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Did you know that mentalists who perform in front of audiences are no smarter than anyone else? Nor do they have any unusual talents. Instead, their mesmerizing skills are the result of technique and practice. And that’s great – because it means anyone can become a mentalist.
Exercising our gray cells is good for us
Our memory is like a muscle: with practice, it works better and can do more. Marathon runners, for example, can’t hope to complete 26.2 miles on their first attempt. But with proper training, they can achieve what seemed impossible. And being able to rattle off pi up to 58 digits isn’t just impressive. A brain in good shape is also healthy: it has been proven that we live longer if we exercise our gray matter regularly.
Anyone can give their brain a boost using mnemonics. The term “mneme” is a Greek word meaning “memory”. People have been using mnemonics since ancient times. Even Cicero wrote about clever brain-training exercises and their benefits, such as making it easier to recite long poems.
The first steps to becoming a memory artist
For beginners, most mnemonics may seem complicated at first. This is because they are based on a complex system that, like a language, must be learned. The first steps in memorizing faces, names, birthdays, and credit card numbers can easily be learned by the average person, however.
It sounds cliché, but nothing is more important to good memory performance than getting enough rest. Many quiz show contestants get so excited about being on camera that they forget things they actually know. People who are tired, dehydrated, or have overeaten also find it harder to remember things.
Reading material that follows a logical structure is also good for initial memory training. What the brain can put into a meaningful context is easier to remember. Readers who take an active, critical stance and question facts are usually better at remembering what they read.
Use as many senses as possible when learning, as this activates more areas of the brain and increases memory capacity. For example, it may be helpful to read a paragraph aloud, move around while studying, or associate what we are reading with certain feelings.
“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Mnemonics such as rhymes, rhythms, and visualizations can help us remember even abstract historical figures. This is because our brains work by association and are better at remembering images.
And finally: Practice, practice, practice! Keeping our minds sharp requires regular exercises. Fortunately, there are always little tasks for our gray cells everywhere: memorizing the names of the people in the house, the cell phone numbers of friends and more.
