The best way to remember in long-term memory. How to remember information quickly and for a long time? Memorization techniques

Our age suggests that we must keep in mind a huge amount of different data. How to memorize large amounts of information? When you need to learn something quickly, the first thing a person turns to is cramming. But this way of remembering information is tedious and inefficient. Assimilation of the necessary material can be quite an exciting game if you use mnemonic memorization techniques.

What is mnemonics and mnemonics?

What is the essence of these two concepts? Mnemonics should be understood as methods and techniques for quick memorization. Combined, they allow you to fix a large amount of information in your head. The art of mastering these techniques is mnemonics.

Everyone can develop the ability to memorize complex dates, numbers, texts and more. Methods and techniques for adults and for children are equally feasible. You can and should train your memory at any age. Of course, for this there must be a great desire.

How does mnemonics work?

Information is processed in the following way:

  1. Some abstract data is taken.
  2. The information is then encoded. That is, certain connections are created between the data (associative, figurative, and so on).
  3. The next step is memorization and repetition of the material in a convenient form.
  4. Further, the information is decoded, that is, decrypted.
  5. And the last thing: the materials that needed to be remembered are reproduced.

This is the algorithm of the method of memorizing information. This process looks somewhat complicated for beginners. However, you should not be afraid of this. Starting to apply the techniques of memorizing materials in practice, you will change your mind.

Criteria for mnemonics methods

There are a huge number of mnemonic memorization techniques, but they are all combined based on some criteria. What they have in common is:

  • New effect. It is not so important here what task you are focused on and what degree of its complexity. If the exercise is new to you, then you will feel great benefits from it. The main goal of the mnemonic device is to go beyond the familiar and ordinary environment.
  • Difficulty level. Only that task will give the greatest efficiency, which requires mental effort. By straining your mind, you gain knowledge in return.
  • Interest. If you do not experience pleasure from your actions, then the effectiveness of educational games for memory will be zero. Stop at the one that brings you pleasure. Only in this case, the chances of not quitting training are high. Select the tasks themselves according to the level of difficulty with which you can cope. Gradually you can complicate the exercises.

Mnemonic memorization techniques

They provide fairly easy ways to master the data you need. Memorization techniques are understandable to any person. Using them, you can learn and fix in memory a large amount of information.

There is a general rule for the use of mnemonic techniques. It sounds like this: use the images and associations that first came to mind. If you create several options, then you simply won’t be able to select the right one later.

The basis of mnemonic devices are created associations based on logical, figurative or emotional relationships. This makes information easier to remember and recall. The creation of chains of associations should be based on what is already known, while adding something new, namely what needs to be learned.

Memorization methods in mnemonics

The most common method is the creation of associative and figurative series. Along with this, other methods are also distinguished: rhyming, mnemonic phrases, and others. Consider the basic mnemonic memorization techniques.

Creation of figurative rows

The main emphasis in this case is on the visualization of memorized information. It uses several techniques that are based on visual manipulation with images. Let's consider them in more detail.

Overlay images

The essence of this method of memorizing information is to create links. They allow you to superimpose one image on another through the use of links between the stimulus and the memorized material. Such mnemonics is a method and technique for beginning adults and children. It is suitable for learning a foreign language. By superimposing visual and acoustic images, a strong bond is created.

For example, when learning English, you need to remember the word trolley bus (trolleybus). Imagine a troll on a bus. This is the imposition of one image on another. A link is formed in the mind between visual images that are stimuli for memorization (a troll and a bus) and acoustic ones. When learning languages, you can come up with a variety of overlays.

Enlargement and reduction of images

Another method focused on the visualization of memorized information. The meaning of the technique is to replace a complex image with a simpler one. For example, you need to remember a phone number. How to use this approach? Imagine a phone in great detail: numbers, handset, etc. Now imagine the opposite. Gradually increase the size of the phone. Focus on buttons. So you can, mentally increasing the phone to the size of individual numbers on its buttons, remember the number you need.

Mnemophrases

A mnemonic phrase is a short, often rhyming sentence. Mnemophrases are built on the basis of artificial associations. It is used when it is necessary to remember not too exciting facts.

Often this technique is used in school practice. For example, in the lessons of the Russian language when studying the spelling of adverbs: I can’t bear to get married; when delimiting similar verbs: put on clothes, put on Nadezhda. An example of a rhyming mnemophrase is the comic definition of a bisector known from geometry lessons: this is a rat that runs around the corners and divides the corner in half.

Acrostic

This method of memorizing information is structured as follows: it is necessary to compose a sentence (sometimes it can be a poem), in which the first letters of each word are the beginning of the material for assimilation. Everyone has known one of the acrostics since childhood. So, in order for the child to remember the colors of the rainbow, he was told the following sentence: "Every hunter wants to know where the pheasant is sitting." Remembering this phrase, he could accurately name all seven names.

Location method

This technique is considered the most difficult, but nevertheless, with it, the memorization process will definitely not be boring. Follow the suggested points:

  • Remember your familiar environment. It could be your own house or apartment, or your daily commute to work or school.
  • After you imagine your house, mentally label each place in it with a number. For example, the door would be number 1, the sofa would be number 2, the carpet would be number 3, the mirror would be number 4, and the bookshelf would be number 5.
  • And now, having shown imagination, compose a little story. For example, about the fact that a pineapple was hung on the door, a fan was located on the sofa, a crocodile found itself under the carpet, a drum was attached to the mirror, and a brick was hidden between the books on the shelf.
  • So you can remember the right words thanks to unusual associations.

Reception "Chain"

This method of mnemonics will help you remember words that are not related to each other. Building an unusual chain of images in your head, you can, for example, make shopping lists.

