your brain will put you on red alert and increase your focus and concentration on that stressful event by eliminating any other distracting information. This can aid in encoding some information into your long-term memory better. However, there's more to this story. Chronic stress, like constant worry about losing your job,

Stoic philosophy has helped thousands of people live better lives. But can it help you use memory techniques to learn a language better? Turns out… The answer is a resounding Yes! And to show you exactly how, Christopher Huff joins us on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast. Click play and you'll learn: * The secrets of rhythm you can use to help you remember words. * How Christopher used the American presidents to better remember Chinese tones. (This approach is kind of like a hyper-focused PAO without a Major System supporting it.) * How to memorize the prepositions in English in alphabetical order using a simple song. * The powerful lesson Christopher learned from his first interaction with mnemonics. [smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/magneticmemorymethod/Stoic_Secrets_For_Using_Memory_Techniques_With_Language_Learning.mp3″ social_linkedin="true" ] * Why Christopher places a cap on how many Magnetic Images he creates when using Anki. * The biggest mistake Epicurus says you can make – and how it applies to memory techniques and language learning. * The matter of jokes and telling lies in Toki Pona. Regarding that cool language, make sure to subscribe to Christopher's Language Fan YouTube channel and check out his language learning videos. * Christopher also has an amazing video about the Goldlist Method, and in this interview he mentions the super-fascinating Leitner system. * Christopher's powerful definition of fluency, and how you can legitimately feel fluent even with a small pool of words and phrases. * Why Christopher compares the use of mnemonics for language learning to skitching. * The ultimate tool for developing fluency – something that we all have access to and yet too few people use! * … and many more memory strategies of the world's best language learners. For more cool things from Christopher, please check out his Instagram – he draws cool comics and is constantly traveling all over the place. And if you have questions or comments, please leave them below so we can get back to you. In the meantime, if you haven't already grabbed my FREE Memory Improvement Kit, here's where to get it: The post Stoic Secrets For Using Memory Techniques With Language Learning appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Aphantasia. Sounds like a magic word a magician would say before conjuring a rabbit from his hat, doesn't it? But let me ask you this as you click play and listen to the audio version of this page: [smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/magneticmemorymethod/Aphantasia__Develop_Your_Memory_Even_If_You_Cannot_See_Mental_Images.mp3″ title="Aphantasia: Develop Your Memory Even If You Cannot See Mental Images" social_linkedin="true" ] Can you visualize the magician pulling out the rabbit by his ears? For most of us, it will be easy to recall images inside our head, using our mind's eye. However, if you could NOT see any image in your mind's eye – no colors, no sounds, no smells, no textures, no flavors, nothing at all – you may have a condition called aphantasia or a blind mental eye. Don't freak out, though. Many people have aphantasia, even magicians. Familiar with Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller fame)? He is a famous magician and entertainer, and he is an aphantasic(!). By his own admission, Penn says he cannot conjure a mental image of a person or a place to save his life. What Exactly is Aphantasia? A Detailed Definition The term 'aphantasia' comes from the Greek words a, meaning "without", and phantasia, meaning "a capacity to form mental images". The phenomenon was first described by the controversial psychologist Francis Galton – one of the pioneers of eugenics – in 1880. The interest in the phenomenon was renewed after the publication of a study conducted by a team led by Dr. Adam Zeman, a professor of cognitive and behavioral neurology, at the University of Exeter. Zeman's team published a paper in 2015 on what they termed "congenital aphantasia", now known simply as aphantasia. For Firefox co-creator Blake Ross it was a surprise revelation that other people could visualize things in the mind's eye while he couldn't. "I can't 'see' my father's face or a bouncing blue ball, my childhood bedroom or the run I went on ten minutes ago," he wrote in a Facebook post. According to Craig Venter, the biologist who created the first synthetic organism: "It's like having a computer store the information, but you don't have a screen attached to the computer." Is Aphantasia a Common Phenomena? While research on the subject is still in its nascent stages, neurologists believe approximately one in 50 people or 2-5% of the population are non-visual-imagers. Sounds like a big number? Don't be surprised. Being an aphantasic is nearly as common as having a food allergy. Neuroimaging has shown that mental imagery, although strongly associated with the left temporal lobe, requires the use of large networks of brain pathways. This means that aphantasia could potentially occur in different ways in different individuals. The Two Likely Causes Of Aphantasia However, the exact cause of aphantasia is still unknown. According to Dr. Zeman heredity and environment both are likely to be relevant causes. Interestingly, an aphantasic may have a visual memory which means they may be able to describe in detail about how things looked – the cat had blue eyes, the umbrella was pink and matched the skirt – even though they cannot see these very images in their mind's eye. Moreover, many people who cannot visualize in mental images can think in sounds, while others can remember physical sensations. Penn says, when he dreams, he's not sure if he sees images but has the sensation of knowing that "ideas wash over me". Want to Take The Aphantasia Test? It is not possible to "see" what someone else is picturing inside their head unless they describe it to you. So how do we check what your mind's eye is seeing? You can answer the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, which is what psychologists use to rate different mental images of an individual, to test the strength of his mind's eye. Although you don't get any results, you're helping a good cause by completing the survey and the questions themselves will tell you a lot about your imaginary visual style. [smart_podcast_player social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_email="true" ] How Aphantasia Affects Memory Our brain stores information in two different ways – verbally and visually. Both these types of storage are independent of one another, and each can be used alone. Therefore, even people with aphantasia can complete the "tests of visual imagery" without too much difficulty. Here's a quick test: Count the number of windows in your house. Quick #memory improvement exercise: Mentally count all the windows in your home.Click To Tweet Even if you can't see a "mental" image of your house and locate each window in that image, you would have an awareness of being there and recall from factual information the number of windows in your house. While aphantasics can remember things from their past, they experience these memories in a different way than someone with strong imagery. They often describe memories as a conceptual lis

Can smartphone addiction fry your brain cells? Not literally, but that twitchy connection to your phone? It definitely affects your abilities to concentrate and think deeply. And that means device addiction harms your ability to remember. Worse: Smartphone addiction not only turns you into a social pariah… It Can Also Be Fatal! In 2015, distracted driving (due to texting or talking on the cellphone) killed 3,477 people and injured another 391,000. And there's more bad news… According to the National Safety Council, using cell phones while driving can make you more accident prone than even drunk driving… No wonder people are concerned over how cell phones are affecting their lives! In January this year, two of Apple's biggest shareholders wrote an open letter to the company requesting it to provide "more choices and tools" so that parents could restrict their children's smartphone usage time. The letter added that researchers have found this shocking statistic: "U.S. teenagers who spend 3 hours a day or more on electronic devices are 35 percent more likely, and those who spend 5 hours or more are 71 percent more likely, to have a risk factor for suicide than those who spend less than 1 hour." Smartphone addiction is a serious issue and may need some creative problem solving using the C.R.E.A.T.E. formula: But here's the real question: What about YOU? Are you displaying cell phone addiction symptoms? Let's find out: Are You A Nomophobic? I know you will never admit it, but when you are unable to find your phone for even 30 seconds, it causes a minor anxiety attack. How do I know this? Because it happens to people every single second of the day. Look at this poor fellow: So, is he a nomophobic? Absolutely! Nomophobia or 'NO MObile PHOne phoBIA' is the fear of not being able to use your cell phone or have access to your device. Want to know if you're truly addicted? Take this online quiz to find out. Nomophobia is real, but the medical community is not ready to declare overuse of cell phones as a clinical addiction. Ignoring The Data? They neglect to do so in the face of some shocking data. As the Joker suggests (I misquote), "whatever doesn't kill us, only makes us stranger"… Nearly one in ten people admitted to using their smartphones during sex, in the shower, on a movie date, in church or other place of worship, as per the 2013 Mobile Consumer Habits. What's more, nearly three-quarters of the respondents said that they were always within five feet of their smartphones. Although doctors do agree that if you can't stop using your phone, even when it's harming your life, you may be "addicted." "Only a small percentage of people qualify as addicted. But many people overuse their smartphones." This quote comes from Dr. David Greenfield, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut and founder of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction. Smartphone addiction is not listed as an official mental disorder listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. However, psychologists are debating about whether that should change. Some researchers also say that the development of smartphone addiction is similar to that of a gambling disorder (or gambling addiction), which is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. How does addiction work? With gambling, the reward of winning once in a while is what hooks people to the habit. Smartphone addiction works on a similar principle. Most of the time, a phone notification will be insignificant. However, every once in a while… Something Meaningful Happens! Like a phone call from an old friend, or a Facebook notification that someone has tagged you in a photo. Researchers say this type of messages are irresistible and can lead to overuse or addiction to your device. There's more… Device addiction can extend far beyond just the smartphone. Recently, the World Health Organization announced that video game addiction will now be classified as an official mental health condition in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. According to the WHO, gaming disorder is "characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior manifested by: 1) impaired control over gaming (e.g., onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context); 2) increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and 3) continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences." "The behavior pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning," WHO adds. Whether it is to play video games or check your Facebook notifications, here's the truth: Spending too much time with your smartphone will slowly but surely harm your mind. How Smartphone Addiction Damages Your Memory For starte

Tansel Ali is possibly the most positive memory champion on the planet. Turns out there's a solid reason why. A few reasons, actually. And in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, I speak with 4x Australian Memory Champion Tansel Ali talks about memory improvement and positive thinking. This may well be the most valuable hour you spend listening to a podcast about memory improvement. Why? For starters… In addition to discussing the role of gratitude in coming up with effective visualizations when using mnemonics, Tansel discusses the importance of reading, memorizing cards with music on and focusing on the right things to maximize performance in your memory and life. Plus, when you scroll up and click play above, you'll soon discover… * Why Tansel was originally skeptical about memory improvement and thought all TV memory trainers were fake. * The factors responsible for making people suspicious of memory techniques because they seem like magic "tricks." * How Tansel wound up at his first memory competition and took second place. * The other rewards memory improvement brings you, including mindset, job performance and fun. * Tansel's transition from memory competition to enhancing his own life and the lives of others through teaching memory. * Why you need to continue challenging your memory almost like the physical training of the body to keep the mind in top shape. * Exactly how participating in memory competitions help you develop preparation and developing positive self-talk. * Why Tansel sometimes FORCES himself NOT to use memory techniques in order to challenge his brain. * Tansel's definition of consistency and the development of successful habits that you can use to challenge yourself. * Why you should go without fear of making mistakes for the health of your brain and the development of effective discipline. Tansel Ali book signing of The Yellow Elephant on Kindle for me in person. * Tansel's personal training regime and how he makes it count. * How Tansel thinks about visualization as a kind of muscle and how he trains it for competition. * A quick comparison of Alex Mullen's training regime and Tansel's focus on efficiency to improve the right skills and maximize performance. * A discussion of aphantasia and why you don't actually have to see pictures in your mind to use memory techniques. * How Tansel uses feelings and thinking in words to create mnemonic imagery – and why feeling creates more impact. * How to give the mnemonic imagery you create greater value through personalization. * Practical reasons you should memorize cards. For one thing, they set you up to make creative decisions that goes beyond just remembering information. And here are 13 more reasons you should have a system for remembering cards. * Tansel's thoughts on music and memory and how he memorizes cards with music playing. * The benefits of training your memory and where to start (also discussed in this video): * The importance of making memory training fun and interesting, rather than a chore. * Tansel's history with apps for memory training and meditation and how to reduce stress. * How Tansel changed from wallowing in negativity to living in positivity. * Why you don't have to use bizarre or violent imagery to remember information and positive options you can explore for creating and using mnemonics. * Why we both approach shows like Breaking Bad with caution in order to maintain a positive mindset. Not that Breaking Bad can't be useful for memory improvement, as you can see here: * The role of gratitude in increasing the value of your imagination by focusing on specifics. * Why "the law of attraction" is useless without taking action – and how you can use mindset to create the excitement needed to make sure you achieve your goals. * Why Tansel wishes he had read more as a young person. * Some of Tansel's favorite memory books and why they changed his life, including books by Tony Buzan and Dominic O'Brien. * Tansel's take on Digital Amnesia and why he chooses to see the positive side of the debate about the so-called Google Effect. * How Turkish is helping Tansel learn Japanese even without using Kevin Richardson's Learn Japanese App (a.k.a. Memory Palace). I want to thank Tansel for being on the show and thank you for listening. Please be sure to grab his books, visit his site and get connected on his various online platforms using the links below. Further Resources Yellow Elephant: Improve Your Memory And Learn More, Faster, Better by Tansel Ali How to Learn Almost Anything in 48 Hours: Shortcuts And Brain Hacks For Learning New Skills Fast by Tansel Ali Subscribe to Tansel Ali's YouTube channel Visit Tansel Ali's website Tansel Ali on Twitter Tansel's World Memory Stats The post Tansel Ali On How Gratitude Can Help You Remember Almost Anything appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

We all make mistakes. In fact, life mistakes are inevitable. Heck, in many cases, they're even desirable. After all, we learn from our mistakes when picking up a language – including our native mother tongues. But some life mistakes are probably avoidable. Like the 4.1 I'm going to discuss in this post. They are in no particular order of importance. But I've stuck the one with a tutorial at the end. I believe if you pay that final point the most attention… … and put its mini-lesson into action… You will avoid SO much pain and suffering. I wish I had known about that unique set of strategies anyone can use at least 21 years sooner! So whether you're 41 or any other age, let's dive in with these mistakes life has burned into my memory and that I could have done without. 1. You Cannot Fulfill Anyone Else's Dreams (No Matter How Hard You Try) Maybe it's all the Romantic poetry I read. Or maybe it's just in my genes. Whatever the reason, I have somehow wound up with a tendency to try and make others happy. But it's a trap! Every time. First off, "happy" is mostly meaningless. There are too many possible definitions. Most of them are far from impressive, let alone correct. I prefer the Greek term eudaimonia. Some people translate it as happiness, but it actually refers to "flourishing." Already, that sounds better. Concrete. Something you can feel, see, embrace. But even then, you cannot give flourishing to another human being. The best you can do is reach out and try to connect. Share with them some of what you know and the story of how you came to understand it. Yes, there is "hard teaching." There is the do-this, do-that of the Memory Palace. Anyone can repeat the process, even if they're a skeptic at first. (Especially if they're skeptical.) Likewise with brain exercises. But getting people to complete the exercises? That's entirely on them. The best you can do is offer inspiration and encouragement. And if you love them, let them be. Our siblings on this long-suffering earth can only do the things they are going to do. And those of us who have traveled to a particular destination, can only show the way – the way we took, amongst many possible paths. Though to reach some destinations, there really are only singular and definitive ways to reach the end. Either way, if student and teacher are lucky enough to meet somewhere on the road, they can break bread. Maybe sing a song or two together. Or just hang out on a YouTube Live like this one we did for my birthday: (If you're not subscribed to my YouTube channel, you can take care of that here.) But sooner or later, both will be off again on their individual journeys into the unknown. And that's a beautiful thing. But when you try to tether ships together… All too often, the ship bows start to knock. And no two sails interpret the wind quite the same. How could they? Same wind. Different sails. If something you've taught them about sailing helps them correct course to wherever it is they're trying to navigate, that's great. But they ultimately accomplished the task of navigation. From the deck of their own ship. And there are lots of possible destinations. We can't all wind up on the same islands together. Nor should we. Anyhow, I've wasted a lot of time and energy trying to redirect some of the wind filling my sails to help others. It never works. Here's What Guides You To Success Better What does work is this: Sharing the miracle of what one has learned about harnessing the wind's power. And respecting what the wind can do. It sometimes makes sense to help a friend patch up one of their moth-bitten sails. But you've got to make sure you don't get stranded on their ship. Especially during a storm. Keep yourself tied to your own mast. That way you'll always have a way back to your own ship. And you reduce the danger that you may be the reason why the ship of your friend has started to go down. Because the cruel reality is that help can be a hindrance. Keep your awareness high of that potential problem and you'll be better off and help save yourself and others from drowning under the weight of wisdom they may neither want nor need. Is all that too abstract? Perhaps. But rest assured that the stories lurking behind these images are memories I could do without. And I think that even without concrete examples, they could help you avoid many disasters too. 2. You Always Have All The Resources You Need (Even If You Sometimes Fall For The Scarcity Illusion) Actually, I don't have any unusual nightmares lurking behind this life principle. But I've seen many people not take action because they believed in scarcity, rather than abundance. They didn't have enough money. They didn't have enough energy. They didn't have enough time. In every case, I could easily spot why these claims weren't valid. And when I opened my mouth about why I thought so… well… see point one above. It's very hard to make abundance visible to people convinced that they don't have enough. In fact, it

