Mentalrobics^®

Mentalrobics^®

• My Favorites
• Search
• Subscribe via RSS
• Browse Articles
• All Articles
• Creativity Articles
• Vocabulary Articles
• Memory Articles
• Stress Articles
• Topics
• All Topics
• Creativity Topics
• Vocabulary Topics
• Memory Topics
• Stress Topics
• Special Topics
• Vocabulary
• Boost Memory
• Diet, Fitness & the Mind
• Most Popular Articles

For each item in the list below, close your eyes and try to get a mental picture of the object or action. Try to make it as clear as possible. Are there any sounds, smells, or tastes associated with this item? Once you are done, grade yourself on how clear each object appeared in your mind (clear, vague, nothing).

1. Peeling an orange
2. A leaf blowing in the wind
3. An alien from outer space
4. Mickey Mouse
5. The world's smallest elephant

The next time you see one of these items, pay special attention to it and try to memorize its features, then repeat this exercise and see if you've improved. There are some items in the list that you are certain to have never seen before. These are designed to flex your ability to put several memories together into one visualization.

de-rac-i-nate

verb :: To uproot.

"Building the Three Gorges Dam would deracinate many families who lived in the valley."

The Loci system (the oldest mnemonic system on record) takes a little preparation and practice, but once you are ready, it can be very effective. The first step is to memorize a series of familiar locations in a particular order. You may choose to do a virtual walkthrough of your house (front door, hall, living room, kitchen, etc.), or you may choose to use places along your drive to work. The key is to make sure that you can conjure up a vivid mental image of each location. You must over-learn these locations because they are going to be your memory aid.

The second step is to take each item you are trying to memorize and associate it with a location using a vivid mental image. For example, take this list: clown, banana, giraffe, and moon. You might start by visualizing a clown jumping at you as you enter your front door followed by slipping on a banana as you walk down the hall. Then you could be surprised to see a giraffe eating a plant in your living room. You go into the kitchen and see a lunar eclipse through the window. Now, whenever you need to remember the list, you can do a mental walkthrough of your house and remember each visualization.

Once you have memorized your locations, they can be used over and over again to memorize different lists throughout your life. You can use any type of location, just make sure that each one is distinct.