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Magnetic Memory Method – How to Memorize With A Memory Palace
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Content provided by Magnetic Memory Method – How to Memorize With A Memory Palace. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Magnetic Memory Method – How to Memorize With A Memory Palace or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
Learn, Memorize And Recall Anything Using Memory Techniques, Mnemonics And A Memory Palace Fast
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19 episodes
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Content provided by Magnetic Memory Method – How to Memorize With A Memory Palace. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Magnetic Memory Method – How to Memorize With A Memory Palace or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
Learn, Memorize And Recall Anything Using Memory Techniques, Mnemonics And A Memory Palace Fast
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19 episodes
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Magnetic Memory Method – How to Memorize With A Memory Palace
1 A Memory Palace Method for Mindfulness: The Missing Ingredient Revealed with Michael Taft 1:06:03
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1:06:03Mindfulness expert Michael Taft had long know about the Memory Palace technique. But something was missing. An ingredient absolutely critical for success in memorizing mantras for meditation. Join in as Michael Taft, host of the Deconstructing Yourself podcast and author of The Mindful Geek , discusses with me ways that ancient memory methods can enhance mindfulness and spiritual growth. All the more so when you have the missing ingredient that evaded him for so long. To that end, in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you’ll learn a powerful spaced repetition strategy for mantra meditation that most people unfortunately miss. And you’ll discover science-backed approaches to training your mind as we explore the challenging aspects of meditation practice rarely discussed by traditional teachers. Michael shares insights from both contemplative traditions and modern scientific insights, offering a unique bridge between multiple worlds of knowledge. Whether you’re a seasoned meditator looking to deepen your practice or a memory enthusiast curious about spiritual applications, our discussion takes you deep into practical techniques for combining memory palaces with meditation. In this transformative episode, we explore: How to use Memory Palaces for enhanced mantra meditation Practical memory techniques for spiritual practice Challenging aspects of meditation many teachers infrequently discuss Advanced mind training methods combining multiple approaches Who is Michael Taft? Michael Taft is a highly-regarded mindfulness teacher, author and thought leader working at the intersection of contemplative practices and neuroscience. With decades of experience, he is a voice many look to for deeper results from their meditation practice. As Michael shares with us in this episode, his commitment to mindfulness goes back decades. He’s studied and collaborated with some of the most accomplished professionals in the field, paying forward the absolute best techniques for establishing clarity, calm and more concentration in your life. His groundbreaking book, The Mindful Geek struck a chord with me personally. As a mostly skeptical person, his demystification of various “woo-woo” ideas helped me be more open to exploring why they may have evolved. And why they might be useful to engage with even if I’m skeptical. When you listen to the Deconstructing Yourself podcast, you’ll find Michael’s style is warm, but also characterized by a no-nonsense approach. I hope to one day attend one of his mindfulness retreats and suggest you connect with him for news of upcoming opportunities. And above all, I hope his experience encourages you to discover and implement the missing ingredient. It has a name in the memory science , which is spaced repetition . Just make sure to add ye olde “Magnetic” twist! Connect with Michael Taft: Deconstructing Yourself Podcast The Mindful Geek book Michael’s YouTube channel The post A Memory Palace Method for Mindfulness: The Missing Ingredient Revealed with Michael Taft appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace .…
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Magnetic Memory Method – How to Memorize With A Memory Palace
1 How to Memorize Flashcards Quickly and Permanently 32:16
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32:16The best way to study flashcards is not to study them at all. Now, before you bounce away, hear me out. There’s a small set of techniques that make learning with flashcards so fast, you really won’t feel like you’re studying at all. Instead, you’ll feel like you’re creating the knowledge you want to learn. Isn’t that exciting? I’ve been using cards for decades and spent hundreds of hours experimenting to find out how to memorize flashcards effectively. I’ve used them to help me learn languages and get my Ph.d. at York University in Toronto. Later, I used optimized flashcards to help me lecture at the University of Saarland in German. And on this page, I’ll share with you the best tips I’ve discovered along the way. That way, you can also enjoy similar results. Ready? Let’s dive in. How to Memorize Flashcards Effectively: 10 Proven Tips There are a small number of steps to follow. They’re easy to learn, but let’s not beat around the bush. What I’m going to share may feel counterintuitive at first. You probably won’t be used to thinking or learning in these ways. But please don’t stress it. To get comfortable with the approach, I’m about to teach. You just need to practice. Seeing me talk about how I link some of my own flashcards with a variety of mnemonic devices will also help. That’s why I’ve included videos for you on this page. Now that you know this particular approach to flashcards involves some highly specific mnemonic strategies , here’s step-by-step information on how to set yourself up for success. Step One: Identify The Main Points And Subpoints Before you start making flashcards or committing them to memory, it’s important to have a strategy for identifying the main points . Often, your study material is loaded with clues. Knowing how to analyze your information sources is key, so be sure to learn how to memorize a textbook effectively. Step Two: Use The Right Sized Flashcards Typically, 3×5 is a good size. It helps you focus on recording just the key points. However, you may need to experiment first with a few different sizes. Use discernment and your own experiments to find out what sizes are best for you. And don’t hesitate to use different sized flashcards for different kinds of learning projects. Also, keep in mind that you can always photograph cards of any size and import them into a spaced-repetition software like Anki . Step Three: Use Multiple Colors Nothing limits your imagination like using just one color. I try to always use at least 3 colors in each of my cards, a tip I learned from memory expert Tony Buzan . Making sure your flash cards have multiple colors is a key strategy for engaging your brain and amplifying the learning process. Not only does using multiple colors make the card creation process more interesting. It also makes looking at your cards later much more engaging. Step Four: Integrate Words And Drawings When learning how to study with flashcards, it’s easy to get stuck on using words. By the same token, people with aphantasia cannot fully or partially visualize. That’s where this next tip comes in handy: Even with limited artistic skills, it’s important to incorporate images as much as you can. Even the simplest of sketches will help you with the next tip. I sometimes joke that my drawings look more like chicken scratches – and that’s probably too much praise. But here’s the important point, especially for people who do not easily see images in their mind: All that matters is that you can recognize your quick doodles on the cards. And as the next makes clear, even if you have to guess at your own drawings some of the time, that will actually help your brain start establishing the desired memories. Step Five: Create Puzzles For Your Brain To Solve The number one problem people face when using flashcards is rote repetition . This is when they use the cards to repeatedly expose themselves to the information. That is no fun! Instead, use keywords, images and even empty spaces to give your mind the opportunity to fill-in-the-blanks. Let’s talk about the empty space principle in a bit more detail. This simple flashcard creation strategy lets you harness the power of active recall . For example, on this card for the Mandarin word Měishù guǎn or art gallery, there’s a line instead of an image for the guǎn sound. Notice the three colors in this flashcard example and how the blank space stimulates the use of active recall for rapid memory formation. When looking at the card, I know it’s my job to press my imagination for a solution. Although it might seem uncomfortable, it’s the stretch that helped me pass my Chinese test with flying colors, including the Chinese characters . I was happy because I was able to reach almost as many words that are needed for basic fluency in this language. We’ll talk more in a minute about how we use our imagination, but for now, make use of this principle as often as you can. It’s powerful. Step Six: Leave The Opposite Sides Blank As Often As Possible Many people will be reluctant to leave out critical information when first creating flashcards in this manner. But it is a very strong learning strategy I recommend you experiment with as soon as you feel confident. So that you can develop confidence quickly, start with memorizing a simple