From: spacefox@acs.bu.edu (Godfrey Degamo)
Newsgroups: alt.self-improve
Subject: memorex (part 1? who knows....)
Date: 29 Aug 92 19:57:12 GMT
Organization: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
Originator: spacefox@acs.bu.edu


Readers:

     I got quite a few responses to the posting I put up, so I will try to
respond to each person in this post as adequately as I can.  This will mean
that I will post part of your letters!  Hopefully, that will not offend any
of the people who sent me letters, I know how some people like to remain
private:

Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 17:50:09 -0700
From: yost@mv.us.adobe.com (David Yost)

Are these techniques the same old stuff about thinking up bizarre images
and linking them to the items you want to remember, or something more natural?

 --dave

     I guess, unfortunately for you, yes.  Unusual happenings helps memory.
If you ever reflect back on your life, those things that come to mind are
things that, for lack of a better term, gave you a "shock"  This doesn't mean
it was anything negative.  But, I don't think you can vividly remember the
5th to the last time you took a shower as say the first time you fell in love.
(Unless you fell in love in the 5th to the last time you took a shower, or
for that matter, unless a hair dryer so happened to have fallen into the
water!)  You get my point.
     Association, although, is the basis for all memory techniques that I've
encountered.  There maybe another way, but perhaps a more enlightened reader 
may post something about this.  But, if technique reveals anything about
the physiological aspect of memory, I highly doubt that there is any method
that doesn't involve association.  Anything more "natural" would perhaps be
done with system of rewards and punishments directed by Pavlov.
     I'm surprised that some people have a disdain for the bizarre.  My
mental association are at times comic which makes me laugh.  I love to laugh.
I think that perhaps you aren't accustomed to it.  Keep at it.  Besides,
anything that doesn't involve rote memory, has been shown to increase
intelligence (at least bizarreness in my case.) and to increase creativity
-something that has been talked about recently on this group.  But, if you
still don't like this, YOU MAY WANT TO READ: (sorry, attention grabber)

How to Increase Your Memory Power by Alan S. Brown, Ph.D.
     In this book, he states that it is not necessary to come up with bizarre
associations, normal ones will do.  However, it doesn't work with me.  But,
that's because I'm me and not him.  You should experiment.  But, what really
intrigues me about this book is it's treatment of the 

"tie a string about your pinky" method.  

I was introduced to this technique when I was a kid and have always thought of
taking this advice literally -silly me.
(Although, again, it uses something to the effect of being unusual.):
     For instance, if you have to take your medication at say 12:00pm you may
want to put an empty medicine bottle with a note saying 12:00 in a location
where you know you will encounter it.  Or, if you have a habit of putting your
wallet in your left pocket, you may want to switch it to your right to give
you that unusual feeling that you should pay that $10 you owe your friend.
     There are other methods in this book that are the most "normal" that I've
read.  It is a good book and worthy of analysis.


From: ";-}" <sploke@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 11:30:39 -0400

Hi,

I am just another member of the news group. I am interested in how you are
doing with Lorayne's technique. I bought his course, Memory Power ( from 
TV program ) and I know it will work if I practise it. The worst thing is I
am toooooo lazy to use it. I still rely on my TRUE memory. 

Please let me know what kind of things you use it for. 

Thanks.

Yes, I believe I have heard those tapes.  They are very good.  You may have
heard of Power Memory too, I FORGOT THE AUTHOR!  Anyways, it introduces the
link method with this list: shoe, tree, money, ladder, pig, brief case,
tomatoes, cactus, dress, golf clubs, flag, tent, bus, fire hydrant, jewels,
boat, chain, desk, stapler, pens.  In that order!  but, I may have forgotten,
it's been 5 years since I heard it, once.  yeah, they work!  But, your point
brings out something that I think everyone needs, I'm no exception:

will power, discipline, dedication -nearly all the same thing.

