I remember when a magician told me about memory techniques, how you do to remember numbers. I also remember that I did not really understand the point. I could not assimilate what he said at that moment.

Do you remember how it was for you the first time you heard or read about memory techniques? Could you "grasp" it?

Mikael

When I first got Harry Lorayne's memory course I felt like it was way too much for my brain. But after getting into it, I found that it was so interesting as to what could be done and it was pretty easy. It was by far the best thing I ever bought. There's just so much that you can do with it and not just in magic, either.

Now that I'm getting old, I need it that much more.

Jerry Cargile
..

My first introduction to mnemonics was when I was eight years old, at school.

I swapped a load of Penny Arrows (for those who don't remember these, they were small sticks of chewy toffee in various flavours) for a brilliant little book by Robert Harbin (of Zig-Zag and origami fame) called "Instant Memory".

Not only did this little book cover the basics of memory techniques, but there is also a Human Calendar method that I still use today (some 34 years later).

So, given this was my first exposure to mnemonics, it made perfect sense to me from the very beginning.

Mark - when I was 10 years old I had the exact same little Harbin book! I found it to be fascinating reading, but at the time I wasn't mature enough to get much beyond the One 'Bun' Two 'Tooth' kind of list association. Later on, once I had a few gray hairs, I was able to assimilate more advanced techniques, and I enlarged my library of 'memory' books. I even got to know World Memory Champion Dominic O'Brien.

I devised a course on memory techniques to help students with revision and preparing for exams which I've presented many times.

To answer Mikael's question, yes, mnemonic techniques worked okay for me from the start, but I had to pace myself and learn at the speed that was right for me. Also, the more you actually USE these techniques, the more 'second-nature' they become.

My first exposure wasd through a give-away booklet given out by the Imperial Oil Co. They had a series of booklets on different topics given away with a purchase of a particular amount of gas. The topics were offbeat and intriguing - this was in the early 70's. I chanced upon a booklet at a friend,s place. Much later I came across Afterthoughts, a good - and very difficult - book on card magic. The opening pages listed other publications by Lorayne. I was hooked. I purchased a few of his books (and all the books contained pretty much the same material). I became nontheless a diligent student.

The stuff worked for me from the start - but it does call for considerable effort at the beginning for the basics. But Lorayne is an engaging teacher,and it was a breeze.

I still get excited, though, when a new publication surfaces. There is a lot of nuance to ideas in print.

The first time I read about mnemonics was in Corinda's 13 Steps (German translation).

I had no problems to understand the concept, but I just could not believe that it would work so easily. So I learned the code for the Giant Memory, and shortly after that, I performed the Giant Memory with 30 words at a party without any further practice (yes, yes, I know...). This was a real experiment for both the party guests and myself. I made only one mistake! The following day I could still remember the words! Now I was convinced. Since that time, I have been a big fan of mnemonics.

-Uli