| Developing a photographic memory is easier than you | | | | Take whatever you have to remember and imagine it |
| might think. Just consider for a moment all the things | | | | in an exaggerated form. Make it big, make it silly, and |
| you have memorised over the years. You have | | | | make it vibrant. Above all, make it memorable. If you |
| learned several thousand words of at least one | | | | need to memorise lists, tell stories with the images you |
| language, the correct methods for operating a | | | | create, because we're good at remembering |
| computer, elements of maths and science, information | | | | interesting stories. Much better than we are at |
| about history and geography, and all the other things | | | | remembering dull lists. Remembering numbers can be |
| that people learn without really trying as they go | | | | much easier if you associate each number with a |
| through their lives. All this information had to be | | | | particular object. Alternatively, make each digit |
| remembered, and you did it effortlessly. | | | | between nought and ten a letter, and build words or |
| Relax | | | | phrases out of long numbers. |
| That then is one of the most important factors when it | | | | Use Your Ears |
| comes to improving your memory. Effort will not help | | | | Don't just focus on memorising things visually. You |
| you to recall things. It will make you tense up and | | | | remember things that you hear just as well, and may |
| become angry with yourself if you can't bring | | | | respond to them differently to what you remember on |
| something to mind, making it less likely that you will | | | | a visual level. Say things out loud as you construct |
| eventually do so. Relax instead. Take a few deep | | | | memorable visual images for them. Associate things |
| breaths. Try thinking about something completely | | | | you need to remember with particular sounds, short |
| unrelated to the subject at hand. Often, the answer will | | | | pieces of music, or simply words. If you are |
| just pop into your head. | | | | memorising over a long period, try having music playing |
| Have Fun | | | | in the background that you can associate with the |
| Try to enjoy the process of memorising things in the | | | | things being memorised. |
| first place, because if it is simply a dull, undifferentiated | | | | Practise |
| chore, it will be harder to pick out specific bits of | | | | Above all, the key to developing a photographic |
| information later. Make colourful images of things you | | | | memory is to practise. People who complain of having |
| want to memorise. Build rhymes containing information | | | | poor memories often don't work at their memories |
| you'll later need. Draw mind maps of key words, or put | | | | consistently, for fear of confirming how ineffective |
| together interesting acronyms. Developing a | | | | they are. Don't be like that. Instead, put aside time |
| photographic memory is often as much about the way | | | | every day to practise memory techniques. Set lists to |
| you memorise the information in the first place as | | | | be remembered. If it isn't important, try doing your |
| about how much effort you put into recalling it. | | | | shopping without a written list, and you'll soon feel |
| Use Images | | | | confident enough to do so all the time. Whatever you |
| One of the most effective ways of memorising | | | | do, keep working, and your memory will soon improve. |
| information is to use imagery that grabs your attention. | | | | |