How to Improve Your Memory: What Are the Fundamentals of Mindmapping

In my previous post, How to transfer information from short to long term memory, I mentioned that memory has been subject of investigation since ancient Greek times (at least). Greek (and Roman) philosophers, for example, practiced different techniques in order to remember much more than the average human being. In Latin this practice was called Ars Memoriae (art of memory), and it was often performed together with other intellectual activities, such as logic and rhetoric. Ars Memoriae is a set of principles and techniques that are used to arrange memories, enhance remembrance, and stimulate ingenuity. It is also referred to as mnemotechniques.

Mnemotechniques

Tony Buzan defines a mnemotechnic as a method in which different concepts are related through various aids which stimulate your memory. These mnemonic aids, which will help us remember certain information, can be mechanisms such as schemes, images, or words. You’ve actually used such things to remember information already, and you probably did so, among other times, when you were at school. For example, the sentence ‘Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally’, as used in mathematics to help us remember Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction.

The Basis of Mnemonics

In another post, Why use different parts of your brain, I explain that multiple areas of your brain are involved in the storing of a ‘memory track’. Therefore, it’s of great importance to use as many memory systems or areas of our brain as you can when memorizing information. Indeed, it’s essential to combine the abilities of the two halves of your brain; the left that is specialized in logic, lists, numbers and words, and right that is specialized in imagination, color, dimension, and rhyme. The ancient Greeks, through their practice of Ars Memoriae, already knew that our brain stores things by connecting information. And it is this fact, along with the conditions mentioned above, that has lead us to two fundamental memory principles:
1. Imagination
2. Association

The following might sound a bit cliché, but it is definitely true; An image says more than a thousand words. We simply remember images, especially colored, extravagant images, much easier than plain text written in black and white. And the results of association, as taken from the third and fifth condition (which I mentioned in the post How to transfer information from short to long term memory) clearly show that: If you associate something you want to remember with something known or to an experience of your senses, then this image will stick in your mind.

Tip: How to Stimulate Your Memory by Using Imagination, Association, or Both? Tony Buzan differentiates ten sub principles of mnemonics which are used in combination with association, imagination, or both. My tip is to use these sub-principles in everything you study. If you do, it will not only be much easier to remember, but also a lot more fun to learn.

10 Principles that Stimulate Imagination and Association:

1. Color. Colors stimulate your brain. It’s pleasurable for us to look at colored images, they bring memories to life, and lively memories are easier to store than dull ones.
2. Exaggeration. Memories that are exaggerated are given extra life. Just think bigger, louder, higher, smaller, or crazier than reality and that ridiculous image will stick with you. For example, it’s hard to forget characters from a Roald Dahl book. Think of the Oompa Loompas in Charlie and the chocolate factory.
3. Rhythm, Movement, and Dimension. Buzan believes that movement makes your facts more striking. He also believes it helps your brain to connect the information to a story. Once again, information stored in this way is much easier to remember.
4. Senses. The perfume of a random passer by can trigger all sorts of alarm bells. Maybe your brain thinks it belongs to an old flame; someone you still secretly love. You see, as everything you experience passes through your senses, they are a very strong stimulation to the mind. In this case, you should imagine or actually smell, hear, feel, or visualize what it is you want to remember.
5. Order and Patterns. My mother always says “A tidy house is a tidy head”. It’s the same with your thoughts. When organized or placed in a sequence, it will be much easier to visualize where and how you’ve placed them. Buzan says this tidying of your thoughts is very effective when used with the other memory principles. Try to organize your thoughts by size, color, or year of their occurrence.
6. Numbers. Buzan explains that numbers create order in our thoughts and strongly influence our memory. He thinks that the presence of numbers helps to make our memories more precise.
7. Symbols. Symbols stand for much more than just the sign itself. They stand for a concept, a story, or a process. Personally, I have always used symbols in my notes or summaries, they save space on my page, and they enable me to remember better. This is because symbols connect a meaning to an image. For greater meaning, I also found it better to create the symbols myself, using my own imagination to do so. In fact, I actually think that symbols belong to the next group of principles, because they stimulate your imagination and your ability to associate.
8. Positive Thoughts. Our mind automatically tries to block out our bad experiences. It’s a built in survival mechanism. Consequently, it’s easier to remember your positive thoughts.  So, to benefit from this, you should try to find a positive mood when you study and fill your world and your senses with happy thoughts.
9. Humor. I also link this principle to positivity, since we feel good when we laugh. The way to use it to your advantage? Just seek out the fun, and the funny, and then remember it. Enrich your life and your memory all at once.
10. Attraction. I think attraction is also about feeling good. We like to look at, smell, or touch something we are attracted to because the experience is pleasurable for us. Sometimes, for me, the image of a painting or a sculpture comes to mind. And when it does, I instantly feel how I felt when I was actually there, looking at it. This is why my last tip is to use your imagination and to make those boring old texts seem a lot more attractive. To do so, I want you to use all the other ingredients I’ve mentioned above. Go on, try it. You’ll capture those thoughts forever, and fall back in love with your work.

These principles can be considered as the main ingredients of your study sessions and your summaries. The best way to study, however, as well as how to remember things easier with mnemonics (and how to make a mind map) is discussed in the following posts of this series.

For Further Reading About How to Become a Great Mindmapper, I Recommend:

• [amazon_link id=”0563520337″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Brilliant Memory: Unlock the Power of Your Mind,[/amazon_link] by Tony Buzan
• [amazon_link id=”0452273226″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Mind Map Book[/amazon_link],  by Tony Buzan

• Introduction
• Why Train Your Brain
• Why Use Different Parts of Your Brain
• How to Transfer Information From Your Short Term Memory to Your Long Term Memory
• What Are the Most Popular Mnemonics
• 7 Tips to Become a Great Mind Mapper
•  How to Make a Mind Map
• What to Eat For a Better Memory and Concentration
• How to Study Most Effective
• Tips to Study Better From the Most Inspiring People in the World