The Freedom Journal… sounds ambitious right? Well, what if I told you that I've discovered profound memory benefits from journaling for language learning, including boosts in physical and emotional wellbeing? Benefits that definitely deserve the word "freedom." That's what I am going to tell you about. And it's all happening right now in this step-by-step guide. This page will show you how to use The Freedom Journal to experience multiple levels of mental freedom while using it to learn a language with consistency and confidence. The best part? You don't have to journal blindly. You don't have to start from scratch or wonder exactly how you're going to chart your path towards improved fluency. You just have to: Click play on the podcast above. John Lee Dumas himself is on this episode of the MMM Podcast to help explain how this amazing tool came into existence. Grab yourself your very own Freedom Journal (ideally in print for the fullest brain benefits). Then, have the language you want to learn… A couple of Memory Palaces… 5-10 minutes in the morning, another 5-10 in the evening… And you're ready to experience brain benefits and fluency like never before. Ready? Let's go! A (Very) Brief History Of Journaling You know what journaling is, right? Your words. About you. On paper. Or written inside a digital document. Take your pick. More carefully defined: A journal (or diary) is a place you store entries on a daily or near-daily basis. It is voluntary, helps you put problems to rest and keep yourself moving forward. You can journal to maintain flow, learn more about yourself and use the Magnetic Memory Method better as you go. Or, like the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote in Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν (To Myself), you can journal purely to capture your thoughts. These days, "To Myself' is known as Meditations. Aurelius wrote it in the second half of the 2nd century AD and, even though this book started as his journal, it is still a bestseller today. Here's the important point: Journaling is powerful and the practice has stood the test of time. Therapeutic Journaling And How It Can Help You Learn A Language Did you know that in the 1980s, James Pennabaker's expressive writing paradigm opened scientists onto a whole new world of understanding what makes journaling so good for your health? He started by looking at journaling as a tool for helping people deal with trauma. But soon after that, dozens and soon hundreds of studies started to appear showing similar effects. A lot of them are gathered up and synthesized in one of my favorite books of all time, 59 Seconds: Change Your Life in Under a Minute. Sounds like hype, right? It isn't. Wiseman is one of the best science writers of our era and if you want the hard data on why journaling, ideally by hand on paper, works so much magic, you'll want to read 59 Seconds. Here's why all this matters: Journaling Makes You Feel Better And Remember More Feeling better literally helps you remember more because the absence of pain is an incredible way to increase your focus and concentration. And that is a huge help when you're learning a language. That said, if you don't feel frustrated or discouraged, then maybe you don't need journaling. But before you decide, check out these… 3 Warning Signs That Scream You Need Journaling To Succeed With Language Learning We've talked before about these 15 Reasons Why Learning A Foreign Language Is Good For Your Brain. And the reason you need at least bilingualism in your life is simple: Learning a language is excellent for the resilience of the white and grey matter in your brain. The ongoing use of other languages creates has been shown to fend off Alzheimer's and Dementia. (So long as you're not reducing your results with Digital Amnesia and self-deception about your attention-span.) But often, scientific proof isn't enough to create significant motivation for language learning. In fact, you might be experiencing one of these 3 warning signs that you need journaling for Language Learning. 1. You're Not Consistent There's no doubt about it: Learning a language takes time plus consistency. Consistency is a skill, and for many of us (including me), not always one that shows up on autopilot. Journaling can help. 2. You Struggle With Organizing Your Time Let's be honest: Time is a slippery fish. Yes, yes, we all know the old line: "Everybody gets the same 24 hours a day." But you know what's so maddening about that cliche? Even if it's true… Not everyone has your life situation, nor your obligations! Journaling (with the right journal) can help you find a tailor made solution. 3. You Forget Where You Left Off (And Even Why You're On The Journey) Do you know why artists use sketchbooks? Yeah, they're convenient. Duh. But they're also a time machine. They reveal the ongoing progress and serve as reminders of where things need to go. And just as an artist needs to see the development of their strokes and abilities with shading… So too do they need clu

Does your episodic memory help you remember your first prom? You wore a lovely turquoise gown, your mom couldn't stop smiling, and your dad was delighted to meet your date. It was a fantastic evening, right? Well… Let's just say, that's how you remember it. If you ask your mom, on the other hand, she would say: "It was a frantic evening. You couldn't decide what to wear and were almost in tears when the hair-rollers wouldn't set in. More annoyingly, your dad was upset about your date and was being difficult". Each person remembers a specific event in his or her unique way – this is called your episodic memory. By definition, episodic memory involves the recollection of specific events, situations, and experiences. Episodic Memory Examples Are Easy To Find Examples of episodic memory would include your memory of your first day of school or your first kiss. Apart from your overall recall of the event itself, episodic memories also involve your memory of the location and time that the event occurred. For another powerful episodic memory example, please watch this video. It includes some powerful exercises that will help you improve your episodic memory too: Someone else's recollection of that same event or experience would be different (maybe not as dramatically different as your prom night, but different nevertheless). If you want to remember past events in its full technicolor details, you must strengthen your episodic memory. Keen on storing everyday information in an easily retrievable place? Here's a quick demo of how to use Memory Palace to store information that matters to you: Are Episodic Memories And Autobiographical Memories The Same? Not exactly! Autobiographical and episodic memories are personal memories from the past. However, autobiographical memory is more general, for example, when you recall the street name of a house growing up. On the other hand, episodic memory is more specific to time. It's like remembering your 13th birthday party that took place on a particular street. (Electromagnetic Differences in the Brain during Memory Retrieval, Warren Scott Merrifield, 2007) In effect, although autobiographical memory involves episodic memory, it also relies on semantic memory. For instance, you can remember the city you were born in and the date, but you wouldn't have any specific memories of being born. Here's A Fascinating Fact: Research into links between memory and handedness suggest that ambidextrous people (who can perform some tasks with one hand and some with the other) tend to show better autobiographical memory than people who perform almost all tasks with either one hand or the other. In contrast to autobiographical and episodic memories, semantic memory refers to the understanding of factual knowledge that is not connected to any specific time and place. For example, the knowledge that the sky is blue. Semantic memory is similar to looking an item up in the dictionary. Often an individual has no specific recollection, or thoughts of re-experiencing, the event in which the semantic information was acquired; therefore, semantic memories are thought to be "known" rather than "remembered" (McKoon, Ratcliff, & Dell, 1986). Episodic Memory + Semantic Memory = Declarative Memory Episodic memory and semantic memory together makeup part of your long-term memory and are known as declarative memory. But before a memory is cemented into long-term memory as episodic memory, it must pass through the semantic memory, noted Endel Tulving of the University of Toronto in his book, Elements of Episodic Memory. Tulving and colleagues (Habib, Nyberg, & Tulving, 2003) reviewed a large body of neuroimaging research to develop the Hemispheric Encoding and Retrieval Model (HERA). According to HERA, the left prefrontal cortex (PFC) is more involved than right PFC in episodic memory encoding while the right PFC is more involved than left PFC in episodic memory retrieval. As the left hemisphere is related to semantic processing, encoding of the episodic information appears to involve the semantic network. (Intensive Semantic Memory Training: A Comparison to Traditional Episodic Memory Therapy in TBI, Elisabeth C. D'Angelo, 2016) Lost & Found: The Incredible Sense Of Episodic Memory In the 1913 novel In Search of Lost Time, Marcel Proust describes an interesting scene. The protagonist of the novel, upon tasting a Madeleine cake for the first time in many years, is overcome with a sudden change in his thoughts, emotions, and overall internal mental state. Initially, he struggles to define the change that has occurred. Soon, and with conscious mental effort, he is able to identify what change has overcome him: he has retrieved an episodic memory. The memory was of his youth when his Aunt used to serve him the small cake at her kitchen table. (Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Neural Activity During Human Episodic Memory Encoding and Retrieval, John F. Burke, 2014) And it's a memory that involves all the senses, just lik

Is coconut oil good for memory? Well, many people think that a diet rich in coconut oil is essential to prevent brain fog, memory loss, dementia and even Alzheimer's disease. But… Here's the thing: For years, coconut oil has been been a staple in ketogenic diets for its high fat levels and low carbohydrate content. Interestingly, a 2016 study by Klaus W.Lange and his team revealed that "both the direct administration of ketone bodies and the use of high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets have been shown to be efficacious in animal models of AD (Alzheimer's disease) and clinical trials with AD patients." But there's a catch… The study stated that "the mechanism underlying the efficacy of ketogenic diets remains unclear, but some evidence points to the normalization of aberrant energy metabolism. At present there is only limited evidence of the usefulness of ketogenic diets in AD." Don't get deterred through… There are other foods that improve memory well worth checking out too. And yes, I like to cook with it myself, such as when making my Memory Friendly Chocolate Pancakes With Cacao Powder: But despite being a wonderful ingredient in memory recipes like ours at the Magnetic Memory Method Headquarters in Brisbane, one question remains… How vital is coconut oil in boosting your brain? Let's find out. Starting with: The History Of Coconut Oil And Its Link With A Healthy Brain Settlers in tropical countries used all parts of the coconut tree. The leaves were weaved into baskets and mats, the sap of the flowers used to create syrups and the meat of the coconut served as food. Gradually, the settlers pressed coconut meat to produce coconut oil. For at least 2000 years, coconut oil has been an integral part of Ayurvedic medicine. It has been used to heal wounds, treat hair fall, as a skin moisturiser and sunscreen, taken as a health tonic and even considered beneficial for the heart. You could say coconut oil was the 'swiss army knife of medicine'. But there's the kicker… Despite its rich history, coconut oil is not used as extensively as it used to be. Why? In the 1950s physiologist Ancel Keys discovered that hydrogenated oils had saturated fat which was responsible for heart disease. Remember, hydrogenated coconut vegetable oil was used extensively for cooking at that time. In response, the vegetable oil industry blamed saturated fats in processed coconut oil and gave it a bad name. The tactic worked and throughout the 1950s and 60s coconut oil was replaced by polyunsaturated vegetable oils. New Discovery Brings Coconut Oil To The Forefront Again Half a century after Dr. Keys discovery, scientists found that Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) which are present in coconut oil can improve memory for Alzheimer patients. That again changed public perception of this humble oil. In a 2004 study, elderly subjects were fed either MCT oil or a placebo at random. Subjects who had symptoms of Alzheimer's showed an immediate improvement on the paragraph recall memory test after consuming the MCT solution. Then in 2008, Dr. Mary Newport – who was researching possible treatments for her husband diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease – came across the patent application for Ketasyn (which contains MCT), which stated that the oil was derived from coconut oil or palm kernel oil. Here's where it gets interesting: Dr. Newport fed her husband around 35 grams of coconut oil each day. In her popular article "WHAT IF THERE WAS A CURE FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND NO ONE KNEW?", she described rapid change in her husband's behavior two months after the treatment. From the case study by Dr. Newport: "He walks into the kitchen every morning alert and happy, talkative, making jokes. He is able to concentrate on things that he wants to do around the house and in the yard and stay on task, whereas before coconut oil he was easily distractible and rarely accomplished anything unless I supervised him directly." So the question is: Will guzzling gallons of coconut oil result in improved mental alertness? Before we answer that let's understand the connection between coconut oil and ketones. The Ketones Story: How to Power Your Brain Our body uses glucose to power brain cells under normal circumstances. If there is no glucose available, our body burns fats to produce ketones which are then transported to the brain. However in case of Alzheimer's and dementia, your brain cells tend to resist glucose, and won't function effectively. PET scans have shown that areas of the brain which resist glucose, use ketones as an alternative source of energy. Why does this matter? Coconut oils consists 60% of MCTs which contains Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs) that release ketones when burnt. The Popularity Of Coconut Oil: Is It All Just A Marketing Gimmick? It seems a lot of popularity of using coconut oil for memory loss is based on Dr Newport's research. On September 27, 2011, Dr. Mary Newport published Alzheimer's Disease: What If There Was A Cure? The book det

Can you write legibly with both your left and right hands? Midway through a gig, can you swing the guitar to your left arm and continue strumming the ballad? If you can, you are part of that 1% of the population who do not have a dominant hand and experience ambidextrousness. And as you're about to discover, ambidextrousness truly is an experience! If you are ambidextrous, you're in good company too. Or at least, interesting company. Other members of this 'exclusive' group include Benjamin Franklin, Kobe Bryant, and even Nikola Tesla, just one of many reasons I featured him on the cover of The Memory Connection: Many people believe training oneself to use both your hands equally unleashes hidden creativity and even improves memory. The idea that becoming ambidextrous boosts brain function has existed for over a century. Moreover, it is also claimed that if you harness this 'power' you can improve your academic performance, decision making skills and grasp difficult concepts quickly. Can 'learning' to become ambidextrous really have all these advantages? Let's find out: Ambidextrousness: A Dual Handed Benefit? There is a bit of confusion regarding the actual definition of ambidextrousness. You are ambidextrous, if you can perform any task equally with either hand, for instance, write legibly using either of your hands. However, if you do some tasks with your right hand and others with your left, experts will term it as being mixed-handed. Jimi Hendrix is a good example of mixed-handedness. He used his left hand to throw and comb his hair, but he wrote, ate and held the telephone with his right hand. How To Become Ambidextrous? (Because Few Are Born This Way) In the 1800s Paul Broca and Carl Wernicke discovered that different hemispheres of the brain handled different functions such as speech, language and even motor functions. But it was only in 2009 that scientists researched around 25,000 families and found certain genes were responsible for ambidextrousness in people. Then in 2015, researchers found that brain function within the cerebellum is responsible for creativity. This certainly proves why many ambidextrous people have unconventional problem solving abilities. Creative Geniuses, Or: The Celebrities Of Ambidextrousness Nearly 60 years after his death, neurosurgeons studying Einstein's brain discovered that his brain hemispheres were extremely well-connected. The ability to use the right hemispheres creativity and the left hemispheres logic gave the Father of Relativity a significant advantage from his peers. Despite a lack of evidence proving Einstein's ambidextrousness, the study confirmed Einstein's non right-handedness. Another historical figure who belonged to the ambidextrous club was Leonardo Da Vinci. The famous artist (and scientist of art) could easily write with both hands. When Da Vinci wrote an ordinary letter, he used his right hand. However, he wrote his secret diaries in mirror writing using his left hand which made it difficult for others to read. Are All Ambidextrous Individuals Creative Geniuses? Not really! Left-handed tennis player Evgenia Kulikovskaya can switch her racket hand mid game to keep hitting forehands when her left hand gets tired. She doesn't have a backhand! Take a look at this video: The Controversial History Of Ambidextrous Training: John Jackson Though many modern studies link ambidextrousness with increased brain function in both hemispheres of the brain, this idea was not well received at first. In 1905, English educational reformer, John Jackson established the Ambidextral Culture Society. He believed that a two handed, two brained society encouraged superior learning as it engaged the entire brain. He also expected a lot from his disciples. Whether it was playing the piano with one hand or writing a letter with the other, he required his disciples to execute them flawlessly. Was he successful in his mission? Not quite. His society was a laughing stock of the scientific community at the time. Leading British neurologist, James Crichton-Browne criticized the society and even warned Jackson against going the evolutionary process. John Jackson's movement died out in the 1920s. However, his ideas did not. They continued to fuel misconceptions regarding the power of ambidextrousness. Can Being Ambidextrous Make You More Creative? A Few Myths Busted Jackson's theories were not random ideas. They were derived from Paul Broca's studies of brain lateralization that states that some cognitive brain activity is dominant in one hemisphere, and that each hemisphere was linked to the opposite hand. No wonder people believed that using your less dominant hand would help activate both hemispheres of the brain leading to higher mental abilities. That's just the beginning… In her book, The Power of Your Other Hand, Lucia Capacchione claims that writing and drawing with the non-dominant hand gives greater access to the right hemispheric functions like feeling, intuition, creativ

Do you have enough mental exercises to genuinely help you experience real and lasting memory improvement? Whether it's for learning a language, or even just remembering directions while traveling the world. Be honest about your answer. No one here is to judge. Quite the opposite. This blog post (and the podcast – hit play above!) is about about helping you better understand how to judge your memory as it is now and take the right steps toward improving it. To that end, last week we covered 3 Powerful Memory Training Techniques From Around The World. And I just hopped on a live video session to demonstrate just how powerful memory techniques can be in everyday life for memorizing the information in life that matters: This week, we've got 7 more mental exercises you can use to experience true memory improvement. Are memory techniques for everyone? Yes and no. But you can't decide for yourself without the fullest possible range of perspectives. And let's make this point as clear as possible: Memory techniques give you the best mental exercise on the planet. Study them well, everywhere they appear around the glob. With that point in mind, let's get rolling with… 1. USA: Moonwalking With Einstein (And Elaborative Encoding) For Total Recall US memory champion Joshua Foer's book Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything talks about the importance of memorizing events and stories in human history. Sadly, Foer also documents the decline of mental exercises for memorizing in modern life. By the same token, with partial thanks to his book and the internet, the techniques that people need to adopt to restore the art of remembering have never been more popular. The memory trick that Foer explains in his book involves a process known as "elaborative encoding." This involves converting information, such as your grocery list, into a series of "engrossing visual images." For instance, if you want to remember a list of objects like gherkins, cottage cheese, etc. all you need to do is visualise them in an unforgettable manner. Memory expert Ed Cooke – who helped Foer develop his techniques – suggests remembering an item on a shopping list by imagining something like "Claudia Schiffer swimming in [a] tub of cottage cheese." Of course, why someone would waste time on memorizing shopping lists in the best memory improvement books is beyond me. But feel free to memorize anything you like. Whatever works. So long as it really works to give you the memory improvement outcomes you seek! To ensure that, be sure to deposit these images you've created using elaborative encoding in a specific order in your Memory Palace. With practice, a mnemonist can trace a certain path around these memory rooms to recover thousands of images – and with them, thousands of memories. Nelson Dellis, repeat champion of the USA Memory competition, also uses a combination of vivid imagery linked with placing those images in your Memory Palace to remember a list of words. 2. Germany: Memorizing Names Through Association German memory champion Simon Reinhard is one of the top memory athletes in the world. He holds two records for memorizing a 52-card pack of playing cards in just over 21 seconds. Reinhard uses the "association" method to memorize names and faces. And it makes for great mental exercise. How does memorizing names work? When he hears a name for the first time, Reinhard imagines someone else (a familiar figure) with the same name and then try to find similarities between the two or associate it with a feeling. "Sometimes the names fit perfectly, for example a bald headed white Thomas could be the middle age monk Thomas von Aquinas. But if that doesn't work and I don't find an immediate connection, I try to search a bit more thoroughly what this name could tell me. For example the name reminds me of a feeling of anger and then I either try finding some angry expression in the face or the exact opposite, if the person is laughing. It is kind of a multi-faceted approach that doesn't work automatically but comes easily when I look at the name with an open mind. This is my basic, natural approach." This quote comes from an interview that Reinhard gave to Memory-Sports.com. Reinhard also uses memory palace method or the method of loci to remember decks of cards and digits. 3. Japan: Kioku-Jutsu Or The Ninja Mnemonic Method Ninja's were highly trained Japanese spies who were expected to gather and remember crucial information without having to resort to any written text. In order to sharpen their memory skills, Ninja's used the method of "association" to remember complex numbers. They would associate numbers with body parts or food – something that you will definitely recall. They used another extreme method. Please Do Not Try This Mental Exercise At Home! If the information was extremely crucial, Ninja's would cut a body part – the arm or leg – when trying to memorize that information – this helped them associate that mem

