Page 42 - How to Develop A SUPER-POWER MEMORY

46 Link Method of Memory
1. Out of Proportion. 2. Action. 3. Exaggeration. 4. Sub-
stitution.
Try to get one or more of the above into your pictures,
and with a little practice you'll find that a ridiculous asso-
ciation for any two items will come to mind instantly. The
objects to be remembered are actually linked one to the
other, forming a chain, and that is why I call this the Link
method of remembering. The entire Link method boils
down to this:—Associate the first item to the second, the
second to the third, third to the fourth, and so on. Make
your associations as ridiculous and/or illogical as possible,
and most important, SEE the pictures in your mind's eye.
In later chapters you will learn some practical applica-
tions of the Link system—how it can help you to recall
your daily schedule or errands, and how you can use it to
help you remember speeches. The Link system is also used
to help memorize long digit numbers and many other
things. However, don't jump ahead of yourself; don't
worry about those things now.
Of course, you can use the Link immediately to help
you remember shopping lists, or to showoff for your friends.
If you want to try this as a memory stunt, have your friend
call off a list of objects; have him write them down so that
he can check you. If when you try this you find that you
are having trouble recalling the first item, I suggest that you
associate that item to the person that's testing you. For
example, if "carpet" were the first item, you could "see"
your friend rolled up in your carpet. Also, if on first trying
this as a stunt, you do forget one of the items, ask what it
is and strengthen that particular association. You either
didn't use a ridiculous enough association, or you didn't
see it in your mind, or you would not have forgotten it.
After you've strengthened your original association, you'll