I Don’t Remember! – Part III
September 26, 2007 – 6:10 am
The mind can be powerful tool! Athletes have long attempted to gain an edge by using internal mental images of victory. This process, known as visualization, helps the athlete to create a strong, vivid memory that some believe may result in a competitive advantage. You can use this same process to help improve your memory.
In Part II of this series, we discussed the use of association to help you remember. We can make association an even more powerful memory tool by combining it with visualization. The trick is to visualize what you want to remember by picturing it in your mind as you read.
A well constructed PowerPoint presentation is very effective at delivering a memorable message and you can borrow the same technique that presentation designers use to help you remember. For instance, suppose you are trying to remember the date that the Twin Towers building was attacked in New York. As you read about the attack, visualize the infamous picture of the burning buildings in your mind. If the image in your mind was part of a PowerPoint presentation, the designer would probably fade in the date “9/11/2001” in large block letters and overlay it on the picture. You can use this same technique in your mind’s eye to associate the important date that you want to remember with the unforgettable image of the burning buildings.
You can even use this technique to remember information in your daily life. For instance, when you are introduced to someone at a meeting, try to imprint the information in your mind by picturing the person’s face with the name overlaid in large letters, like a mug shot of a criminal (Did you just picture a mug shot in your mind? Interesting isn’t it?). The increased stimulation of the brain through visualization and association will better enable you to remember the person’s name.
Educators have also identified the benefits of mental imagery in studies of learning styles. We know that the preferred learning processes varies among students. Most experts recommend the use of teaching techniques that combine visual (images), auditory (sound), and kinesthetic (doing) systems. Essentially, the more senses that we stimulate in our instruction, the higher the retention rate among students. You can employ this same technique to improve your retention through the use of the visualization.
Educational researchers have also found that the experience of mental imagery affects the degree of learning. In other words, we can improve our performance of a task through mental practice. This could be critical for officer safety related issues like traffic stops. If an officer has already mentally rehearsed how he will react if a driver pulls out a gun on a traffic stop, he will be able to react more quickly – which may save his life. This “mental practice” is not as good as “physical practice” but it has been proven to be an effective learning tool. (Pascual-Leone et al 1995).
The next time you need to commit some information to memory, try to see pictures in your mind. Your retention rate will improve significantly if you can train your mind to produce these “mental flashcards.”