Mnemonics: how to make the brain perceive, process and store information? How to memorize information faster? Memory Training Why the Brain Can't Remember

Have you ever wondered how important memory is? It surprisingly works quite well without any effort on our part. But to understand how we remember one thing and forget another, you need to understand how the brain works. The book "How to remember (almost) everything and always" by the MIF publishing house has a fairly simple description of the processes taking place in our head.

The author explains that the human brain is similar in size and shape to two fists of an adult put together. It is divided into two hemispheres, which are connected by the so-called corpus callosum. Both halves of the brain perform different functions. And here's a strange fact: the LEFT side of our brain controls the RIGHT side of the body, and the RIGHT side of the brain controls the LEFT side of the body. This is known, since people who suffer from an injury or stroke (hemorrhage) in one of the hemispheres of the brain always suffer from the opposite side of the body. A special part of the brain is called the hippocampus. It is vital for short term memory. The cerebral cortex is responsible for long-term memory.

Words and meanings are usually stored in the left hemisphere of the brain, while melodies and images are mostly stored in the right. This is known from the study of people whose brains have been damaged. One person who had a stroke in the left hemisphere was unable to speak, but could still sing!

Most people remember very little of what happened to them before the age of five. It is extremely unusual to recall events from an age of less than three. This does not mean that two-year-olds do not remember anything. For example, most two-year-olds, if they were promised a gift, will remember this and will often remind their parents of this; but their memories won't last long. Even when children grow up, their memories are very short. Some last only 10 seconds - exactly how long you need if you are not trying to remember something forever.

Why do people forget? Scientists have done a lot of research on this topic, because it is known that with age people begin to forget more and more often. Forgetting seems like a very bad thing, but it's not. In fact, not being able to forget some things would be a real problem. If you didn't forget anything, you could easily get lost in your memories. Suppose you go to the store every week. After a while, there would be too many shopping lists in your head, and your brain would overflow. Forgetting is useful, it helps to remove all unnecessary and concentrate on what is really important. At times, you may consciously wish to be rid of memories that are painful or sad.

People forget information if they store it but never use it. You may know that the French word for guinea pig is cobaye. It is also possible that you have only just learned this. There is also the possibility that you will never need this information again. Naturally, this word will soon disappear from your memory. In order for memory to be retained, you need to exercise it very often.

Anxiety or sadness contribute to forgetfulness. The more you worry about your bad memory, the worse it gets. One of the secrets to remembering is to learn to relax and not think too hard!

Sometimes the desire to make the brain work can go too far. American William James Sidis was the son of a psychologist at Harvard University. WITH early age he was trained to memorize and learn. By the age of seven, William had completed eight years schooling in six months and learned five languages! He entered Harvard University, graduated with top marks and became a university lecturer at the age of 14. However, at the age of 25, he worked as an ordinary accountant. When asked why, he replied: “I am happy. This job allows me to forget."

Either way, remember that you have an amazing memory machine just waiting to be practiced. By the way, in the book "How to remember (almost) everything and always" a huge number of exercises and tricks for quick memorization.

In this article, you will learn several principles that will help your brain learn new languages, master musical instruments, improve your kitchen skills, and simply extract knowledge from books.

Everyone has their own little tricks that help you remember more and better. From putting a book with poems under the pillow for children to drawing sketches of their thoughts. Science describes a number of common features of how the human brain accepts new information.

1. We remember what we see better.

The brain uses 50% of its resources to analyze the information it sees. In other words, half of its power is devoted to the processing of visual processes, and the rest is divided among the rest of the body's abilities. Moreover, vision directly affects other senses. A perfect example of this is a test in which 54 wine drinkers were asked to taste several samples of a grape drink. The experimenters mixed a tasteless, odorless red dye into white wines to see if the participants could spot the trick. They failed, and the red went instead of white with a bang.

Vision is such an important part of how we interpret the world that it can overwhelm people's other senses.

Another surprising discovery related to vision is that we see text as separate images. As you read these lines, your brain perceives each letter as a picture. This fact makes reading incredibly inefficient compared to deriving information from images. At the same time, we pay more attention to moving objects than to static ones.
Images and animations can speed up your learning. Add scribbles, photos, or newspaper and magazine clippings to your notes. Use colors and charts to illustrate new knowledge.