Memory training techniques involve more than just training. The use of mnemonics is an ancient art, craft and science practiced around the world. And it's not new. People have been training their memory for thousands of years. The best part? They've left many wonderful tips we can use to learn, memorize and recall more information in ways that are fast, easy and fun. Whether we're talking about Matteo Ricci's recipe to overcome forgetfulness or French scholar Aimé Paris' Mnemonic Major System, strengthening the cerebral muscles of memory has mattered to people across time and around the world. In fact, there are numerous techniques used worldwide by memory champions as well as amateurs to train their brain. The Most Common Question About Memory Training Techniques In The World The question is: Is Ricci's method better than Paris' or would you be more interested in Alex Mullen's PAO system that helps him memorize a deck of cards in less than 17 seconds? These are good questions and I believe everyone should expose themselves to as many memory experts as possible. But here's the deal… Like honing any other skill or strengthening your body's core muscles, hacking your brain to remember anything takes time and practice. It is not difficult to build a better brain, but you must be sure which memory workouts will train it better to help you achieve particular learning outcomes. Before you start reading and executing different memory training techniques practiced around the world, take a quick look at this video. It will introduce you to some powerful prehistoric memory techniques you can use now that Lynne Kelly put together for us in her book, The Memory Code. Why Anyone Can Be A Memory Champ, Even If They Have Never Had Formal Memory Training According to a study published in March 2017, anyone can reshape their brain's networks by using the same tricks as the world's top memory champions. To understand how memory athletes remember huge strings of information, researchers recruited 23 of the world's top-ranked memory champions. They compared the brain scans of these memory champions with those of people who had never practiced memory techniques at all. The scans revealed that memory athletes' brains were not built differently from yours or mine. Far from it. But… These scientists did find something distinctive. The champions' brain showed unique patterns activity in regions that involved memory and cognition. The researchers then put some of the rookies through a memory training program and observed how their brains changed with exercise. The more the newcomers practiced the memory training techniques, the more their brain activity started to resemble the brains of memory athletes. Six Weeks Or Less To A Measurable Increase In Brain Power? You bet. In fact: It took only six weeks for the rookies who had never used memory techniques before to show an increase in brain power. "These really incredible memory feats … are not some form of inborn talent. It's really just training". This is from Martin Dresler, a neuroscientist at Radboud University in the Netherlands and the lead author of the study. And what these findings mean is that anything these people can accomplish in terms of brain fitness, you can do too. Travel Back In Time: Important People In the History of The Major Memory Method Let's start with some history. Remember Monsieur Paris? He's the French scholar we talked about earlier. (If you had to scroll up to check out what we had said about Paris, maybe you need a quick boost of these vitamins for memory improvement.) Paris was the first person to publish a version of the mnemonic Major Method in its modern form that is used by memory experts. However, French mathematician and astronomer Pierre Hérigone is said to have devised the earliest known version of the major system. Herigone apparently used both consonants and vowels in Latin and French. What's the real story? Watch this video for more and a free memory improvement exercise: As complex as the history of memory techniques may be, here's something about which most memory historians agree: The Major Method for memorizing numbers has its roots in the ancient Greek memory tradition. This is a tradition that combined strategic, systematic thinking with strong guidance from the larger guiding principles of memory. And using the Major Method, numbers are converted into consonant sounds and then developed into Magnetic words by adding vowels. Oh, you can make any kind of words if you wish, but it's attention to involving as many of the Magnetic Modes as possible that will make these words impossible to forget. What Are The Magnetic Modes Of Memory? The Magnetic Modes come into play whenever you combine a dedicated Memory Palace with associative, Magnetic Imagery. You use both of these tools to create links between information you already know, with new information you'd like to remember. Your Magnetic Modes are based in brain science, and easily tapped

Looking for ways to learn anything fast and remember it in 2018 (whatever it may be)? You're in the right place. Why? Because 2017 was a landmark year for the Magnetic Memory Method blog and podcast. To sum up the year, I've gathered 18 of the most highly-shared and impactful posts from 2017. Scroll up and click play to hear me sum up the year on the podcast. Then get busy downloading each of these episodes and make yourself an audiobook so that you know how to study without forgetting what you have studied in 2018. For the first category of memory-boosting material from 2017, we begin with: The Biggest Learning Problems And Their Solutions 1. How To Stop Google From Ruining Your Memory Digital Amnesia: 5 Ways To Stop Google From Ruining Your Memory Yes, the threat is real. Please make sure you pay the closest attention to this special message because the "Google Effect" is something we all face. In order to overcome, measures must be taken. This blog post and podcast provides the deep-dive you need to preserve your memory for the long haul. 2. Beware of Apps 5 Memory Improvement Exercises That Don't Require Another Annoying App I know, I know. Apps are attractive. The idea that you can download an app that will help you remember or train your brain is seductive. But as this post demonstrates, there are better brain exercises you can use to improve your memory. And if you want more, here are five additional brain exercises that will benefit anyone. 3. Recycle Your Reading 11 Reasons You Should Reread At Least One Book Every Month I'm so glad I started a solid rereading strategy. I've learned so much and really fortified a lot of things I wanted to remember. The best part? Discovering all the things you didn't notice the first time. This can help you avoid many life mistakes that harm your memory improvement journey. Remember: You can't recall information you didn't notice, so have a rereading reading strategy is really important. 4. Know What Really Counts As Memory Loss The Most Important Difference Between Memory Loss And Forgetfulness In The World I survey thousands of people every year. One thing is clear: Many people don't know how to distinguish between every day forgetfulness and the kind of memory loss that should send you running for the doctor. Please check this material out. 5. Destroy Memory Mythologies 3 Reasons We Must Destroy The Human Goldfish Attention Span Myth Nothing is more dangerous than the lies we tell ourselves than the lies we allow to shape our behavior. If you're sick of being told that you have the attention span of a goldfish (and you should be), we took a look at the origin of this silly myth. Better: We learned to replace that destructive myth with an empowering metaphor that serves our memory instead of tearing it down. 6. Make Memory Easier And Faster 4 Easy Ways To Learn Faster And Remember More We all have a need for speed. But if you want to know how to make your brain stranger and train it for focus, you need strategy. Like knowing R.A.M.S. and which one to avoid: Good news: You'll learn everything you need to know about how to attract information into your memory on that video and the learn faster post. Please check them out. 7. Use A Pencil 5 Note Taking Techniques That Force You To Remember More Of course, I realize that we want to siphon information directly from our eyes and ears into our brain. But the reality is that old technology like paper and pencil still play an important role. And not necessarily in the way you think. I gave you some of my best tips for note taking from the viewpoint of someone who has been both student and professor. Memory Improvement Lessons From Experts & Other Warriors Of The Mind One of the my favorite roles as the host of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast is to: 1) Interview world class memory experts 2) Invite world class memory experts and students to take over the show. For example: 8. Learn From Those Who Really Face The Pressure 7 Killer Memory Improvement Tips From The World Of Conference Interpreting Lukas Van Vyve guest hosted the Magnetic Memory Method podcast and wrote everything down for its fans. You will definitely want to get the full run down on how conference interpreters work their magic. 9. Learn How To Take Online Language Learning Courses Properly How To Consistently Get Quick Victories With Language Learning Courses A lot of people fail to remember information because they don't know how to take courses. Olly Richards, who had just released his new Spanish course, came on to discuss the problem and give many powerful solutions. 10. Know Your Memory History For Some Of The Best Tips The Memory Code: Prehistoric Memory Techniques You Can Use Now Lynne Kelly wrote the best memory improvement book of 2017. Why? Because in The Memory Code, she connects memory techniques for our deep past and shows how they're just as relevant to human survival today as they were in prehistoric times. Learn the tradition and use it tr

Have you been looking for the perfect learn Japanese app… Or maybe just wondering how to learn Japanese on your own with memory techniques? Are you still at the level where you're searching Google with "learn Japanese alphabet," unaware of its unique character sets? Or how about that wish to know how to speak Japanese fast? Well, in today's guest post and featured podcast guest host, Kevin Richardson share his experiences using the best app to learn to speak Japanese in the world: The Memory Palace. But not just any Memory Palace. A Magnetic Memory Palace. Scroll up and click play to hear my interview with Kevin and read his separate assessment below. Take it away Kevin! The Man Who Almost Gave Up On Learning Japanese Without Magnetic Memory, I would have packed up my bags and given up on ever learning the readings of Japanese kanji. Now, I have no doubts that I'm going to complete my mission. I want to be fully literate in Japanese … and I want to be able to handwrite kanji too. In for a penny, in for a pound! This is actually my second attempt at using the Magnetic Memory Method. I won't lie to you, the first time I tried making a Memory Palace wasn't a great success. So take heart, don't give up if you don't get everything right the first time. Treat it as a learning experience. I promise you, you'll get better quickly. I'm still only a fledgling Memory Palace maker, yet now I'm able to remember up to thirty kanji readings in a single day! Best of all – I know they're there forever! Before employing the Magnetic Memory technique, I'd used Heisig's "Remembering the Kanji" volume 1 to memorize over two thousand kanji meanings in six months. I wasn't setting the world on fire, but for someone who can't even remember why I've gone to the convenience store, I was still pretty pleased with myself. Maybe The Memory Palace Stuff Wasn't For Me… In hindsight, I wish I'd known more about Memory Palaces when I set about using Heisig's method, but my first attempt wasn't very successful and I resigned myself to thinking maybe this Memory Palace stuff wasn't for me. It was then that I listened to Olly Richard's podcast with Anthony Metivier talking about learning hiragana with the Magnetic Memory Method. By happy coincidence, I was just starting to think about the daunting task of learning thousands of readings for the kanji characters. I knew that if I could get the hang of it, this would be make or break. After all, Japanese people take about ten years to accomplish the same task; so for me, any technique that's going to supercharge my memory was worth a punt. My first Memory Palace was a modest affair. I drew a sketch map of my apartment in Japan, numbered my memory stations in a logical route from bed to genkan (the place you leave your shoes). The first kanji vocabulary word I added to the bottom of my bed – 主に (omoni – 'mainly'). The story, "oh money is mainly found at the bottom of my bed". Next, 大気 (taiki – 'atmosphere') … That utter tyke, Russ Abbot singing "Oh what atmosphere, I love a party with an atmosphere" in the cupboard next to my bed. And as the tour went around my apartment, the story developed into a bizarre journey that I couldn't forget. Do you remember the Hana Barbera cartoon of Godzilla? I always hated the baby Godzilla, "Godzuki", yet when I came to the bathroom, I have to think about that dinosaur, Gojira (as the Japanese say) … I'm a big fan of Godzilla … (dai no gojira zuki desu). My Mind Couldn't Help But Fill In The Gaps I took Anthony's advice and walked through my Memory Palace ten times that first day. That made a big difference; I think by walking through the same linear path through my apartment, visualizing the story ten times, the story in my mind became like a sequence of video clips. My mind couldn't help but fill in the gaps, so I'd see myself mainly getting my omoni from the bottom of my bed, so that I could throw some spare yen at Russ Abbot busking "atmosphere" in my cupboard etc etc. The next day, I walked through it in my mind a couple more times during breaks at work. I loved the fact that I didn't need any technology, no batteries and could simply walk through my Memory Palace whenever I had some downtime. I decided that I'd start making one Memory Palace a week from that moment onwards. I'm now on my fifth Memory Palace and have gone from making twelve Magnetic Stations to now making over thirty Magnetic Stations in each Memory Palace. (* Note: During the making of this Memory Palace, a mosquito collided violently with my notebook … to honor it's death, I shall always remember "Yuu HAVE made a mess here") I'm not rushing anything. Like I say, I'm still a fledgling at this technique, but in the course of a month, my Memory Palaces are becoming richer, stranger, surreal and most importantly … unforgettable. I now draw my map and number my Magnetic Stations. Then I think of a mnemonic to connect the kanji with it's reading. Then I write the whole story out as a walkthrough

Would you like free tickets to participate in or watch the upcoming Memory Games in Las Vegas? If so, hit play on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast. This is a tremendous opportunity for Magnetic Memory Method fans in the Las Vegas area. Of course, even if you're not in the area, you can help spread the word about memory techniques by sharing this page. If you know anyone who would like some free memory training and an opportunity to practice them, please pass this information along to them as well. You can also watch for all the details about getting free tickets in this video: Hosted by Dave Farrow, these Memory Games present a great opportunity to learn new memory skills, practice the ones you already know and challenge yourself to a friendly and fun competition amongst fellow memory training enthusiasts! This competition will teach you the memory techniques used in the games in a low stress environment. You'll develop courage and confidence with your memory while making new friends. This event is a precursor to the annual Pan American Memory Games in Florida and the annual US Memory Tournament held at eBay in San Jose, so if you'd like to be informed, make sure to get in touch with Dave so you can be notified. Is This Memory Games Event Just For Adults? Not at all. Of course, memory games for kids help young people develop skills that will be useful throughout life and this is a great entry-level opportunity for all ages and skill levels. Also, tune in to this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast to learn about: * A forthcoming book with contributions from Alex Mullen and myself. * The major reasons entrepreneurs and professionals need memory skills more than ever before. * Why memory games are a great way to learn these techniques. * Why the spelling bee competitions may be slowly disappearing and why competition might be one of the best memory activities for students. * Options you have for using memory techniques, even if you're not visual or experience aphantasia. * And much, much more! If you'd prefer to pay for tickets, please grab your Memory Games in Las Vegas now. More information about the event, including time and location are on that page. To contact Dave Farrow directly, please email him using the link provided in the video and podcast or go directly to the contact page on Farrow PR. About The Host Of The Las Vegas Memory Games Dave Farrow earned his second Guinness World Record for memory by recalling the exact order of 59 decks of shuffled playing cards. He created 'The Farrow Method' to help combat his severe dyslexia and ADHD and this is now a certifiable memory system backed by a double-blind neuroscience study at McGill University. Dave has been a featured guest on Dr. Oz, Steve Harvey, The Today Show, Discovery Channel and many others. Most recently, Dave won the grand prize on episode 5 of the hit FOX TV show, SuperHuman. For More On Brain Games And Brain Exercises… Brain Games: The Truth You Need To Know For Memory Improvement Crossword Puzzles For Brain Fitness: Fact or Fiction? 5 Brain Exercises That Ensure Memory Improvement Brain Training: 3 Unconventional Techniques Guaranteed To Help You Conjure Your Best-Ever Ideas 3 Memory Games You Can Play With Your Childhood Tansel Ali on How Gratitude Can Help You Remember Almost Anything Thank you for attending this event if you can make it. If you can't, we deeply appreciate you helping spread the word about the 2017 Memory Games in Las Vegas. Your involvement in keeping this tradition alive is as central as learning and using the techniques themselves. Let us know in the comments below how you found the games or were otherwise able to participate! The post Want Free Tickets To The 2017 Memory Games In Las Vegas? appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

What is Bitcoin and cryptocurrency? And why should memory improvement fans memorize a long list of virtual currencies? To help answer the question, Jonathan Levi joins me on this episode Magnetic Memory Method Podcast. And to help us understand why the topic is so challenging for even the smartest learners, we discuss: * The most important definition of Bitcoin (and probably all new digital currencies to come) and the software involved that you need to understand. * The truth about fiat currencies and the BIG problems with fractional reserve banking. * How Jonathan discovered Bitcoin and found cryptocurrency compelling enough to use his SuperLearner skills to learn how to buy Bitcoin stock in an easy and secure way. * The most popular crypto currencies and why so much terminology is needed to discuss how to buy bitcoins and store them in different kinds of wallets. * How Jonathan answered the central question: Is Bitcoin mining worth it? * Why even people in underprivileged countries can buy Bitcoins with a debit card and participate in a democratized currency that will allow them to buy valuable online education programs (like for learning a language). * The history of money and why everyone interested in this emerging form of currency needs to use their memory to help them learn about it. * Why bitcoin is a revolution in both commerce and technology the provides a strong alternative to a fiat currency and the current culture of debt. * Some of the history of money that "rots" as described by Lewis Hyde in The Gift and its relationship to the BlockChain. * Blockchain technology explained clearly for those who need a "blockchain for dummies" guide to understanding the irreversible functions of mathematics that updates the ledger across the word. * The special relationship between Internet money like Zcash and intellectual property that can never be copied. * How Filecoin and other services help transfer shares properly and establish proper ownership in the hugest paradigm shift since the introduction of the Internet itself. * A clear description of the problems being solved by bitcoin miners on the bitcoin market and how this creates tangible value. * Why mining transactions and rewards take place every ten minutes and yet involve trillions of difficult transactions designed to keep out bad actors. * Why the brilliant decisions of Satoshi Nakamoto helped make Bitcoin fraud very difficult, if not outright impossible. * Why credit card charges are so expensive and make Bitcoin value projections climb higher and higher. * Why every cellphone has the ability to function as its own bank without the need for a third person or elaborate trust structures. * The future of credit card bonuses, air miles, incentive points, interest and transaction fees in this new era of Internet money. * Why Bitcoin value is directly linked to a true understanding of democracy. * The ultimate answer to the question: Is bitcoin mining worth it? * Omisego and how serving the unbanked will prove revolutionary for learners around the world. * Why Copay is the best and most secure wallet to use when learning how to buy Bitcoin. * The role of transparency in a changing world of privacy and security and the role of anonymity when using these new forms of currency. * The role of a passwords manager when using Bitcoin and other issues of online security. * The ultimate question of whether these cryptocurrency solutions are making the world simpler or more complex. * The number one opportunity with Bitcoin, the number one strength you'll need and the number one fear each person should have – and how to avoid the need to fear getting involved in the cryptocurrency of your choice. If you're interested in learning more, click the image below to take a free intro course that will teach you even more: Jonathan Levi is the host of the wildly popular SuperLearner Academy and host of the Becoming A Superhuman Podcast. Together, we teach Branding You: How to Build Your Multimedia Internet Empire. Stay tuned for the 2.0 version of this course coming very soon! In the meantime, please be sure to educate yourself about Bitcoin, cryptocurrency and let the topic serve so you don't get left behind. If nothing else, this topic serves as great brain exercise, no matter your age or general interest. What about you? Excited about the future of money and this interesting learning and memory challenge? The post Mastering The Memory Demands Of Bitcoin And Cryptocurrency With Jonathan Levi appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Do you reserve your Saturday afternoons for the brain fitness promised by crossword puzzles? If not, congratulations. That could be a wise decision. But for over 50 million people, crossword puzzles are a part of their daily lives. And they think it's helping them. In fact, there's a pernicious myth out there. One that is generally assumed by far too many people who hope, wish and pray that doing word puzzles regularly can help keep your brain young and active. Many people also believe that the health benefits of crossword puzzles can even keep Alzheimer's or dementia at bay. The question is… Why Do People Believe These Crazy Things About Crossword Puzzles? Here's one reason: Many consider crossword puzzles to be the pastime of the intelligent and knowledgeable people – a connection that we are only too happy to have. More importantly? Playing word games may legitimately improve your vocabulary. Then again, so will developing your own mind as the perfect vocabulary builder (our focus on this YouTube playlist): So, ultimately… The idea that crossword puzzles will develop your memory is true enough. For some people, at least. Here's Who Really Benefits From The Memory And Brain Fitness Benefits Of Crossword Puzzles Can you guess who gets the most bang for their buck in the crossword universe? The answer is simple: The people who design crossword puzzles – the cruciverbalists – experience the ultimate benefits. As dedicated logophiles, crossword puzzle designers love using obscure words whenever and wherever they can. And because they're the architects of these games, they're the ones most likely to remember the words they've enjoyed building into them. To give a parallel example, it's kind of like how songwriters find it easier than anyone else to remember the lyrics they've penned. When Did We First Get Hooked on Crosswords: A Fascinating History The crossword – a standard feature in newspapers across the globe – celebrated its hundredth birthday on December 21, 2013. And it's still going strong! However, when journalist Arthur Wynne invented and printed the first ever "word-cross" puzzle in the New York World newspaper on December 21, 1913, it was hardly met with much fanfare. An editorial in The New York Times published on November 17, 1924 called crossword puzzles "a primitive sort of mental exercise" and a "sinful waste" of time. The craze of word puzzles spread after publishing firm of Simon & Schuster launched its career in 1924 with a book of puzzles. This was the same year when the World published its first daily crossword puzzle. Years later, the puzzle's success surprised Wynne: "… all I did was take an old idea as old as language and modernize it by the introduction of black squares," he said in 1925. "I'm glad to have had a hand in it, and no one is more surprised at its amazing popularity" (Lynn J. Feigenbaum, Crosswords at a Crossroad, The Puzzle Turns 100. What is the clue to its Survival?). Wynne was inspired by ancient word squares – where words read the same across and down. Wynne also took inspiration from another puzzle, the acrostic – in which sets of letters (such as the initial or final letters of the lines) taken in order form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet. Ultimately, the current format with its compact square diagram of white spaces and black bars, with connected across and down words, and numbered clues became popular. The Addiction Theory Of Why We Love Crossword Puzzles Word puzzles are not only fun, but immensely satisfying as every crossword problem has that one perfect solution – the feeling of perfection we miss in our everyday lives and seek through art, literature and now the Internet. There's also an almost addictive pleasure to finally finishing a puzzle. Why is that? Recall that 'aha' moment when you finally get that elusive word or phrase solution. Moments like those confirm, even if it's only to yourself, how knowledgeable, smart and well-informed you are. That's A Heady Feeling! Yet, therein lies part of the problem: Isn't it really the case that solving crosswords is the opposite of quest for knowledge? When you think about it, crossword puzzles are kind of like a quest for confirmation. A journey to confirm that you are knowledgeable in a way that gives your brain that addictive high of accomplishment. There's more: Some people have even called the crossword a sort of geometric Rorschach test, a kind of psychological experience that reflects the human need to solve a mystery. Want to Know The Real Story? In reality, crosswords encourage you to give up on things you don't immediately know. For instance, if you don't know a particular word linked to a clue … You don't know it! And here's the kicker… Even if you did research to find the answer, would you remember it over the long term? Worse: The amount of time the average person spends actually challenging their mind is questionable. Why? Because we usually know when we don't know s