list from a set of cards you create for practice. And understand why putting too much information on your cards is such a bad idea: Including the answers on the back of your flashcards is problematic because it leads to cheating. When you know you can just glance at the answers, you’re tempted to do so. Instead of trying to generate the answer from memory, which will strengthen your recall. Worse, cheating by peeking at the answers is a huge problem because it leads you into the memory-destroying boredom of rote learning. So as you build up to using flashcards as puzzles your mind has to solve to reinforce what you’re learning, use plenty of puzzles and blank spaces. For example, on this card for the word Kǎoshì or test/exam, multiple colors have been used (black, white and pink). The front side of the card uses images alone to help the mind solve the puzzle. On the backside of the card, notice how the blank space creates a puzzle to be solved, avoiding the horrible boredom of rote repetition: The backside of the flashcard uses active recall to stimulate faster absorption of the target information into long term memory. Rest assured, this tactic is scientifically valid. It’s called a Cloze test . Using this kind fill-in-the-blanks approach will massively boost your retention in a short period of time. Step Seven: Use Your Multisensory Imagination Although flashcards focus a lot on our hands and eyes, we don’t want to leave out our imagination. As you create your cards and the associations that will help you remember definitions and key terms, include at least these sensations: Kinesthetic Auditory Visual Emotional Conceptual Olfactory Gustatory Spatial Here’s an example of what I mean. The Měishù guǎn example pictured above and discussed in the video included with this post is not just a picture of Aunt May, some shoes, a blank space and some art in a gallery. In my mind, I am physically feeling Aunt May kick a boot at my image for guǎn, which is a musical group called Gwar. I can hear the sound of the boot hitting them and see them getting angry. I experience their anger and conceptualize their plans for revenge. They are going to burn all the art in the art gallery, which allows me to imagine the smell of fire and the taste of soot in my mouth. As you work with your flash cards, imagine each image larger than life. You can project them on the walls of a Memory Palace for even better and faster learning outcomes. I also take a second to imagine how big everything is and exaggerate the sizes. Combined, all of this multi-sensory association and visualization exercise makes the learning process so much faster. Step Eight: Use Questions As You Study Your Flashcards Rather than passively move through your cards, actively ask questions in order to study more effectively . If you don’t, it’s easy to get frustrated. My favorite question is, “What is this image trying to tell me?” Then I focus on the clues and work it out verbally. It’s important to get your mouth involved in order to help you harness the levels of processing effect . In addition to speaking and answering your cards out loud, you can also keep a memory journal . Doing so will deepen your brain’s processing of the learning material even further. Step Nine: Follow A Consistent Schedule To memorize flashcards effectively, you need to reduce repetition by following all of the steps outlined above. But none of us can reduce repetition entirely. For best results, go through your cards in small, reasonably sized sets. I prefer 10-20 sets at a time. Then, craft a schedule based on a pattern like: 5x daily for the first 5 days 1x daily for the first 5 weeks 1x monthly for the first 5 months But that time, you should have everything in long term memory that will in many cases last for life. If you want to speed up the process, consider also using a Memory Palace. Each card can be “cross-indexed” with a Memory Palace. I often number my flash cards to help keep track of where in a particular Memory Palace they have been encoded. For more scheduling tips, I share some of my best strategies in a post called How to Teach Yourself . Basically, once you have your memory skills amplified, really all that remains beside comprehending and implementing what you learn is time management. Step Ten: Experiment With Additional Techniques As powerful as flashcards can be, I don’t recommend using them in isolation. Instead, consider combining them with the Memory Palace technique and mind mapping . A powerful way to add your cards to a Memory Palace is to simply number them. Then, place a version of each association on your cards at a Magnetic Station in your Memory Palace for that number. In other words, the fifth card’s information goes on the fifth station of its Memory Palace. When it comes to mind mapping, I highly recommend reading Mind Map Mastery and checking out the work of Phil Chambers and Marek Kasperski . Memorize Flashcards Fast Today’s suggestions will serve you well, so please explore them systematically. But it’s also important to experiment. And also to improve your use of flashcards over time. For example, as you grow with using cards optimized in the ways we’ve discussed today, you can interconnect them. To do that, I suggest exploring Zettelkasten and Leitner Boxes . And let your own solutions arise. When ideas come to mind that you think might work, give them a try. Seriously. I’m aware of no “Flashcard Police” anywhere on the planet. Also, put aside your fears of wasting time or failure. Mistakes will be made, but experimenting with new learning techniques and your ideas cannot waste time. You will only learn new things that help speed your progress. The only waste that happens is when people let the fear of trying new things stand in their way. And if you like trying new things and learning to put fear aside, check out my FREE Memory Improvement Course: In it, you’ll learn to use even more memory techniques than we’ve discussed today. These memory hacks are fast, fun, effective and always like a game. So what do you say? Are you ready to take your flashcard game to the next level? Give it a go and enjoy the learning journey! The post How to Memorize Flashcards Quickly and Permanently appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace .…
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Magnetic Memory Method – How to Memorize With A Memory Palace
1 How to Teach Yourself: 9 Strategies for Mastering Any Skill or Topic 1:01:51
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1:01:51Learning how to teach yourself can be fast, fun and incredibly effective. It can even be relatively inexpensive. But discovering how to learn on your own can also be psychologically and financially disastrous if you go about it the wrong way. Whether you’re looking to advance your career, enrich your personal life, or simply satisfy your curiosity, there definitely is a right way to go about educating yourself. And make no mistake: In today’s fast paced world, you can’t afford to make too many rookie mistakes. I know this all too well from my experiences getting a PhD, learning languages and figuring out how to reach millions of people through books, video courses and this blog. My journey has been filled with mistakes that you can avoid by reading this post. I’ve taught at three universities too and seen many learners make enter irrelevant learning mazes. But because I’m so passionate about helping my fellow lifelong learners, I’m delighted to at least try and help you avoid the dead-ends and save time as you harness the power of learning on your own. Ready for my best tips? Let’s dive in! How to Succeed Along Your Solo Learning Journey: 9 Powerful Tips Learning on your own starts with four core commitments: Creating and reviewing a vision statement that guides your journey Deep engagement with topics and skills beyond surface-level understanding Critical thinking about which accelerated learning techniques are worth pursuing A long-term investment in active learning strategies You need these commitments because it’s all too easy to feel like you’re involved in serious autodidactic efforts. But if you want to become a polymath and master several skills and topic areas, especially if you lack the most common polymathic personality traits , you can’t afford to rely on your feelings. As this peer-reviewed study demonstrates, many learners think they’ve learned much more than actually did because of how passive learning feels. Although it’s true that the passive consumption of information is comfortable and often fun, it’s usually a dead end for self-learners. We actually learn better through active engagement. And that means feeling challenged, which is a different sensation than understanding or even remembering something. The lack of alignment found in the University of California study I linked you to above is not new. St. Augustine addressed this problem long ago, as did a very important medieval mnemonist named Hugh of St. Victor . With the need for active learning in mind, here are my best tips for making sure all of your self-learning activities keep you challenged and deliver real results. Ignore them if you choose, but please understand that without most of them in action, you risk learning little or nothing. One: Spend An Epic Amount of Time Structuring Your Goals A lot of people claim that S.M.A.R.T. goals can help keep you focused (Specific, Measurable, Relevant, Time-bound). Really? I’ve always found SMART goals to pale in comparison to creating a vision statement by hand in a journal. I suggest focusing on a goal that is neither measurable nor time-bound in any traditional sense. Specific and relevant yes, but what the other two terms even mean makes little sense to me. Think about it: How can you measure a goal when you don’t know the main points or aspects of a topic you want to learn? When setting and planning