2. We remember the big picture better than the details.

When learning a lot of new concepts, it is easy to drown in the growing flow of data. In order to avoid overload, you need to look back and paint the big picture. You must understand how fresh knowledge fits into a single puzzle, how they can be useful. The brain assimilates information better if it makes a connection between it and something previously known within the same structure.

Let's use a metaphor for a better understanding. Imagine your convolutions - a closet with many shelves. As you arrange more and more clothes in the closet, you begin to separate them according to different criteria. And here is a new thing (new information) - a black jacket. It can be sent to other knitwear, put in a winter wardrobe, or assigned to dark brethren. V real life your jacket will find its place in one of these corners. In your brain, knowledge is connected to everything else. You will easily recall the information later, because it is already laced with threads that are firmly embedded in your head.
Keep a large diagram or list of notes in view that explains the whole picture of what you are learning, and add new elements each time along the way.

3. Sleep greatly affects memory

Studies have shown that a full night of sleep between cramming and an exam significantly improves performance. One of the experiments tested participants' motor skills after intensive training. And those subjects who slept 12 hours before the test showed where top scores than those who were tested every 4 hours of wakefulness.

The nap also adds a buff. Within the walls of the University of California, it was found that students who kemar after solving a difficult task performed the following tasks better than those who did not close their eyes.

It is important to know that sleep is good not only after but also before training. It turns the brain into a dry sponge, ready to absorb every drop of knowledge.

4. Lack of sleep is detrimental to learning.

Lack of awareness of sleep and underestimation of its importance adversely affect the "flexibility" of your convolutions. Science is still very far from detailed description all the healing functions of rest, but she clearly understands what the lack of it leads to. Sleep deprivation forces the head to slow down, to act without healthy risk according to templates. In addition, the chance of getting physical damage due to the fatigue of all the "cogs" of the body increases.

In terms of learning, sleep deprivation reduces the brain's ability to take in new information by 40%. So there is no need to torture yourself at night with low efficiency, it is better to rest and wake up fully armed.

Research from Harvard Medical School provides interesting numbers: limiting sleep in the first 30 hours after learning something new can negate all achievements, even if you get a great night's sleep after these days with a ponytail.

Normalize the amount and frequency of sleep during training. This way you will be much more attentive and will be able to avoid memory lapses.

5. We ourselves learn better when we teach others.

This is confirmed by a very revealing experiment. The scientists divided the participants into two equal groups and gave them the same tasks. According to legend, half of the subjects a little later had to convey their knowledge to other people. It is not difficult to guess that the future "teachers" showed a deeper level of assimilation. The researchers saw firsthand the power of the “responsible mindset” that produced such an effective result.
Approach learning from a “mentors” perspective. So your subconscious mind will force the brain to distinguish the subtleties of similar definitions, carefully analyze the material and delve into the nuances.

6. We learn better from rotation tactics.

Often, repetition seems like the only sure way to memorize information or hone a skill. You have used this method more than once when memorizing a poem or throwing a goal with one hand. However, a less obvious alternation tactic can have a greater effect.

So, in one experiment, participants were shown paintings painted in different colors. artistic styles. The first group was sequentially shown six examples of each style, and the second - mixed (different schools in random order). The latter won: they guessed the belonging to the style twice as often. It is curious that 70% of all subjects before the start of the study were sure that the sequence should give odds to the alternation.
Do not get hung up during training only on penalties. When learning a foreign language, mix memorization of words with listening to speech in the original or writing.

Yandex.Direct

1. We remember what we see better.

The brain uses 50% of its resources to analyze the information it sees. In other words, half of its power is devoted to the processing of visual processes, and the rest is divided among the rest of the body's abilities. Moreover, vision directly affects other senses.

A perfect example of this is a test in which 54 wine drinkers were asked to taste several samples of a grape drink. The experimenters mixed a tasteless, odorless red dye into white wines to see if the participants could spot the trick. They failed, and the red went instead of white with a bang.

Another surprising discovery related to vision is that we see text as separate images. As you read these lines, your brain perceives each letter as a picture. This fact makes reading incredibly inefficient compared to deriving information from images. At the same time, we pay more attention to moving objects than to static ones.

2. We remember the big picture better than the details.

In real life, your jacket will find its place in one of these corners. In your brain, knowledge is connected to everything else. You will easily recall the information later, because it is already laced with threads that are firmly embedded in your head.

