Memory Systems New and Old/Chapter 1
PRINCIPLES OF MNEMONICS.
MEMORY may be termed the diary of the mind; and truth compels me to add that, generally, the faculty is treated in much the same manner as are those stiffly bound, carefully-ruled annuals that deluge the world in January. As a rule the entries in these diaries are hurriedly scribbled in pencil, easily read and understood at the time of writing; but when required to be afterwards referred to are found to be blurred and unintelligible. It is true that some make their entries elaborately and carefully, converting the diary into a tasteful specimen book of beautiful penmanship—but that is all. So with our mental diary—we hurriedly and carelessly imprint our best thoughts Memory's tablet, trusting it to preserve them intact, inevitably to be disappointed; and, on the other hand, we just as frequently take the greatest pains in burdening it with things of little or no value. Those who are neither careless nor inattentive in matters memorial, are, as a rule, compelled by the hurry and scurry of a busy life to rely to a great extent on what is proverbially a wayward and treacherous faculty, and are thus perpetually learning only to forget. The man who possesses a good healthy memory is so scarce as to be almost a phenomenon, and when found is regarded as one specially gifted.
In a little work[1] published a few years since, Dr. Mortimer Granville very appositely compared memory to a phonograph—once in action it receives every impression conveyed to it; though the record may be dormant yet it is indelible; and under suitable conditions the recorded impression can be reproduced. Brain substance is capable of being impressed by mental or nerve force as the tinfoil of a phonograph is impressed by physical force; attention and interest deepen the impression; and a healthy brain will take in and register a great number of such impressions. The secret of a good memory is in one word—attention. The object should be to obtain a vivid first impression of the idea or fact to be remembered by perfectly and intelligently understanding it, noting its most important particular, and associating it with other vivid impressions. Attention to this principle, with a constant and moderate use of the faculty, will be found to materially strengthen a weak memory, and to develop a good one. Thoroughly look after the little details and the chief points will take care of themselves.
The cause of a bad memory is mainly the want of method in storing ideas. Memory's food is supplied through the channels of sight and sound, and the mode of "taking in" differs greatly with different persons. Some persons can better recollect an idea or fact by means of a sound impression associated with it, than they can by a mental picture or sight impression of the idea or fact itself. In a similar manner others, and they form the larger proportion, recollect best by mental pictures or impressions conveyed through the eye. In the little work referred to, Dr. Granville brings out this point very clearly, and suggests a test by which any one can readily ascertain whether his memory is dependent on impressions received through the eye or through the ear. He suggests that an independent person should write out plainly some sentence which the one who wishes to apply the test has not previously seen. The latter should then read it carefully once, lay it aside, and, after an interval, write the sentence from memory. To test his sound memory, he should get a friend to read to him distinctly once, a different sentence, which, after an interval, should also be written out. By repeating this, and lengthening the interval between the hearing and seeing and the writing out, he will be able to judge, from the comparative correctness of the results, whether it is by sound or by sight he can better recollect. If by sound, the object should be to associate the things to be recollected with sounds which are familiar to him, as notes of music, rhyme, jingle of bells, language, and any familiar form of sound. If, as is generally the case, the memory is chiefly dependent on sight, vivid mental pictures should be made of the objects, facts, and ideas—ideas can be symbolized—which it is desired to recollect. A good deal of stress is often laid on the importance of reiteration the frequent repetition by writing out, reading, or speaking of the thing to be remembered, and this method obtains very largely in schools. Dr. Grey, in his "Memoria Technica," recommends frequent repetition, as by it the most uncouth sounds become familiar. Another writer says, in respect to writing out what is to be learnt, that the act of writing itself distracts the thoughts, and adds that what is read twice is commonly better remembered than what is transcribed. Frequent repetition of language does certainly deepen the impression, particularly if the aid of rhyme or rhythm is added.