When going to the store, you need to buy the following:

  • milk;
  • a pineapple;
  • toothpaste;
  • buckwheat;
  • sour cream.

Now, so as not to forget anything, come up with a funny story. The more unusual and absurd it is, the better. So you remember the information faster. For example: "Milk played on pineapple, buckwheat did not like it, she ran to the pineapple, but the sour cream stopped her, and the buckwheat mixed with sour cream."

In this way, you can remember from five to a hundred unfamiliar words.

Techniques for memorizing numerical information

Consider how you can remember the numbers. The hardest part is learning the numbers. This is where the association method comes in handy.

  • Image line. Prepare a matrix of images in advance, each of which corresponds to a certain number. For example: one is a card, two is a glass, three is a bird, and so on.
  • Method for creating a figurative row. The most effective will be the use of their graphic images and similarity with other objects for digital designation. For example: the number 0 looks like a clock, a globe, since these objects and zero have a rounded outline. The number 1 evokes associations with a pencil, a candle, a nail. The deuce resembles a horse from chess, a swan. In this order, complete the rest of the numbers with your associative series.

If you want numbers to be deposited in your memory, or you are wondering how to remember dates in history, then this technique will allow you to effectively assimilate digital information based on the created images.

Techniques for memorizing textual information

Many schoolchildren and students, and adults associated with paperwork, are interested in the question of how to remember the text. In fact, once you practice, it's easy to do. Let's take a closer look at a few of these methods.

OVOD method

The name of this exercise for the brain and memory consists of the first letters in the designation of the main stages of memorizing the text: the main idea, careful reading, review, refinement. Let's consider what the essence of each stage is in more detail.

  1. Main thought. It is necessary to read the text meaningfully. Here you need to perceive textual information and highlight the main thoughts contained in it. To do this, underline what is necessary. Alternatively, write out the necessary material on a separate sheet. For example, you need to remember the rule for writing compound adjectives. As you read the textbook paragraph, underline the main cases associated with this spelling.
  2. Careful reading. This stage represents rereading. Reading the text for the second time, pay attention to details and details. To do this, the reading should be leisurely, and also distinguished by attentiveness and thoughtfulness. The main goal of this method is the mental binding of the discovered details and the smallest details to the main thoughts of the text. So, when reading the material again, pay attention to specific examples that describe the main cases of writing complex adjectives.
  3. Review. The name of the stage speaks for itself. Here the text is skimmed through. Moreover, viewing does not begin from the beginning, but from the end. The task of the stage is to draw up an approximate plan of the text and remember it as a sequence of implementation of the main ideas. To do this, when reading, ask questions on the highlighted points. For example, when spelling complex adjectives, we distinguish two cases: through a hyphen and together. Each of them includes subparagraphs with examples.
  4. Fine-tuning. Now we are trying to repeat the text from memory. This is done as follows: first you need to remember the main points and only after that move on to the details. At the same time, try not to look anywhere. Then read the plan again, noting dangerous places: something that was forgotten or missed, but is important at the same time.

This example of a mnemonic memorization technique is best suited for the assimilation of textual information of a small amount. This technique has a cumulative effect. Once you have mastered the new information, repeat it a little later. This is due to the fact that it can be quickly forgotten. When using this technique, over time, the memorization effect will improve.

Cicero's Method

Named after a Roman orator and statesman, this technique is effective when you need to memorize a large amount of text. You can also find this method under other names - the room system or the place method.

Cicero, speaking in public, never relied on a written text. However, his speeches were always a huge success. How to memorize text using the Cicero method?

The application of this mnemonic method is reduced to the mental arrangement of important facts in a certain order in a well-known environment. The main thing is to determine the sequence of walking through the rooms in accordance with the location of the material. Each block of information must be associated with specific rooms. Starting with large spaces, over time you can move on to smaller details.

Using the technique for the first time, it is better to really walk around the house, "arranging" the material in the right places. Subsequently, this need will disappear. It will be enough to mentally repeat the remembered route.

For example, you need to memorize an entire chapter on the economics of Market Models. Start in your room. Gradually moving around the house, read the material. Each market economy model is a specific room. After that, walk around the rooms again, while trying not to use the textbook.

How best to perceive and remember the abundance of information that falls on the brain of a modern person? Surely, everyone asks such a question, especially when it becomes extremely relevant, for example, during study, an exam, speaking in front of an audience, reading scientific literature.

To make the process of obtaining and storing information more efficient, there are various memorization techniques.

Use of mnemonics systems

In psychology, it is determined that in order to master any activity, it is necessary to form certain skills. The same rule applies to the successful memorization of a large amount of knowledge. The basic skills of this process are acquired and formed under the influence of various technologies. What methods of memorization can be considered the most effective?

Now mnemonics or the art of memorization is becoming increasingly popular, which consists of a set (system) of certain methods, methods, techniques and techniques that greatly facilitate the work with text materials.

Mnemonics has been valued at all times, people have shown a special interest in it and intensively developed technologies, trying to ensure that the main properties of their techniques are simplicity, versatility, and efficiency.

A confirmation of this technology is the Giordano system. Its essence lies in the fact that the work of memory goes in stages. First, information is encoded into visual images; then comes the memorization process itself; next - the necessary assimilation of the sequence of material, at the last stage - the consolidation and storage of information in the brain. Based on this, the methods of memorizing information will be systematized according to the developed stages.

According to experts, the Giordano system is the most effective and practical in everyday life of all that exists, it is used to assimilate, save frequently encountered, fairly clear, information. For example, you need to fix in memory the digits of a telephone number, street name, last name, first name, patronymic, exact dates, geographical names.

