Chapter 10: Mnemonics


Overview

Memorizing techniques are not new; they were created thousands of years ago by the Greeks. In Greek mythology there is a goddess called Mnemosyne. She is the goddess of memory and is known mainly from the following story:

Mnemosyne had a love affair with Zeus, the highest god in Greek mythology, that lasted for nine days and nine nights. As a result of this love affair Mnemosyne gave birth to nine children “ the nine Muses.

The nine Muses are the patron goddesses of the noble arts. Their names are: Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpischore, Erato, Polyhymnia, Calliope, Urania. Not all of them are wellknown in our day, but you may recognize Thalia , the Muse of Comedy, as the patron goddess of the theatre.

A myth is very often knowledge in disguise, because a story is more easily remembered than raw facts. In this case we might interpret the myth as a formula for memorizing techniques. The goddess of memory is united with the highest god Zeus, ie order and energy. As a result they get the nine Muses, who represent creativity and imagination .

So if you want to achieve a better memory you should combine structure with imagination:

order/structure + imagination/creativity = memory

This is the formula for most memorizing techniques, including those that have been constructed in modern times.




Learning Maps and Memory Skills
Learning Maps and Memory Skills (Creating Success)
ISBN: 0749441283
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 63

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