HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The title mnemonist refers to an individual with the ability to remember and recall unusually long lists of data, such as unfamiliar names, lists of numbers, entries in books, etc. Some mnemonists also memorize texts such as long poems, speeches, or even entire books, of fiction or non-fiction. The term is derived from the term
mnemonic A mnemonic ( ) device, or memory device, is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval (remembering) in the human memory for better understanding. Mnemonics make use of elaborative encoding, retrieval cues, and image ...
, which refers to a strategy to support remembering (such as the
method of loci The method of loci is a strategy for memory enhancement, which uses visualizations of familiar spatial environments in order to enhance the recall of information. The method of loci is also known as the memory journey, memory palace, journey m ...
or major system), but not all mnemonists report using mnemonics. Mnemonists may have superior innate ability to recall or remember, in addition to (or instead of) relying on techniques.


Structure of mnemonic skills

While the innateness of mnemonists' skills is debated, the methods that mnemonists use to memorize are well-documented. Many mnemonists have been studied in
psychology Psychology is the science, scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immens ...
labs over the last century, and most have been found to use mnemonic devices. Currently, all memory champions at the World Memory Championships have said that they use mnemonic strategies, such as the
method of loci The method of loci is a strategy for memory enhancement, which uses visualizations of familiar spatial environments in order to enhance the recall of information. The method of loci is also known as the memory journey, memory palace, journey m ...
, to perform their memory feats. Skilled memory theory was proposed by
K. Anders Ericsson K. Anders Ericsson (October, 23, 1947 – June 17, 2020) was a Swedish psychologist and Conradi Eminent Scholar and Professor of Psychology at Florida State University who was internationally recognized as a researcher in the psychological natur ...
and Bill Chase to explain the effectiveness of mnemonic devices in memory expertise. Generally,
short-term memory Short-term memory (or "primary" or "active memory") is the capacity for holding a small amount of information in an active, readily available state for a short interval. For example, short-term memory holds a phone number that has just been recit ...
has a capacity of seven items; however, in order to memorize long strings of unrelated information, this constraint must be overcome. Skilled memory theory involves three steps: meaningful encoding, retrieval structure, and speed-up.


Encoding

In encoding, information is encoded in terms of knowledge structures through meaningful associations. This may initially involve breaking down long lists into more manageable chunks that fall within the capacity of short term memory. Verbal reports of memory experts show a consistent grouping of three or four. A digit sequence 1-9-4-5, for example, can then be remembered as "the year World War Two ended". Luria reported that
Solomon Shereshevsky Solomon Veniaminovich Shereshevsky (russian: Соломон Вениаминович Шерешевский; 1886 – 1 May 1958), also known simply as 'Ш' ('Sh'), 'S.', or Luria's S was a Soviet journalist and mnemonist active in the 1920s. He ...
used
synesthesia Synesthesia (American English) or synaesthesia (British English) is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People who re ...
to associate numbers and words as visual images or colors to encode the information presented to him, but Luria did not clearly distinguish between synesthesia and mnemonic techniques like the method of loci and number shapes. Other subjects studied have used previous knowledge such as racing times or historical information to encode new information. This is supported by studies that have shown that previous knowledge about a subject will increase one's ability to remember it. Chess experts, for example, can memorize more pieces of a chess game in progress than a novice chess player. However, while there is some correlation between memory expertise and general
intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can ...
, as measured by either IQ or the
general intelligence factor The ''g'' factor (also known as general intelligence, general mental ability or general intelligence factor) is a construct developed in psychometric investigations of cognitive abilities and human intelligence. It is a variable that summarize ...
, the two are by no means identical. Many memory experts have been shown to be average to above-average by these two measures, but not exceptional.


Retrieval

The next step is to create a retrieval structure by which the associations can be recalled. It serves the function of storing retrieval cues without having to use short term memory. It is used to preserve the order of items to be remembered. Verbal reports of memory experts show two prominent methods of retrieving information: hierarchical nodes and the method of loci. Retrieval structures are hierarchically organized and can be thought of as nodes that are activated when information is retrieved. Verbal reports have shown that memory experts have different retrieval structures. One expert clustered digits into groups, groups into supergroups, and supergroups into clusters of supergroups. However, by far the most common method of retrieval structure is the method of loci.