The same memorization technique can be used when working with encyclopedic materials, educational texts, if only you can correctly highlight key words or phrases. It is only necessary to take into account that the material is not remembered thoroughly, but close to the text, while the principle “from the particular to the whole” is used.

Such a system implies the need to develop memorization skills, since the process of working with information depends on the degree of training of a person, on the complexity of the material. For example, even the shortest workout makes it possible to memorize a two-digit number in 3 seconds, and in 5 minutes you can remember 100 two-digit numbers.

The interesting thing is that, working according to the Giordano method, you can quickly find knowledge in your mind that contains the same elements, for example, dates that are similar in numbers.

Another, no less effective technology, designed to memorize a large amount of information, is the Cicero technique, in which a consistent system of images-associations is built. It can contain up to 50 images or more, so the information to be remembered will be more voluminous than other memorization methods suggest.

The technology of memorization according to the Cicero method lies in the fact that objects important for perception must be mentally arranged in a strictly defined order, using the decor of the room. Further, when playing the material, it is enough to remember the room.

Cicero acted in the same way when preparing for his speeches. Walking around the house, he mentally placed the important points of his speech everywhere, then, recalling the situation at home, he remembered the key phrases.

To build a system of images, you can use the furnishings of other rooms or even an invented room.

As variants of this system, a road that a person has to walk on a daily basis, or a familiar situation, is often used.

The Cicero method is useful when memorizing numbers, only you need to translate them from an abstract form into a concrete one. For example, in psychology, it is recommended to associate numbers with letters: 0 - o, 4 - h, 6 - b and so on, and then memorize them according to a well-established scheme.

The effectiveness of quick memorization techniques

When information is difficult to perceive, and time is limited, rational memorization techniques come to the rescue. Having mastered them, a person can work with any material in a short time.

As the most effective, we can offer techniques that have proven themselves in mnemonics.

For example, such a technique as rhyming text is widely used when creating advertising. Everyone knows that the rhymed phrases of advertising, regardless of the desire of a person, cut into memory and remain there for a long time. The same can be done with any material. Therefore, when a person is faced with important, but illogical, hard-to-remember information, you can rhyme it.

A classic example is rhyme when memorizing eleven exclusion verbs (drive, breathe, hold, offend, hear, see, hate, and also twirl, look, and depend, and endure).

Similarly, an invented rhyming phrase is used to help in the study of cases: "Ivan Chopped Firewood, Varvara stoked the stove." Similarly, you can rhyme the rules of the Russian language: "to marry unbearable."

Other memorization methods are just as relevant. For example, an abbreviation technique is often used to better remember various objects that are not related to each other. Everyone knows the popular phrase when studying the colors of the rainbow.

The memorization technique using abbreviations is useful in that it allows not only to shorten long phrases, but also to fix them for a long time in the mind, for example, when naming state, educational institutions or scientific concepts: university, sopromat, traffic police, hydroelectric power station, unified state exam.

To create your own abbreviation, you can come up with a simple meaningful sentence, all the words of which will begin with the first letters of the words you remember.

In psychology, it is believed that the classical techniques for memorizing information are optimal - pictograms, associations, active repetition.

The technology of the pictogram method is based on the principle of highlighting keywords, for which an image is then invented. When it is sketched, a visual association arises. Artistic skills are not required here, just the pictogram should remind the key expression or word.

Associations are a time-tested memory technology when a connection is established between objects. It is widely used by people of all ages. The essence of this memorization method is that when one object appears in the mind, another is remembered.

Associations can be of different types, for example, chains, associative links, "matryoshka". Their selection depends on the content of the memorized material.

This memorization technique can be used when working on a sequence of words, when fixing numbers, phones, dates.

Sometimes there are difficulties in drawing up relationships between objects. Then experts recommend creating the most unusual, even absurd connections that are even better remembered.

Reception of active repetition involves repeated reproduction of already memorized material. The acquired knowledge is reproduced mentally or verbally only from memory in order to keep it for a long time, perhaps forever. An example is lines of poetry, rules, theorems, anecdotes, retrieved from memory at every opportunity. Similarly, you can use active repetition for any material.

By nature, man is given a memory that cannot be considered perfect. But in order to actively use the acquired knowledge, to keep it in memory, to ensure that it becomes systematic, deeper, special work is needed to form memorization skills. Having acquired knowledge, having called on the service of imagination, thinking, everyone can come up with techniques that make it easier to memorize information.

Article author: Syumakova Svetlana

To successfully prepare for the session. But we decided not to stop there and introduce you to at least four more effective methods for quickly memorizing text or any other information. Read, think, choose the right one.

All of the following methods are based on repeated reading. But this is not about unsystematic and thoughtless reading, but about deep work on the text.

Assimilation of the text in 4 repetitions: the OVOD method

The name consists of the first letters of the names of the main stages of memorizing the text:

  1. ABOUT main thought. The text is read for meaningful perception and highlighting the main thoughts, establishing relationships between them. You don't have to take everything in the text. If necessary, the main information is underlined or written out on a separate sheet.
  2. IN considerate reading. The second reading is distinguished by increased attentiveness and thoughtfulness, you should pay attention to small details, details. The text is read slowly. The main task of this stage is to mentally link the details to the main thoughts. At the end of the stage, you should try to remember the main thoughts and the details already attached to them.
  3. ABOUT review. The text is skimmed through quickly, without in-depth reading. Viewing starts from the end. The reader mentally asks himself questions on the main points, tries to draw parallels with the information already received about the text. At this stage, an approximate plan of the text is drawn up and the order of the main thoughts is remembered.
  4. D vodka. Repetition of the text from memory in a certain sequence: remember the main points, gradually moving on to the details. At this stage, if possible, peeping into the text should be avoided. Then there is a re-reading with mental "serifs" in those places that the reader missed or forgot. Why did it happen so? If the missing information is significant, it should be worked out.

