Memory Shapes Ars Memorativa

It could be argued that we are what we remember.  Further yet, we are how we remember. How we remember an event can change the course of our entire lives -- real or imagined. I might recall it vaguely and with doubt about the details I do recall. Your recall may be far more detailed and defined. It is nearly certain that what makes the 'how' of our memory  will be our choice of strategy  for training our memories.

The state of my memory is 'mis-tooled' for this new interest of mine (chess). My memory is not in shambles or neglected, it is simply malleable towards fluid activity.

Just after the year 2000, I began working diligently on my skills as a writer. During the same period I worked as a researcher at Google, digging through mountains of information and academic publications for narrow lines of information. My memory served me best then by remembering how I found the information rather than to memorize the information itself. New information in the subjects I was typically set to critique, arrived daily. Memorizing, for the most part, wasn't a good investment of time or effort. Most of the time I simply fetched the information, and formatted it into easy to peruse collections.

This is a growing alteration of our memory trends -- this change of focus. There are large tables of information which we once memorized through rote practice which are no longer pursued. Multiplication tables, for example. That was a thing when I went through grade school. You were taught and tested on your multiplication answers from 1 x1 all the way to  12 x 12.  That was rote learning. Every day, repeating them over and over, until they arranged themselves into jingles and rhymes, an a few patterns, like anything multiplied by 5 came out as a 5 number or a 10 number (5, 10, 15...). With eleven you just doubled the number. 

2 x 11 = 22
3 x 11 = 33
... and so forth but what about 32 x 11?  

                          Your queen, My Queen...

Here, memorizing a technique would far surpass memorizing the tables. For this equation the 11xDoubleDidgit technique is to take the number to be multiplied by eleven, add those two  numbers together, then put the sum between them .

So 32 x 11 is 3 + 2 = 5, which is then 3| 5 |2

e.g. 32x11 = 352

That will work up to 99. Then it changes for three digit numbers. 

“Why memorize, when I can look it up?” The medievals would have been unimpressed, because they knew the impossibility of learning the material in the middle of the test. And they spent their time preparing for tests: tests of will, of knowledge, and, most importantly, tests of virtue. Yes, memory was central to intellect but, more importantly, it was central to character formation. In solving any problem, confronting any temptation, medievals trusted that memory was their sharpest weapon; memory formed the person and the person then worked in concert with the Creator to bring information and philosophy into conversation with each other.

A copious memory = dilemma solved, temptation thwarted.

And they had some fairly amazing (by our standards) success. 

In 1442, a huge controversy over the method of loci (Memory Palace technique) broke out in England when the Puritans attacked the art as impious because it was thought to excite absurd and obscene thoughts; this was a sensational, but ultimately not a fatal skirmish in the 1600s.

Cognitive science sheds light on memory's essence, unveiling a "dual-process" nature. Here, unconscious and routine thought (System 1) intertwine with conscious and problem-based thought (System 2). Both levels involve encoding, storage, and retrieval, forming the framework for optimal student learning—balancing new information introduction and assignments to reinforce facts while nurturing critical, creative thinking.

Recall when you acquired a new skill, like driving or reading, when each move demanded focused awareness and analysis. Over time, proficiency transformed the process into an intuitive one, enabling simultaneous engagement in intellectually demanding tasks. This exemplifies dual-process theory, where behaviors and cognitive processes stem from two distinct systems: automatic, unconscious thought (System 1) and effortful, analytical, intentional thought (System 2). Understanding this interplay empowers teachers to facilitate comprehensive learning, harmonizing knowledge retention and intellectual growth.

Let's say that I mapped out the areas around our tribe where the lions hang out. You don't want to go to those areas. I look at my map and tell you to stay away from areas 8, 16, 48, 56, 7, 57, ... are you going to remember a string of numbers like that? What if I assure you, that the lions will eat you if you forget and go to the wrong place? No? Not helping? What if I mark them on the map, like this...

Formatting and method are everything when it comes to memory. You saw this an in the first second memorized all of the spaces. 

To begin, I have had good success with a practice first written down by Pythagoras. 

Every night before you fall asleep, recall everything that happened that day in as much detail as possible.

The exercise is like a mental video recording. You visualize yourself, through your own eyes, going through each moment of your day. 

Start with the instant you wake up. What did you first see? Was it your significant other? The clock? Next, what’s the first thing you did? Did you put on your wedding ring? A pair of slippers?

After you visualize your morning continue visualizing the events of your day in sequential order. What was the first thing you saw when you left the house? Who was the first person you talked to? Did they tell you anything important or interesting?

It’s important to go in sequential order, and to bring to mind as many details of the event as possible. You don’t want to go from breakfast to dinner, and then jump back to your lunch time. At first, this will be difficult, but the more you practice the technique, the better you’ll get.

Go through your entire day and visualize every possible detail that you can. In a nutshell, that’s it.

The benefits I found were huge and quick. This helps get your mind in shape for serious memory work.