The memory is a treasurer to whom we must give funds, if we
are to draw the assistance we need.
If, in your particular
business, you find it necessary to memorize long numbers very often, you’ll
soon use the first word that pops into your mind to fit either the first two,
three or four digits. There is no rule that says you must use words to fit the
same amount of digits in any long digit number. To memorize the number quickly,
you use any words at all-usually you
will have time to think for a moment to find the best words for the number to
be memorized. I have to leave is to your own imagination. However, until
you’ve become proficient at it, I would
suggest that you use the peg words for two digits at a time.
–Rowe
ONCE,
during my performance at the Concord Hotel in upstate New York, a “friend” in
the audience asked me to memorize the
number, 414, 233, 442, 475, 059, 125. I did, of course, using my
systems. The reason I mention this now is because I had forgotten the little
stunt I used as a child. I would boast
to my friends of what a marvelous memory I had, and ask one of the boys
(a marvelous course) to call out a long
digit number. He would then Sixth Avenue Subway. We all knew these stops, and
it would have been quite obvious if he had said, “4,” then “14” and then “23,”
and so on. However, hearing the numbers in groups if three made then
unrecognizable to the uninitiated.
In
those days the Sixth Ave. express stopped at West 4th Street, then
14th street, 23rd street, 34th street , 42nd
street , 47th and 50th streets, 59th street,
125th street, etc. I would simply call off these stops ad leave my
pals exclaiming over my prodigious memory. This all proves that numbers can be
remembered if they are made to represent or mean something to us. I have helped
you to do just that by utilizing the peg system. Now, any number, whether it
represents subway stops or not, can be made to mean something to you. And, in
my personal opinion, that is the only way to memorize and retain a number. Yes
I’ve heard of the few rare cases of people who could memorize number instantly.
I’ve heard of one person who could remember and retain long numbers as they
were flashed before his eyes. (I wish I could do it!) these fortunately, these
are the few exceptions that strengthen my belief.
How
would you go about memorizing the number 522641637527? Here is the way a memory
expert of the 19th century did it. He told his students to separate
the number into four sections of three digits each: 522 641 637 527. Now, I quote:-
“bring
the first and fourth groups into relations, and you see at once that the fourth
group is larger than the first by only five. Bringing the second group into
relation with the third section, we find they differ only by four. Again, the
third group is larger than the fourth by 100 and by 10, that is 527 becomes
637, the seven alone remaining steadfast. Beginning with the fourth group and passing to the third, we have the fourth
group with only four added, and the first group is the fourth group with only
five subtracted.
This system, without any modification, is
also taught by some modern memory experts. When I first heard of the above method of memorizing numbers, I
felt that one would have to have a trained memory in the first place, just to
remember the instructions! As far as retaining the number is concerned-well, I
think it highly improbable that you
would retain it for any length of time-if you memorized it at all. There were
no ridiculous pictures or associations made to remind you of it. I believe,
however, that I see the point that these memory experts were probably driving
at. If you do try to follow their instructions, you must concentrate on the
number. This or course, is half the battle won. Any method that forces the
student to be interested in, and to
observe the number, and to concentrate on it, must meet with some success. It’s
just that it is too much like swatting a fly with a sledge hammer; the means
are almost too burdensome to justify the end.
The
peg system of memorizing long digit numbers is actually a combination of the
peg and the Link methods. It forces you to concentrate on the number; it is
easy to do-and the retentiveness is amazing! If you have learned the list of
peg words from 1to 100 this should be a
cinch for you. If you haven’t learned them yet, this will ,make the words as
you go along. I’ll use the same number as used above to explain the method.
First,
let’s break the number down into two digit numbers. 52 26 41 63 75 27. Now,
each of these two digit numbers should
represent or suggest a peg word to you:-
52/lion
26/notch
41/rod 63/chum 75/coal 27/neck
All you have to do is to make
a link of the six peg words! Or, any words you happen to be using. Picture a lion with a large
notch in him. Picture yourself whittling
notches into a gigantic curtain rod.
See yourself throwing your as
around the rod as if it were your chum, or, your, chum is being used for a
curtain rod. Picture yourself embracing a large piece or coal as if it were
your chum; and, finally, see yourself or anyone with his neck made of coal.
You
should be able to make this link in about thirty seconds. After you’ve made it,
go over it once or twice in your mind to
see if you’ve memorized it. In repeating the numbers all you do is transpose
your peg words back to numbers. You’ll know the number now, forwards and words
and like them as you move your eyes from left to right across the number.
There you have it! You
merely linked six objects to memorize twelve digits, and you will retain them for as long as you desire. If you
have tried this while I explained it,
and if you remember the number, you
should feel proud of yourself. I say
this because, according to some of our intelligence quotient tests, the
average adult should remember a six digit number forwards and
backwards, after hearing or seeing it once. The superior adult should do the
same with an eight number. You’ve just
accomplished it with a twelve digit number, and there is no limit to the
retentiveness.
Don’t let anyone
talk you out of it, either, by telling you “no fair” because you used a “system.” Those that do say this are surely
envious of you because they can’t do it, system or not. There are always those that
scream, ‘it’s unnatural to remember with a system; you have to do it by
normal memory.” Well, who’s to say that this method is unnatural? It is surely
more natural to remember than to forget. And, by using any of my systems you’re
simply aiding your true memory! As I explained
earlier, anything that anyone remembers must be associated to something
time, sometimes consciously, sometimes
without realizing it-all we are doing is systematizing it. There’s a “method” to
our madness! Those that say memory systems are unnatural, really mean, I think,
that they don’t know about them, or how to use them.
Now that I’ve defended
your recently acquired facility to remember, let’s go a step further. If you’ve
grasped the idea, which I’m sure you have, why not use your imagination and
make it even easier? If you like, you can link
only four words in order to memorize a twelve digit number. Just make up
words to fit three of the digits at a time. And link those. For example, you
could picture a bolt of linen (522) riding a chariot (641) which is dragging a
shoemaker (637)-the last consonant sound is disregarded since you know that the
word represents only three digits) who
is very lanky(527).
Here is another example:-
994/paper 614/ashtray 757/clock 954/bowler
If a long digit
number that you wish to remember falls into line for words that fit four
digits at a time-why not use them! In
that way you can sometimes memorize and retain a twenty digit number, by
linking only five words:-
42109483521461279071
Doesn’t
that number look formidable? It sure does! But look at it now: 4210/rents 9483/perfume 5214/launder 6127/cheating 9071/basket
Link rents
to perfume, perfume to launder, launder to cheating, cheating to basket-and
you’ve memorized a twenty digit number!
You can see
now the importance of knowing the ten basic sounds of the phonetic alphabet
thoroughly. If you haven’t learned them yet, reread the chapter on how to learn
and practice them. If you are not sure of how to make ridiculous or illogical
associations- reread that chapter. If you do know the sounds, the peg words and
how to make your associations, try your knowledge on test #3, in Chapter 3, and
see the progress you’ve made.
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