my learning goals , I prefer to avoid reinventing the wheel. I use traditional educational structures instead – very old learning cycles that remove a lot of cognitive load. I’m talking about traditional semesters used at universities. See, even though you’re learning on your own doesn’t mean you can’t harness institutional methods for structuring time. Whether it’s three month or six month learning periods, I suggest you plan your self-study projects within the academic term framework. I don’t think I’m biased when I make this suggestion, even though my long history as both a student and professor have clearly placed this kind of learning pattern deep in my procedural memory . The Benefits of Planning Within the Semester Structure, a.k.a. T.E.R.M.S. Even if I am suffering from a memory bias , the benefits are clear. Planning your goals within a 12-15 week will help you: Pace yourself Having clearly designated recovery periods will prevent topic exhaustion Defined start and end dates make accountability efforts meaningful Easier to fit around your regular duties and obligations You can better track your progress You can batch a small set of subjects together and use chunking while benefitting from interleaving Practice using a “Not Now Folder” (more on that in a moment) Rather than thinking in terms of SMART goals, I’ve replaced this acronym with TERMS: Time bound sessions within a clear semester-like period (12-15 weeks) Evaluated using a Memory Journal on a daily basis Realistic limits based on the specific study load described in the vision statement Modular and broken down into specific topics Scheduled and fixed study sessions written by hand into a calendar To give you an example of how I’ve used this technique myself, during the past few years I have researched and drafted a book on Giordano Bruno . Because this self-learning project isn’t just about the man and his story, I created semesters for myself to cover the books he wrote, but also the topics he himself studied. For that, I needed to create my own semesters for math, geometry, astronomy, logic and persuasion. I also took deep dives into the books on memory techniques Bruno most admired, such as The Phoenix by Peter of Ravenna . Without leaning on the established educational structure of the semester, I do not think I would have made nearly as much progress as I have so far. Two: Reasonable Resource Hunting We’re all only human. Our brains love to chase shiny new objects. But when it comes to lifelong learning that will amount to something, you need to let go of the majority of books and courses that will almost certainly provide you with magnificent experiences. One to five topics max, but usually no more than three. That’s my personal threshold for making sure I’m not spreading myself too thin. Although pursuing less definitely feels tragic, if you spend all day browsing books, ebooks, free video tutorials and even paid offerings on online course platforms, nothing will get done. In other words, the fear of missing out is real. But worse is the reality of never getting anything done because you’re constantly spreading yourself too thin. To keep the amount of distractions to a bare minimum, I suggest that you work primarily with physical books. Find a study place with minimal distractions and use my textbook memorization strategy. I often read outside and take notes using flashcards that also serve nicely as bookmarks. When working with online video courses or audiobooks, it’s best to close all tabs and take notes by hand . To reduce the temptation to research every word or idea I don’t recognize while studying, I like to sit cross-legged on the floor at a distance from the computer. That way, it’s harder to start consuming another research resource without first completing the current one. Instead, I keep a running set of notes that later serve as a to-do list of all the things I want to look up later. The Not Now Folder Principle When I was at York University, I took a fourth year course on Romantic Poetry. Frankly, the course was bland and I didn’t much like the professor. He went out of his way to be mean to me because I was ill that year and asked for an alternative assignment instead of having to give a presentation . That drama aside, he shared one strategy that I’ve never forgotten and appreciate so much that he’s entirely forgiven. He called it the “Not Now Folder.” Throughout his career, he said he was always distracted by ideas he wanted to research. Eventually, he learned to write them down on slips of paper and then tuck them into a folder. He said that something curious happened. 99% of the time, items in the “Not Now Folder” because “Not Ever” items. Scientifically speaking, my professor was helping himself avoid the Zeigarnik Effect . This is the tendency to remember things on your bucket-list, often to the point of distraction. As a self-learner myself, I can tell you that it’s definitely better not to get yanked around by all kinds of fun and interesting ideas. That’s why I’ve been keeping a Not Now Folder ever since. This simple place to put all kinds of interesting ideas also helps eliminate the Ovsiankina Effect . This psychological term describes the urge to finish tasks that you’ve started. A lot of gamification relies on this effect, and it certainly has its positive aspects. But in order to guide yourself toward meaningful progress, you can avoid its negative aspects by only starting projects that fit your vision and follow your T.E.R.M.S. Three: Use the Best Possible Learning & Spaced Repetition Tools Whereas I prefer index cards, many people love spaced repetition software programs like Anki . Ultimately, you need to experiment with a variety of options, from mind mapping to the Leitner System . The key is being radically honest when exploring various objects and processes that can help you absorb information better. Memory champions are great people to learn from when it comes to developing total transparency. They love scoring themselves on how much they’ve learned and how fast. To adopt some of their best techniques for keeping your efforts clear and honest, I recommend learning Johannes Mallow’s journaling method . You’ll have to adapt it to your specific learning goals, but the principles are extremely valuable. Related to learning tools and processes, you should also consider different types of thinking as powerful assets. Four: Master Active Learning Active learning is defined by actively engaging information through: Proper note-taking Active recall , such as by using memory techniques to aid rehearsal The use of active reading strategies Analytical thinking and other forms of critical evaluation Questioning each and every detail Recreating information by mind mapping or writing summaries Discussing and debating with others Each of these activities provide you with the alternative to passive learning. In other words, you are not highlighting passages in books or downloading someone else’s Anki deck. Rather, you’re creating your own highly personalized flashcards. And you’re setting time aside for reflective thinking , one of the most important active learning activities of them all. The trick is to know your personal best time of day for studying so you can maximize the time spent when it comes time to reflect. Five: Use This Search Hack When it comes to teaching yourself, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Even with the best possible resources as we discussed above. But when you think about it, there are only so many kinds of resources. For example, we’re all limited almost entirely to: Books and Ebooks Online Courses YouTube Apps Forums Friends Mentors To select the best possible material from these content categories, I suggest using search engines a bit differently than you might have considered before. For example, when I started a self-taught project in the philosophy of metaphysics, I found a fantastic book by searching using this command: filetype:pdf syllabus metaphysics That’s all it took for me to find multiple reading lists from top-tier universities. The next step was simple: order the books assigned by the world’s best professors. Then, after reading those books, I looked for interviews with the authors of the books I found especially helpful to extend what I’d learned from my reading. Six: Imagine Challenges & Obstacles Before They Happen When learning on your own, it’s easy to get discouraged. I don’t care how much mental strength you have. Learning alone often feels lonely. It can also feel isolating too. That’s because the more people like you and I commit to memory while so many people in the world fritters their time away on social media, the more alienated we can feel. One way to balance your learning with well-being is to make sure you imagine all the things that can go wrong. Then, plan for what you’ll do if those things happen. This technique was popular amongst the Stoics, many of whom were very well-educated people. In addition to potentially feeling isolated or removed from society, plan for other problems like: Topic exhaustion Burnout Stress and anxiety-induced memory loss Personally, topic exhaustion has been one of my biggest foes. To tackle it, I practice a lot of interleaving . This learning strategy involves regularly switching between a small set of topics. It helps keep things fresh. I also find that in my memorization work, switching from committing one type of content from another helps me remember a lot more without burnout. Seven: Study Ethically & with Radical Honesty Self-learning can make it tempting to avoid some of the ethical activities used in traditional learning systems and information sharing. I’m talking about respecting intellectual property, especially by citing your resources. That means also making clear when you’ve derived some fact or idea from an AI chatbot. Why does this matter? The answer is simple: To be an intellectual worth your salt, you need to be able to share where your ideas come from so others can evaluate them. You also need that ability too because things can and do change. