When I was a boy I had a high school friend who had what we called a “photographic memory.” He could remember every phone number he had dialed for the past several years. He could look at a list and a textbook for just a few seconds and then write it from memory. He could do it again a week later. It seemed that he never forgot a name, a face or any bit of information.
Most psychologists believe that this ability is innate, it is something we have at birth, or not. Obviously, not many people have it. On the other hand, we can use a technique called “visualization” to improve our memory skills. Visualization is simply the use of mental imagery to imprint and consolidate information in the brain.
Improve Your Memory Through Visualization
When we teach children we often help them remember things by asking them to relate those things to other things they know about. For example, let’s say that you are trying to teach a child the parts of the computer. When you point out the “motherboard” you can ask the child to think of his mother’s face superimposed on it. You can ask the child to think about a picture of a brain when you point out the central processing unit ship, which is sometimes referred to as the computer’s brain. Research has shown that this is an effective way of enhancing the memory of new objects.
Your brain has specific regions dedicated to the memory of faces. When we look at faces we tend to notice them in specific ways: eyes first, then nose, ears and hair color. When you want to remember someone’s name, try to be aware of your inspection of his or her face. Then, imagine his or her name written across his or her forehead. Move away from the person or focus your attention elsewhere for a while. Then, try to visually locate the person. When you recognize the person, repeat his or her name. As you practice this technique it will become automatic and your memory for names will improve.
Improve Your Memory By Focusing and Concentrating
Focusing and concentrating on important things are the keys to remembering them. Children often find memorization easier than adults because they are able to focus better. When we are preoccupied and multitasking are memory for specific objects and events is significantly impaired. Try to develop the ability to recognize moments during which memory is important. Then, concentrate and focus on the object of your memory.
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