Do you pop vitamins for memory improvement? For many people around the world, dumping hundreds, if not thousands of dollars per year on the hope that pills in a pretty package will lead to a boost in memory is a common habit. Sadly, many seniors believe that it is essential to take nutritional supplements to combat against age related memory loss, brain fog, everyday forgetfulness or to deter the onset of Alzheimer's or dementia. But falling for that ruse isn't just for the older generations. Even for the young and healthy amongst us, it is not uncommon to take vitamin pills in an attempt to improve retention or recall of information, learn a new language or excel in studies. The question is… How vital are memory enhancing pills? Before we look at the answer, take a quick peek at the truth about the best supplement for memory and concentration: It has long been argued that regularly eating foods rich in vitamins and daily exercise is the best way to maintain a healthy body and mind. Can vitamin supplement pills that help with memory be an easier option to provide the same nutrients to your body and mind? Let's find out. What The Heck Are 'Vitamins' Anyway? An Astonishing History Vitamins are a group of organic compounds – different from fats, carbohydrates and proteins – that nourish our body and are essential for our growth and functioning. We usually get them through the food we eat. More importantly, research shows that vitamins are important to maintain brain health. Check this out: "In particular, research over the past 5 years has provided exciting evidence for the influence of dietary factors on specific molecular systems and mechanisms that maintain mental function." That's from Dr. Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a leading authority on nutrition and the brain at the University of California, Los Angeles in his research paper, Brain Foods: The Effects of Nutrients on Brain Function. Here's Something Even More Important: While we need vitamins only in small quantities, if any vitamin is absent from our diet, a deficiency disease may occur – a fact first noted by William Fletcher in 1905. In 1912, the Polish-born biochemist Casimir Funk discovered a mysterious compound that he termed 'vital amine,' which later came to be known as 'vitamin'. A year later, in 1913 that a biochemist named Frederick Gowland Hopkins discovered Vitamin A – the first vitamin to be discovered. By early 20th century researchers had identified the 13 compounds or vitamins crucial to maintaining a healthy life. They had also found that the underlying trigger for obscure illnesses such as scurvy, beriberi and pellagra was vitamin deficiency. That's not all… It was around the same time that deficiency in certain vitamins was linked to loss of memory, focus and concentration. Today, dietary supplements like B vitamins (folic acid, B6, and B12), antioxidants (vitamins C and E), herbal supplements (ginkgo biloba), and nutraceuticals (fish oil, coconut oil) are very much in-demand as pills that help with memory. The Most Important Fact About Vitamins For Memory In The World Remember this: Deficiency in Vitamin B12 can cause memory loss. This means that Vitamin B12 probably presents the most critical case in which supplements can help improve your brain's ability to remember things. But here's the kicker: If you are already getting adequate B vitamins though your diet, getting extra through supplemental pills will not give you a memory boost. There are other foods that improve memory well worth checking out for that Magnetic outcome. Exposed: The Billion Dollar Business of Vitamins In the century since their discovery, vitamins or rather vitamin supplements have become big business. In the United States alone, annual sales of all multivitamin and mineral containing supplements totalled $14.3 billion in 2014. Since the 1940s, Americans have been taking multivitamin and mineral supplements. But get this: To date, there has been no concrete study to substantiate that popping vitamin supplements has improved people's health or their memory more than what can be achieved by a healthy diet and exercise. For more on how this ruse is taking place, you might want to check out The Darkside and the Brightside of How Marketers Manipulate Your Memory Every Single Day. Interestingly, although more than one-third of all Americans take these supplements, they have no standard scientific, regulatory, or marketplace definitions. Why does this matter? Manufacturers decide the types and levels of vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients in their supplements based on factors that are not always guided by science or in your best interest. The Demons In Your Daily Diet Now let's get down to the core of the problem: Processed or refined food is routinely fortified with added vitamins to increase its price as well as appeal among consumers. So when you are taking supplements, on top of vitamins added to your foods, you really don't know whether you are ingesting more

Are you sick of taking language learning courses and falling flat on your face? Let's face it: Language learning is a multi-million dollar industry, ranging from online video courses to books to slips of paper you can flip in your hands. And not all of them are designed to help you succeed. In fact, there's a delicate balance between general language learning skills and the tangible results you get from second language acquisition with the help of a skilled teacher. The questions you might have are numerous. They might include… Are any languages easier or harder than others? And which language learning courses truly and authentically help, regardless of real or imagined difficulty and your current level? These are all great questions, and in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, Olly Richards joins me to discuss how he's using story and experience to make language learning courses more immersive. Not only that, but Olly's devoted to creating multiple quick victories that create motivation, remove obstacles and keep you moving even when they arise. For a taste of how Olly's courses works, checkout what I've found to be the best free Spanish language learning video series out there: I suggest you click the image above now and register for Olly's new course even if you're not learning Spanish. You'll learn great principles that apply to any language you might be studying, online or off. Once you've registered, click play on this episode as Olly shares: * Exactly when shared characteristics between languages gives you "short cuts" and when they create obstacles. * The ultimate answer to "what is language acquisition?" (By understanding how the similarities between language acquisition and language learning can help your journey towards fluency, you'll save yourself a lot of headaches!) * Why quick victories help you compound your activities and keep your energy high during the language learning process. * The truth about "cognate rules" and why Olly never introduces them into his language teaching. * Why you need to spend time with the language you're learning. * Why not having time is rarely the real problem for most language learners, certainly not in the way they think. * Why the struggles most people experience with language learning have nothing to do with the language. * The different kinds of "emotional turmoil" Olly has experienced and how to understand them when – not if – they happen to you. * How do to deal with the consequences of learning hurdles people face so you don't have to give up. * How to find and enjoy language learning experiences that don't force you into panic mode. * The real reasons why the Michel Thomas recordings may work for some people, but don't for others. * The importance of listening and reading in ways that allow you to listen and observe naturally without the need for rules. * Why story is the root of all human communication and learning. * How story can connect you to all elements of the culture of your target language. * How to structure your week so that you have time every day for learning with a language course online. * How to model yourself after a great linguist to learn any language. * Why taking long breaks does not help in learning a language. * Why "conquer the morning, conquer the day" is not true for all people and how to find other times of day for consistently showing up to accomplish your learning goals. * How Digital Amnesia plays into the language learning experience and how Olly thrives by keeping a healthy majority of his learning offline. * The only two apps Olly uses in his language learning and why they're useful. * The true path to "deep focus" with simple study tools that immerse you in the task. * The truth about the scientific evidence for how and when language learning takes place. Further Resources From Olly Richards Olly Richards on Crazy Language Learning Goals & Mastering Motivation Olly Richards Talks About Language Tech & Real Communication Olly's Fluent Spanish Academy Channel on YouTube How about you? What's your experience with online language learning courses? How have you balanced them with offline materials and avoided some of the "Digital Amnesia" issues we've discussed in this episode? The post How To Consistently Get Quick Victories With Language Learning Courses appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

There are three causes of forgetting that memory science strangely never mentions. Oh sure, the scientists talk about short term memory and long term memory. Retrieval failure and ineffective coding. Motivated forgetting and memory loss due to brain trauma, not unlike the kind we learned about in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast (and how to bounce back from it): All important stuff. But let me ask you this: What About The Real Causes Of Forgetting? To find out, you've got to be a bit of detective. I'm going to suggest three of the biggest causes, but at the end of the day, you also need to seek out the causes in your own life. Like a detective. But the following three are widely unknown, and the best time to start ousting them from your life is now. The first is simple: It's general mental and memory fitness. But the majority of people? They're doing nothing about it. And get this: Not Exercising Your Memory Is A HUGE Mistake Why? Well, let me ask you something: You know all those little slips all memory experts make from time to time? They're nothing. N-o-t-h-i-n-g. Certainly nothing like the Garden of Oblivion featured on this Wiki page about forgetting some people make it out to seem: Definitely not a problem compared to the mountains a person with decent memory skills can move when push comes to shove. But if you're not keeping your mind fit with organic memory exercise – not "apps" – you're cruisin' for a bruisin'. The solution? Develop some organic memory fitness instead. To help, here are 5 Memory Improvement Exercises That Don't Require Another Annoying App. The Big Fat Memory Lie People Love To Tell A lot of people out their aren't telling the truth. They'll tell anyone who'll listen about having a weak or bad memory. Look: It's bad enough if you lie to yourself. But lying to others? That's a big problem. Why? Because those to whom you lie might actually hold you accountable to the things you tell them about your memory. Never Ever (Ever!) Insult Your Memory Look, I know it seems innocent enough, but telling people you have a bad memory is far from in. In fact, it's a crime. Why? Because your thoughts matter and you should NEVER insult your memory. How To Stop Lying About Your Memory Instead of saying, "I can't remember" and things like that, try something else. When memory "fails," try saying things like, "I'm sorry. I'm always exercising my memory. It'll come back to me." I promise. By doing this, you'll create an entirely new and more powerful relationship with your memory. This new relationship will make you very happy and bring you immense success. How To Chill Out And Remember More Do you want to know why memory improvement seems like such a drag when others teach it? Because they put so much pressure on making it happen. No. Oh no. Please no. We're not in a competition here, not in the Magnetic Memory Method universe. Sure, the Magnetic Memory Method can help you win competitions. I'm happy to announce that my memory training has contributed to such triumphs not once, but twice: That's a happy side effect, and one I'm proud of. By my core focus falls on getting you to relax your memory so you can slide important info into long term memory. Info you want to stay for awhile. Not Bland, Boring And Mind-Butchering Info You'll Never Use! In some cases (like when you're learning a language or skill), you want that info to stay forever. The blunt, cold hard truth: If you're as rigid as a rock, it never will. Information will bounce off your brain faster than you can blink. So here's what I suggest: Learn how to concentrate and improve memory Buddha-style. Then leave a comment below and tell me what you think. Are you making any of the 3 memory mistakes that cause so much forgetting? And let me know: What do you need to help you remove these mistakes? If it's a memory improvement video course, just click on the image below to get started: But please promise me one thing: Promise that you'll stay away from memory supplement pills. Trust me. Not only does taking them put a burden on your memory (you have to remember to take them, after all). But they don't get at the root causes of why we forget and all the core factors that influence forgetting. Look forward to hearing from you in the comments and talk soon! Sincerely, Anthony P.S. Do you have this book? The post 3 Causes Of Forgetting Science Never Mentions And How To Stop Them appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Human anatomy isn't exactly linear, is it? I mean, we love using the term "from head to toe," but… When it comes to everything that happens between these two parts… There aren't a whole lot of straight lines. That's why we need a dedicated Memory Palace strategy when it comes to memorizing human anatomy. And even if the human body is ultimately a whole unit, it is built from multiple systems. That's great because the Magnetic Memory Method operates from the basis of multiple Memory Palaces. (I prefer to think of these Memory Palace systems as "networks" because of how one Memory Palace strengthens the other.) Here's the raw truth: If you're using just one Memory Palace, you're not even close to the awesome power of multiple locations optimized for memorizing information like human anatomy. But first things first: Why Use A Memory Palace For Human Anatomy? When you look at the alternatives, the most direct and honest answer is this: Because Memory Palace systems and mnemonics are quite simply more fun. More fun than software. More fun than flash cards. More fun than the stress and strain of forgetting the words again and again (especially if you have medical exams looming). But the reality is this: Not All People Love Using A Memory Palace For Human Anatomy! And you know? As shocking as we mnemonists find this to be, it's totally normal. You don't have to enjoy the process to get results. But it certainly helps. And you'll probably find that the reason you don't like using memory techniques for human anatomy is simply that you find it a boring topic. If that's the case, then it's not the mnemonics to blame. And it's probably time to start thinking about how to live a life worth remembering. What Is A Memory Palace? Assuming you're on board to use memory techniques for human anatomy whether you love mnemonics or not, it's useful to know exactly what we're talking about. Unfortunately, the term "Memory Palace" is poorly misunderstood. This leads to a lot of questions, for which "yes" is usually the answer. Yes, you can reuse Memory Palaces (just watch out for the Ugly Sister Effect). Yes, a Memory Palace is something that you create in your mind. Yes, it is ideally based on a place that you've seen before. Yes, you can make virtual Memory Palaces (or even Memory Palaces based on movies and TV series). But at their core, Memory Palaces are really just points in space. You are turning spatial coordinates already known to you (thanks to a free resource called spatial memory) into mnemonic devices, one Magnetic Station at a time. The Goal With Proper Memory Palace Creation Is Simple: You use your spatial memory to help create efficient Memory Palaces that REDUCE cognitive overwhelm. This point is significant because most people create Memory Palaces in ways that INCREASE cognitive overwhelm. That's because they're trying to imagine the Memory Palaces at the same time as the Magnetic Imagery used in Memory Palaces. And that, Magnetic friend, is a huge no-no. (More on avoiding that huge no-no in a bit.) How To Create A Memory Palace For Human Anatomy The topic is best learned with some Memory Palaces up on the screen and a "homework" assignment. Just click here to get started: Once you've taken the free course and submitted your assignment, the only thing left to do is create multiple Memory Palaces and use them. How To Know How Many Memory Palaces You Need To create your Memory Palace networks in the best possible way, it's good to decide how many Memory Palaces you need in advance. Here's a YouTube Live discussion we help that will help you understand the concept: To put this part of the art of memory into the context of human anatomy, let's say you're going to become an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. I'm not a specialist myself, but even without invoking Digital Amnesia by using Google to hunt down some info, it's safe to guess that I'll want to memorize the anatomy and systems related to the: Inner Ear Middle Ear Outer Ear Nose Throat Mouth Skull So, keeping it simple for the sake of creating an example, that's at least seven Memory Palaces. Or is it? I ask because it looks like the entire ear could be covered by a single Memory Palace. Myself, I would start with the outer ear and focus on the three most important parts on most ear diagrams I've seen: Auricle Auditory canal Tympanic membrane All three could fit in a single room based on three Magnetic Stations (or less). In the next room, I would have the middle ear, but probably divide this into two rooms because the ossicles have parts of their own: malleus, incus, stapes. And the ossicle bones don't stop with just 3 names! They are also called the hammer, anvil and stirrup. For that, I would probably use the Pillar Technique. Ultimately, the exact management comes down to your experience using these techniques. Using The Power Of Pre-Organized Structures If you're using the Magnetic Memory Method, you could alphabetize your Memory Palace network. In this ca

