Improve Your Memory

While in South America we spent a lot of time on buses, so I took up reading (im more of a audio book guy). Many hostels have a book swap system so and I came across this one called Derren Brownd Mind Tricks. I wast sure who Derren Brown was at the time, but some of my travel buddies from the UK seemed to be impressed. I cant remember most of the book but there was one section that appealed to me, and it was that of how to remember stuff. My memory on its own is crap, but with this system I managed to remember the order of about half a deck of cards. That was with a couple of hours practicing the system, im sure with a few more hours I could have remembered at least a single of not 2 decks. Anyway, this was a couple of years ago but I think I can still remember the system so here it is.

The Linking System
I think this is useful for remembering lists of stuff, eg a shopping list. What you do is visualise the first item, then have it intereact with the second item, and so on. The interaction should be vivid and unusual so that it sticks out in your mind.

The Loki System
This is where you recall in your mind a familiar journey eg walking from your home to the corner store, or perhaps taking a tour through your house. Along the journey you interact, or see some sort of interaction with the item you need to remember. Again, it must be vivid and unusual. The advantage of this is that you dont need to recal the item before to trigger the memory of the next item, like you do in the linking system. If you want you can fast forward to a point along your journey and that will trigger the information needed

Remembering Names
This is probably my biggest downfall when it comes to memory. I still find it hard but here are some suggestions
1. Pay attention
2. Have the new person impersonate someone you know
3. Connect the name to an image / use there facial features
4. Use their name often

The Peg System
This is the one that will have you remembering the order of a deck of cards. It is very useful for remembering numbers. I used to use it often, but find if you dont keep using it, then you forget the pegs!

The basic principles are this
1. Each number from 0-9 represents a constanent. Fill the gaps in-between the constanents with vowels to make words, which are generally easier to remember than pictures.
2. You then link the images together (if there is a string of numbers)
3. Use vivid/unusual images

Here is the pegs I use for number from 0-99.

0-z/s-zzz’s
1-l-ale
2-n-hen
3-m-ham
4-r-whore
5-f/v-hive
6-b/p-bee
7-t-tea
8-sh/ch/j-shoe
9-g-goo

10-loo
11-lilly
12-line
13-lime
14-lorry
15-laugh
16-lip
17-light
18-lush
19-leg
20-nose
21-nail
22-nun
23-gnome
24-nard
25-knife
26-nob
27-net
28-nash (this is someone I know)
29-niggy (this is someone I know)
30-moe
31-mole
32-man
33-mum
34-meer (cat)
35-muff
36-map
37-mat
38-mosh
39-mog
40-rose
41-rail
42-rain
43-ram
44-roar
45-rave
46-rope
47-rat
48-rosh (this is someone I know)
49-rag
50-fizzy
51-fall
52-fin
53-fam(ily)
54-fire
55-fif of vodka
56-vip
57-fat
58-fish
59-fog
60-bo staff
61-ball
62-bin
63-bum
64-boar
65-poof
66-pube
67-pot
68-posh
69-69er
70-toe
71-tile
72-tin
73-tim tam
74-tear
75-toffee
76-tap
77-tit
78-touch
79-tug
80-shaz
81-shell
82-shin
83-shim
84-shore
85-shiv
86-ship
87-shot
88-shoosh
89-shag
90-goose
91-gull
92-gun
93-gym
94-gear
95-gaffa
96-gobby
97-gate
98-gush
99-gag

So these are an example, it is best to make up your own so they stick in your mind. You can just read through these ones then when you try to recall them, see what you come up with. Compare. If you come up with the same then great. Use which ones will make better pictures and/or you are more likely to remember to use.

To practice, go through the numbers in your head. Forwards, backwards, odds, evens etc. Use it to remember all your important numbers eg credit cards, social security, important phone numbers etc

So to use the the Peg System to remember cards all you need to do is make up pegs for each card, then attach cards to a postition via vivid imagery to guess which card is where. Ie use the linking system to remember the order. The difference is that the word you use as a peg starts with the letter of the suit.

Another thing you can do is destroy/mutilate cards you see in order to remember what cards are left.. useful for card games eg blackjack.

So heres an example of my peg system for cards.

Clubs
A-big club
2-can
3-cum
4-car
5-cave
6-cob (corn on the)
7-cat
8-cosh
9-cog
10-chloe
J-Young man at a club
Q-madam
K-Bouncer

Hearts
A-big love heart
2-hand
3-home
4-hair
5-hoof
6-hop
7-hut
8-hedge
9-hug
10-holes
J-Cupid
Q-Bride
K-Groome

Diamonds
A-Big diamond
2-Dine
3-Dam
4-Door
5-Dove
6-Dobber
7-Date
8-dish
9-dog
10-dolls
J-diamond theif
Q-queen
K-old jeweler

Spades
A-Grim Reaper
2-Sun
3-Sam baff
4-sore
5-safe
6-sag
7-seat
8-sash
9-soggy
10-sissy
J-boy digging
Q-maid
K-gardener

What I did to practice this is I wrote them really small on the back of the card, so I could test if I was right/give myself a ‘tip’.

Thats it y’all.

If you want to read the book I got it from you can get it off amazon/ My affiliate link is below