3. Sleep greatly affects memory

Studies have shown that a full night of sleep between cramming and an exam significantly improves performance. One of the experiments tested participants' motor skills after intensive training. And those subjects who slept 12 hours before the test showed much better results than those who were tested every 4 hours of wakefulness.

It is important to know that sleep is good not only after but also before training. It turns the brain into a dry sponge, ready to absorb every drop of knowledge.

4. Lack of sleep is detrimental to learning.

Lack of awareness of sleep and underestimation of its importance adversely affect the "flexibility" of your convolutions. Science is still very far from a detailed description of all the healing functions of rest, but it clearly understands what its lack leads to. Sleep deprivation forces the head to slow down, to act without healthy risk according to templates.

In terms of learning, sleep deprivation reduces the brain's ability to take in new information by 40%. So there is no need to torture yourself at night with low efficiency, it is better to rest and wake up fully armed.

5. We ourselves learn better when we teach others.

6. We learn better from rotation tactics.

Often, repetition seems like the only sure way to memorize information or hone a skill. You have used this method more than once when memorizing a poem or throwing a goal with one hand. However, a less obvious alternation tactic can have a greater effect.

So, in one experiment, participants were shown paintings painted in different artistic styles. The first group was sequentially shown six examples of each style, and the second was mixed (different schools in random order). The latter won: they guessed the belonging to the style twice as often. It is curious that 70% of all subjects before the start of the study were sure that the sequence should give odds to the alternation.

Since ancient times, people have attached great importance to the ability to memorize and retain information, rightly believing that a person’s success in any kind of activity largely depends on it. In the era of Antiquity, the process of memorization was considered a real art, which was patronized by one of the nine muses - Mnemosyne. Therefore, the art of storing knowledge in memory was called mnemonics, and memory management techniques were called mnemonic, or mnemonics.

The process of memorization is the basis of our memory, and in order to master the art of mnemonics, you need to be well versed in how its laws work.

Have you ever noticed that our memory is selective? Something is remembered easily and quickly, and some information, despite persistent cramming, does not want to linger in the head. The thing is that memorization works in different ways, in fact, there are two completely different types memorization, subject to various laws.

Thanks to him, a huge amount of information is stored in our memory, and almost without any effort, and often unconsciously. Getting the necessary knowledge without any effort is the dream of all schoolchildren and students. However, in order for information to be remembered involuntarily, a number of conditions are required:

The main one is the following: what attracts our attention is involuntarily remembered - bright, unusual information related to our interests or that caused a strong emotional response.
It is easier to remember the information included in the activity. That is, when we need knowledge not just for memorization (as often happens at school and university), but to perform professional duties or do what we love. In this case, the brain quickly assesses the acquired knowledge as important and necessary, and they are fixed in memory, and their constant participation in activities ensures long-term storage. Thus, a teacher who teaches a course memorizes his material faster and better than a student who listens to it.

Memory is associative. This means that in the process of memorization, conditional-temporal connections (associations) arise in the brain between new and already existing information. It acts as a kind of anchor that holds knowledge. But for this there must be a connection between the new and the old. With regard to completely new information that has no connection with our experience, involuntary memorization does not work.

And if these conditions are absent, then it is necessary to make efforts to memorize and use different techniques to save information.

Arbitrary memorization

Purposeful, deliberate preservation of information most often requires volitional efforts, especially if we need to save the received data for a long time.

Arbitrary memorization has a multi-stage structure:

Getting to the first level of short-term memory, information is stored for a short time, just enough for the brain to be able to assess its need and importance - from 30 seconds to several minutes.
To consolidate knowledge and move to the level long-term memory, requires the emergence of temporary connections between the foci of excitation in the cerebral cortex.
In the case of involuntary memorization, they arise by themselves, but when there are no conditions for their occurrence, then we must take care of their purposeful creation.

That is, arbitrary memorization involves various methods and techniques for consolidating and storing acquired knowledge in memory. Everyone knows one of these techniques and uses it constantly, starting from school. This is a repetition technique. If new information is repeated several times, then this causes a multiple passage of a nerve impulse along the chain of neurons in the brain, and those same temporary connections are formed.

But this method is time-consuming, inefficient, and is suitable only for information of small volumes. And try, for example, to memorize a textbook of psychology or physics. Have you already tried? And how is it successful? Probably not, unless you have a phenomenal memory. In addition to labor costs and inefficiency, the method of repeated repetition leads to a situation where there is a feeling that the head swells from an abundance of information, and new knowledge is not absorbed. This is not due to the overflow of long-term memory - its volume is huge. And with short-term and operational overload, which are associated with information processing.