Nothing is more valuable than the benefit of hindsight from someone with experience, especially if you want to become a mnemonics dictionary. I know because I've been there. I used to struggle. Big time. But then something changed. And these days, many people marvel at how rapidly I toss out powerful mnemonic examples on demand. The truth: I trained myself to do it. And I've trained thousands of others since then to unlock this simple power. The only problem is… A lot of people never reach their goal of being about to pop out reliable Magnetic Imagery (a.k.a. mnemonic imagery) because they get the impression that creating mnemonics is too hard. (That's too bad, because the truth is, you don't even have to have a dictionary full of images in your mind in order to mnemonics to work.) People also worry that creating effective mnemonics takes too much time, even though all the evidence in the world shows that if you'll just learn the skill, it gets faster and faster. Here's What Most Unsuccessful People Do… They go running all over the Internet looking for a mnemonic generator or mnemonics dictionary, never understanding that true skill with memory techniques comes from honing your "mnemonics psychology," a.k.a memory improvement mindset. And let's not even try to dodge one basic truth: Becoming a person who can create useful mnemonics on the fly (even faster than they can create an impromptu Memory Palace) requires some personal power. After all, you're summoning up the best powers of your imagination, after all. And that takes… A Magnetic Fountain Of Mental Energy! The truth is that getting started can feel like effort. And some beginners with mnemonics need more energy than others. But here's the thing: The effort needed when using memory techniques like a Memory Palace all amount to a special kind of effort. A kind of effort that is not only easy and fun to employ, but one that gets easier over time as you transform into a mnemonics dictionary. What Is A Mnemonics Dictionary? Basically, most mnemonics dictionaries serve as a crutch. Some mnemonics dictionaries show you pictures that will help you remember words. They could be for medical terminology or help remembering vocabulary while learning a language. For Chinese, Chineasy essentially serves that function. I've made my own version for MandarinHQ's Real Spoken Chinese Vault with special video walkthroughs. But the difference between Chineasy and the kind of mnemonics dictionaries I create is this: Whereas others tend to throw you piles of mnemonic examples on end without helping you understand your mnemonic style, I teach you the skill behind creating the mnemonics. Not only so you can develop your own mnemonics dictionary for a language you're studying or a particular body of expertise. But so that you actually understand how your memory and imagination work and can ultimately teach these simple skills to others. That leads to pure happiness. Seriously, just look at these smiles: Best part? When you learn how to fish instead of letting someone fish for you, the reduction in effort happens fast. And you come to understand one fundamental truth most people don't know: You're Using Mnemonics All The Time Anyway! You just don't realize it. And you probably don't have a positive outlook on what "effort" really means. The Truth About "Effort" Everyone Who Wants To Be A Mnemonics Dictionary Needs To Know The effort involved in using mnemonics is like kissing or eating chocolate. Once you understand this simple point, you become the world's best mnemonic generator. And because you'll remember all the mnemonics you'll create, you'll also become the world's greatest mnemonics dictionary. It's Really Simple To Understand That Math, Isn't It? Whether it's kissing or eating chocolate, in both cases, you're using the muscles of your mouth. And in both cases, your mouth requires energy. But even though effort is involved, you hardly notice the effort because the experience of kissing and tasting the chocolate feels so good. Whipping Out Magnetic Imagery Like A Human Mnemonics Dictionary Feels Even Better! Seriously. Get this simple point and you will quickly become a walking, talking mnemonics dictionary. And the wonderful after effects linger for a long time too. But I still have my regrets. I experienced painful learning curves. I sometimes got frustrated. Here's the thing: Becoming A Mnemonics Dictionary Is A Journey, Not A Destination It doesn't have to take long to get rolling (2-5 hours with the Magnetic Memory Method). But it is a skill that you grow with over time. More than a decade in, I'm still growing myself. And trust me: If you're still a beginner, you can't even imagine all the things memory techniques will do for you when you're just at the beginning. Best part: When you stay on the path with mnemonics, you have so many things to look forward to. More than you could ever imagine. But if you're still sitting on the fence about becoming a mnemonics dict

It happens. We all have verbal diarrhea from time to time. Sometimes we say something we think is funny. Other times we're just being rude. Heck, sometimes we don't even know why we get the feeling we've said something wrong or offensive. For whatever reason, often within seconds… Ours words suddenly rub us the wrong way. Worse: The bad feeling that won't go away starts to itch… It may even burn, sometimes leading us to say even more ludicrous things that make us feel even worse. Once those words are out there … they're out there. The worst thing of all: This Problem Chews Up Your Mental Space And Memory Resources! Make no mistake: The things we say can be damaging. Very damaging, especially regarding how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves. But it's probably our self-perception that takes the hardest hit, especially if we have OCD tendencies and repeat words and phrases in our minds. (That happens to me a lot, along with earworms.) The "Childish" Reasons People Self-Punish Ultimately, no one knows why we self-punish. It could be that our bodies and minds are trying to build up energy to deal with the pain. But we do it in a childish way. Ludwig Wittgenstein has been credited with originating the story of the child who made his way into a cocktail party. While there, the child banged his knee on a table and started crying loudly. "There, there" said all the adults when they saw his bloodied knee. And the adults continued cooing at the child to comfort him as they applied rubbing alcohol and a bandaid to the wound. Now imagine the same cocktail party. This time, instead of a child, a grown man bangs his knee. He feels the exact same pain and his wound produces the same amount of blood. But the difference is that the man does not bawl in public. Instead, the grownup observes silently that he has banged his knee and excuses himself to the washroom. There, he finds the rubbing alcohol on his own and administers a bandaid. Do You Scream In Silence? Why does the man do all of this in silence instead of crying his heart out? Simple: Social conditioning over the years has not changed the nature of the pain or the work needed to care for the wound. But social conditioning has changed the nature of what makes for an appropriate response to the pain. According to some self-punishment theories, even the maturest of adults have minds that still need conditioning so that they respond in mature ways to mental pain. Exactly How To Mature Your Mind And Stop Mentally Punishing Yourself I don't know about you, but in my past, I've called myself an idiot for the verbal mistakes I've made at least a thousand times. In fact… I've said many things worse than that to myself. And no, I'm not going to repeat them. But I've come to understand that they were just the signs and symptoms of an untrained mind. There was nothing wrong with that mind. It just hadn't been matured. And although this self-punishment still happens once in awhile, I've learned to settle the self-abuse down. The cure mostly comes down to a combination of relaxation, mindset and huge respect for memory and the practice of memory improvement and maintenance over many years. Here are four ways I've dealt with the self-punishment so that it no longer chews up memory power, no longer bashes self-esteem and no longer has the power to reduce life satisfaction: Tip #1: Learn The Scary Truth About Social Inattention Here's a power reality: A HUGE percentage of the things we say to others tend to be forgotten. In fact, thanks to something called inattentional blindness, most people barely perceive what you're saying at all. Why? Because the people you're talking to are barely paying attention. Even if they were, human memory is flawed in your favor. If the minds of other people are barely tracking a tenth of what you're saying, they are encoding far less than that into memory. The Ultimate Proof That Few People Remember What You Say Want proof? Go ahead and study yourself when listening to others and I think you'll find that it's true. You're not focused like a laser on what they're saying. You're not enjoying photographic memory, nor recording everything like a video camera. Quite the opposite. The truth? Your Mind Is All Over The Place! More than half the time, you're thinking about what you're going to say next. You're probably even obsessively repeating what you want to say in your mind so you won't forget. The rest of your conscious mind is either thinking about the past, the future or fantasizing about some alternate present. This significant amount of brain activity means that you'll miss entire details completely. All this happens despite the fact that you'll be experiencing reality as an unbroken continuity. Scary, but true. What this all means is that when you say inappropriate things, you shouldn't get too worried about it and start flagellating yourself. You also shouldn't start self-punishing yourself for having the attention span of a goldfish (

Hate flying? I sure do, but with a solid walking meditation, all aspects of the flights I take go much smoother. Same thing with going to the dentist or making your way to the surgical table. Having a go-to walking meditation method takes the edge off. Oh, and walking meditation helps create everyday stability too. And since most of us walk at least a little every day, why not use that time to experience memory improvement? The question is… What is walking meditation? It's a means of practicing mindfulness and presence. And how mindfulness and presence help your memory is about to be revealed… 3 Reasons You Should You Develop A Walking Meditation Practice 1. Meditation reduces stress and causes your brain to release healing chemicals. 2. Meditation has also been shown to improve concentration and memory, likely because of how the practice makes you more attentive throughout each day. And since you can't remember what you haven't registered, anything that increases your present-moment awareness is worth every second you spend developing it. 3. Meditation is a form of rest. In my own experience, a solid meditation of just 9-15 minutes can feel just as restful as a good night's sleep. Yes, meditation is that powerful. Why Walking Meditation Is Bliss On Wheels And the fact that you can meditate on the way to the grocery store makes everything about the practice even better. Instead of frittering away the time on useless thoughts and worries, you can focus on your physical being in the present moment. You'll enjoy life more and experience increased health. Both of which can lead to more time in which to enjoy your improved awareness. To help you out, here are three relatively unheard of ways to kickstart one of the best habits you'll ever develop. 1. Breath Counting Meditation One of the easiest ways to start a walking meditation practice involves nothing more than tracking and counting your breathing. Every time you breathe in, give the breath a number. Likewise, give each exhale a number. I like to count each number twice, i.e.: In 1 Out 1 … In 2 Out 2 … In 3 Out 3 … You can count to as high a number as you wish. Take note of anything that distracts you or causes you to lose count. Then gently bring yourself back and start over at '1' anytime you wish. Leave Judgment At The Door No matter what happens along the journey, it's important not to judge yourself or cast evil spells against your memory if you lose count while practicing. Simply allow yourself to practice. If you choose to see it as a challenge, always do so in good spirits. If you set meditation of any kind up as a game, you will find it frustrating because if it's a game, random thoughts will always win. But meditation is not a game. If it were, the only way to lose is by not practicing it at all. 2. Syncing Counting With Steps And Breathing Another way to count your breath as you practice walking meditation is to sync each breath with a step. You can create a number of patterns starting with a one-to-one correspondence. To begin, inhale and step and then exhale and step. Next, take two steps per breath. As you inhale, take two steps and then exhale as you take two steps. Increase the number of steps you take per breath up until 10 steps per breath or until it feels uncomfortable. The goal is to maintain focus on the practice, not pass out, so take care that you increase your steps slowly. Follow your instincts and enjoy the process. Pay attention to everything happening to you, including heart rate changes and thoughts that arise. 3. Sensory Style Walking Meditation You can practice the next approach on its own or in combination with breathing. The goal is to focus intensely on your physical body and its connection to the surrounding world. Beginning with your feet, notice each area and how it contacts the ground. Notice how your feet handle your weight and explore placing different levels of emphasis on various parts of your feet as you move. (You can also practice meditatively studying the way your feet contact the world while standing.) From your feet, scan your entire body. Notice the sensations of your clothing on your skin. Then, narrow your attention on the feel and temperature of the air. Instead of hearing environmental sounds, practice experiencing them as physical sensations in your ears. (You can practice sound as a physical sensation with music too.) The more immersed in physical sensation you become, the less random thoughts control your mind. You'll find the world unbelievably peaceful when you take it as a physical reality without thinking about it or making judgments. Take It To The Next Level With Impromptu Memory Palaces Once you've had some experience with walking meditation, try using the same immersive and breathing principles while reading, eating and even conversing with other people. You'll be more involved with your life in the present moment. You can also use the technique to help you create impromptu Memory Palaces: It's

Even if astrology is complete nonsense, it's a neat memory exercise to know the Zodiac inside and out. Plus, committing the star signs to memory lays the groundwork for memorizing the months of the year in any language – fast! The memory skills needed to memorize Zodiac and horoscope info all begin with accepting one fundamental truth: If you can imagine something, you can remember it. The Undeniable Truth About Your Imagination A lot of people attracted to memory techniques get hung up on the idea that mnemonics involve visualization. Not true! Memory techniques involve imagination, and… If you're reading and understanding these words now, you definitely have one. Each letter and every word is an image… Your brain is rapidly transforming these micro and macro images into sounds and meanings… And delivering these meanings to the Understanding Nations in your brain. Introducing VACKSOG… The United Nations Of Your Brain That's right: Your brain is a United Nations of Understanding. Together, your internal "UN" understands a variety of images: Visual Auditory Conceptual Kinesthetic Spatial Olfactory Gustatory When we put all of these together, we make your memory "Magnetic." What does this idea of "Magnetic Memory" mean? Simple. It means that the information you want to stay in the Understanding Nations of your brain remains. Anything that distracts or detracts is "Magnetically" repelled away. All you need are… 13 Simple Mental Images To Magnetize The Star Signs Into Your Mind Hold up now… 13?!? Aren't there only… 12 star signs? That's right. Don't get your knickers in a twist. We need one Magnetic Image to guide them into our long term memory. It's called a Memory Palace. This technique draws upon the spatial memory and spatial imagination of your brain. Don't know how to make a Memory Palace? No problem. Just claim this free, complimentary Memory Palace training kit: Once you have a Memory Palace with 12 Magnetic Stations, it's time to start associating each month with a simple Magnetic Image. Annoying Janet Smashes The Jam Jar Ever see Rocky Horror Picture Show? If so, then it's going to be easy to associate the abstract idea of January as a period of time with Janet from that movie. This Janet could serve as a one off image before you move to February, or she could be the Bridging Figure you follow throughout your Memory Palace for the Zodiac and other horoscope related information. Don't know Rocky Horror Picture show? No problem! Any Other Janet Or G.I. Jane Will Do! Perhaps even a close match like Jane Fonda. Or Janie from that Aerosmith song… The important point is to associate the Janet you pick with an object and an action. Smashing a jar of jam on the ground works well. Especially if you can make the jam specific. (Note: Some people in the memory training world call such a chain of associations PAO, and this is a rare case where I would use a small PAO set for a limited purpose. Here's why I normally do not use a PAO system, however.) Like the raspberry jam your babysitter used to make. Or the BOB jam in Sweden you remember from camping near Östhammar back in 2013. (Oh no, wait. That was me. Enjoyed BOB a lot that first while in Sweden. But the point remains the same: Specificity matters to your United Nations of Understanding.) The Gangster Unicorn Pops A Cap Let's review: At this point, you've got a Memory Palace. You've got someone named Janet in mind. She's smashing some particular jam that means something to you on the ground. Now you need to imagine something in your mind that you can associate with the weird-sounding word, "Capricorn." Like how about a gangster unicorn? You know the kind, right? They all wear a dark gangster hats, have a gold-capped teeth and swear they're gonna pop a cap in yo' you know what. Oh, and that ain't just any kind of gun he's toting. It's a gun that shoots corn. These are the unicorn's bullet caps. At the first Magnetic Station, associate Jane smashing a jam jar on the ground with the gangster unicorn furious enough in response to start shooting his corn gun. Rinse And Repeat A Bundle Of Associations Once you've completed this step, move on to the next Magnetic Station in your Memory Palace. Give each month a Magnetic Image and associate it with the star sign. Use the Memory Palace to help you practice recalling each association you create until each is in long term memory. The Rule of Five should get you there. Hold On There, Star Cowboy! What About The Specific Date Crossovers? Oh, right. In this strange and silly system, Capricorn becomes Aquarius on January 20th. No problem. I just see a giant nose sneeze so loudly it blows both Janet and the gangster unicorn out into space. Why a giant nose? Because I use the Major Method for numbers. That also happens to be my image for the 10 of Spades. If you don't have a way to memorize a deck of cards, here are 13 reasons you should have a system for remembering cards. Since all transitions across the Zodiac star signs o

Would you like to eliminate the 'busy-work' from your language learning activities? You know the ones I mean: Scouring the Internet for vocabulary and phrases – the kind that will actually move you towards meaningful fluency… Hunting for images to open up the visual centers of your brain and memory… Driving yourself mad looking for audio clips that match the words and phrases you want to link together on your SRS device. Meet The 'Tesla' Of Language Learning Who Is Working To Engineer A Completely New Kind of Language Learning App As a polyglot, bestselling author and all-around nice guy, Gabriel Wyner is the man behind a completely new kind of language learning app and the book Fluent Forever: How To Learn Any Language Fast And Never Forget It. He also runs the incredible Fluent Forever blog where you can learn things like How To Use Flash Cards While Driving. And on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, scroll up, press play and you'll learn: Why pronunciation is one of the first barriers language learners face and why lack of familiarity with sounds frustrates most people. Why Gabriel talked about memory scientist Hermann Ebbinghaus as a masochist, and how he's helping eliminate masochism from the language learning process. The role of learning a language without translations to cause your brain to make associations you wouldn't discover any other way. How to create useful language connections using Google images and create fill-in-the-blank-sentences. Why Gabriel is working so hard to replace one of the most commonly used SRS software for language learning. Why you need to make your own flash cards and the decisions you can make to take a more active role in your language education experience. What makes SRS and search-based websites such a huge burden and Gabriel's hard won experiences learning to use them with "two-handed mouse and keyboard maneuvers." The difference between "busy-work" related to language learning and actually learning the language. The role of choice in language learning and why it pays off big time in language study. Why you need differentiation when looking at variation sentences for your memory to benefit from the Von Restorff Effect and related memory effects. The value of looking at words both in context and out of context. How engineering influenced Gabriel's quest to create a language-focused SRS app better than any other in existence. How Gabriel has tested and optimized the user experience in order to create an easier learning process with real people. The hidden connection between desperation, motivation and the unexplainable sources of inspiration that lead to the "joy-fueled" energy that propels learners towards fluency. Why you don't need to know your "why" to learn a language. Fascinating ideas on how to use recordings to help you remember gendered nouns – an incredible idea that you're not going to want to miss! Oh, and Gabriel's a great singer too. Check this out: So, what do you say? Are you excited? I know I am, so make sure to check out Gabriel's Language Blog on the Fluent Forever website so you can learn more about his upcoming app and how to get involved. Additional Resources for Gabriel Wyner And Fluent Forever Great Derek Sivers review of Fluent Forever Gabriel Wyner on the Art of Charm Podcast How to Teach Old Ears New Tricks on Scientific American by Gabriel Wyner MyQuest For Your Memory Improvement with Edan Kertis The post The Fluent Forever App: Eliminating The Busy Work From Language Learning With Gabriel Wyner appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Don't you hate it when people spew nonsense about YOUR attention span? I sure do. Especially when it comes to games of comparison that don't hold water. Like the terrible story people keep repeating about your attention span being shorter than that of a goldfish. Oh, Is It Now… Really? Who on earth comes up with these ideas? Certainly not people with short attention spans. In fact, it must have taken a good deal of consideration to come up with the attention span calculation of this long suffering species of fish. In fact, the Great Gold Fish Attention Span Myth has quite a long history. And what, dear Memorizer, should we suppose goldfish have in life so worthy of attention? After all… Goldfish Float Around In Glass Bowls! Of Course They Have A Short Attention Span! You, on the other, live in a world filled with all kinds of vibrating and exciting things to which you can direct your attention. And you do. Novels… Movies… Books… Video games… Singing a song… Concerts… Sports… Looking at your pay stubs… Gazing into someone's eyes… Pillow fights… Making coffee… Talking about yourself… Eating chocolate… My point? When you're interested in something… You Have An Abundance Of Attention! Not only that, but when you're interested and motivated or the stakes are high, your attention span is tremendously elastic. The trouble is… People are gullible. They hear that their attention span is shrinking and start repeating it. To themselves. To others. In fact, so many of us are willing to spread nonsense as far and wide as possible that… The B.S. Quickly Becomes A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Well, I'm here to tell you that this false story needs correcting. And I'm not alone. As this article on the goldfish attention span with demonstrates, there's simply no good reason to believe this myth. And since it's B.S. that harms the human race, we need to correct and eliminate the myth. Fast. Here are three reasons why: 1. Your Attention Span Is Defined By One Person And One Person Only You. Seriously. It's your brain. Your eyes. Your lips. Your lungs. Your tongue. And you can train your brain to focus and concentrate on having the most profound and bulletproof attention span on the planet. All you have to do is train it. Stop giving in to Digital Amnesia (check out that link and start practicing Digital Fasting today). Own it. Cultivate it. Craft the attention span that you want to have. If you can't practice with your own sunrise, try mine: No matter how you practice extending your attention span… Here's the truth of the matter: You're the only one who can do it. And if at the start, you find that you can't focus or concentrate… A simple meditation practice with a bit of memory training will help. Don't take my word for it. All the science supporting meditation is here on my post about How to Improve Concentration and Memory Buddha Style. 2. Unlike A Goldfish… You Can Observe Your Attention Span Okay, to be fair, we really don't know if goldfish are capable of self-observation or not. But chances are the last thing they're doing while floating around their little bowls has anything to do with self-reflection. As a human, you're unique. You can observe yourself. You can measure your assets. What you can measure, you can improve. Example: Let's say that you're in lecture and struggling to pay attention. In addition to learning the Magnetic Memory Method approach to note taking… You can also keep an Attention Span Journal. You can journal about lectures you've attended, or books you've read. Like how about one of these? As you fill out your Attention Span Journal, think about what's triggering the problem. Is it your REALLY your attention span? Or is it the fact that your smart phone is on and you're either being interrupted by notifications… Or on the alert for notifications? Be Honest About It You'll probably find that there's nothing wrong with your attention span. Quite the opposite. Your attention span is fine, but it's primed to pay attention to the wrong things. 3. You Have A Trillion Interesting And Exciting Things To Learn Yes, we sometimes have to learn topics that bore us. But there are strategies for coping with the boredom. Here are five ways to deal with boring topics you might have to study. Even better than the self-hypnosis I teach for dealing with boring information: You can feed your brain with topics that DO interest you. If you're so bored with the information you're consuming that it can't hold your attention for longer than six seconds… Simply switch it off and study something else instead! The cold, hard truth is that many people seek careers that will never fulfill them. They're after financial security. They're trying to please their families. They're Playing Not To Lose Instead Of Playing To Win That's no good. It goes against your normal and natural human impulse to do the things you really want to do. And here, right now, in the 21st century, you can create systems that will let you live the life you wan

