How to Increase your Brain's Memory

Bibleman We've all been let down by our memories at one time or another in ways that range from the embarrassing, like forgetting a colleague's name, to the potentially dangerous, like forgetting to take medicine or pay a bill. At times like this, we wonder if there's anything we can do to improve our memories. As a matter of fact, there are a number of things, ranging from learning new memorization techniques to changing our lifestyles. Memory Techniques Before the advent of literacy and modern recording and storage devices, memory was even more vital than it is today. Scholars developed memory-enhancing techniques called mnemonics (from the Greek word for memory) which helped them to remember complex data. One of the most famous of these is the "method of loci" or "palace of memory," in which the user visualizes a familiar building such as his childhood home and "places" each fact to be remembered in a particular location in the building. The user then visualizes moving through the building in sequence. This technique is powerful because it uses areas of the brain used for spatial thinking in addition to those commonly used for memory. Visual Imagery One helpful memory-building technique is to associate new information with something easily remembered, such as visual information. When meeting a woman named Jane Fields, the user of this technique visualizes the woman standing in a field and focuses on the image for a moment. When next they meet, the image of the field, associated with the woman, appears in the mind and the user is reminded of the name Fields. Sponsored Links Brain Exercises Improve Memory and Attention with Brain Games by Scientists www.lumosity.com Repetition One of the simplest ways of memorizing information is to repeat it. However, repeating information over and over is not the most useful way of becoming able to recall it. Memory experts from Leeds University recommend repeating a new piece of information a few times, then moving on to something else, then returning to the information and repeating it a few times again. Several small repetitions spread out over a period of time will be more effective than a single repetition. Changing Diet Actively using memory techniques isn't the only way to increase the brain's memory. Diet plays a role in many mental functions, memory included. Scientists at Tufts University have linked blueberries to improved short-term memory. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in foods such as oily fish and flax seeds, have been linked to improved recall, as has an increased intake of vitamins B6 and B12, found in whole grains. A diet rich in these nutrients can help improve memory. Exercise Diet isn't the only thing way your body can help your mind: Exercise also plays a role in a number of mental functions. Researchers at Dartmouth College conducted studies showing that regular exercise can help improve memory for many people. Exercise had a particularly significant impact on children. Scientists from Cambridge University conducted tests on mice demonstrating that not only did exercise improve mental acuity, it actually stimulated the growth of new brain cells in areas relating to memory. Read more: How to Increase your Brain's Memory | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5930193_increase-brain_s-memory.html#ixzz2CxQDHkiJ