Among all methods of assimilation of information, this one is suitable for texts of small volumes.

Since new information is quickly forgotten after the initial acquaintance, it is worth repeating it a little later (in a few hours on the same day or the next). Over time, the dynamics of forgetting slows down.

Reading aloud and mental repetition: the HORN method

This method of quick memorization of information is similar to the previous one, but it also has its differences.

An experiment was conducted at Kazan University, during which the subjects formed 4 groups. The task for everyone is to remember the text. In the first group, the text was read aloud 4 times. In the second - the text was read aloud 3 times and 1 time mentally retold by students. In the third, the text was read twice and retold mentally twice. In the fourth, the text was read aloud only once, and 3 times it was mentally retold by the audience.

The results showed the greatest efficiency of memorization among students of the fourth group. The listeners of the third group memorized the information a little less effectively, the second group was even less effective, the students of the first group memorized the information worse than the others.

Thanks to this experiment, the PHOG method appeared:

  1. ABOUT orientation. When reading a text, it is important to understand its main idea. If necessary, it is written down or underlined, repeated many times in memory.
  2. H shade. When re-reading, one gets acquainted with the information more carefully, highlights smaller details, establishes a connection between them and the main thoughts of the text. Mentally, the main thoughts are repeated several times, tied to the details.
  3. ABOUT review. A quick review of the text determines whether the main ideas and their relationship to the details have been correctly identified. For a deeper understanding, you can put questions to the main parts.
  4. G lavoe. A mental retelling is performed, and if possible, aloud. At this stage, it is important to remember the main thoughts, answer the questions posed.

Try to keep the number of reads to a minimum. At the same time, the number of mental repetitions can be absolutely any, necessary for better assimilation in memory.

Techniques for memorizing large amounts of information: the Cicero method

The previous methods are suitable for working with small texts. But what if you need to quickly master and memorize entire notes, books, works?

As you might have guessed, this technique was named after Marcus Tullius Cicero, a brilliant orator, the great statesman of Rome, who lived in 106-43. BC.

Glory to this man was brought not only by his smartest thoughts. In his speeches, he never used notes, reproducing from memory a huge number of dates, facts, quotations of historical events and names.

This is one of the best methods of remembering information due to its simplicity. He is also called room system or places method.

The point is to mentally arrange important facts in a certain order in a well-known room. Then, if necessary, you just need to remember that very room to fish out the necessary information. It was this technique that Cicero himself was guided by when preparing for performances: mentally he walked around his house, placing the main provisions of the speech in it as conveniently as possible for himself.

Before you start mastering the method, it is important to choose your own sequence of going around the rooms so as not to get confused in your own logic of placing information.

For the first acquaintance with remembering information in this way, try to really walk around your house, mentally placing the information in its place. Then then it will not be necessary to walk around the house at all, it is enough to mentally repeat the route traveled.

And here are some tips to help you do the “arrangement” of information correctly:

  • The best place to start is in your own room. Take the door as a starting point, then follow the rule of the left hand (explore in order everything that is on the left side) and slowly move further clockwise;
  • when placing information sequentially, it is worth considering stationary objects that always stand in the same places (curtains, chandelier, floor lamp, sofa, picture, photo frame, cornice, shelves, etc.);
  • you should use sequential movement not only from left to right, but also from top to bottom, since often objects are one under the other (carpet under the sofa, table under the chandelier, etc.);
  • if you need to remember multi-level lists, use not only your home, but also the homes of your relatives, friends, lecture hall, and even well-learned routes from home to school, to the store, etc.

Over time, as you become more familiar with this method, you will be able to use smaller and smaller objects from rooms and find more and more secluded places to store information in your memory. But at the very beginning it is better to limit yourself to the most noticeable objects in the room.

This method has proven itself when working with large texts, daily routine, remembering the order of phone calls. Moreover, if important information is somehow related to each other, and is not just a meaningless data set, then you can reuse the same room several times.

The Cicero method is great for remembering numbers. True, first you have to translate the numbers from an abstract form into a more concrete one in any convenient way. And only then you can fill the places in the room with objects into which the numbers were converted.

The huge advantage of this method is that it takes 2-3 workouts to master it, unlike many other techniques. In addition, it can be used in absolutely any situation and anywhere. At the same time, the place where you are at a particular moment (audience, cottage, museum, dean's office) will serve as a support and help to you. All you need to do is remember in detail a familiar room or use the one you are currently in.

We invite you to practice and try to reproduce the words below from memory using the Cicero method: float, napkin, curlers, grass, mirror, album, comb, book, cat, light bulb, matches, blanket, scissors, scoop. You can use the picture as a sample room:

This technique is one of the most effective methods that contribute to the effective memorization of textual information.

Using Visual Memory: The Pictogram Method

A pictogram is a set of graphic images that a person comes up with for the purpose of memorizing and then reproducing any words and expressions.

The pictogram method in psychology is often used to study, diagnose and strengthen the memory of people with a "visual" image (visuals).

During the study of thinking by the method of pictograms, the following plan was developed when working with textual information:

  1. Key words or short phrases are highlighted in the text, which should be written out and underlined.
  2. For each word or phrase, a pictogram is drawn - a kind of image that will later help to remember exactly this word / phrase. The image here plays the role of visual association. When drawing, do not use schematics, as well as unnecessary details. The picture should not contain numbers or letters. The process of creating an image should not take more than 10-20 seconds. Example: to remember the phrase "hard work" you can draw a hammer or a person bent under a heavy load. Fireworks, flags, a Christmas tree, etc. can be associated with the phrase "jolly holiday".