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve needed to “fact check” myself when going from memory while writing new books and articles. Luckily, there are ways to memorize author names and historical dates related to when they released their books. Although you might think we live in an age of digital content where it’s okay to say, “I can just look it up later,” there are at least two problems with that attitude. Due to digital amnesia , people often forget the info that helps them look things up later Disruptive technologies have changed search, often to the point of corrupting it almost entirely Recently, for example, the Internet Archive went down. Its absence made fact-checking myself impossible, though fortunately I remembered enough to continue my personal learning goal. The point being that you owe it to yourself and others to use memory techniques as much as you can. And cite everything in writing even if you do remember the info so people can assess your references if they’re interested in your conclusions. Eight: Embrace Failure So many people email me when teaching themselves the Memory Palace technique with the wish that they “get it right the first time.” Although their hearts are in the right place, it’s a poor learning strategy. There are no mistakes when learning. Just results and opportunities to get better results through analysis and repeat attempts. The more ambitious your learning goals, and the more interdisciplinary they are, the more likely you’ll make what conventional learners call “mistakes.” But you’re not going to be a conventional learner. You’re going to succeed at this most critical aspect of self-improvement by analyzing what happens and adjusting according to your goals without labelling or judging the outcomes. How exactly do you embrace failure? As shown on the infographic above, you can: Redefine the idea of making “mistakes” Use reflective thinking to identify the specific action steps needed for your next attempt Stay resilient by continuing to take action and maintaining a positive attitude Celebrate effort and recognize the courage it takes to get started learning on your own in the first place Nine: Be Adaptable Being adaptable means learning things you’re not necessarily interested in so that your projects can reach completion. This point is so critical because year after year I see students flounder because they simply prefer to break, rather than bend. I can relate. And I believe the need for flexibility reveals a “catch” in the meaning of learning on one’s own. See, although I fully I know from experience and observation of others that it’s possible to teach yourself and learn very fast , there’s a something not quite true about the surface-level image created by the phrase “teach yourself.” For example, I can fully say that I learned self-publishing on my own. And my first book was a self-published hit long before I started this website. But I learned a lot from podcasts, business books and courses – all of which involved the efforts of other people. I also belonged to discussion groups and eventually had mentors I met with regularly. However, a lot of those beneficial learning activities never happened because I was quite rigid in the beginning. I didn’t want a website, for example. I also didn’t want to learn how to make videos, skills I needed to keep ahead of the constant change online independent authors and course instructors face. I found my “inner Bruce Lee,” however. In other words, I remembered his statement to “be water, my friend,” and relaxed my need to do it all my way. As I discuss in The Victorious Mind , I also followed Tony Buzan ‘s advice to follow the rules set by the realities around me. I’m sure glad I did, because otherwise I would have failed long ago due stubbornly refusing to learn skills necessary for my mission. Ways to Become Flexible as a Lifelong Learner Being adaptable for you might also involve: Leaving behind an all-or-nothing attitude and learning incrementally Seeking situations outside of your comfort zone so you can learn in real-life scenarios Developing a growth mindset and facing any fears you have around change Embracing ambiguity or comfort with not always having all the answers Adapt to learning when you face limitations in time, money or access to resources Cultivating intellectual humility so you can admit when your knowledge is incorrect or needs updating Becoming an adaptable learner isn’t necessarily easy. But it’s the most important skill of all apart from developing a strong memory in my view. The post How to Teach Yourself: 9 Strategies for Mastering Any Skill or Topic appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace .…
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Magnetic Memory Method – How to Memorize With A Memory Palace
1 How to Find The Main Points in an Article or Book 24:23
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24:23The number one reason students struggle to find the main points in their assigned reading is simple: You are being tested on your ability to figure out what they are and why they’re important. Teachers worth their salt won’t give you the answers because to do so violates your ability to learn this skill. Why is this true? Because all of human progress relies upon unique and innovative solutions to problems. And knowing how to find the key points in an article is something that is learned by doing. Plus, content is not king in this regard. Instead, context is god. So you not only need to practice identifying what the key points are. You need to justify in your own words why those points are so important. The best part? I have tips for you that will help you improve your skills in not only finding the main points, but also explaining why those points count. And I’ll teach you how I as a person with two MAs and a PhD earned my degrees by doing just that: finding, outlining and justifying each key point. Ready to see A+ written all over your report cards and university transcripts? Let’s get started! My Top 4 Tips For Finding the Main Point Quickly I’m going to give you a bunch of tips in this article from my years as a university student and professor. But let’s start with the most important of them all: Start at the end of most books and read the conclusion. Authors usually summarize the most important findings at the end. Memorize the key words and terms authors use as you go. Don’t wait. The sooner you understand them, the sooner your comprehension will grown. Don’t skip the charts, graphs and diagrams. Copy them out yourself to help aid understanding. Use index cards. It’s important not to lock your notes in linear notebooks. When you follow these four simple tips, you can skim and scan books quite effectively. You still want to read them thoroughly for best results, but by following these tips, you’ll get much more out of the process. I’ll expand on each of these points in greater detail below. But first, let’s spend a moment exploring the exact definition of “main point.” The meaning of this term might surprise you. What Counts As A Main Point? A main point has several aspects to it. For starters, we have: What the author meant What the author actually said Now, you might think that this is splitting hairs. But as Stanley Fish put it , “the world is one thing, words another.” Fish is the author of How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One . A huge part of his point is that there’s a difference between what a person actually means and how words can be interpreted in many different ways. There’s a word for this problem: Polysemy . We face it when “a single word, phrase, or concept has more than one meaning or connotation.” Because many sentences have this issue, the main idea of a passage almost always requires interpretation in your own words. And if you want to interpret really well, you need to give evidence to demonstrate why your take on the meaning of the passage is valid. So we might as well face an uncomfortable truth: To a certain extent, a main point is what you say it is plus what you can validate through argumentation. Main Points In The Classroom The definition I’ve just given applies to all aspects of life, but might not be what a teacher in a classroom is looking for from you. It may be that you need to give a specific answer. This is why I say that “context is god.” In order to pass a test or get an A+ on a paper, the right answer might not be in your control no matter how much evidence you provide. I’ve personally suffered situations several times where in multiple choice exams, the wording of the question made it impossible to give the best possible answer. That’s why I’m glad that I used to follow a few simple steps: Read the textbooks thoroughly and answer any section or chapter quizzes Talk to my teachers to make sure I knew exactly what they were looking for Go through sample exams from previous years Attend study groups to discuss possible exam questions in advance Once in the exam setting, if I could not figure out what answer the person grading the exam considered correct, I took a detour. Many times, I have handwritten on the reverse side of my exams simple messages. In these notes addressed to the examiners, I explained that I could not give an answer in good faith. Then I would write a full explanation of why I thought the question was worded poorly. Finally, I gave the answer in prose that I felt was the best possible answer to what I felt was a better way of framing the question. Although I cannot advise you to do the same, this strategy saved my skin in several exams. I always passed and ultimately completed most of my degrees with honor, something that would have been