Here you will learn How to develop, train and use your memory
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CHAPTER XX.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.
In this chapter we shall call your attention to certain of the general
principles already mentioned in the preceding chapters, for the purpose of
further impressing them upon your mind, and in order that you may be able to
think of and to consider them independent of the details of the special phases
of memory. This chapter may be considered in the nature of a general review of
certain fundamental principles mentioned in the body of the work.
POINT I. Give to the thing that you wish to memorize, as great a degree of
concentrated attention as possible.
We have explained the reason for this advice in many places in the book. The
degree of concentrated attention bestowed upon the object under consideration,
determines the strength, clearness and depth of the impression received and
stored away in the subconsciousness. The character of these stored away
impressions determines the degree of ease in remembrance and recollection.
POINT II. In considering an object to be memorized, endeavor to obtain the
impressions through as many faculties and senses as possible.
The reason for this advice should be apparent to you, if you have carefully read
the preceding chapters. An impression received through both sound and sight is
doubly as strong as one received through but one of these channels. You may
remember a name, or word, either by having seen it in writing or print; or else
by reason of having heard it; but if you have both seen and heard it you have a
double impression, and possess two possible ways of reviving the impression. You
are able to remember an orange by reason of having seen it, smelt it, felt it
and tasted it, and having heard its name pronounced. Endeavor to know a thing
from as many sense impressions as possibleuse the eye to assist ear-impressions;
and the ear to assist in eye-impressions. See the thing from as many angles as
possible.
POINT III. Sense impressions may be strengthened by exercising the particular
faculty through which the weak impressions are received.
You will find that either your eye memory is better than your ear memory, or
vice versa. The remedy lies in exercising the weaker faculty, so as to bring it
up to the standard of the stronger. The chapters of eye and ear training will
help you along these lines. The same rule applies to the several phases of
memorydevelop the weak ones, and the strong ones will take care of themselves.
The only way to develop a sense or faculty is to intelligently train, exercise
and use it. Use, exercise and practice will work miracles in this direction.
POINT IV. Make your first impression strong and firm enough to serve as a basis
for subsequent ones.
Get into the habit of fixing a clear, strong impression of a thing to be
considered, from the first. Otherwise you are trying to build up a large
structure upon a poor foundation. Each time you revive an impression you deepen
it, but if you have only a dim impression to begin with, the deepened
impressions will not include details omitted in the first one. It is like taking
a good sharp negative of a picture that you intend to enlarge afterward. The
details lacking in the small picture will not appear in the enlargement; but
those that do appear in the small one, will be enlarged with the picture.
POINT V. Revive your impressions frequently and thus deepen them.
You will know more of a picture by seeing it a few minutes every day for a week,
than you would by spending several hours before it at one time. So it is with
the memory. By recalling an impression a number of times, you fix it indelibly
in your mind in such a way that it may be readily found when needed. Such
impressions are like favorite tools which you need every little while they are
not apt to be mislaid as are those which are but seldom used. Use your
imagination in "going over" a thing that you wish to remember. If you are
studying a thing, you will find that this "going over" in your imagination will
help you materially in disclosing the things that you have not remembered about
it. By thus recognizing your weak points of memory, you may be able to pick
up the missing details when you study the object itself the next time.
POINT VI. Use your memory and place confidence in it.
One of the important things in the cultivation of the memory is the actual use
of it. Begin to trust it a little, and then more, and then still more, and it
will rise to the occasion. The man who has to tie a string around his finger in
order to remember certain things, soon begins to cease to use his memory, and in
the end forgets to remember the string, or what it is for. There are many
details, of course, with which it is folly to charge the memory, but one should
never allow his memory to fall into disuse. If you are in an occupation in which
the work is done by mechanical helps, then you should exercise the memory by
learning verses, or other things, in order to keep it in active practice. Do not
allow your memory to atrophy.
POINT VII. Establish as many associations for an impression, as possible.
If you have studied the preceding chapters, you will recognize the value of this
point. Association is memory's method of indexing and cross-indexing. Each
association renders it easier to remember or recollect the thing. Each
association gives you another string to your mental bow. Endeavor to associate a
new bit of knowledge with something already known by, and familiar to you. In
this way to avoid the danger of having the thing isolated and alone in your
mindwithout a label, or index number and name, connect your object or thought to
be remembered with other objects or thoughts, by the association of contiguity
in space and time, and by relationship of kind, resemblance or opposite-ness.
Sometimes the latter is very useful, as in the case of the man who said that
''Smith reminds me so much of Brownhe's so different." You will often be able to
remember a thing by remembering something else that happened at the same place,
or about the same timethese things give you the "loose ends" of recollection
whereby you may unwind the ball of memory. In the same way, one is often able to
recollect names by slowly running over the alphabet, with a pencil, until
the sight of the capital first letter of the name brings the memory of those
following itthis, however, only when the name has previously been memorized by
sight. In the same way the first few notes of a musical selection will enable
you to remember the whole air; or the first words of a sentence, the entire
speech or selection following it. In trying to remember a thing which has
escaped you, you will find it helpful to think of something associated with that
thing, even remotely. A little practice will enable you to recollect the thing
along the lines of the faintest association or clue. Some men are adept memory
detectives, following this plan. The "loose end" in memory is all the expert
requires. Any associations furnish these loose ends. An interesting and
important fact to remember in this connection is that if you have some one thing
that tends to escape your memory, you may counteract the trouble by noting the
associated things that have previously served to bring it into mind with you.
The associated thing once noted, may thereafter be used as a loose end with
which to unwind the elusive fact or impression. This idea of association la
quite fascinating when you begin to employ it in your memory exercises and work.
And you will find many little methods of using it. But always use natural
association, and avoid the temptation of endeavoring to tie your memory up with
the red-tape of the artificial systems.
POINT VIII. Group your impressions.
This is but a form of association, but is very important. If you can arrange
your bits of knowledge and fact into logical groups, you will always be master
of your subject. By associating your knowledge with other knowledge along the
same general lines, both by resemblances and by opposites, you will be able to
find what you need just when you need it. Napoleon Bonaparte had a mind trained
along these lines. He said that his memory was like a large case of small
drawers and pigeon-holes, in which he filed his information according to its
kind. In order to do this he used the methods mentioned in this book of
comparing the new thing with the old ones, and then deciding into which group it
naturally fitted. This is largely a matter of practice and knack, but it may
be acquired by a little thought and care, aided by practice. And it will repay
one well for the trouble in acquiring it. The following table will be found
useful in classifying objects, ideas, facts, etc., so as to correlate and
associate them with other facts of a like kind. The table is to be used in the
line of questions addressed to oneself regarding the thing under consideration.
It somewhat resembles the table of questions given in Chapter XVII, of this
book, but has the advantage of brevity. Memorize this table and use it. You will
be delighted at the results, after you have caught the knack of applying it.
QUERY TABLE. Ask yourself the following questions regarding the thing under
consideration. It will draw out many bits of information and associated
knowledge in your mind:
(1) WHAT? (2) WHENCE? (3) WHERE? (4) WHEN? (5) HOW? (6) WHY? (7)
WHITHER?
While the above Seven Queries are given you as a means of acquiring clear
impressions and associations, they will also serve as a Magic Key to Knowledge,
if you use them intelligently. If you can answer these questions regarding
anything, you will know a great deal about that particular thing. And after you
have answered them fully, there will be but little unexpressed knowledge
regarding that thing left in your memory. Try them on some one thingyou cannot
understand them otherwise, unless you have a very good imagination.
FINIS.
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