Page 88 - How to Develop A SUPER-POWER MEMORY

92 Long Digit Numbers
by utilizing the peg system. Now, any number, whether it
represents subway stops or not, can be made to mean some-
thing 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 numbers
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 people don't know how
they remember, they just do. Unfortunately, these are the
few exceptions that strengthen my belief.
How would you go about memorizing the number 522-
641637527? 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 relation, 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 no added. The second
group is the third 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 num-
ber is concerned—well, I think it highly improbable that
you would retain it for any length of time—if you memo-
rized it at all. There were no ridiculous pictures or associa-
tions made to remind you of it. I believe, however, that I