The pictogram cannot be right or wrong. This is an association that belongs to you and was created to fulfill the main goal - to remind you of the word or phrase to which it was attached.

It is much easier to draw for a specific object (ice cream, bear, nose) than for a process or an abstract concept (development, longing, reflection). But even in this case, you can easily solve the problem - you just need to assign them a more specific association, transform them into something concrete. For example, for the word "development" you can use the image of a spiral, for the word "longing" - a tear or an anti-smile, for "thinking" - a light bulb, etc.


There are also words of medium complexity of concretization, for example, a school can be depicted with a desk, blackboard, a hospital with a bed or a red cross, etc.


Before you start using the pictogram method, you need to practice. This will allow you to fill your hand in drawing and prepare for the immediate task.

Sample exercise : Draw pictograms for the words below. Please note that words of different complexity are used here. Try to draw such a picture so that in a few hours you can remember the word for which you created the image.


After a few hours, try to reproduce all the words in accordance with their pictogram, and then reproduce the entire text, looking at your pictures. exam.

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Using the accumulation system: the Atkinson method

But Atkinson is sure that memory should improve gradually, without sudden jumps and overloads. Therefore, the only safe and proven method of strengthening memory is the accumulation method.

The scientist proposes to leave aside all artificial methods, using only what nature itself has given us. The brain, like all muscles, needs training and gradual loads. As the load increases, so will the memory efficiency.


The essence of the system is:

  1. Choose a text (optimally - in poetic form). On the first day, 4 to 6 lines are learned by heart.
  2. On the second day, they repeat yesterday's learned lines and additionally learn from 4 to 6 more lines.
  3. On the third day, 4-6 new lines are added to those already learned.
The greater the number of repetitions, the better the new material is remembered.

There is nothing wrong with peeking into a book from time to time. Do not be upset if something is forgotten: over time, the amount of memory will increase, memorization will become easier.

After a month, double the amount of information you learn. In another month, you can triple the amount of information.

Studies have shown that as a result of applying this technique:

  • learned knowledge remains for a long time and easily pops up in memory,
  • the ability to remember absolutely any things is improving all the time,
  • with the help of willpower, any information is easily remembered.

The essence of this method is nothing but repetition. Classes are best done in the morning, as at this time of day our perception is still fresh. Train every day and you will see: in a month your brain will remember many times more information.

What is important to remember?

Multiple unsystematic repetition of information is unproductive.

And memory can and even needs to be trained! Memorizing something new is useful not only in preparing for exams, but also for life in general. Soon after the start of using the chosen technique, you can see how the brain begins to remember other information that we use in life: remember phone numbers, addresses, regulate incoming / outgoing correspondence, and much more.

The secret is that after repeated training, the memory automatically begins to apply the skill of remembering more information. And this is without the use of any mnemonic techniques and training. However, it is still worth helping your brain from time to time by sorting out important and unimportant information. For example, when preparing for an exam in a discipline that you will not need in any way in real life, there is no point in teaching a lot of useless information. It is enough to ask for help from people who will do it for you.

And here you can watch a video on how to memorize OVOD and OCHOG - the most popular way to increase memory:

To successfully prepare for the session. But we decided not to stop there and introduce you to at least four more effective methods for quickly memorizing text or any other information. Read, think, choose the right one.

All of the following methods are based on repeated reading. But this is not about unsystematic and thoughtless reading, but about deep work on the text.

Assimilation of the text in 4 repetitions: the OVOD method

The name consists of the first letters of the names of the main stages of memorizing the text:

  1. ABOUT main thought. The text is read for meaningful perception and highlighting the main thoughts, establishing relationships between them. You don't have to take everything in the text. If necessary, the main information is underlined or written out on a separate sheet.
  2. IN considerate reading. The second reading is distinguished by increased attentiveness and thoughtfulness, you should pay attention to small details, details. The text is read slowly. The main task of this stage is to mentally link the details to the main thoughts. At the end of the stage, you should try to remember the main thoughts and the details already attached to them.
  3. ABOUT review. The text is skimmed through quickly, without in-depth reading. Viewing starts from the end. The reader mentally asks himself questions on the main points, tries to draw parallels with the information already received about the text. At this stage, an approximate plan of the text is drawn up and the order of the main thoughts is remembered.
  4. D vodka. Repetition of the text from memory in a certain sequence: remember the main points, gradually moving on to the details. At this stage, if possible, peeping into the text should be avoided. Then there is a re-reading with mental "serifs" in those places that the reader missed or forgot. Why did it happen so? If the missing information is significant, it should be worked out.

Among all methods of assimilation of information, this one is suitable for texts of small volumes.

Since new information is quickly forgotten after the initial acquaintance, it is worth repeating it a little later (in a few hours on the same day or the next). Over time, the dynamics of forgetting slows down.

Reading aloud and mental repetition: the HORN method

This method of quick memorization of information is similar to the previous one, but it also has its differences.

An experiment was conducted at Kazan University, during which the subjects formed 4 groups. The task for everyone is to remember the text. In the first group, the text was read aloud 4 times. In the second - the text was read aloud 3 times and 1 time mentally retold by students. In the third, the text was read twice and retold mentally twice. In the fourth, the text was read aloud only once, and 3 times it was mentally retold by the audience.

