The term ‘Mnemonics’ is derived from the Greek Goddess
of memory Mnemosyne.
Broadly speaking Mnemonics are a group of memory aids, or mental
‘slights of hand’ that together facilitate the quick and easy assimilation
of information of all kinds.
Facts, figures, names, faces and events, all can be learned and
recalled far easier by using mnemonics, than by using the conventional
means of rote learning and repetition.
Mnemonics use the imagination in conjunction with all of the individuals
senses (sight, sound, touch, smell), in order to transform a dull,
dry piece of text into a firm and vibrant memory that is not just
easy to remember, but difficult to forget!
Mnemonics gain their power by making use of the way that our minds
absorb information. For memories to be formed the following events
must occur:
Observation. For an event to be committed to memory, it must
first be observed. This might seem self-evident to you, but you
must understand that seeing is entirely different from observing.
This is discussed in more detail in chapter 3 of my book ‘Observation
and Memory.’
Association. All memory is based upon association. To remember
one piece of information, we invariably associate it with another
already committed memory. This is usually done without our conscious
awareness.
Visualisation. Strong memories are memories that are visual
in nature. A quotation that you read is not as easily recalled
as an event that you witness. Text is dry, but images are vibrant.
Mnemonics gain much of there strength from transforming the dull
and mundane, into visual.
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