It takes a lot of hard work.  It is almost as if you were body building.
I think will power and discipline would be a great topic for discussion on this
group, since I and everyone else I know seems to need a bit of it.  
     But "I still rely on my TRUE memory" too.  These techniques really work 
the mind.  However,  I do find by using them, I also have improved my TRUE 
memory aswell.  How is this so?
     Most techniques, link, peg, ..., have a key element in them and that is
noticing.  If you don't notice what you need to remember, you won't remember
it.  This is natural of course, but I find that you tend to look at knowledge
given to you differently.  You look at knowledge as an entity and not what's
"in" the knowledge.  I know that doesn't make any sense.  Perhaps this
will explain better:

     Most CS majors I know program in C all the time.  Whatever the assigment,
it is automatically written in C.  But, after taking a Software Engineering
course, they become "conscious" of C as just a way to solving a problem.

I guess you can say you become conscious of the information as it is, and not
just aware of the information within it.  God!  I think I'm confusing you!
Well, just take my word, try memorizing something using a method shown to you
in those tapes, and you will understand what I mean. 


Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 16:10:53 -0400
From: mpc1036@hertz.njit.edu (martin p connell ee)

Please post or e-mail me your suggestions to what you think works
thanks in advance.

        -=Martin

Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 07:47:12 CDT
From: "Sanders, Rick R." <SANDERS@RCHVMX2.VNET.IBM.COM>

Godfrey,

  I'd be interested in hearing your suggestions on which memory exercises
  you've found that work (and those which don't work).

  Thanks,
   Rick

Martin and Rick, I plan to post maybe 2 more times about the subject of memory
methods.  But, the problem is, that techniques may work for some and not for 
others.  And that, memory methods also depend on the information that needs to
be  memorized, but I'll try my best.  I don't know when next I can post.  As it
is, college is starting.


Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 08:40:45 EDT
From: lake@erim.org (Chip Lake)

Just my vote ... I'd be happy to see specific suggestions and read about
your experience with these techniques.

Here's an interesting story for you:

     One time, I was reading next to an English Major, she started to complain
about how much she had to memorize.  Well, feeling quite sorry for her,
(the fact that I'm a math major, I don't have to memorize!)  I showed her how
to memorize.  She was amazed.  Then - this is most disheartening- she tested
me, she wanted me to memorize a poem.  If I recall correctly, :)  she wanted
me to memorize A Valediction Forbidding Mourning by John Donne.
(Am I correct, that's the writer?)  To further complicate things, she wanted
me to read it out loud and memorize it in one sitting.  ARGH!  I did.  And
it not only shocked her, it shocked me.

     About 2 years ago, my room mate knew that I had an intimate knowledge
on memory techniques,  I told him "yes.  I did."  So, he put me on the spot. 
He gave me a list of 50 items to memorized in less than 30 minutes.  Luckily,
for me, the list of words were "easy"  I memorized everything but one item.
I did it in order and could recite them backwards too.  In fact, I could
probably recite more than half the items right now!


but, let me tell you!  I've said "I FORGOT" a few times in this post.  These
experiences I find comic, but deep in the back of my mind, they are annoying.
PUT THIS ON RECORD: I am not a memory wizard!  I'm actually quite average.
The thing to gleam from this, is if you ever become acquainted with any
mnemonic techniques, don't tell anyone!  ;)


Well, let me end this lengthy post with a little advice.  Ask yourself,
"Do I need to know this?"  "Is this worthy of remembering?"  "Will I gain
anything by remembering this?"  "Will I ever need this knowledge again?"
"Would I look foolish if I forget this?" or really any question to these 
effects.  If not, then don't bother remembering it!

The ironic thing is, if you keep asking yourself these questions, you'll find
the information that you need to know dwindles down to a manageable size your
"TRUE" memory can handle!  To put a little twist on this, I only found this
out after I learned mnemonic techniques and asked, "should I commit this to
memory by way of link, peg,...."

                                    -long winded,
                                     G. Degamo,
                                     spacefox@acs.bu.edu


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