Memory: How to Develop, Train, and Use ItAtkinson, William Walker
Science
Memory: How to Develop, Train, and Use It
Atkinson, William Walker
Memory
To those who wish to remember the dramatic productions that they have
attended, we would say that the principles above mentioned may be
applied to this form of memory as well as to the memory of books. By
taking an interest in each character as it appears; by studying
carefully each action and scene, and then reviewing each act in the
intervals between the acts; and by finally reviewing the entire play
after your return home; you will fasten the whole play as a complete
mental picture, on the records of your memory. If you have acquainted
yourself with what we have just said regarding the recollection of the
contents of books, you will be able to modify and adapt them to the
purpose of recollecting plays and dramatic productions. You will find
that the oftener you review a play, the more clearly will you remember
it. Many little details overlooked at first will come into the field of
consciousness and fit into their proper places.
Sermons, lectures and other discourses may be remembered by bestowing
interest and attention upon them, and by attempting to grasp each
general idea advanced, and by noting the passage from one general idea
to another. If you will practice this a few times, you will find that
when you come to review the discourse (and this you should always do--it
is the natural way of developing memory) the little details will come up
and fit into their proper places. In this form of memory, the important
thing is to train the memory by exercise and review. You will find that
at each review of a discourse you will have made progress. By practice
and exercise, the subconscious mentality will do better work, and will
show that it is rising to its new responsibilities. You have allowed it
to sleep during the many discourses to which you have listened, and it
must be taught new habits. Let it know that it is expected to retain
that which it hears, and then exercise it frequently by reviews of
discourses, and you will be surprised at the degree of the work it will
perform for you. Not only will you remember better, but you will _hear_
better and more intelligently. The subconsciousness, knowing that it
will be called upon later on to recollect what is being said, will urge
you to bestow the attention necessary to supply it with the proper
material.
To those who have had trouble in remembering discourses, we urge that
they should begin to attend lectures and other forms of discourse, with
the distinct purpose of developing that form of memory. Give to the
subconscious mentality the positive command that it shall attend to what
is being said, and shall record the same in such a way that when you
review the discourse afterward you will be presented with a good synopsis
or syllabus of it. You should avoid any attempt to memorize the _words_ of
the discourse--your purpose being to absorb and record the _ideas_ and
general thought expressed. Interest--Attention--Practice--Review--these
are the important points in memory.
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