Visualisation Techniques

Understand your memory = Remember easily

Visualisation - Is the foundation of all memory techniques. Visualisation is where you develop a vivid image in your mind of the information you are trying to remember. For example, WWI began in 1914 and you need to remember this for Australian history. To visualise, imagine a bombed out field with mud, bodies etc. (the more vivid the better). Now imagine soldiers with bayonets running across the field. Then all of a sudden there is a big earth quake and a huge hole appears in the earth. Suddenly, the number 1914 erupts from the earth. This technique is good for any information you can visualise.

Destructive visualisation - To get the most out of your visualisation it is important to make your images as visual and mentally stimulating as possible. One of the easiest ways to do this is to destroy the images you create in your mind.

For example, remember the following list of items:

Test tube, beaker, Bunsen burner, flame, acid, protective eye-wear, lab coat, funnel, teacher and black board.

Turn away and test yourself to see how many you remember.

Now go through the list again, but this time, imagine each item being destroyed in your mind's eye.

Turn away and test yourself again. How many did you remember this time.

Story based visualisation - A powerful way to increase your memory is to link all the things you want to remember into a story. For this to work well, each item has to clearly relate to the next in the list. For example, with the science items above, you would imagine placing the test tube inside the beaker, then putting the beaker on the Bunsen burner, lighting the flame etc. etc., until you have included all of the items.

Drawings - Drawings are an excellent way to visualise information. Some people are visual learners and do not like looking at a mass of words. For example, if you need to remember the organelles in a cell, don't just list them out, draw a cell and label the parts in bright colours.

Activity

See if you can create a story based visualisation from the following list:

Germany, Japan, Italy, Britain, Australia, America, France, Poland, Egypt and Russia.