impossible if I had followed the “rules.” In my case, my main idea paragraphs (or what I sometimes called “paragrowls”) saved my skin many times. And the strategy I’m sharing with you is not so outlandish. According to this study , almost 50% of students underestimate their own understanding. That means you’re well-within reason if you think an exam question is incorrectly or confusingly written. I didn’t know about this study at the time, but I’m glad I didn’t underestimate my own comprehension. And now you know that you don’t have to underestimate yours. The Best Way To Identify A Main Point At the end of the day, the best way to know the main point is to question everything . Ask yourself: What is the author trying to tell me? What are the words the author uses? How is the topic introduced and concluded? What are the causes and the effects outlined in the material? What solutions does the material propose? What do any diagrams or illustrations tell me about the main points? What references to other research does the author make? What do commentators on the author say about the main points made by the author? Can I find where in the book or article those commentators drew their conclusions? By asking and answering questions like these, in combination with the strategies I’ve shared for how I used to pass exams, you should feel confident that you can find the main points much easier now. And if you keep finding that you can’t remember what you read , make sure that you’re writing out the answers to the questions you’re asking. You probably need an additional layer of mental processing. I write a lot myself, precisely because writing helps get the information out of my mind and into my body. You might think that sounds strange, but recent research into how memory works shows that some of our memories are encoded in cells outside of the brain. Learning is literally a “whole body” experience, so make sure you get in as much writing as possible. What Are Subpoints? Subpoints are fairly easy to define. Remember how I said that we need to validate our opinion about what counts as a main point? Authors of books and articles need to do this too. By offering subpoints is how they do it. A subpoint typically involves: Giving an example Providing evidence in order to substantiate a claim Paraphrasing another source Quoting a source Analyzing a secondary text Providing a variation on a key point Performing historical or theoretical analysis on a main point For a quick example of a subpoint, just scroll up. When I mentioned that I’ve passed all my exams so well that I’ve earned the highest degrees you can get at a university, that was a subpoint. It is providing evidence to support the claim that my strategy is valid. I could actually make the claim even more valid by providing proof that I have a Ph.d., such as by giving you this link to the alumni page of York University’s graduate program in Humanities. Are subpoints more important than the main points? In many ways, yes. They are often the evidence that substantiates the main point. Or they provide the nuances or historical background that help explain what makes the main point important. How to Find the Key Points in an Article in 3 Steps Now that we have defined main ideas and subpoints, let’s talk about some powerful ways to find them. The following steps do not have to be followed in any particular order, though I do suggest always starting with the first one. Step One: Know Your Goal As I mentioned, a teacher or examiner may have a definition of what counts as the main point. I’ve given you some strategies for figuring that out. All you have to do after determining what counts as a main point in your particular context is to read the books with that definition in mind. Searching for information based on a goal is a key part of reading faster , so take a second to write out the specific goal every time you sit down to read. If you’re completing a doctoral dissertation or writing a book like I often do, the burden is a bit heavier. Your goal is to have a research question before you start reading. Answering this question, and any sub-questions you may have, is your goal. Step Two: Keep Detailed & Moveable Notes Because it’s not always possible to know the main idea of a story or scholarly book I’m reading, I take notes on cards. I shared a detailed tutorial on how I do this in How to Memorize a Textbook . As I discuss in that post, there are several benefits to taking notes on cards. The main one is studying faster . Another is how using physical cards helps you constantly reshape your “deck of notes.” The more you read, the more your idea of what counts as an important point might change, as will the subpoints you notice. Keep in mind that subpoints don’t always have to come from the same source. As a former university professor myself, I can tell you that one way to make sure you get an A+ on your essays is to cross-reference several articles. By doing this as much as possible in your writing and when answering exam questions, you’re demonstrating reflective thinking . This impresses your graders and will later impress hiring managers too. Step Three: Test For Validity One of the best things you can do is test your assumption that a point is as important as it seems. You can test the validity of what you’ve decided are the most important details in your reading by: Checking introductions and conclusions again for confirmation Looking through the index for the terms you’ve selected Follow-up reading online and in other books Asking your teacher or professor if you’ve understood the reading correctly Talking with others to see if they’ve reached similar conclusions Ultimately, having your test, submitted assignment or the things you write yourself graded or scored by others is the ultimate validation. You need either the feedback of your teacher or comments from the court of public opinion to know if you’ve hit paydirt. And that’s a very good thing. External validation is a huge part of how we grow. Yes, it takes some courage and sometimes you might get things wrong. What then? The answer is simple: Be willing to admit that a mistake was made. Then commit to improving in the future. So long as you commit to doing that, you cannot lose. A Final, Powerful Way To Find Main Points There’s an ancient technique for finding out what really matters in any given text. It involves using a Memory Palace . Basically, you memorize a few details, or entire quotes. Then, you analyze them from within memory. By doing this, you’re able to consider them in a way that is much deeper than if they are only partially absorbed in your mind. If you’d like to learn more about this technique, consider going through my Free Memory Improvement Course: This approach has helped me many times throughout the years, not only for academic goals, but also personal progress in other areas of life. I’m talking about health, mindfulness and professional matters. Give it a try, and let me know: What questions do you still have about identifying the main points in the texts that you’re reading? I love updating posts and answering questions in the comments. And that’s another strategy you might consider: Online discussion. It’s a great way to figure out what matters most to yourself and others. The post How to Find The Main Points in an Article or Book appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace .…
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Magnetic Memory Method – How to Memorize With A Memory Palace
1 Photographic Memory Exposed: Debunking Myths To Empower You 19:05
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19:05In the world of memory improvement, the mere mention of photographic memory is usually connected with some kind of scam. But the problems begin with how so many people confuse the term “photographic memory” with a completely different concept called eidetic memory . Another problem is the validity of the available research. Frankly, most scientific material about people being able to look at information, take a mental snapshot and recall something perfectly has not been well evidenced. Not only that, but if you think about it, no sane person would even want to be able to recall everything in such perfect detail. I’ll explain why with a notorious case study of a woman who wishes she could forget information. And by the end of this article, I hope to convince you of one simple fact: Photographic Memory Does Not Exist (And I Can Prove It) Unless you’re a painter who would benefit from memorizing every single detail of a room or landscape, there are very few benefits to the idea of photographic memory. Serious artists make study sketches even from photographs because it’s not just about what they see. Artistic representation is what they can reproduce using their mind’s eye and their muscles. But let’s say you did want to memorize an entire book. Who would listen to you recite each and every word? Where and when would you perform the recitation? The answer is that you almost certainly would never use such a skill. And these days we have professional audiobook narrators, and even AI voices to handle such long-form content tasks. You can watch me question the limited value of memorizing entire books in greater detail in this video: In reality, you need only memorize the most critical pieces of information in any given book. That’s why I wrote and recorded an entire podcast episode about how to memorize a textbook the right way. In brief, the method involves identifying the main points of a book and memorizing only the important information. Doing that releases you from not only memorizing thousands of words like “and, “if,” but, etc. You don’t need to bother reciting or recalling them either. The question is: Why do people want to possess so-called “photographic memory” when it won’t actually do anything for them? I believe