The results showed the greatest efficiency of memorization among students of the fourth group. The listeners of the third group memorized the information a little less effectively, the second group was even less effective, the students of the first group memorized the information worse than the others.

Thanks to this experiment, the PHOG method appeared:

  1. ABOUT orientation. When reading a text, it is important to understand its main idea. If necessary, it is written down or underlined, repeated many times in memory.
  2. H shade. When re-reading, one gets acquainted with the information more carefully, highlights smaller details, establishes a connection between them and the main thoughts of the text. Mentally, the main thoughts are repeated several times, tied to the details.
  3. ABOUT review. A quick review of the text determines whether the main ideas and their relationship to the details have been correctly identified. For a deeper understanding, you can put questions to the main parts.
  4. G lavoe. A mental retelling is performed, and if possible, aloud. At this stage, it is important to remember the main thoughts, answer the questions posed.

Try to keep the number of reads to a minimum. At the same time, the number of mental repetitions can be absolutely any, necessary for better assimilation in memory.

Techniques for memorizing large amounts of information: the Cicero method

The previous methods are suitable for working with small texts. But what if you need to quickly master and memorize entire notes, books, works?

As you might have guessed, this technique was named after Marcus Tullius Cicero, a brilliant orator, the great statesman of Rome, who lived in 106-43. BC.

Glory to this man was brought not only by his smartest thoughts. In his speeches, he never used notes, reproducing from memory a huge number of dates, facts, quotations of historical events and names.

This is one of the best methods of remembering information due to its simplicity. He is also called room system or places method.

The point is to mentally arrange important facts in a certain order in a well-known room. Then, if necessary, you just need to remember that very room to fish out the necessary information. It was this technique that Cicero himself was guided by when preparing for performances: mentally he walked around his house, placing the main provisions of the speech in it as conveniently as possible for himself.

Before you start mastering the method, it is important to choose your own sequence of going around the rooms so as not to get confused in your own logic of placing information.

For the first acquaintance with remembering information in this way, try to really walk around your house, mentally placing the information in its place. Then then it will not be necessary to walk around the house at all, it is enough to mentally repeat the route traveled.

And here are some tips to help you do the “arrangement” of information correctly:

  • The best place to start is in your own room. Take the door as a starting point, then follow the rule of the left hand (explore in order everything that is on the left side) and slowly move further clockwise;
  • when placing information sequentially, it is worth considering stationary objects that always stand in the same places (curtains, chandelier, floor lamp, sofa, picture, photo frame, cornice, shelves, etc.);
  • you should use sequential movement not only from left to right, but also from top to bottom, since often objects are one under the other (carpet under the sofa, table under the chandelier, etc.);
  • if you need to remember multi-level lists, use not only your home, but also the homes of your relatives, friends, lecture hall, and even well-learned routes from home to school, to the store, etc.

Over time, as you become more familiar with this method, you will be able to use smaller and smaller objects from rooms and find more and more secluded places to store information in your memory. But at the very beginning it is better to limit yourself to the most noticeable objects in the room.

This method has proven itself when working with large texts, daily routine, remembering the order of phone calls. Moreover, if important information is somehow related to each other, and is not just a meaningless data set, then you can reuse the same room several times.

The Cicero method is great for remembering numbers. True, first you have to translate the numbers from an abstract form into a more concrete one in any convenient way. And only then you can fill the places in the room with objects into which the numbers were converted.

The huge advantage of this method is that it takes 2-3 workouts to master it, unlike many other techniques. In addition, it can be used in absolutely any situation and anywhere. At the same time, the place where you are at a particular moment (audience, cottage, museum, dean's office) will serve as a support and help to you. All you need to do is remember in detail a familiar room or use the one you are currently in.

We invite you to practice and try to reproduce the words below from memory using the Cicero method: float, napkin, curlers, grass, mirror, album, comb, book, cat, light bulb, matches, blanket, scissors, scoop. You can use the picture as a sample room:

This technique is one of the most effective methods that contribute to the effective memorization of textual information.

Using Visual Memory: The Pictogram Method

A pictogram is a set of graphic images that a person comes up with for the purpose of memorizing and then reproducing any words and expressions.

The pictogram method in psychology is often used to study, diagnose and strengthen the memory of people with a "visual" image (visuals).

During the study of thinking by the method of pictograms, the following plan was developed when working with textual information:

  1. Key words or short phrases are highlighted in the text, which should be written out and underlined.
  2. For each word or phrase, a pictogram is drawn - a kind of image that will later help to remember exactly this word / phrase. The image here plays the role of visual association. When drawing, do not use schematics, as well as unnecessary details. The picture should not contain numbers or letters. The process of creating an image should not take more than 10-20 seconds. Example: to remember the phrase "hard work" you can draw a hammer or a person bent under a heavy load. Fireworks, flags, a Christmas tree, etc. can be associated with the phrase "jolly holiday".

The pictogram cannot be right or wrong. This is an association that belongs to you and was created to fulfill the main goal - to remind you of the word or phrase to which it was attached.

It is much easier to draw for a specific object (ice cream, bear, nose) than for a process or an abstract concept (development, longing, reflection). But even in this case, you can easily solve the problem - you just need to assign them a more specific association, transform them into something concrete. For example, for the word "development" you can use the image of a spiral, for the word "longing" - a tear or an anti-smile, for "thinking" - a light bulb, etc.


There are also words of medium complexity of concretization, for example, a school can be depicted with a desk, blackboard, a hospital with a bed or a red cross, etc.


Before you start using the pictogram method, you need to practice. This will allow you to fill your hand in drawing and prepare for the immediate task.

Sample exercise : Draw pictograms for the words below. Please note that words of different complexity are used here. Try to draw such a picture so that in a few hours you can remember the word for which you created the image.