Don't you hate that feeling of linguistic deskilling? You know the kind I mean… The feeling that you're losing command over your language. It could be a language you've learned… Or even your mother tongue that starts to slip. I've experienced both kinds of linguistic deskilling. In fact, when I listen to the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episodes during the Berlin years vs. those recorded in Brisbane… The difference is shocking, because: You Really Can Lose Command Of Your Mother Tongue! Seriously. It can happen to anyone, including memory experts skilled in conference interpreting. In fact, it's even happened to me. Near the end of my time in Berlin, I spoke English so infrequently, I was gradually losing my mother tongue. Worse, when I did speak English, it was usually over Skype. Nothing wrong with that, right? Wrong. Telecommunication is great, but it starves the brain of so many non-verbal cues. Sure, the pros outweigh the cons, but… All The Pros In The World Can't Defeat The Force Of Linguistic Deskilling! I first realized I had this problem when I read about linguistic deskilling in Mindshift by Barbara Oakley. At the time, I had no particular means of combatting the problem. After all, the people in Berlin with whom I spoke English tended not to be native speakers. That meant I would pick up their habits with English. Even crazier, my English often took on the characteristics of German grammar. And that was especially bad when I found myself speaking English with my wife and making all kinds of mistakes she would then incorporate into how she used English. Even more alarming, I was about to embark on an adventure in Beijing, completely unaware of how long we'd be spending in the city. Of course, the excursion was great for my Chinese! Neither of my in-laws speak English and only a handful of April's relatives know it well enough to string along a conversation. I was forced to listen like a hawk and speak Chinese a lot. All Of It Chipped Away At My English I don't mean to exaggerate the problem. But more and more I felt as though I was reaching for words in English that normally would have leapt to mind. The Ugly Sister Effect also seemed more prevalent than ever. But within a few weeks of settling in Brisbane, I noticed that the lumps in my English pipes seemed to clear. Then something great happened: The bumbling around that had become so characteristic on the podcast seemed to completely disappear! It was like the difference between day and night. Until… Language Learning Tragedy Strikes! The problem with winning back English and narrowing my focus on Chinese? I began experiencing the deskilling of my German. I knew it was coming, which is why I was careful to enact the Dieter Dictum. The Language-Preserving Power Of The Dieter Dictum Dieter is my former father-in-law. Odd how divorce and re-marriage shifts these people around, but I'll always think of Dieter as a father-in-law no matter what. And there's no reason not to, what with the ex and I remaining such good friends. Anyhow, Dieter moved around a lot in his career and apparently he once told my ex-wife something I've never forgotten: Responsibility for keeping in touch falls on the shoulders of the one who left. That's why, even with its lack of verbal cues, I make sure to spend time with friends on Skype at least 2-3 times a month. Put in the context of linguistic deskilling… 1. It's Your Responsibility To Maintain Ties With The Languages You Want To Preserve And you need to do it in multiple ways, ideally ones that harness all of The Big Five Of Language Learning: When it comes to maintaining and even flourishing an attainment of fluency, you'll need at least three of these 4 Cs: Community Culture Concepts Clapping (i.e. Recognition and reward in the form of encouraging applause that you meaningfully deserve) To be honest, I haven't quite cracked the code on how to get this for German in Brisbane. That's because… 2. Effective Learning Experiences Should Align With Your Values I was so excited when I discovered the Brisbane German Book Club. And after discovering its existence, I had just time enough to prepare by reading Im Krebsgang by Günter Grass. Just that one book alone would easily satisfy all of the Four Cs. With a short book review written auf Deutsch, I would have easily covered all of the Big Five of Language Learning too. The problem…? Culture be damned, I'm sick of reading depressing stories about war, terrorism and broken families. Burning Torches Of Negativity Sucks In All Languages And it turns out that the next few months feature similarly downer texts at a time I'm craving light-hearted literature – or at least darker stuff from a more Romantic era. There Are Always Solutions Turns out there is a Saturday German school for beginning students just up the street. I might be able to preserve my skills by pitching in and offering to help. And then there is always the option of language learning online, despite its many defic

Let's face it. Everyone has fantasized about having a memory implant. You know the kind: A small, unobtrusive thing, patched directly into your brain … … capable of letting you learn and remember at miraculous speeds. Heck, maybe this neural implant or brain prosthesis (whatever you want to call it), doesn't even need to break the skin. It may even be possible that your memory could be manipulated by radio waves or some other external signal. But until that time, unless you've already decided you're going to be the first in line … Here are 7 reasons why memory implants are probably going to suck. #1. Memory Implants Won't Eliminate Practice I conduct a lot of surveys here at the Magnetic Memory Method headquarters. And that scene from The Matrix … … comes up a lot. The problem is: People don't watch the movie for what it's really saying and the true metaphor about the value of training and journeying we can extract from the tale: Downloading IS NOT Learning! Not only does Neo have to get into the dojo and spar with Morpheus as a form of "accelerated practice" … … Morpheus next cajoles Neo into jumping off a building, part of a chain of events that causes the "real" Neo to bleed. Morpheus then tricks Neo with the woman in the red dress, proving again that downloading isn't enough. Far From It! The mind still needs to be trained. The mind still needs practice. And let me ask you something: What is Neo's ultimate showdown with Agent Smith other than another training exercise? An exercise that actually requires Neo to die before he experiences an awakening … … That leads to two sequels where he needs to practice being Neo even more until he can surrender his life to the war between humans and machines and finally die. And even then, some people reckon that Neo's not really the one: The point is this: When people fantasize that a memory chip implanted in their brains is going to give them knowledge … They're just plain wrong about the definition of knowledge. Knowledge may well involve things you can store and retrieve … But at its core … Knowledge Is The Ongoing Practice Of Knowledge And that knowledge/practice coupling should ideally become better practice over time. But it can only be earned through consistent acts of practice, consistently applied. The level of learning most people want will never be instant. It will always require practice over time. And it will always involve an interesting combination of weaving and navigation as you create the paths you travel. I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. - Bruce LeeClick To Tweet Understanding takes time. Even understanding must be practiced through consistent contemplation. Yes, Yes, But I Still Want To Know … Is There A Shortcut? As a matter of fact, yes there is. A short cut even better than the shortcut many people seek. The only (and best) shortcut to contemplation is memory techniques. Learn them a.s.a.p.! Why? So you can STOP dithering around with the consumption process and get on with processing information. No computer can do that for you. Ever. That's entirely on you. #2: If You Think Advertising Is Bad Now … A lot of people whine and complain about advertising. Sadly, this kvetching often comes from the same people who sacrifice hours of their time to social media and mindless television. To tell you the truth, it kind of makes me miss the PBS days … What people who complain about advertising don't realize is that this big media platforms are chewing up your attention span by selling ads … … and THEN telling content creators how to make their content in ways that serve ads better and more frequently. Serve ads better – not necessarily you. And you had better believe that the first thing they're going to do if implants succeed is erect billboards in your head. At least now we can fend off Digital Amnesia by digital fasting. But once the branded devices are fused with your brain, you'll be the walking receptacle of advertising you can't switch off. #3. The Nightmares Of Hardware Maintenance … In The Flesh! Taking care of our human bodies is hard enough. People do a better job with their pets and vehicles a lot of the time. And since we know the implant market will follow the trends of manufacturing processes, there will be an ongoing attempt to make the hardware as cheap as possible to maximize profits … Think about that. Do you really want a brain prosthesis built in a sweatshop constantly breaking down and rotting in your head? When you could simply learn memory techniques and have way more than you ever need? Plus, bad people will be constantly trying to hack into your implant. And the first place they'll go is your passwords manager, while also working to put your entire brain on the fritz. #4. Medical Maintenance Monstrosities And that's just the tech side of the equation. Imagine a hacker being able to cause electrical shocks or worse, simply by writing a line of code

Tired of note taking techniques during lectures that sound like they'll be effective … …but ultimately fail to help you remember information? You know the kind: The ideas look good, but … not exactly something you would ever do. And every time you try some new note taking technique … No matter what, all of them seem to lead to one place: You … writing down loooooong strings of notes verbatim. It's usually boring, and (stand by for truth pill) … Boring Note Taking Rarely Works! It gets worse: These boring note taking styles mean that you're always struggling to keep up. You often wind up missing huge sections of the lecture and struggle to reconstruct what was said from the notes. And if you're anything like me, you don't want to struggle with your memory! Pause for a second. Do you have time for a quick question? Do you like live discussions? Here's one about note taking that I think you'll enjoy: We had some great questions and contributions on the call and some really interesting books and resources were mentioned. Click play and see if this kind of learning experience suits you! Back to our regular scheduled blog post: If you're tired of struggling with your memory after note taking, then you're in the right place. I'm going to give you some counter-intuitive note taking techniques to try. Some of them even tap into episodic memory and how to improve it (check out that post and Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode for 4 super-powerful episodic memory exercises). But please understand the following … This is The Brutal Truth About Note Taking Techniques You can read all the articles on note taking in the world, but it's never the note taking techniques that should take the blame when you fail to remember information. There are other factors at play and they all meet in one central place: You. So if you're taking lecture notes verbatim, that's the first thing that should change. This practice is taking you out of the presence of the information at a moment when your focus should be on its source. To help you increase your focus and memory, get ready for techniques that I've used myself to remember more and develop tremendous confidence in any subject area. The 6 Guiding Principles That Govern Magnetic Note Taking But before diving into my Magnetic Note Taking Techniques, let's take a step back and look at a few other factors. We need to be aware of them for one simple reason: All the best note taking techniques in the world won't help you for even a second if you haven't got the following aspects handed. After all, your note taking can only ever be as good as the state in which the notes were taken. 1. Be well rested Seriously. I'm on YouTube Live every once in awhile, and always astounded by how late some learners in the world stay up. I don't care what note taking techniques you use. They all suffer if you're tired.Click To Tweet And exhaustion means this: No note taking efforts in the world can help the information enter your mind at the highest possible level. We can't properly pay attention to what we're learning when we're tired and often wind up taking notes about unimportant details. But when you're well-rested, you pay closer attention to the information that matters. This raised level of awareness already makes every note taking technique you try instantly better. To help you get a better rest and benefit from the improved memory abilities sleep creates, check out this Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode on sleep and memory improvement. 2. Nutrition and Hydration Foods that improve memory aren't hard to find. Luckily, many of us don't have a hard time finding water either. We don't need to dwell on this topic for long, but please understand that your brain shrinks when it's not properly hydrated. Many foods deplete your hydration. By making a few simple dietary changes and drinking more water, your note taking abilities will go way up automatically. 3. Fitness and Meditation Your brain is a physical entity. The more you exercise it, the greater focus you'll experience. Likewise, meditation primes your brain to pay attention and remember more. Meditation improves concentration and memory too. 4. Knowledge of how memory works Note taking skills work better if you know about the Primacy Effect and Recency Effect. You're much more likely to remember the beginning and end of a lecture, for example. But even if these general rules don't fall in your favor, the forgetting curve will take its toll unless you do something about it. The science of memory, particularly as it stands in support of a Memory Palace approach, should be covered immediately. It will add a great deal to how you think of note taking from a meta level. Never forget: practical tips are great, but understanding why the tips work is golden. Using tips based on understanding makes you and your memory Magnetic. 5. Be Prepared We'll talk in a moment about pre-reading, but as a global point, too many learners show up to lectures unprep

The experience of memory loss creates the kind of story you normally only see in the movies. Yet, for Jennie Gorman, the experience of memory loss was all too real. Although we all experience the occasional mild loss of memory, it's difficult to imagine what it must be like dealing with a disorienting and painful experience like this: Luckily, Jennie found incredible resources within herself that drove her to find a solution. And that solution could well help you too. If not now, possibly in the future. So buckle in, click play above, and discover the root cause of Jennie's memory loss and how she solved it. The Nasty Substances Creating Your Current Or Eventual Memory Loss Story We all put things into our body that don't serve us. For some of us, it's a bad habit like smoking (here's the Magnetic Memory Method way to stop smoking if you need help). For other people, it's the absence of foods that improve memory. Not everyone can get away from medication, but as Jennie points out in this podcast and video … … the substance rotting your memory ability might not be booze, tobacco or a medication. That means, you've got to dig deep to find the problem. Like Kasper Bormans is trying to do: The Truth About Memory Loss And The Dark Of Night The quantity and quality of your sleep influence your memory in many ways. That means you can get a ton of sleep, but if it isn't good sleep, you'll still suffer memory problems. Likewise, you can get quality sleep, but still not enough of it to make an impact. In all cases, sleep deprivation is a memory killer. Avoid it at all costs. Protect Your Brain That brain of yours is like an egg in a shell. Brain trauma can happen anytime, so please exert caution when riding your bike, driving or engaging in sports. The sad thing about injuries to your head is that the symptoms and problems might not show up for decades. That's why we must all exercise maximum vigilance at all times. Entrepreneurial Memory Secrets One of the most intriguing elements of Jennie's story involves her success as an entrepreneur. As the incredible leader of Connexions Unlimited, Jennie is a master networker. The ability to recall names and faces is very important when you're in business and her memory loss threatened this skill in an immediate way. Luckily, Jennie recovered her memory, which is also a key part of her work with Business Mastermind Groups in Brisbane, Australia. The level of care she brings to helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses extends far beyond their names. It involves helping them manage their business vision, mission and a number of goals and milestones. Apart from memory techniques … what's the secret to keeping your memory fresh and alive when you're in business? Plenty of networking and Masterminding, of course! Seriously. Keeping social and avoiding isolation helps your brain coat itself in healthy chemicals that will preserve your memory. Unfortunately, far too many entrepreneurs lock themselves away. But that too can create brain trauma of an even more pernicious kind … The Pen Is Mightier Than Memory Loss But if you're going to isolate yourself, a great way to fend off memory loss is regular writing. As the author of Awesome Authenticity: Mastering Business Relationships, Jennie continues writing new books and on her blog and social media pages. Writing is an unknown memory preserver because of how it stimulates your brain. It doesn't really matter if you write or type, but you do want to consider the advantages of handwriting for your memory, especially if you're a student. Here's more information about the memory advantage of handwriting based on some killer science: Even if you're not going to write books and articles, just 5-10 minutes of daily journaling can give your brain and memory huge benefits. Give it a try! What's Your Memory Loss Story? Have you had an experience with memory loss? What are your thoughts on the difference between memory loss and forgetfulness? Let us know in the comment area below. In the meantime, for more about Jennie, the help she offers entrepreneurs and to connect, check out these links: Jennie Gorman's The People Connector page on Facebook Jennie Gorman's An On Purpose Life Jennie Gorman on LinkedIn Jennie Gorman on YouTube The post Memory Loss Story And Memory Recovery Tips With Jennie Gorman appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