the answer boils down to just one word: Fear. People Seek Fantasy Memory Tricks Because They Want Something Unrealistic… They want certainty in life. Since none of us knows what’s going to happen next, the idea of photographic memory is attractive because it creates a sense that some level of security is possible. They believe that if you can remember “everything,” you’ll be able to pass exams, never look foolish and always be prepared for debates . Maybe, but as you’ll see soon, you might just be looking for trouble. You actually can study successfully without photographic memory. You can make mistakes and still avoid embarrassing situations and easily succeed in many areas of life. You can even stop forgetting important things once and for all. I know because I’ve been researching, practicing and teaching legitimate memory techniques that are proven to help. They are all well-evidenced by memory science and the incredible records produced by memory champions . But photographic memory is not how any successful learning or memory competitor achieves their results. Let me explain why. The Strange Research Behind Photographic Memory The idea of photographic memory may have first appeared in a 1970 Psychology Today article by Charles F. Stromeyer . Discussing a supposed Harvard student named “Elizabeth,” Stromeyer claimed she could remember detailed images with great clarity. He even claimed she could reproduce a stereogram, and some of his reports even wound up in Nature . Why is this research questionable? Two reasons. First, Stromeyer proceeded to marry Elizabeth. Second, he never studied her memory again. Wouldn’t you think that someone with such extraordinary memory would be the subject of continual analysis for the rest of her life? Why would such an incredible example disappear from view? The mega-savant Kim Peek remained public throughout his life, after all. Akira Haraguchi gives interviews about how he has memorized so many digits of pi . In reality, the answer is simple. There’s no such thing as photographic memory. The closest thing to it that exists is sometimes called highly superior autobiographical (HSAM) or hyperthymesia . But this condition has little to do with visual memory or even iconic memory . Her story and how she uses her memory in mostly verbal ways is quite unusual given what science has shown us about our massive storage capacity for images. As you’ll see, many people displaying superior autobiographical memory recite not images, but historical dates , names and numbers. These facts draw much more on semantic memory than anything visual or even remotely “photographic.” Far From Photographic Memory Take the case of Jill Price. She’s the author of The Woman Who Can’t Forget . If you’ve ever had the fantasy that you wanted to remember everything , after hearing her story, you’ll probably think again. As Price discusses in the book, her inability to forget information about the world and her personal life creates ongoing anguish. So much so that doctors she worked with invented an entirely new term to describe her condition: “hyperthymestic syndrome.” What exactly can she remember? One example is her ability to recite the news of every April the 18th for ten years in a row with reasonable accuracy. Certainly, this is an interesting and even amazing feat. But is it useful? Not really. Although Price has claimed she would never trade this ability for the world, it’s clear that her ability to recall aspects of her life and historical dates hasn’t made her life easy. She doesn’t even use the term “photographic memory” herself, except in an excerpted passage from the chatroom where she met her husband. She also didn’t include the term in the glossary at the end of her book. Instead, Price uses the term “ flashbulb memory .” This term also doesn’t fit the bill, showing that people who use her as an example of photographic memory are learning from someone who doesn’t have it, nor uses terms from memory science accurately. Flashbulb memory refers to when we sharply recall dramatic or tragic moments. For example, remembering where you were on the morning of 9/11 can seem vivid in your mind. But that doesn’t make it photographic in the sense that you could draw any of the scenes you saw on the news the way Stromeyer’s research suggests Elizabeth might have done. Price Still Forgets The news stories like to play up cases of highly superior autobiographical memory. But they hide key facts too. Although this ability astonished scientists – and it truly is astonishing – Price has shared how she struggles to learn and memorize simple things. Worse, her constant recall of emotional traumas from the past interfered with her scholastic performance. No doubt. Anxiety-induced memory loss is a real and serious issue. Even if you’re interested in techniques to develop photographic memory and still believe that it’s possible and desirable to develop this skill, I recommend that you read The Woman Who Can’t Forget . But if there’s one plus, it’s that Jill Price doesn’t have aphantasia . Are There Any Jobs That Require Photographic Memory? As I mentioned before, people often hear about photographic memory training programs because they want to remove uncertainty while studying or competing in the job market. In this sense, there are some interesting angles related to photographic memory techniques that we can talk about. For example, when I was younger and needed a job to get through my B.A., I applied to work for Customs Canada. Had I been successful, I would have worked at an airport inspecting bags and scanning people for signs of suspicious behaviour. One of the exams I took involved looking at faces in disguise and then some moments later, without their disguises. In many cases, it proved very difficult to make a match. Would having something even remotely like a photographic memory have helped? Of course. But the reality is that I did well on this part of the test despite not having trained my memory to be photographic. The reason is that I paid special attention to easily recognizable parts of the faces, rather than trying to photograph them as a whole. It’s a trick I picked up in psychology class and later prepared for the how to remember names and faces portion of the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass . How To Memorize Faces In brief, I once learned that the brain tends to recognize the shape of the nose and some of the circularity around the eyes. Everything else either fills in or it doesn’t, but you increase your chance that these details will fill in by deliberately paying attention to the upside-down seven of the nose and the eight-shaped infinity symbol of the eyes. It was cool to have this knowledge for the test because, had I focused on the chin of people wearing sunglasses and on the foreheads of people with faked noses, I would have failed. I wouldn’t call focusing on the nose and eyes foolproof, but if you complete some of the Masterclass exercises and concentrate on these areas the next time you meet a new face, I’m confident that you’ll find it much easier to recall these faces. Memorizing the name of the face is easy using mnemonics and in many cases a Memory Palace . More Alternatives to Photographic Memory Now that you know that there is a lack of scientific evidence for photographic memory, let me point out that memory is actually reconstructive in nature. How memory works involves your brain literally piecing together all kinds of information that has been distributed throughout your brain. Dr. Gary Small describes the process like an entire family needing to get together for Thanksgiving Dinner. A single memory involves many different parts traveling along the “streets” and “highways” of the brain to gather at one home. There’s no perfect metaphor for what’s going on, but that one makes what’s going on relatively easy to picture. The question is, what will give you better memory so you can recall dates and facts as easily as someone with highly superior autobiographical memory? Here are some suggestions: One: Learn the Method of Loci I mentioned the term “Memory Palace” above. This memory technique is based on the ancient method of loci . To use it, you associate information with specific locations in a familiar place. When you want to recall information, you revisit these memory spaces and this process allows for easier recall. A reflection process is involved, and some researchers believe that people with highly superior autobiographical memory tend to reflect more than others. But there’s reason to believe that people like Jill Price also use locations in a way. She talks in her book about having written done more than 50,000 pages of notes. All of those notes are locations, not unlike how some mnemonists use Zettlekasten and the Leitner System . Likewise, the so-called “Boy who can’t forget” uses photographs and thinks back to where they are located on his bedroom wall frequently. You can see how this happens clearly in this documentary about him: Although this is not the Memory Palace method as such, it strongly relates, combined with journaling and reflective thinking . In other words, there’s likely nothing particularly genetic about what these people are doing to remember more. It’s behavioral, a kind of unconscious optimization of the ancient memory tradition . Two: Spaced Repetition People with unusual recall abilities repeat information almost obsessively. In fact, I’ve often talked about how I trained myself to have “Recall OCD” in order to learn faster and remember more. Specific techniques exist that can help refine the recall process. The most famous is spaced repetition and it is a fantastic alternative to rote learning . It is a discipline, however. Make sure to use deliberate practice so it enters your procedural memory . That way, you’ll use this process more-or-less automatically as you study. Three: Tell Stories We tend to remember information much better when it is embedded in stories. The good news is that you can use a mnemonic story method that brings the method of loci together with spaced repetition. You can start practicing this method now by taking the story of Jill Price and placing it in a Memory Palace. Watch one of the videos about her or read her book. Then add a few of the details to a familiar location. Or tell a story about Jack and Jill paying high prices at the store. This simple approach can help you remember the last name “Price.” Beyond Photographic Memory Although the scientific community largely agrees that there are people with extraordinary memory abilities, the idea of recalling visual information with perfect accuracy after one glance is not supported by empirical research. But although the myth has harmed many people who have fallen for memory courses promising this kind of skill, you now know how to avoid them. You also have proper mnemonic tools to pursue that will help you remember, not every word in a book, but only those that matter. And if you need more help, grab my free memory improvement course: It gives you video tutorials and worksheets that help you develop the skills we discussed today. That way, you’ll be able to rely on your memory and accomplish your goals. How do you like that picture? The post Photographic Memory Exposed: Debunking Myths To Empower You appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace .…
