Power Memory System

In order to develop the human memory beyond normal limitations or to prevent it from naturally deteriorating, specific memory boosting techniques must be used together in a personalised power memory system. This system can make use of whatever works best for each individual person, but certain traits will be shared based on the common methods of memory improvement. The two most important tools are association and imagination, to understand why it is necessary to understand a little more of how memory works.

Short-Term and Long-Term Memory

Our short term memory is extremely limited and can only hold around six or seven items of information for around half a minute or so before they are lost. This is just long enough to accomplish most tasks where information must be temporarily stored and then used such as dialling a telephone. In order to remember information for longer than this, it must be transferred to long-term memory where it can remain indefinitely until the brain determines it is no longer needed or wanted. To make this transition happen, the information must simply be repeated or used enough times to trigger the process, or we must purposefully store it there with a deliberate effort.

Forgetfulness

The key in developing an effective power memory system is to better understand why we forget things in the first place. There are three stages involved with memory recall and if any one of them fails the memory is basically lost, either temporarily or maybe permanently. If you fail to retrieve a memory, it could be that you failed to register the information properly in the first place, that you didn't properly encode and retain what you did register, or simply that you are unable to retrieve what you stored. A strong encoding system can help you with the second and third of these problems but you will need to work on concentration and maybe deepen your understanding of a subject if you are not registering information properly.

Encoding Memories

In order to more effectively store and retrieve memories, we need a good system. Think of it like a filing cabinet or the index of a book. Basically you need a key or trigger associated with an item to correctly find it and pull it back out of memory and work with it. Most people with strong memories either consciously or subconsciously create very strong associations with the information they wish to remember. These associations can be imaginary, can be images, rhymes, stories or jokes, and can even be sensory data such as the smell, touch, taste or sound of something. Using more associations to store data will help significantly with recall and can help to really boost your memory. This really is the key to developing a good power memory system, it is all about using association and the imagination to create strong impressions in our mind. Anyone can develop a strong memory once they find an effective way to encode the data that works well with their own individual mind.