You know that instant gratification is the real reason you struggle to learn and remember information, don't you? Good news: If you'd like the cure, let me instantly gratify you and jump right in. Here are three: 1. Understand the Sickness of Instant Gratification For What It Is That's right: Instant gratification is a disease. Think about it … What building gets to scrape the sky overnight? What skill worth having leaps into existence in a flash? None do. And if any ever penetrate this instant gratification psychology … it's really only a very few. If there are examples of instant gratification, well … One exception is the Magnetic Memory Method, a rare memory skill you can learn fast and experience quick victories with … But these happen so fast only because the Magnetic Memory Method harnesses the power of information you ALREADY know. And even then, let's face it: You'll still need to practice a bit before you really hit your stride. So settle in and make sure you're trained up: Go ahead and click that big blue image and take my free course. I'm confident you won't regret spending the time. 2. Practice Long Form Learning Now that you've admitted that you've got the instant gratification sickness, it's time to combat it. How? First, know your MMM Learning Hierarchy. You'll discover what this is in a new book I'm releasing soon. For notification, please keep your eyes open for an announcement soon. Once you've got that covered, learn how to memorize a textbook properly and read books in a traditional manner for good measure. Watch long videos and take notes. Listen to podcasts and audiobooks without 2x-ing the content. Stop training your brain to consume everything faster. 3. Balance Input With Output Consuming information is important. It's how we learn. The problem is … Few people balance their consumption with production. As a result, they never really learn anything. If you want to learn … REALLY learn … Then you'll need to process that information through multiple channels. The Professors Who Forced Me To Balance Input With Output Back during my M.A. and Ph.D. years, I completed a lot of directed reading courses instead of taking seminars. These directed readings were a great alternative to attending class and watching the other students pretend they read the books and articles. Plus, I got to have the professors I studied under for some precious one-on-one discussion of learning topics at levels deeper than seminars allow. The catch? Two of my directed reading professors DEMANDED summaries of everything on the reading lists. And not just one or two fruity little paragraphs … They wanted two to three pages! Well, let me tell you … It Was The Most Worthy Work In The World! By keeping good notes and processing the information through writing summaries … … Followed by verbal discussions in meetings … I remember so much more from those books than any other. And because I used the textbook memorization technique I linked you to above for some of these books … I had a ton of Magnetic fun too. The Shocking Truth About Instant Gratification Here's the truth: When you stop letting instant gratification corrode your ability to learn and remember … You'll find that all learning becomes much more gratifying. Having a plan for building and enjoying discipline in your life helps too: Once you have discipline on your side … The gratification you need comes … Instantly! So the true path to instant gratification requires just a simple shift in perspective. Just like when you Mindshift your perspective about memory techniques and the use of a Memory Palace. The shift in perspective creates an instant victory that makes all learning thereafter much more gratifying. It truly is that simple. And if you'd like to experience true instant gratification that lasts forever, make sure you're subscribed to this website so I can show you just how gratifying using your memory can be. Next time … something different. The post 3 Powerful Ways To Destroy The Cancer Of Instant Gratification appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Have you ever wondered why on earth anyone would focus on memorizing individual words? A lot of people not only wonder about this, but some are utterly convinced that focusing on vocabulary instead of complete phrases is … The Worst Thing You Can Do The problem is … It's simply not true. And … Frankly, it's time to settle this argument once and for all. The verdict: If you want to learn a language you do need to memorize BOTH words AND phrases. But here's the problem, one that this commenter on the Magnetic Memory Method YouTube channel makes oh so obvious to point out: Do you see what's happening here? Can you guess why I might have hesitated to approve the ironic snark lurking in this comment? The problem is this: Macovei assumes that … because he learns a particular way … everyone else should learn that way too. That's poor logic. Worse, Macovei seems to think that … Because He Hasn't Found A Faster Way … A faster way … … couldn't possibly exist. Here's the ugly truth: These two logical errors amount to crimes against humanity. And thanks to the Primacy Effect and Recency Effect, people get pushed into limiting corners of negative belief thanks to logically fallacious comments like these. Sadly, there are enormous mountains of them floating around. Like evil … hypnotic spells. Don't let them catch you! Evil Spell #1: The Lie That Sentences Shouldn't Be Broken Down Into Pieces A lot of critics say that you should just go ahead and learn entire phrases. Yeah, go on. Spend a couple hundred hours stuffing your spaced-repetition software with long strings of words … BEFORE you've developed the ability to use memory techniques to remember even one single word. Sorry, Macovei, but there really is an alternative. One that teaches you how to memorize individual words. One that appeals to enough learners that it's worth all that I do just to help them. The skill is easy, fast, elegant and fun. The best part: It's a skill you can extend to entire phrases very soon. But you're much more likely to get there faster if you start with memorizing one word at a time first. The Memory Palace Alternative For example, imagine you get really good at learning how to use a Memory Palace. (Hint: It takes only about 2-5 hours. After that, you stand a chance at becoming a memory champion if you wish). Make a Memory Palace. Don't worry if you're skeptical. Making and using Memory Palaces is 100% scientific. Here's the proof. In it, memorize ten words. Yes, just ten. Make them cornerstone words. Really know them inside and out. And then (and only then), go back to the first word. Add a phrase to it. Then add a phrase to the second word. The third. And so on. By starting with individual words, you really can scale much more quickly. What makes the difference is the NATURE, QUALITY and UTILITY of the words you choose. And let's be frank: How To Make The Right Choices Isn't Always Easy! But on this Live Call, the Magnetic Memory Method Global Family and I buckled down to the truth: To sum up that Magnetic Memory Method YouTube Live for you, here's what we concluded: You find the right vocabulary and phrases along the way by … Cultivating curiosity … Mental independence … And generating your own curriculum as a language learner. How To Deal With Conflicting Language Learning Advice You'll come across a lot of different opinions. Ignore the bulk of it. Especially when the come from the kind of self-proclaimed language learning gurus like I take to task in this video: A lot of people give in to negative self-hypnosis and pass it on to others in an attempt to hold the rest of the world down. They don't want to be lonely down in the bottom of the crab bucket, after all. Their attempt to hold you down isn't necessarily evil or even malicious. But it is infectious. Negative messages draw the attention of the eye and take hold in the brain. The good news? Simply by knowing this fact about them, you can weaken their power. You can also release yourself from their hold by learning memory techniques and buckling down to the truth that you need both skills: Vocabulary memorization AND phrase memorization. Unlike those crabs pulling each down into the bucket, when it comes to memorizing vocab and phrases … One Helps The Other! But here's the problem: Many (but not all) human brains get overwhelmed by entire phrases. That's why I free them to the power and glory of finally making some headway into learning a language. One word at a time. Just as I did when I used the Magnetic Memory Method for German (full story with tips). Richard Gilzean did much the same, but with his own Magnetic twist. Not to mention what Amanda Shaw accomplished when using the Magnetic Memory Method to help her learn Arrernte. Want results like that? Don't take my word for it. Just follow the evidence. Repeat the experiments. Enjoy the results. If it's not for you … well, like Wittgenstein once said: Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen. (Whereof one canno

I'm a pretty calm and relaxed guy. But if there's one word related to memory improvement that drives me bonkers, it's "system." And you've probably heard me talk all about why I don't teach a comprehensive memory system like some of the others on the market. Nothing about my refusal to offer a memory improvement system is ever going to change. The truth, reality and scientifically demonstrated fact about your memory is this: No One On Planet Earth Can Give You A Memory Improvement System! Oh, but they'll promise, which is exactly why I created this Memory Training Consumer Awareness Guide. (Side note: Can you believe that's way back to Episode 9 of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast! Thanks to your support, you can click the audio above to listen to this post as episode 180!) Here's The Bloody Truth No One Else Will Tell You Although you do need memory systems of a sort, YOU need to learn how to create them. And then you need to follow through and actually create them. That's right. YOU. And if you do it right, you'll discover that you, like me, will also think about the word "system" very differently. And here's the very good news: Right Thinking About Memory Systems Will Solve All Your Memory Problems And Pains – FAST! And once you've come to share my admittedly biased (but always Magnetic) opinion that the only memory systems that matter are the ones you create yourself … You'll be a master of your memory. The only question is … What are these memory systems that you need so badly? I'm glad you asked. There are just 4. They're simple to understand, fast to get in place for yourself and super-easy to use. It all begins with … #1: A Location-based Mnemonic System Not such a sexy term, is it? Well, don't fret. It has many other names. Looked at from the top, there are oodles of mnemonics out there, ranging from rhyming to creating crazy images that you let float in the void of your mind. Many people experience all kinds of success with the different kinds of mnemonics to choose from. But most people can't just create a mnemonic and then toss it out into the void of their mind. They need to connect their Magnetic Associations to something in the world. Like a location. There are other kinds of locations that are more abstract, like Virtual Memory Palaces, but here's the truth: Keeping It Concrete And Real Works Best For The Vast Majority Of People And that's why having a system for creating Memory Palaces is so powerful. You can create them strategically by building up a storehouse in advance. Or you can create Impromptu Memory Palaces anywhere, at any time, completely on the fly. The trick is to know how to create them. And know how to create them well. If you haven't taken the Magnetic Memory Method free video course, it'll walk you through everything you need to know. (Hint: Just click that big subway image above or subscribe above and I'll send you this course for FREE.) And then, Bang Presto! You'll be a Master of the first memory system you need to succeed! Just make sure you ground it on a memory method. #2: You Need An Encoding System Once you've got a reliable way of creating the Memory Palaces you need, you next need a systematic way to encode the information you want to learn. It helps if you've got that information organized. That way you can quickly "map" it onto any Memory Palace. Luckily, a lot of information comes pre-organized for us, so you can easily use the How to Memorize A Textbook training to tap into that raw power. And have a goal. An outcome. A realistic target that you actually want to hit. From there, you just need to be able to look at a piece of information and associate it with something else. Ideally that "something else" should hit a number of characteristics. It should be: Deeply familiar Colorful Big Bright Dynamic Capable of interaction And don't worry if you're not a visual person (#noexcuses). Here's the final word on that strange objection to using memory techniques: Example of an image that fits all the characteristics defined above? Well, let's take Homer Simpson. Are you deeply familiar with him? I sure am. He's got the world's worst memory, after all: But if you're not familiar with Homer, you can probably name some other cartoon character. Bugs Bunny, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Fred Flinstone … The options are endless. And if that character, actor, politician, musician or even your least favorite aunt can move around in space (such as within a Memory Palace) … You can create a system for pumping out oodles of characters like these to help you encode information you don't know with information you already do. You see, it's association that makes things more memorable. And you can develop a system for making associations very fast. You've just get to set aside any fear that you can't do it and get started doing it. That's the secret of success. #3: A Decoding System You know, there are people out there willing to argue about whether students who use memory techniques spend t

What would you give if you could have the world's best mentor accessible at any time? I'm talking about catering to your every need … So you can accomplish a specific goal … and in a way that fits that mentor inside your pocket? To be honest with you, at first I didn't believe it was possible. But guess what? I've got … Good News For Students & Educators! In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, let me introduce you to the incredible thought leader and digital innovator, Edan Kertis. But first … here's a limited time opportunity: If you'd like to shape the creation of the first Magnetic Memory Method memory coaching app (it will be in the form of a MyQuest!), please fill out this MMM App Survey (the link will open in a new tab). Edan and I thank you for taking the time to letting us know how we can help you and your memory further by guiding the creation of this memory improvement app. Now then, you might be asking yourself … Hold up, there! What is a "MyQuest?" As the co-founder and CEO of MyQuest, Edan is helping educators create "Quests" for learners. That means no more boring video courses that forget about you after you register. No more books that don't even know you exist. No more teachers who can't provide you the accountability you need to succeed. When it comes to MyQuest's powerful platform, Edan and his team have made it possible for mentors to create educational journeys that help students learn through gamified, step-by-step missions and levels. The best part? MyQuest allows educators to lead a community towards a common goal while still addressing the needs of the individual learner. How On Earth Is This Possible? As a software engineer, Edan has helped surgeons plan surgeries better. It's clear how his experiences with Brainlab have paved the way for even bigger accomplishments when it comes to learning how to learn. And in this exclusive interview (scroll up and hit 'play' to listen), you'll learn all about how Edan came up with the idea for MyQuest, including: ⇒ Edan's personal "Quest for Enlightenment" to expand his mind and experience self-development. ⇒ The "butterfly effect" and how small actions can influence others all around the world. ⇒ Why happiness is really all about what you remember. ⇒ Why everything with MyQuest is action-based with missions instead of lessons ⇒ Why you need to manage the level of challenge so that you're always stretching, but never overextended so far that frustration holds you back. ⇒ Why how we frame our educational experiences with story and metaphor matters. ⇒ Why you need to spend time enjoying random thoughts and "doing nothing" in order to increase your productivity. ⇒ The power of "digital fasting" for completing any learning goal. ⇒ The importance of reporting on your progress with peers for accountability. ⇒ The dual role of push notifications in order to ensure your teachers don't forget about you and you don't forget about them. ⇒ How you can easily create your own app as a mentor and help thousands of people achieve their goals. ⇒ Why traveling is like meditation. ⇒ How to find what feels right inside – despite anything society might be telling you about what counts as "normal." … and much, much more! What's Your Quest? As a Magnetic Memory Method Podcast listener, please let me know what you'd like to learn the most. What skill would make the biggest difference in your life? What habits do you think you'll need to master in order to achieve the outcomes you seek? Let's face it: Like is like a game. And the best way to play the game is to play the kind of games that you want to be invited to play again. But There Will Be Obstacles! What would a game be if there weren't obstacles to overcome and puzzles to solve? I'm excited that Edan and MyQuest are doing so much to create learning innovations that help educators create structured, yet responsive learning experiences that help learners accomplish their goals. Let's all help MyQuest accomplish their quest by sharing this post and engaging in the discussion. Look forward to hearing from you! For more information about MyQuest, creating your own app using their educational technology and Edan Kertis, please visit: MyQuest.co Edan Kertis on LinkedIn MyQuest on Twitter MyQuest on Facebook The post MyQuest For YOUR Memory Improvement With Edan Kertis appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

What if I told you that turning your brain into a passwords manager is the easiest thing on the planet? Yes, even massively complex and (seemingly) meaningless passwords like … HHTDFY66^&dd766g^^%7*d … can be memorized without breaking a sweat. And you'll even have some fun! To get this done … So that you can easily learn and remember so much garbled and meaningless data quickly … 1) All you need is a strategy. 2) You need a bit of practice with the strategy. 3) You need a solid reason why. Why Memorizing Your Passwords Is The Ultimate Only Path To Cyber-Security To discuss the reasons why you need to learn, memorize and develop the ability to recall your passwords without storing them anywhere other than your memory, I'm delighted to be joined by memory expert, record setter and incredible memory educator, Brad Zupp. If you haven't already, scroll up and click the "play" button to listen in on our discussion. In it, you'll learn: * The shocking truth behind why Brad decided it was time to create a system for memorizing his passwords and the horrifying realities behind why he's sharing that system with the world. * Brad's method of dividing Memory Palaces so they're easy to review and use to memorize and organize thousands of rooms and thousands of digits. * Why Brad uses Memory Palaces based on real locations and varies between rooms and outdoor memory journeys. * How to understand the differences in your mind and the mind of other mnemonists so that you can get better results faster. * How Brad deals with renovations to Memory Palaces. * Brad's incredible experiences with face memory and how it factors in with remembering names. * Brad's take on what to do if you have aphantasia or otherwise are in need of developing your mind's eye. Would You Like The Ability To Make Your Memory A Passwords Manager That Works Safer Than Any Computer? Let me recommend Brad's brand new book, The Hack-Proof Password System. (Note: The link will take you to the Amazon store nearest you. ) I've read this book cover-to-cover and highly recommend you do the same. You'll learn everything you need to know about protecting yourself online by developing an amazing memory skill. It's easy, fast, effective and fun. And the best part is that making your memory the ultimate passwords manager is great brain exercise too. For More Of Brad Zupp's World Class Memory Expertise … You may recall my "book report" of Brad's excellent book, Unlock Your Amazing Memory: The Fun Guide That Shows Grades 5 To 8 How To Remember Better And Make School Easier. If not, you can read all about it and listen to the podcast review here: How To Help Middle School Students Remember More Another fine resource for you is the first Magnetic Memory Method Podcast interview with Brad: Brad Zupp On Memory Techniques And Memory Improvement For All Ages But nothing could be more important to your Cyber Security than Brad's new book, so please be sure to add it to your memory improvement library. But That's Not All! For Brad's free bonus material to go with The Hack-Proof Password System, claim his free workbook and companion ebook now. While you're at it, check out Brad's main website. For information on Brad's presentations for students, visit Brad's Exceptional Assemblies page. Twitter: @BradZupp Brad Zupp on Facebook Brad Zupp on LinkedIn And if that wasn't enough, if you want to pop your questions, experiences and comments in the discussion area below, I'll make sure Brad sees your contributions to the Mnemonics Renaissance a.s.a.p. In the meantime … Thanks as ever for helping us help you and talk soon! The post Mental Passwords Manager? Memory And Cyber Security With Brad Zupp appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Do you know how often earth-shattering revelations about how to use your memory better come along? Two words: Not often. But when Lynne Kelly's The Memory Code was announced, I knew we were in for something special. I got even more excited when The Memory Code finally arrived (notice that's an Aboriginal art bookmark too for the detail-oriented amongst you.) And now I'm excited to present the first Magnetic Memory Method interview with Lynne Kelly. The Most Profound Memory Resource On The Planet Got An Early Start Scroll up to the podcast play button and listen in as Lynne and I discuss her book, The Memory Code. You'll want to listen to this episode a few times so you can discover and remember: * How a skeptical science writer came to embrace the art of memory by replicating ancient memory techniques. * How the human mind once regularly memorized 1600 hundred plants (while eating less than a third). * The role of rituals and Songlines in memory associations and how Lynne uses them herself. * Why Lynne's associations with her Memory Palace Songlines have become so strong, she cannot relocate from her environment. This point will help you avoid Memory Palace Agoraphobia. * The potential relationship between social inertia and a cure for Dementia (or at least a serious reduction in the number of cases and their severity). * Why your brain is a set of "chemical locations" and how these can integrate with other locations in the world to help you remember. Jesse figured this out in a big way as you'll learn in his Magnetic Memory Method Review and Testimonial. * What we've lost in schools and what Lynne is doing to bring formal memory education back into the curriculum. * What Nobel prize winners have shown us about how and why the brain associates information with locations naturally. * Why the continuous culture of Australia is so beneficial to the study of memory. * The economic history of memory training and why the going rate for one memory song could be exchanged at a very high rate. * Why knowledge is so essential to human survival. * Why vivid imagery in stories and dancing is far more memorable than straight, unencoded information. * The 3 kinds of "Memory Spaces" anyone can use to remember information and get it right – very important in every day education and matters of life and death. * Why some information was restricted in early societies to avoid the so-called "Chinese Whispers Effect." * Why ancient groups of people were not naive or living in clouds of ignorance. Learn how science is helping us discover their incredibly sophisticated ways of knowledge – far from primitive! * The power of multi-sensory mnemonic methods for helping you make fast mnemonic associations. * The importance of playing with the stories and images you create in order to faciliate rapid encoding and long term recall. * The secret skill all children have (one of the barriers that far too many adults unnecessarily let themselves get in their way). * The possible role writing might have in decreasing our visual imagination abilities. * Why you need to memorize based on a firm foundation upon which layers can be built. * Examples of how kids are using mnemonics to memorize physics equations using location-based mnemonics. * How children are learning about art using Memory Palaces that enable the teachers to develop Memory Techniques For People Of All Ages Children are one thing, but Lynne talks about how all the same techniques apply across the board to people of every age. No matter how time crushed you may be. As you continue listening, you'll learn: * Why memory techniques will save you time, not consume it. * Why memory techniques should be taught within the curriculum of schools, not as a separate subject. * Why memory techniques have inspired students to BEG for testing, not run shrieking from their exams. * The role of cold in creativity and memory with respect to cold showers and the vagus nerve. Additional Links & Resources The Memory Code on Amazon. Lynne Kelly's author website The Orality Center Moonwalking with Einstein Dominic O'Brien David Abram's The Spell of the Sensuous Walter J. Ong The post The Memory Code: Prehistoric Memory Techniques You Can Use Now appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Have you ever sat down to learn something and thrown your hands up in the air? Not to catch a balloon or give a salute. But because you were furious and frustrated? And have you felt that a learning task was so hard that you just wanted to give up? I hear you! After all, I've put some of the toughest learning challenges in front of myself all the time. Languages like Biblical Hebrew, German, Chinese. Musical instruments like sitar and bass. Hands-on mechanical tasks like figuring out how to spread the good news about memory techniques with a videos, blogs and podcasts. And in all cases, it takes grit. It takes tenacity. It takes these… 4 Secret Ways To Make It So Easy You Can Run Circles Around Everyone Else! If you're interested, I'd like to share these 4 secrets with you, plus another 4 in this video: All I ask is that you read them carefully and give at least ONE of them a serious try (minus the last one in the video above). But let's be clear: Trying just one would be good. But … 50% would be great. 100%? … Why that would be downright Magnetic! 1. The Most Powerful Question Any Learner Can Ask One of the reasons some people find learning so painful is that they don't ask a simple question. It's a question that, when applied often, can unlock the nuclear power needed to drive you through some of the hardest missions in life. It's a question almost no learner asks. Probably because it's a bit tough for most people to wrap their heads around. It sounds kind of selfish, after all. The question is: "What's in it for me?" But even if it has a selfish angle to it, this question is so important. Why? Because So Many Learners Are Trying To Accomplish Outcomes For Everyone But Themselves! Think about it: You go to school and learn things to please the machine … You get a medical degree to appease your family … You study a language because it's part of a degree … Nothing wrong with any of that, unless … None Of It Has To Do With What You Authentically Want In Life! And so it's little wonder learning feels hard. If you're the last person who gets a kick-back for all that effort, it's always going to feel like you're trying to chew through a brick wall. Make it easier on yourself by learning things that have a definite payoff for the number one person that matters: You. Because here's the plain truth: You're a good person. You want to serve others. And you can change the world. But it will never happen if you secretly hate the learning process because it just doesn't serve your needs first. Want a fast and easy way live authentically? Practice gratitude: 2. Why Comatose Zombies Can Outlearn The Flash Any Day Okay, that sub-headline might be a bit misleading. What I mean to say is that you need to relax to learn. Because here's a fundamental truth: Information flees from tension. But it's Magnetically attracted to relaxation. Let me say that again: Information flees from tension. But it's Magnetically attracted to relaxation.Click To Tweet And the more you know how to relax your brain, the more information will want to stick around. You'll be able to slosh it around the mouth of your mind like fine wine and actually enjoy it for a change. And what you enjoy … ? Pleasure Is Instantly Easier To Remember! The trick you need to understand when it comes to relaxing your mind is this: Your mind is produced by your brain. Your brain is a physical entity. And that's what makes the Memory Palace technique so powerful: It's something physical out in the world being used physically inside your material brain. Don't know how to make a Memory Palace? No problem. Register for this: And to get the most of the training, relax your mind each time before you use your memory. That said, never try to relax your mind without relaxing your body first. In fact, it's very likely that the only way to truly relax your mind is by relaxing the body first. So the next time you sit down to study, stretch a little first. Meditate. Focus for awhile on your breathing. Attention paid to breathing will lower most of your resistances to learning and make everything easier. 3. Understand That The Map Is Never The Territory – But Maps Sure Do Help! When I created this Infographic and Podcast episode teaching you how to realistically memorize a textbook, I had no idea people would find it so practical and useful. After all, everybody asks me for "tips and tricks" that will let them memorize entire books. But the truth is that this feat is rarely necessary. In fact, it's probably never necessary. But if you use the techniques I teach in that podcast to get a global overview of the book you need to read, you'll have a map. This map will set the stage for your experience of the territory. And that will give you laser-targeted tools for remembering the parts that matter. Proof: When you can do that, you do better than just learn and remember. You also create knowledge. And when you create knowledge, the speed at which you can learn grows exponentially. It fee