If you want to master the art of mnemonics, then it is better to abandon the practice of memorization altogether, and use more effective techniques and techniques.

Techniques for memorizing information, which are based on associative memory and imaginative thinking, are considered the oldest. These techniques arose when abstract-logical thinking was still poorly developed among our ancestors. Therefore, remembering based on the image is simple, convenient, and even a small child can use it.

By the way, the ancient associative-figurative methods of memorizing and reproducing information are passed down from generation to generation, and some have come down to us. And I think you use them sometimes. These are the so-called nodules for memory. Tying a knot, putting a cross in the palm of your hand or winding a thread around your finger, we repeat what we must remember. At this time, an associative connection is established in our brain between the “knot” sign and specific information. And then as soon as we see this “knot”, as soon as something that we should have remembered pops up in our head.

In the distant past, there was even a knot letter, where each knot tied in a special way meant a certain information block. And the man was talking, sorting through the braid with knots, remembering what to talk about next. The role of "knots" could be played by shells, multi-colored pebbles, drawings on a tablet.

Now no one remembers a large amount of information with the help of "knots". But some techniques related to the activation of associative-figurative thinking can be advised.

Techniques for memorizing numbers

Many people find it difficult to remember numbers. The point is not only that this abstract, most often dry information, but also that it does not require the work of thinking. Unless, of course, this is a digital example or a mathematical problem. And that which is not processed by the brain in any way, is not included in mental activity, is remembered worst of all.

If instead of numbers we use the images associated with them, then the memorization process is greatly simplified, besides, active mental activity contributes to memorization.

Association images are usually individual in nature, everyone can come up with their own, the main thing is that they be interesting and bright. For example, the number 32 is easy to remember, because it is 3 funny geese. And if 732, then the geese follow the hunched-over grandmother (number 7). The image for the number 31 can be a trio of horses driven by a coachman. But you can come up with such a picture for a more complex digital series 324-17-05: three merry geese were sitting on a chair, and a hunched granny with a stick brought them a dish and a ladle.

Images should be as lively and moving as possible, try to get a meaningful picture, a kind of cartoon. This will significantly increase the efficiency of memorization and subsequent reproduction of information.

If you are at odds with figurative thinking, then numbers can be associated with words that begin with the same letter or have as many letters as the number you need to remember. For example: 457 - "Peter loves fishing."

Associations can be semantic, and numbers are easier to remember if you link them (establish a link) to the house and apartment number, day and year of birth, school number, etc.

Remembering names and groups of words

Associative-figurative techniques are also suitable for remembering names. The principle here is still the same - the establishment of connections-associations with the images that have arisen in the brain.

The success of this technique is possible only if the associations, firstly, are vivid, and secondly, associated with a specific person. For example: Belov Mikhail - polar bear. This is the easiest option. But Irina Stroganova is more difficult. What can you think of here? Strict and vulnerable (if the characteristics match), slender and ruddy, scary and swears, whittles and draws, etc.

Often there is a problem with remembering a list of words that are not related to each other. When memorizing, you need to establish a figurative or semantic connection between them. For example, listing the items we need to buy: bread, sugar, printer paper, thread, and nails. We make a sentence: "Bread with sugar, wrapped in paper and tied with threads, hang on a nail."

Text memorization

A large text is, of course, more difficult to remember, and you should not try to learn it verbatim. Associative-figurative techniques will help in this case too. These include the very famous Cicero's "Roman Room" method, which can be used to memorize the text of a message, report or speech at a seminar. Its essence is as follows.

Carefully read the text of the message, at the same time breaking it into small pieces - semantic parts. Each part should contain a key idea that can be put into a short phrase. By the way, this study of the text will help to remember it.

Imagine a space you know well, such as your own apartment with all the furnishings, furniture, accessories, etc.

Enter the apartment.
Start reading the text again and at the same time “lay out” on different subjects furnish selected pieces of text, not forgetting to repeat the main ideas. For example, you will place the introduction on the mirror on the right, and the next passage on the nightstand under the mirror. On the shoe rack you will put the next piece. Do you remember what it is about? Then move from the hallway to the room and continue to lay out the text.
Having placed all the semantic pieces, once again look around the apartment, check if they are all in their places, using short phrases-ideas for this.
Then imagine that you go out the door and lock it, and now no one can change the order of the parts.