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Magnetic Memory Method – How to Memorize With A Memory Palace
1 Learning and Memory Trends: My Predictions For 2025 47:05
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47:052024 is winding down as a wild year for learning and memory trends. Largely because it’s been marked by record levels of disruption from Artificial Intelligence technologies. But have they really changed that much for learners in any practical sense? And are they helping human memory? If so, who is helped? Who gets left behind? I’m in touch regularly with learners who experiment wildly with learning technologies and report substantial results. But I also hear from people who just wind up overwhelmed. Then there are those who are innovating with new technologies, hoping to help more people by meeting them where they’re at. Which is all too often with their attention buried in devices. That’s why in this post I’m sharing my reflections from the past year and making a few predictions about what’s likely to happen in 2025. Buckle up, learning fanatic. This is going to be an intense ride! Learning And Memory Trends: My Predictions For 2025 The landscape of learning and memory seems to be developing rapidly. However, memory science and neuroscience at large shows us that the human brain doesn’t evolve quite so fast. But the fact that evolution moves slowly over generations, and that we might eventually adapt to our influx of technologies, doesn’t mean that our brains aren’t being rewired. 2024 saw the release of Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation . His argument is that we are rewiring the brain by exposing ourselves to too much online technology. His prediction based on existing data is that if we don’t make some serious changes, mental illness is going to spike. Especially amongst young people. Whereas Haidt focuses on young people overall, Richard Reeves wrote specifically about the effect on males in Of Boys and Men . Although I’m not quite as anxious as these two well-acknowledged thinkers, I mention them upfront because their themes are important. But by the end, you’ll find a bold prediction from me about how the current alarming trends might converge in ways that not only revolutionize how we learn. They could well fundamentally alter how we experience consciousness itself. For the better. Elderly woman sleeping with string on her finger One: Poor Sleep Will Continue to Erode Memory & Critical Thinking We’ve known for a long time just how important sleep is for remembering information optimally. A major 2024 study published in Science only underscores the facts. The terms they use involve how sleep helps not only form memories. It also establishes and maintains “network stability” based on what another study calls “ neuronal assemblies .” Although the human brain is not a computer, there is a very real sense that the information we share flows between us like software code. Critically, our lack of sleep ruins more than recall. If we’re not well-rested, critical thinking often goes out the window. Part of the problem has to do with the maiming of working memory . You need to be able to juggle multiple details in real time when making decisions. It’s also easier to be influenced by emotions instead of reason when you’re tired. As these researchers have discovered , emotions and memory are tightly connected. So even emotional decisions that could be good if you were making them while well-rested stand a chance of being particularly poor when made while tired. Worse, poorly rested people struggle to remember the details of how they arrived at their bad decisions. Even if they normally have “random access memory” to the very best critical thinking strategies . My suggestion: Instead of falling for the apps and add-ons claiming that blue light or some other hack make it okay to use devices while in bed, try this in 2025 instead. Set a computer curfew and stick with it. Give yourself 2-3 hours of “digital fasting” before bedtime. Both your memory and your thinking skills will thank you for it. Two: Robot Created Learning Products Will Flood the Market I’m not going to boost any particular company by citing specific examples. But because I work online, advertisers target me with “automatic course creators” and “instant Ebook” artificial intelligence apps. They tell me I can produce entire books in minutes and script flagship courses ready to be recorded with my video camera within an hour or less. Used well, there is no doubt in my mind that experienced and ethical writers and course creators will become better than ever before. Wordy people (like me) will be able to get help with how they describe things without having to pay expensive human editors. (Editors who often have no expertise in the topic area, so wind up cutting out crucial details students need to have in their deliberate practice of many skills). But all kinds of people who really only care about identifying markets and selling products for cash and prizes will flood the market at a much faster pace. Because they have no scruples, they won’t worry about quality or student outcomes. Fortunately, there are ancient principles that still work great: As I’ve been advising people for years through my Memory Training Consumer Awareness Guide , carpe diem, but always caveat emptor. In case you don’t know any Latin , those terms mean “seize the day, but buyer beware.” This leads us to my next prediction. Three: Online Courses Will Continue to Help Learners Confuse Activity with Accomplishment When it comes to learning and memory, there’s a strange fascination with “gamification.” People seem to feel like they’ve learned more when animations explode on the screen. The sound of bells appeals to people when they complete a lesson. Others like to collect points, coins or badges. I get it. I don’t like it and find it thoroughly annoying – but I get it. The problem is that I don’t find the evidence for the gamification of education compelling. Although this systematic review of the literature finds cause for optimism, it also recognizes serious gaps in the literature. I’d suggest that there are also gaps in how a lot of the scientific studies are conducted as well. For example, this study of gamification in science education was based on a questionnaire. The justification for making claims based on self-reporting is lacking. Nature has reported on how self-reporting like this winds up problematized by memory biases . I don’t want to dwell on the negative, but validity problems plague so many memory statistics and studies. My sad prediction is that people will continue “gamifying” online learning platforms with little or no evidence that any of the activities they’re injecting into the courses lead to accomplishment. Feeling like you’ve had a great experience is great. But it doesn’t mean you’ve developed a skill in any meaningful way. Four: Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality Will Remain Fringe Interests I could be way off the mark here. But it seems to me that the vast majority of humans want to be unencumbered by helmets and glasses. For one thing, it’s hard to maintain situational awareness when you’re wearing a device – especially one that disrupts your attention with visual and audio notifications. Perhaps such devices will increase your ability to monitor threats in the environment. But I think that’s misguided. What if a connection goes bad? Or a bad guy has a scrambling device? Wouldn’t you rather that you were fully aware and ready to defend yourself instead? Even in the relatively safe environment of one’s home, I predict that the vast majority of people will want to be instinctually free of devices that isolate or invade their ability to track environments in extreme ways. Part of my thinking here is actually influenced by Jaron Lanier, a VR pioneer. He raises issues in Dawn of the New Everything that relate to situational awareness. There are also uncanny valley effects that could pose challenges to our ability to learn in simulated environments. Finally, there’s a memory champion who released a Memory Palace app. Strangely, his team wanted me to promote the product as an affiliate. But the creator would not appear on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast to discuss it. I can’t be sure, but it feels strongly to me that there was no desire to face the hard questions I