Don't you love a teacher who can tell a good joke? You know the kind: Each class begins on a funny note. You hang on every word, no matter how difficult. In fact … it pains you when the lectures end. You can hardly believe it, but as tough as the information flowing from your teacher might get, you simply cannot get enough. When that happens … Don't Despair! And understand this: According to Barbara Oakley in her new book, Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles And Discover Your Hidden Potential, successful teachers have a strange ability … … the ability to wrap candy around the crusted salt of difficult ideas. In other words, great teachers make challenging concepts easier for your brain to absorb and remember. How On Earth Do They Accomplish That? To accomplish this difficult feat, many great teachers use humor. Humor? Is that all it takes? Well … In many cases, yes. Humor, it turns out, (which can be verbal or situational as Zizek makes clear in the video above) is a core ingredient in the magic spells these soothing muses of hardcore information use to slide information into your mind without you noticing. That's right. You really can learn almost on autopilot. An Aspirin For The Aches And Pains Of Education? Humor, and those humorous teachers who deploy it, use their special talent with jokes to manipulate your brain's "opioid reward system." Rest assured: This painkiller for information is super-important for the future of humanity. Why am I being so dramatic? I'm glad you asked. As Oakley explains, merely thinking about learning something difficult activates one of the pain centers in your brain. Nothing like Christian Bök's pleasant flurry of "motorized razors" (another professor who uses humor to great effect): But you get the idea. Your brain anticipates the pain and tries to run away shrieking. That part of the brain so opposed to learning? It's called the insular cortex. Even this biological term itself sounds scary, doesn't it? Well … This Term Should Sound Scary! But here's the thing: Oakley has good news for you and your insular cortex on every page of Mindshift. And the best part is that you don't need every teacher to be a comic to learn even the most difficult topics without fear and suffering. Mindshift is designed to help you figure out what you want to learn and how to get yourself take the steps needed to succeed. Using stories, activities and factual data about how your brain works, you'll walk away from reading Mindshift equipped to anticipate and remove all obstacles you could possibly face on your way. All you need to do is understand a few key "time travel" secrets … Time Travel Secret #1: Your Past Is A Treasure Trove Of Transformation One of the most exciting aspects of Mindshift is the lesson that nothing in your past is a waste. In fact, much of your potential for future success as a learner and eventual leader in a field of your choosing lies in what you've already done. You need only know how to tap into it. As Oakley demonstrates throughout the book, traditional ideas about expertise are outmoded. But here's the beautiful news: We are all unusually equipped for the requirements of the 21st century where several areas of "deep knowledge" separate the cream from the crop. And if you're a scholar, a lot of what you know can help you escape the Ivory Tower and have an impacting career beyond the university. Here's Barbara helping you make that mindshift: You Can Be The Cream Floating Gracefully Up To The Top The trick in getting there lies in understanding your passions and being able to identify your current skills (more on "current" affairs in your time traveling in a second). But this is important: Don't get caught up on this word "skills." It has a lot of meanings and if you're reading this page, you've got a done of them. Without a doubt, you're already beaming brightly from within the paradise of your multiple intelligences. But There's A Catch! If you haven't sat down with some paper to make your skills and mental assets visible to yourself, so many vibrant resources in your life could be entirely lost to you like some kind of undetected natural gas resource waiting to be tapped. And that means you might find yourself living a life lost to digital amnesia. In addition to making your past resources discoverable, Mindshift shows you how to install the needed desire for lifelong learning if you haven't already got it. Time Travel Secret#2: The Power Of Now For Your Learning That's right. You really can "time travel" the present moment. As one learner interviewed in Mindshift puts it, you accomplish this feat by shifting your thinking about where you are now. Instead of worrying about having a safety net, use everything you've got and your circumstances as a springboard. You need only learn how to see the opportunities. Two of the most useful concepts from Mindshift are also the most understated. The first is balancing modesty vs. hubris and the power of solving other people's p

Would you like to pick the mind of the greatest living Major System masters? If so, click play above and dive into the incredible mnemonic talent of Florian Dellé. In this exclusive interview with Florian on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you'll discover: Strangely counter-beneficial aspects of memory - and how to avoid them! Click To Tweet Plus, keep listening and you'll learn: The key factors that make memory competition more exciting to participate in and watch as a spectator … The number one need every student of memory techniques must fulfill to experience their true capabilities … The connection between using your memory and motivation. Master this and you'll create a state of excitement that helps you overcome all kinds of learning obstacles and barriers! Why you shouldn't waste any more time on boring and frustrating learning techniques … Why everything we do with memory techniques always builds on the work of others … How to use forms and shapes to help you memorize keywords and the names of cells, golf statistics or anything you want to memorize … How to use chain stories, image clusters and other ideas locked up in Esel's Welt … How to create a second or even third Major Method/Major System list to create multiple memory advantages and more variety in your mnemonic tool box … The "annoying" truth about reusing your mnemonic images and Memory Palaces … Why these techniques are never just about having a "code system" Florian's PAO 1000 people and 1000 objects system and how specifically he works with them in sets of 100 in order to generate a workable memory system. Understand the thinking behind his strategy and you'll be well-equipped to evolving your own approach for achieving any learning goal. Florian's amazing Pyramid Memory System … How to open your image sets for any purpose without getting bogged down by dogmatic rules. The limits of the Major System and why Florian decided to expand and create his own. Why some people FEAR the Major System and how to overcome this hurdle so that you can feel the fun while experiencing its many benefits … Why Florian likes movement and even abstract images, as opposed to stationary objects like street lamps in his memory practice … Why boredom should be avoided at all costs when learning to use memory techniques … Why Florian created ThinkKniht and developed an alternative to the Major System … How to find your "feeling" for the Major System associations so that you're happy with it and using it to maximum effect from the beginning … The difference between a "native society" and a "civilized society" and the role of apps for the future of your memory … The difference between learning, training and coaching software yet to come. Understanding how all these softwares can be relevant for your learning will blow your mind with all the possibilities … Why trial and error might eventually be eliminated from the learning process. The only question is … will that be a good thing or bad? Why you should never be intimidated by the lingo and "systems" of memory techniques and how to quickly get yourself into the practice of using your memory … even if you initially doubt the efficiency of the initial training period … … and much, much more! (Note for puzzle-fans: Can you see the special mnemonic I've hidden in the special-characters?) I'm grateful for this discussion with Florian and look forward to hearing your response. Be sure to follow Florian on Twitter and support his mission in bringing mnemonics and the real magic of memory to everyone around the world. Resources Mentioned In The Podcast & Other Great Links To Explore Esels Welt by Ulrich Voigt The Wardrobe Method Breakdown of the "classic" Major System and Florian's Visual Major System Code Alex Mullen Interviews Florian Dellé Florian's World Memory Championship stats – impressive! The post Major System Secrets And The Future Of Your Memory With Florian Dellé appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Have you ever said out loud or in your mind, "I can't learn a language!" Well … guess what? You're fooling yourself! And it's the worse kind of lie. Why? Because every minute you're not fluent in at least one other language, you're keeping yourself locked in a monolingual prison … The same prison that deeply dissatisfies billions of people around the world! And instead of doing something to improve their lot in life and memory, they simper and whimper in the unnecessary depression and suffering that the following lies, illusions and problems created by people perfectly capable of success. Avoid the following traps and you will grasp success and suckle from its nourishment for life – guaranteed! #1: The Lie That You're Too Busy To Learn A Language That's how most people see themselves: Busy. REALLY busy. In some cases, this is true. But for most of us, being "time poor" has a core root. And that root is rotten. These days its lots and lots of time WASTED on social media. Don't blame yourself, though. As I talked about last time when I gave you my Ultimate Concentration Exercise Combo, a lot of the problem isn't your fault. But you can do something about the problem. And to ignore it means just three things: 1. A lack of discipline. 2. An unwillingness to learn and practice focus. 3. A complete and utter lack of prioritization. The good news is you can change this sorry state. And You should! You want discipline. You want results. And you know that learning a language is good for your brain. The secret? Stop Splitting Your Attention As I shared in my post about morning rituals for language learning, you can use Magnetic Habit-Chaining to get more results in 15-30 minutes per day than most language learners will accomplish in a month. It's fun, easy to do and you'll like yourself better. Why? Because you're moving towards your language goal, not cheating yourself out of it by wasting time on unnecessary social media. Whatever you do, stop running around as if your hair's on fire.Click To Tweet It isn't. And you've got languages to learn. Bonus: How to maintain quality in your daily language learning ritual: Have a space in your home dedicated to language learning. For tips on how, check out these 15 memory care home solutions. 2. The Lie That You Don't Have The Adequate Language Learning Tools A vital component to learning a language is knowing what to use and how to use it. Here's a Magnetic-sized tip: Use just one book, just one audio program and just one video course at a time. No more than that, though always with the option of using less. Use this "rule of three" in combination with The Big Five Of Language Learning to structure your learning sessions: Memory Reading Writing Speaking Listening Here's my three and a quick summary of how I'm using them: That's my beloved Chinese character book. It's presenting the material in German, which is great because it helps me maintain that language. It also has a special feature in the back that bolts Magnetically to the Magnetic Memory Method – stay tuned for news about that. I'm currently memorizing phrases from Pimsleur, more or less as discussed in this video: It's a golden technique. But nothing is better than the Real Spoken Chinese Vault. Here's one example of how I'm using it: What a blessing this course has been! If you're studying Chinese, you've simply got to check it out and grab my MMM bonuses. In each case, I'm using Memory Palaces in combination with The Big Five of Language Learning. This multi-step process is important because it moves the language through multiple representation centers of the brain: audio, visual and kinesthetic. And if you get in some language learning practice in restaurants that feature the language you're studying, you can squeeze in your gustatory and olfactory rep centers too. What Matters Is Consistency And you're much more likely to master consistency if you limit your tools. Don't forget the rule of three!Click To Tweet 3. The Lie That You Must Learn Lackluster Vocabulary & Phrases So Boring You Wanna Tear Your Hair Out Although you occasionally do have to buckle down and learn some boring words like he, she, if, then, but and … AND … … most language learners struggle because they stick too closely to the boring stuff. Let's face it: We need a textbook, audio and video program. But we also need more. We need to learn vocabulary and phrases that connect with our interests. For me, it's movies. And books. And the topic of memory. Knowing what I like makes the pursuit of vocabulary and phrases easier. Knowing what you like will make it easier for you too. Plus, regularly meeting with native speakers who share similar interests means those interesting and exciting terms will keep popping up. Case in point: I'm still sad about leaving Berlin, but delighted that there's a German book club here in Brisbane. And so that means I get to hang with literature enthusiasts who use really cool words and phrases – all while reading and

Do you ever go hunting for music you can use to increase your focus and concentration? I sure have. But over the years, I've experienced diminishing returns. That got me wondering about what benefits it ever had in the first place. So here's an idea that might help you stop wasting time and energy on the hunt for external cures that promise to increase your focus. Start by watching this video: Now then … Why is all this business about concentration so important? Here's a wake-up call: The problem with finding music and apps and other gadgets to help improve your focus and concentration is this: Those efforts will always fail. Why? Because they never address the core problem. And the reason you can't focus and concentrate is simple: Your Concentration Muscles Are Weak And Pathetic! Trust me. I've been there. I've felt both sides of the coin while learning how to improve focus and concentration. I've gone through periods where my concentration was so poor I couldn't finish a single sentence in a book. And this lack of concentration and the ongoing need to improve focus caused me a lot of pain. For one thing, I almost dropped out of my Ph.D. program. Imagine that! Spending all those years of your life and thousands upon thousands in tuition … … only to find yourself in a concentration rut. Well, there's a way out. And the first step on that journey to freedom from poor concentration starts with saying Yes! to the alternative. And that involves nothing more than getting your ego out of the picture. Laser Sharp Concentration Begins With A Little Death Do I have your attention yet? I hope so, because death is no laughing matter. But here's the thing: If you're willing to sit and meditate, you'll be engaging in the most profound activity invented by humanity (next to memory techniques): You'll Be Murdering Your Ego! And that, my Magnetic friend, is a wonderful thing. Because every goal and desire you haven't achieved is likely being held hostage by your ego. It sounds crazy, but true. So much of the focus and concentration we need to get things done flees from us due to simple biology. You see, your brain conserves energy as much as possible. Sure, some people are lazy and unmotivated. But most of us struggle to focus and get things done because we have a brain telling us that it's okay to be lazy and slothful. And the worse thing is … Your Lazy Brain Isn't Necessarily Wrong! Because here's the thing: Way back when we lived on the savanna, our brains learned to conserve energy. At least, that's one historical interpretation of the anthropological data. Seriously. Whereas some people prefer to fantasize about early humans as big bulky caveman conquering the world … … it's more likely that we were weaklings hiding in the shade of trees most of the time. What were we doing there? Two things: 1) Conserving energy 2) Waiting for better predators to kill animals and leave their carcasses behind so we could scavenge the remains. Sounds like a bleak interpretation of history, doesn't it? Not If You Let This Simple Fact Of Nature Empower You! When you realize that it's very likely humans evolved to conserve energy. That means to also limit spending it. And when you realize this, all that laziness suddenly makes sense. When things make sense, you can start to engineer change on the basis of some solid understanding. That's important because for many of us, we simply can't learn without knowing why we are the way we are and having some context around it. So there you have it: You're forgiven for being lazy. It's in your genes. No Ego, No Enemy But what does all this have to do with the ego? This is important: As human psychology developed, language and stories arrived on the scene. And that meant chatter. A lot of which takes place in your mind. Self-talk about the past, mostly inaccurate descriptions and alternative versions of the present, memories of the past … It just goes on and on. And it's the constant talk that makes focus and concentration difficult to achieve. Because now instead of conserving energy … You're Spending The Lifeblood Of Your Brain On Nothing! But when you meditate, you create an escape hatch. And you can make it bigger and bigger in a relatively short period of time. Not only that, but you can approach higher levels of "awakening." These are really cool because you understand … Oh Wow! I'm Free From All That Floating Junk! And that leads to something extraordinary: You realize that you're concentrating at a higher level. Your focus is sharper. You're on fire for the present moment and letting it burn you up in all its glory. How An Unusual Way Of Counting From 1 – 10 Will Increase Your Focus 100x … Or More! Listen: You don't have to take my word for the bold claims I'm making. There is so much scientific research backing this up that you could build a new planet from it. But like a lot of science, all the evidence in the world sometimes fails to make people budge in the right direction. Take the stru