After a few hours, try to reproduce all the words in accordance with their pictogram, and then reproduce the entire text, looking at your pictures. exam.

By the way! For our readers there is now a 10% discount on any kind of work.

Using the accumulation system: the Atkinson method

But Atkinson is sure that memory should improve gradually, without sudden jumps and overloads. Therefore, the only safe and proven method of strengthening memory is the accumulation method.

The scientist proposes to leave aside all artificial methods, using only what nature itself has given us. The brain, like all muscles, needs training and gradual loads. As the load increases, so will the memory efficiency.


The essence of the system is:

  1. Choose a text (optimally - in poetic form). On the first day, 4 to 6 lines are learned by heart.
  2. On the second day, they repeat yesterday's learned lines and additionally learn from 4 to 6 more lines.
  3. On the third day, 4-6 new lines are added to those already learned.
The greater the number of repetitions, the better the new material is remembered.

There is nothing wrong with peeking into a book from time to time. Do not be upset if something is forgotten: over time, the amount of memory will increase, memorization will become easier.

After a month, double the amount of information you learn. In another month, you can triple the amount of information.

Studies have shown that as a result of applying this technique:

  • learned knowledge remains for a long time and easily pops up in memory,
  • the ability to remember absolutely any things is improving all the time,
  • with the help of willpower, any information is easily remembered.

The essence of this method is nothing but repetition. Classes are best done in the morning, as at this time of day our perception is still fresh. Train every day and you will see: in a month your brain will remember many times more information.

What is important to remember?

Multiple unsystematic repetition of information is unproductive.

And memory can and even needs to be trained! Memorizing something new is useful not only in preparing for exams, but also for life in general. Soon after the start of using the chosen technique, you can see how the brain begins to remember other information that we use in life: remember phone numbers, addresses, regulate incoming / outgoing correspondence, and much more.

The secret is that after repeated training, the memory automatically begins to apply the skill of remembering more information. And this is without the use of any mnemonic techniques and training. However, it is still worth helping your brain from time to time by sorting out important and unimportant information. For example, when preparing for an exam in a discipline that you will not need in any way in real life, there is no point in teaching a lot of useless information. It is enough to ask for help from people who will do it for you.

And here you can watch a video on how to memorize OVOD and OCHOG - the most popular way to increase memory:

In the modern world, every day a person is faced with various amounts of information, plans, tasks. Many people perform in front of other people, during which they must express their thoughts beautifully and correctly, guide or lead people, engage in training and at the same time arouse interest. Alas, not each of us is able to instantly and efficiently enter the necessary data into memory. But fortunately, there are techniques for memorizing any amount and complexity of information. These methods are called mnemonics, which in ancient Greek means the art of remembering.

So, as a result of the development of memory, we have the opportunity not only to present information smoothly and in detail, i.e. have the skills of oratory, but also have the art of memorizing it professionally, while the volume and complexity of the data can be any.

Perhaps this is hard to believe. But we know one main secret for success - this is changing any data into pictures (images), and then reproducing it in memory.

There are many techniques, but in this article we will look at the memorization technique from Cicero, and also give some simple but effective memorization methods from mnemonics.

Causes of bad memory

Before moving on to the practical side, it is necessary to understand what lies at the root of a poorly developed memory.

Note that the memory of each person is different, and it is selective, i.e. for someone it will be easy to remember the multiplication table by reading it once, but at the same time the same person forgets the name of a friend almost immediately. Other people effectively use the visual form of memory, but the simple rules of the Russian language are remembered with a creak. Why is this happening?

There are 5 causes of memory impairment:

  1. Reduced or absent interest. This is the most popular reason. It is difficult to remember something that is not interesting and does not cause a desire to develop in this area. In order to remember some information, you need to spend time and effort. If a person does not like poetry, then the exercise of memorizing poetry will be tantamount to a feat.
  2. Low concentration, inattention, lack of attention management skills. Today, a huge flow of information is pouring every day on a person. In view of this, we delve into the data superficially, without understanding the essence and, at times, without trying to put the information received into practice. And it becomes a habit. By the way, the simultaneous execution of several tasks also affects our productivity.
  3. Lack of memorization skills. A good memory is not given to us from birth, it is a skill that needs to be developed. Below are the techniques that will allow you to develop this ability.
  4. Low oxygen levels, beriberi, malnutrition. The conclusion suggests itself - to take only healthy food, systematically engage in physical activity and walks in the fresh air.
  5. Depressive state. It has become the scourge of modern man. And with such a state of health, it is unlikely that it will be possible not only to remember new information, but also to reproduce the old one. Therefore, we recommend that you join an active life position and be able to experience such states.

Now you can go directly to the exercises for better memorization of information. Of course, we will present only some of the techniques that have gained popularity due to their effectiveness. However, we emphasize once again that each person is individual, so you need to consciously and carefully answer the questions of the tests and select a set of exercises. Only with this approach the result will be effective.

A walk through the "Roman room", or the technique of Cicero

Cicero's fame spread throughout ancient Rome and the world at the speed of light. His talent for oratory is still held up as an example to his contemporaries. He had a unique talent - he spoke to a huge audience without using half a fairy tale, recordings and other materials. However, was it a gift or painstaking work on the development of memorization skills?

It is his methodology that we will consider in the following sections, because. it is the most ancient method to remember any information. If you master it, you can easily hold dates, numbers, words, phrases, and other information. However, it is worth remembering that the main condition for achieving results is systematic work, i.e. need to practice every day.

