How not to forget what you read

Use the knowledge gained in practice

Reading a lot just to be well-read is a way to indulge your self-esteem. Don't try to memorize information just for show. Apply the knowledge gained in practice.

Peter Sage entrepreneur, speaker, author

Knowing and not doing is the same as not knowing.

It is important to find information exactly when you need it: this way it will be remembered much better. Let's see why this is happening.

There are two types of memories:

memories that we consciously try to preserve;
memories that are formed without effort on our part as a result of some experience.

Memories of the first type are stored in the hippocampus. It is there that information about the name of your new neighbor will be deposited, if you repeat to yourself "Ivan, Ivan, Ivan" so as not to forget his name.

Memories of the second type (impressions) are stored in the neocortex. They are not erased from memory, because all parts of the memory are deposited in different parts of the cortex. For example, the taste of ice cream that your grandmother bought you when you went to a cafe together is stored in the synapses of the “taste” zone; the interior of this cafe is in an area that is sensitive to visual signals.

The more synapses are involved in different parts of the brain, the easier it is for us to recall this or that memory. So don't try to clog your hippocampus with facts.

Put knowledge into practice to turn the insights into experiences. So you will remember exactly what you read.

Use memorization tricks

When you have a good reason to remember something (for example, the information needs to be used for work), the memorization process will become much easier. Joshua Foer, in his book Einstein Walks on the Moon, describes four more tricks to help you remember what you read.

1. Breaks

Mumbling "Ivan, Ivan, Ivan" after meeting a new neighbor, you still won't help yourself remember his name. The brain needs breaks for better memorization.

To remember new information, set yourself a reminder to return to it a couple of days after it arrives.

2. Unfinished actions

The brain remembers unfinished actions more easily. This is called the Zeigarnik effect.

For example, if you interrupt after four hours of intense math, your subconscious will continue to process the last task you got stuck on. So the decision can come to you the next day when you brush your teeth.

It turns out that interruptions have a double benefit: the correct frequency of information flow will help you remember better, and the brain will also automatically remind you at the right time.

3. Breakdown of information into blocks

The series of numbers 1711200131121999 is difficult to remember. But if you break it down into two dates - 2001-17-11 and 1999-31-12, the memorization process will immediately become easier. Especially if you associate these dates with some events: for example, a friend's birthday and New Year.

This method is suitable not only for memorizing dates. Break any large blocks of information into small ones and put them in some kind of context.

4. Palace of memory

You can also memorize information using the loki method (aka "memory palace", or "mental walk"). It is visualization based.

Follow the path you know well in your mind and leave what you want to remember along the way. For example, imagine that you are at home walking from room to room and placing groceries from a shopping list in different places. You put the onions in the sock drawer, leave the bread on the kitchen table, and hide the lemons in the closet.

When you come to the store, just repeat this mental path, "pulling" each item from your memory. This way you won't forget to buy anything.

conclusions

Don't read a book or article "just like that." First, think about why it is important for you to remember this information. When you know why you need certain data, it will be much easier to remember it.