This method is very effective, but it only works if you are good enough at speaking, that is, coherently expressing your thoughts on the subject matter, and own the terminology if you have a scientific message. After all, you did not memorize your report verbatim.

The Roman Room method of Cicero is also called the method of places. It is based not only on figurative-associative memorization, but also on semantic. Semantic devices are currently considered the main ones for memorizing a large amount of textual information.

This type of memorization is based on one of the fundamental laws of memory: in order for information to be stored, the brain must work on it. And semantic memorization just involves active mental work on the material. And this, by the way, does not like the method for those who would like to learn how to absorb complex information easily, without making any effort. That doesn't happen. Mastering any activity requires effort, and mnemonic is no exception.

Semantic devices are mainly related to the memorization of the text. They are largely individual and depend both on the characteristics of a person’s thinking and on the nature of the material to be remembered. But there are a few general rules to follow:

Remember that the information you want to remember is what you need. Convince yourself of this. Nothing hinders the assimilation of knowledge so much as the conviction that it is useless.
Try to understand and comprehend the text. If the presentation is too complicated, then, while reading, “translate” it into a language more convenient for you.
Do not cling to individual words, phrases, formulations. Focus on remembering the meaning, and this is impossible without understanding.
Highlight the main thoughts and do not be lazy to make a plan. It will help to comprehend the text and sort out the main semantic units. Follow the logical sequence when moving from point to point, awareness of the connections between points reduces the amount of time for memorization.
Supplement the main thoughts with examples, they are always remembered better than dry theoretical formulations. If there are not enough examples in the text, come up with them yourself. Use your experience, information from books, films, professional activities.
Ask questions, they perfectly activate thinking and help in understanding complex material. Discuss, argue with the author and with yourself. Imagine an invisible interlocutor and discuss with him the most controversial points.
Always take notes. Firstly, it will allow you to focus on the main thing, because you will not write down everything in a row, but only the essential. Secondly, a more organized and linear written language will allow you to streamline and systematize the information you remember. Thirdly, recording also connects motor memory to semantic memory, which significantly increases the efficiency of memorization.

Some of these tips may seem too complicated. But if you form the habit of working with any text in this way, then everything will be remembered easily and simply, and it will take a little time. At least less than reading the same text three times. And the efficiency of storing information will be much higher.

Do not forget that semantic memorization requires well-developed, free speech and decent vocabulary. But you will develop this quality too if you follow the advice on organizing semantic memorization.

Receiving Versification

Along with the well-known and widespread mnemonics techniques, there are quite original, but also effective ones. One of these methods is the method of versification - this is rhyming, versification. I think you noticed that a poem is easier to remember than a prose text. main reason here in rhyme (although rhythm also matters). Rhymes play the role of hooks that pull out the next line. In this case, connections-associations are also established, but they are of a sound and rhythmic nature.

This technique is widely used in school to memorize the rules and laws. For example, the well-known phrase “Pythagorean pants are equal on all sides” helps to remember that the square of the hypotenuse of a triangle is equal to the sum the squares of its legs. And this is from Russian:

Drive, hold, look and see

Breathe, hear, hate

And depend, and twirl,

And offend, and endure.

You remember, friends,

They cannot be conjugated on "e".

In general, the versification technique can be used to memorize any information of a small amount. For example, the sequences of colors in the rainbow-spectrum: "How Once Jacques the Bell Ringer Broke a Lantern with His Head." This rhyming line is less well-known, but more interesting than the usual one: "Every Hunter Wishes to Know Where the Pheasant Sits."

And this is the order of the planets in solar system: "We Know, Yulia's Mom Sat On Pills In The Morning." But inventing rhyming memos can be advised to those who generally like to compose poetry.

Very often, having studied the information about the techniques of mnemonics, people grunt skeptically and are in no hurry to use them. Why? Not because they don’t believe in their effectiveness, but because they believe that it’s easier and faster to repeat 25 times than to compose a poem, draw up a plan or come up with a bright lively picture, and even more so to reflect on a complex and tedious text. This is what you need to think!

That's it! And why do you need senselessly hollowed out, fragmentary (you won’t remember everything anyway) information? The techniques proposed here are not just mnemonics, they develop thinking, creativity and create the habit of correct, meaningful memorization. With their help, you can truly master the art of mnemonics.