The meaning of the technique

Memorization methods from Cicero have a specific meaning, which consists in creating a matrix of images that help to remember large amounts of data, and not just one fragment. The first thing to do is to form a system in which images will be built.

Presentation on the topic: "Fundamentals of the method of associations"

This system can be anything:

  • room;
  • plot;
  • path;
  • familiar surroundings, etc.

If work is happening with the room, then you should mentally remember all the objects that are in it. Preferably in an orderly manner. For example, clockwise or from one wall to another. Do not complicate the task when creating a system for associations, choose the room that you have studied well, then the next levels will not cause difficulties.

Some authors propose the creation of a radically new premises, i.e. a person mentally creates a new home, makes a layout and arranges furniture. This will be the fruit of your imagination, which means it will be easier for you to cope with the task.

Working with the "path" system of images, you can create many images, because this path has no end. In this case, as you move through the system, you need to sort through the objects that will be encountered: huts, stones, people, flowers, shops, animals, etc.

As a system, you can choose absolutely any convenient place, an important condition is to correctly split into separate images.

Before starting the practice, you need to clearly define the scheme by which you will bypass the selected system. Movements should not be chaotic - you should streamline your walk around the rooms so as not to spoil everything that has been “collecting” for so long.

An important point: select a certain sequence of movement and assign to those objects that are in the system the key fragments of the speech of the speech or presentation.

After you have created the system, filled it with objects and set the keys, you should go around the system several times (room, road ...) and reproduce the specified criteria. The same must be done immediately before the presentation. Cicero, before each performance, also went around the rooms and reproduced the images.

After a certain time, everyone who has used this technique will be able to activate their memory at the right time, resorting to a convenient matrix of images.

Usage example

Let's look at an illustrative example of how to use the Cicero technique for memorizing information.

  1. Let's take ten words necessary for memorization (numbers, events, speech theses, foreign words). For example, these will be the following words: curtain, postcard, bird, sour cream, packaging, mouth, hairdryer, tambourine, book, speaker. You need to ask them for specific items of the selected system (for example, a room). Now, let's move on to the next level.
  2. Take a sheet, a pencil and write down all the objects in the room. It doesn't matter how many there are. The main thing is that they create "niches" for our matrix. In addition, you should remember their location and in what order they are. An approximate list of items in the room: a window, a sofa, a wardrobe, a TV, a pouffe, a floor lamp, an armchair, a bookcase, a shelf, a piano, an oven, a carpet, and more.
  3. The third of this is the combination of words from paragraph 2 with places with a list of theses for memorization.

Mnemonics for quick memorization

Memorization methods according to Cicero are good, but there are other methods of mnemonics:

  1. Rhyme data. Creating a poetic form makes it easier to perceive information and, accordingly, reproduce it.
  2. Create phrases from the initial letters of the information.
  3. Bundle. This technique involves establishing a connection between the received data and an effective image. For example, you need to remember the names of those present at the meeting - imagine that each of them is the hero of a fairy tale. For a more detailed connection, give the characters some kind of adjective. For example, "puss in boots" is a huge cat in sneakers.
  4. Leads. The essence of the method is to replace digital values ​​with objects. Let's say 0 is a pen, 2 is a cat, 3 is a ram, and so on.

Which method is right for you, you won't know until you try it. Choose the best option and train every day.

Regardless of the technique you choose, it is important to get to the bottom of the technique and apply it as often as possible. Professionals in the field of mnemonics shared the secrets of working according to the method of Cicero:

  • It is necessary to use only interesting connections, saturated with emotions. Remember that the ordinary and uninteresting are quickly forgotten. Use paradoxes, satire and humor to create your own matrix.
  • Use erotic images. It is no secret that it is precisely such images that enter our brain in the form of signals especially brightly. By the way, marketers assure that advertising posters with a beautiful sexy girl are perceived and remembered better.
  • Change the characteristics of objects on the path/indoor/terrain. For example, let the window be airy, and the chair be prickly.
  • Paradox the characteristics of objects. Don't put your pajamas in the closet, put the closet in your pajamas.
  • All guidelines for yourself: carry a notebook in your pocket, tie the TV to your arm.
  • Change the shape and size of objects. As in the example with the closet and pajamas.

As a result, you should get the following mental path (story), as an example:

Opening the window, I noticed a CURTAIN stuck in the window sash. Further, I noticed scattered POSTCARDS on the sofa, they were wet. There was an apricot SOUR CREAM on the cabinet, a BIRD was sitting in it. There was a PACKAGING on the TV, and a puppy was sitting in it, which was opening its MOUTH. A FEN was tied to his paw, standing on a tambourine. On the pouffe was a small BOOK depicting a half-naked erotic brunette with a DYNAMIC at her feet.

For successful reproduction by the method of Cicero, one should once again bypass the selected system and remove the above-mentioned objects. Just? Certainly. However, this requires a thoughtful study of those words that you have already memorized. Then, do it yourself without using hints. We believe that you will succeed!

Benefits of working with memory


The main advantages of the above methods are the simplicity and efficiency of the acquired information.

After a few practices, a person will be able to fully use the chosen scheme and improve his memory. Among other things, these techniques allow you to memorize information of any type in preparation for a presentation, lecture, training, seminar, and even during an international speech.

If you already know the audience you need to speak to, then it can be a great matrix for creating images. At the same time, the ease is due to the fact that there is no need to remember a large amount of associations, which can collapse due to the absence of some detail. For example, if you need to remember a specific phrase, a person can easily reproduce it, remembering what he tied the hair dryer to, and, therefore, finish the thought.

Of course, there are other methods of memorizing verse, numbers and dates, but we will talk about them in other sections of our cognitive and developing portal.


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