have to ask about the efficacy of such an app. My criticism of digital amnesia and my traditional views on what constitutes a Memory Palace are well-known. I can’t think of any other reason why the interview never came about. Five: More People Will Take Their Health Into Their Own Hands Besides the problem with decisions being made based on scientifically invalid studies, people are waking to the fact that many foods harm memory . The more I think about it, the more shocked I am that governments allow our grocery stores to be filled with garbage. I believe in free markets, but ever since I started making sure I eat primarily foods that improve memory and making sure I get enough exercise, my concern for others has grown. Sure, memory techniques worked for me when I ate horribly during university. I even performed reasonably well at a memory competition against Dave Farrow while completely hungover. Although my performance underscores the value of mnemonics, I’m not proud that I let myself live that way. And memory techniques work so much better now that I’ve been sober since 2015. In fact, I quit the day of that competition because I realized I had dishonored the ancient memory tradition . The Warrior of the Mind Emblem for Outstanding Contributions to Global Mental Literacy Since releasing The Victorious Mind , many people have told me their stories of cleaning up their diets and other consumption habits. Six: Interest In Memory And Aging Will Explode Giants paved the way for my entire career as a mnemonist and memory improvement teacher. Harry Lorayne gave me my first dose of business advice. Tony Buzan awarded me the Warrior of the Mind Emblem, an honor only he could imagine creating so much impact. Both of these incredible educators were proof of concept. Lorayne continued doing magic tricks that required “heavy memory lifting” into his 90s. When I met Buzan, he looked far younger than his age and was mentally sharp in the ways only consistent memory training enables. Often people find me because they’re searching for those guys. Or for more information because of how inspiring they were because they put the proof in the pudding. And as people continue to live longer lives, they will want to enjoy mental fitness and memory agility. For reasons we’ll get into, I believe it will be easier than ever before for people to enjoy lifelong learning . The core point is that ours is a time for aging. Even though mistakes will happen as medical science develops better treatments, aging can be much more delightful if more people take individual responsibility for their physical and mental health. I’m so inspired by people like Matt Barclay who tackled the aftermath of his cardiac arrest by memorizing Psalms . And people like Nic Castle , who said no to PTSD. Castle’s accomplishments perfectly demonstrate the research showing how using memory techniques can fend off even the worst symptoms such conditions cause. Seven: Cultural Conflict Will Continue To Impact Memory No, I’m not going to get political. Except to make one simple point: Implicit memory helps explain why some people believe they are “correct” about this or that claim to territories and ideologies. Implicit memory describes the type of memory that makes us learn things on autopilot. If you’ve ever said, “I can’t change, that’s just the way I am,” chances are you feel that way because automatic learning has you locked in a holding pattern. This “dark side” of memory makes it difficult for people to consider other points of view, let alone change perspective. I don’t pretend to have a solution. But I believe the explanation lies with memory. Sadly, I see little change happening because establishing some kind of “blank slate” society where people can grow up without learning various behaviors and thought patterns would be inhumane. There’s a terrible irony in this, something Nietzsche noticed when he wrote one of his most misinterpreted lines: To look on the bright side, it’s possible that human memory will expand. Critical thinking and asking philosophical questions would naturally increase along with it. I just can’t see us making substantial strides in 2025. If progress is possible, something one of my favorite mnemonists denies, it will likely remain incremental. Eight: Microtubules Might Give Us Insight Into Consciousness & Memory If slow progress is possible, one line of research that might speed things up has to do with Orchestrated objective reduction . This controversial theory suggests that consciousness and memory arise from quantum processes that take place within the microtubules of your brain. Other fun terms involved in this theory include “ neuronal cytoskeleton .” I predict that interest in this field will continue to grow. I personally hope the needed satellite experiment Roger Penrose has proposed will go forward. For the full story, check out this review of the literature pertaining to this theory. Nine: Language Learning Will Likely Suffer (And Learners Along With It) When it comes to learning and memory trends, picking up a second language went through an explosion in popularity when the Internet went mainstream. For the first time, you could easily rig Netflix to be a fantastic language learning software . Back when I was learning German so I could lecture in the language during my years as a Mercator Scholar, I had to get DVDs and make sure they had subtitles. Often the translations were totally off. And overdubbing was rarely quality. These days, however, you can get some decent language lessons using ChatGPT . But even if they’re decent, learning a new language requires human interaction. People getting together, especially when it comes to the inconvenience of scheduling language learning lessons, seems to be going down. Shortcuts are incredibly enticing, especially since skilled marketers can easily sway the mass market. The shockingly bad ways many language learning apps use bunk science in their marketing will probably increase in volume. The positive side is that the technology can help you find great language learning teachers. And it’s amazing to me how easy it is to connect with people who have mastered the languages I’m passionate about. Maybe an AI will make scheduling easier soon too. The point being is that people need to make sure they aren’t starving themselves of speaking and listening to natives in their target languages. The temptation to do so will increase, and there’s the strong risk that this will impoverish us all. Ten: Polymaths Will Patch Together Powerful Learning Frameworks One of the greatest trends I’ve seen comes to me from my most motivated students. Take Brian Koscak , for example. Shortly after I released my latest book, Phoenix Reborn , he sent me an AI-slide deck version of the book. Albeit a short work, it took me a long time to write and record the audiobook version of this adaptation of Peter of Ravenna ‘s legendary Memory Palace book . Not only that, but Brian had an AI produce a kind of mind map of the book as well. Now, I’m not going to lie. Before my in-depth interviews with memory expert Lynne Kelly and AI consultant Andrew Mayne , I was feeling ambivalent about AI. The disruption it has caused people like myself when it comes to getting found on the Internet has not been easy to navigate. And some of my favorite writers about learning, like Audrey Watters at Hack Education , seem beyond despondent. But those two guests made me feel much more hopeful. And Brian’s engagement with my latest book even more so. As Brian put it in an email, “I am into multi-modal learning.” Me too, I have to admit. Even better, Brian’s engagement reminded me that people can treat these tools as supplements for the books I personally hold so precious. They don’t have to be replacements. As he put it: “I must admit that the greatest joy I have is reading. The written word is what is most important to me. Moreover, an adaptation of something old by adding your insight is what is of value, like your book.” I can’t say for sure, but I’m optimistic that attitudes like these will reign supreme over the year to come. And beyond. If that proves true, it means I’ll be able to remain old school in my interests and still find an audience who shares my passion for memory techniques. And if you like old school learning experiences, feel free to get my free memory improvement course here: It gives you four video lessons and three PDFs that guide you through developing your skills with Memory Palaces and mnemonic imagery . My ultimate prediction is this: Students who truly want to learn will face fewer obstacles than ever before. If passionate teachers are too wordy, there will be summaries that can get them a version of the ideas that helps them dive back into the walls of text. Or when a learner lacks discipline and can’t figure out how to chunk down a skill or topic, they’ll be able to reach into their pocket and get coaching. The fundamental question that will remain is one of choice and access to real people. With so many incredible resources and technologies available, some people will inevitably choose not to use them. Implicit memory will likely explain why they say no to the wealth of resources in front of many of them. And access to real people is likely to be needed more than ever. That’s because no matter how fantastic learning tools become, other people’s experiences with using them will remain a premium way to shortcut your learning curve. The market will see more options than ever before. This means that the role of the curator will only grow in importance. Even if AIs develop viewpoints based on experience, human input is highly likely to be valued. At least, that’s what I’m counting on. How about you? The post Learning and Memory Trends: My Predictions For 2025 appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace .…
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