The term "artificial memory" is now used as a synonymous term for mnemonics (from the Greek mneme, memory), the art of memory; but this term no more applies to mnemonics than it does to the science of optics or acoustics. Just as a proper knowledge of optics frequently enables one to perceive an object more clearly, so does a knowledge of mnemonics and the application of method enable one to perceive more clearly the impression stored in the mind; and although artificial objects may be utilized to assist a methodical arrangement, they in no way affect the natural principles of the science itself.
Memory consists of remembrance and recollection. Remembrance is passive memory—to remember without effort; recollection is active and requires effort, and may be described as seeking for the different ideas which are likely to recall, by association, the desired idea. The fundamental principle of mnemonics is therefore association—to associate or link together one object, idea, or fact with another, so that to recall the one is to recall the other. This principle is well illustrated in the fairy story of the prince who sought to release a beautiful princess kept captive in a dark and deep cave, the condition being that if he could find her, release her, and discover his way out, he should marry her. All who had previously attempted the feat had lost their way in the dark cave and never returned. This prince, warned by the failure of others, sought the aid of his fairy godmother, who gave him a bag of beautiful white stones, which he was to drop as he went along, so that after releasing the princess he could find his way back by re-collecting the stones. Similarly, by method, many a bright thought buried in the cave of forgetfulness can be released; but care must be taken to have the links indelible. Those who, like the children in the story book, who when going into the forest to gather flowers strewed the way with bread crumbs to guide them home, use evanescent links, may find that they, when wanted, like the children's crumbs, have disappeared.
Remembrance, it should be observed, is distinctly different to recollection, the former being the power of retaining ideas, and the latter the power of recalling them. Some persons possess a good retentive memory, but experience great difficulty in awakening it into action or recollection; but if we note the fact that some ideas are more easily retained or recalled than others, we shall be able, with a little thought, to considerably improve the power of both retention and recollection. It will be found that ideas produced by sensation are always more easily retained and reproduced, and we may thus guard against relying too much upon one abstract idea to suggest another. If we desire to recollect an abstract idea, we should carefully associate it with one of sensation, and we shall invariably find that the one connected with the senses will more effectually "jog the memory," than the other. Although the memory of some persons depends mainly on sensation impressions conveyed through the ear, yet those conveyed through the eye will, as a general rule, be found to be more vivid and lasting. It is, however, for each individual to ascertain for himself the weak and the strong points in his memory, and to use the stronger in such a way as to improve the weaker. In carrying out the principle of association it will be found that if one idea is not quickly and very closely connected with another and that an interval takes place, be it ever so slight, there is a tendency of irrelevant ideas to spring up in the mind, interfering with those which it is desired to connect. Just as, by the law of similarity and contrast, Coleridge's mackerel reminded him of gooseberries, and the gooseberries of a goose, and the goose of a swan, so will the same law mix up the original idea with others foreign to the subject. The closer, ser, therefore, the ideas are brought together, and the quicker they are connected with each other, the stronger will they be associated and the greater will be their power of reproducing each other. And it may be added that the more familiar the ideas are the better.
It should be noted that a solitary idea cannot remain in the mind it will either associate with some other idea or disappear. No idea can be recalled except there be another by means of which it is recalled. Ideas associate themselves together by virtue of a natural law—the law of mental affinity. Place two ideas, and two alone, together before the mind and they will naturally combine, and will exclude foreign ideas. The strength of the association depends upon the strength with which the ideas first came to the mind, and upon the connection which exists between them. Ideas which have no natural connection with each other may be associated by means of intermediate ideas which have some connection or properties in common with both the others. Ideas should be brought as closely as possible together so as to allow comparison, and only two ideas should be associated at one time.
These remarks on the principles of mnemonics are merely prefatory to the details which are given in the succeeding chapters. All the efforts of mnemonists, ancient and modern, have been directed to the formulating of systems which would do away with the arbitrary character of numerals, and render more easy the labor of association and retention; and all the many systems that have been produced are more or less based upon the principles just detailed.
- ↑ The Secret of a good Memory. London: Bogue.