Method of loci

The method of loci is "the use of an orderly arrangement of locations into which one could place the images of things or people that are to be remembered". The encoding process happens in three steps. First, an architectural area, such as the houses on a street, must be memorized. Second, each item to be remembered must be associated with a separate image. Finally, this set of images can be distributed in a "locus," or place within the architectural area in a pre-determined order. Then, as one tries to recall the information, the mnemonists simply has to "walk" down the street, see each symbol, and recall the associated information. An example of mnemonists who used this is
Solomon Shereshevsky Solomon Veniaminovich Shereshevsky (russian: Соломон Вениаминович Шерешевский; 1886 – 1 May 1958), also known simply as 'Ш' ('Sh'), 'S.', or Luria's S was a Soviet journalist and mnemonist active in the 1920s. He ...
; he would use Gorky Street, a street he lived on. When he read, each word would form a graphic image. He would then place this image in a place along the street; later, when he needed to recall the information, he would simply "stroll" down the street again to recall the necessary information.
Neuroimaging Neuroimaging is the use of quantitative (computational) techniques to study the structure and function of the central nervous system, developed as an objective way of scientifically studying the healthy human brain in a non-invasive manner. Incr ...
studies have shown results that support the method of loci as the retrieval method in world-class memory performers. An
fMRI Functional magnetic resonance imaging or functional MRI (fMRI) measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. This technique relies on the fact that cerebral blood flow and neuronal activation are coupled. When an area ...
recorded brain activity in memory experts and a control group as they were memorizing selected data. Previous studies have shown that teaching a control group the method of loci leads to changes in brain activation during memorization. Consistent with their use of the method of loci, memory experts had higher activity in the medial
parietal cortex The parietal lobe is one of the four major lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain of mammals. The parietal lobe is positioned above the temporal lobe and behind the frontal lobe and central sulcus. The parietal lobe integrates sensory inform ...
, retrospenial cortex, and right posterior
hippocampus The hippocampus (via Latin from Greek , 'seahorse') is a major component of the brain of humans and other vertebrates. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in each side of the brain. The hippocampus is part of the limbic syste ...
; these brain areas have been linked to spatial memory and navigation. These differences were observable even when the memory experts were trying to memorize stimuli, such as snowflakes, where they showed no superior ability to the control group.


Acceleration

The final step in skilled memory theory is acceleration. With practice, time necessary for encoding and retrieval operations can be dramatically reduced. As a result, storage of information can then be performed within a few seconds. Indeed, one confounding factor in the study of memory is that the subjects often improve from day-to-day as they are tested over and over.


Learned skill or innate ability

The innateness of expert performance in the memory field has been studied thoroughly by many scientists; it is a matter which has still not been definitively resolved.


Evidence for memory expertise as a learned skill

Much evidence exists which points towards memory expertise as a learned skill which can only be learned through hours of deliberate practice. Anecdotally, the performers in top memory competitions like the World Memory Championships and the
Extreme Memory Tournament Memory League is a memory competition platform originally founded and created by Nelson Dellis and Simon Orton under the name Extreme Memory Tournament (XMT). Memory League differs from traditional memory competitions in the fact that it is enti ...
all deny any ability of a photographic memory; rather, these experts have averaged 10 years practicing their encoding strategies. Another piece of evidence which points away from an innate superiority of memory is the specificity of memory expertise in memorists. For example, though memory experts have an exceptional ability to remember digits, their ability to remember unrelated items which are more difficult to encode, such as symbols or snowflakes, is the same as that of an average person. The same holds true for memory experts in other fields: studies of mental calculators and chess experts show the same specificity for superior memory. In some cases, other types of memory, such as visual memory for faces, may even be impaired. Another piece of evidence of memory expertise as a learned ability is the fact that dedicated individuals can make exceptional memory gains when exposed to mnemonics and given a chance to practice. One subject, SF, a college student of average intelligence, was able to attain world-class memory performance after hundreds of hours of practice over two years. His memory, in fact, improved over 70 standard deviations, while his digit span, or
memory span In psychology and neuroscience, memory span is the longest list of items that a person can repeat back in correct order immediately after presentation on 50% of all trials. Items may include words, numbers, or letters. The task is known as ''digit ...
for digits, grew to 80 digits, which was higher than the digit span for all memory experts previously recorded. Similarly, adults of average intelligence taught encoding strategies also show large gains in memory performance. Finally, neuroimaging studies performed on memory experts and compared to a control group have found no systematic anatomical differences in the brain between memory experts and a control group. While it is true that there are activation differences between the brains of memory experts and a control group, these are due to the use of spatial techniques to form retrieval structures, not any structural differences.


Evidence for memory expertise as an innate ability

Much of the evidence for innate superiority of memory is anecdotal and is therefore rejected by scientists who have moved toward accepting only reproducible studies as evidence for elite performance. There have been exceptions, however, that do not fit skilled memory theory as proposed by Chase and Ericsson. Synesthetes, for example, show a memory advantage for material that induces their synesthesia over a control group. This advantage tends to be in retention of new information rather than learning. However, synesthetes are likely to have some brain differences which give them an innate advantage when it comes to memory. Another group which may have some innate memory advantage are
autistic savants Savant syndrome () is a rare condition in which someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates certain abilities far in excess of average. The skills that savants excel at are generally related to memory. This may include rapid calcu ...
. Unfortunately, many savants who have performed memory feats, such as
Kim Peek Laurence Kim Peek (November 11, 1951December 19, 2009) was an American savant. Known as a "megasavant", he had an exceptional memory, but he also experienced social difficulties, possibly resulting from a developmental disability related to con ...
and Daniel Tammet, have not been rigorously studied; they do claim not to need to use encoding strategies. A recent imaging study of savants found that there are activation differences between savants and typically developing individuals; these cannot be explained by the method of loci as mnemonic savants do not tend to use encoding strategies for their memory. Savants activated the right inferior occipital areas of their brain, whereas control participants activated the left parietal region which is generally associated with attentional processes.


