Hi Steemit! I’m new to this community and I’m excited to get started writing articles. I’m a neurofreak and with brain optimization, so I'll start with sharing something I’ve found to be pretty useful: Major System, a tool for easily memorizing any number.
You may be used to memorizing things using the brute force method: you push your memory centers hard, bolstering them with concentration and repetition, and whatever sticks, sticks. This method works, but it’s like lifting boxes with your biceps; they can get the job done, but you’ll be using a ton of energy and they’ll tire out quickly. Using Major System is like bringing your back muscles into play; you’ll be able to lift more, and have better endurance. Major systems rallies your creativity to support your memory, and together they make a formidable team. If you take the principles embedded in this lesson to heart, you’ll be able to learn any information much faster and more deeply.
So, after all that pep talk, the first step is to learn this chart through brute force memorization. I know, I know, but I promise that this ugly little bit of pure memorizing will bear fruit. Here’s the chart:
Try to think of the letters as phonemes*, not written text. This chart is pretty basic: it associates each single digit number with a sound or two. If you’re having trouble memorizing the Major Systems chart, try using some mnemonics - like, for example, “N” has two legs, and “M” has three legs. “Four” ends with an “R”. “Six” sounds like “Sex” and neighbours having loud sex should Shut up. That kind of thing.
Once you’ve got the chart memorized, you’ll have everything you need to memorize any number you come across. I’ll explain how it works with an example: My credit card number! Or rather, a sixteen digit number that in an alternate universe could be my credit card number. Let’s go with this:
9494 6007 3467 2385
We’ll go chunk by chunk. The first four digits, 9494, correspond to the following sounds: “P/B”- “R” - “P/B” and “R”. Now we make words out of those phonemes, adding only vowel sounds. If cases like our 9’s, which correspond to two phonemes, you’re allowed to choose between them. The vowels can be added anywhere, and you’re allowed to add as many as you like. But you can’t add consonant sounds beyond the ones that correspond to the numbers in the specific sequence you’re memorizing. Let’s go with “bar bear” for this example. Next step, imagine a simple image or scenario that includes your words. Try to imagine a bear getting into a bar fight. Really visualize it. Close your eyes and try to see that bear with a pint of beer in one hand, swiping at an unfortunate human opponent.
Let’s go through the rest of the credit card:
6007: Sh/J - S - S - K/G : Shoes swig* : Imagine someone drinking whisky out of a shoe. Picture the whisky sweeping into the shoe and spilling out the sides
3967: M - P/B - Sh/J - K/G : Map Jock: Imagine a stereotypical jock trying to read a map. Picture his letterman jacket and make him frustrated and confused.
2286: N - N - F/V - 6 : Noon fish : Imagine a fish flopping around in the midday sun, gaping at the gills.
This might seem like a lot of work. But it freaking works. Go over those four images one more time - try to really visualize them - and now go to the chart above (eventually you’ll have to memorize it, but for this proof of concept go ahead and access it visually). See if you can access those images, translate them into words, and then back into the the credit card number. I bet you got at least a couple of those chunks right. The thing that’s so impressive about this system though, is how sticky this learning is. If you’d managed to memorize, say, eight digits by pure brute force, you may be able to recall them after two minutes, when they’re still floating around your working memory, but I’ll bet that by tomorrow, unless you’ve been returning to them again and again and again, you’ll remember nothing. I’ll also bet that whichever images you were able to remember and use after two minutes will still work tomorrow, with no review. This systems hacks straight into your long-term memory, right out of the gates.
** Keep in mind, 7 corresponds to the “K” sound, not the letter K. Make the sound that K makes verbally. If that sound can be made with other letters, feel free to use them. “Cat”, “Shack”, “Mac” are all good. “Vice” is not. Because that word doesn’t have the “K” sound. We’re going by sounds, not letters.
This system works because most people's brains are better at remembering words than numbers, and better at remembering images than words. So when we convert numbers into words and then into images, they become “sticky” in our minds. If you want to add another layer of stickiness, try coming up with words/images that are as raunchy, offensive or violent as possible - your brain’s even better at recalling these.
Major System is a mnemonic - a technique which rallies the imagination to bolster memory. If you dig this, google “mnemonic” and you’ll find hundreds more articles, systems and tips. If you’re really hooked, I’d recommend Moonwalking with Einstein by Josh Foer - it’s the story of how he went from being an average memory Joe to the US world memory champion in one year, using the power of mnemonics alone. He goes deep into the history of mnemonics and memorizing, which originate in ancient Athens and were a huge deal before the memory aids of reading and writing became widespread.
That’s it. Thanks for reading!
*a phoneme is a sound in spoken language, as opposed to a letter in written language
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