Famous mnemonists

* Femi Francis Akinsiku * Yanjaa Wintersoul: double world record holding memory champion. * Derren Brown *
Creighton Carvello Creighton Carvello (14 November 1944 – 18 November 2008) was a British mnemonist. Carvello was born in Patna, Bihar, India but lived in the UK from 1949 until his death. His first World Record for memory was in 1979 when he recited the first ...
* Dominic O'Brien: 8x
world memory champion The World Memory Championships is an organized competition of memory sports in which competitors memorize as much information as possible within a given period of time. The championship has taken place annually since 1991, with the exception of 1 ...
(1991, 1993, 1995–97, 1999–01). *
Ben Pridmore Ben Pridmore (born October 14, 1976) is a former world memory champion, memory sport competitor and accountant. Achievements Pridmore is a three-time World Memory Champion winning the title 2004, 2008 and 2009. From Derby in the United Kingdom, ...
: 3x world memory champion (2004, 2008–09). * Harry Lorayne * Edward Cyril De Hault Laston * Rajan Mahadevan *
Kim Peek Laurence Kim Peek (November 11, 1951December 19, 2009) was an American savant. Known as a "megasavant", he had an exceptional memory, but he also experienced social difficulties, possibly resulting from a developmental disability related to con ...
, the real-life inspiration for the character of Raymond in the film ''
Rain Man ''Rain Man'' is a 1988 American road movie, road Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive, selfish young wikt:wheeler-dealer, wheeler-dealer C ...
'' * Shass Pollak * S.V. Shereshevskii, from AR Luria's ''The Mind of a Mnemonist'' * Daniel Tammet * Ed Cooke: author and grandmaster of memory * Wang Feng: 2x world memory champion (2010–11). *
Johannes Mallow Johannes Mallow (born June 7, 1981 Brandenburg an der Havel) is a German memory sportsman. He is a two-time winner of the World Memory Championships. He studied successfully Communication Technology at the Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg ...
: world memory champion (2012). * Jonas von Essen: 2x world memory champion (2013–14). * Alex Mullen: 3x world memory champion (2015–17). *
Nelson Dellis Nelson Charles Dellis (born February 4, 1984) is an American memory athlete and consultant. He is a five-time USA Memory Champion, holding the record for most wins of the national memory champion title. He is also one of the co-founders of Mem ...
: 5x USA memory champion (2011–12, 2014–15, 2021). * Joshua Foer: author and USA memory champion (2006). * Brad Williams *
Dave Farrow David Andrew Farrow (born January 10, 1975) is a two-time Canadian Guinness World Record Holder for Most Decks of Playing Cards Memorized in a Single Sighting, entrepreneur, memory coach, speed reader and keynote speaker. He is best known for w ...
: most playing cards memorized after a single sighting, with 59 decks.
Shraman N L
Republic of India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
* Arun Phoke,
Aurangabad Aurangabad ( is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region. Located on a hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is the ...
,
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...
* Nidhip Vora, Upleta,
Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, memory expert, researcher of IRSRO mnemonic system of memory,
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the pre ...
*
Moshe Feinstein Moshe Feinstein ( he, משה פײַנשטיין; Lithuanian pronunciation: ''Moshe Faynshteyn''; en, Moses Feinstein; March 3, 1895 – March 23, 1986) was an American Orthodox rabbi, scholar, and ''posek'' (authority on ''halakha''—J ...
, eminent rabbi
Memory sport Memory sport, sometimes referred to as competitive memory or the mind sport of memory, refers to competitions in which participants attempt to memorize then recall different forms of information, under certain guidelines. The sport has been formall ...
contains a more comprehensive list of well-known memory athletes. The complete, up-to-date memory world rankings can be found at the
International Association of Memory The International Association of Memory (IAM) is an international organization that connects the various national memory sport federations and acts as a governing body of international memory competition. The IAM was founded on 5 July 2016 and h ...
website.


See also

*
Funes the Memorious "Funes the Memorious" (original Spanish title ''Funes el memorioso'') is a fantasy short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986). First published in ''La Nación'' of June 1942, it appeared in the 1944 anthology ''Ficciones'', ...
*
Hafiz (Qur'an) Hafiz (; ar, حافظ, ḥāfiẓ, pl. ''ḥuffāẓ'' , f. ''ḥāfiẓa'' ), literally meaning "memorizer", depending on the context, is a term used by Muslims for someone who has completely memorized the Quran. Hafiza is the female equ ...
* Hyperthymesia * Mental calculator *
Memory sport Memory sport, sometimes referred to as competitive memory or the mind sport of memory, refers to competitions in which participants attempt to memorize then recall different forms of information, under certain guidelines. The sport has been formall ...
*
Shas Pollak Shas Pollak were Jewish mnemonists who, according to the 1917 report of George Stratton in the ''Psychological Review'', memorized the exact layout of words in more than 5,000 pages of the 12 books of the standard edition of the Babylonian Talmud ...


References


External links

*{{Commonscatinline, Mnemonists Exceptional memory Giftedness