New Website

Hello Everyone

I want to thank you for taking the time to visit my website, and I’m sorry I haven’t updated. I’ve purchased a domain name and am currently constructing a new website and moving my blog. Only my projects and experiences will be put in my blog, all the techniques, tips, reviews, and other articles will be on my main website. I should have most everything finished in the next few days or so, and then I will start adding new content again.

The new website will allow for a better experience, easier navigation, etc…

Thanks 🙂

http://www.zacharymemory.com
http://www.zacharymemory.com/memoryblog

The School of Phenomenal Memory

Hi, my name is Zachary. I have been lucky enough to have stumbled across a memory improvement system that has changed my life. Here, I will be sharing my experiences. You can see my projects that I am currently working on. I will be memorizing textbook, learning foreign languages, and increasing my general knowledge through memorization. I will also be sharing memory improvement tips and techniques. You can read more about me here, if you would like :D.

If you are interested in drastically improving your memory, I strongly urge you to read my reviews of the School of Phenomenal Memory Course and the Giordano Memorization System. The skills that I have learned, allowing me to complete my projects, are invaluable to me. I consider myself  blessed to have developed my phenomenal memory.

As an instructor of the online course I invite you to head on over to the Phenomenal Memory Forums. You can read the testimonials and test results of current and past students, ask questions of our students or instructors, discuss memory with us, or just join the community 🙂

Memory Tips – Where Are My Keys?

If you’re like me, you hate having to look for your keys/cell phone/wallet, especially when you need to leave right now or you’re going to be late. You’ve all heard the advice: ‘If you just put it in the same place every time, you’ll never lose it!’. Well, that’s true, the only problem is remembering to put your things in the right place.

Here is a very simple tip for you. Imagine that you are looking at your front door from the outside. Let’s single out some parts: peep-hole, dead-bolt, handle, strike-plate, and metal threshold at the bottom. Your door might be different, just pick 5 distinct parts. Now, do you have a spot you want to put your wallet when you come home? Let’s say you want to put your wallet in a basket on top of your dresser. Imagine your dresser and connect your wallet to the top of your dresser. Now, connect the dresser to the first part of your door(peephole). Where do you want your keys? Maybe a key rack. Connect a key to your key rack in your mind. Now connect the key rack to the second part of your door. Rinse and repeat.

Now, when you come home, looking at the door is going to stimulate the reminders you have made for yourself. As soon as you get in the door, you can go through your little list that you’ve made, and rest assured that everything will be where it belongs when you’re ready to leave again.

Imagine now, never forgetting anything that is important to you. Imagine never having to look for a pencil and paper again to write something down. Imagine never forgetting a name or phone number. Imagine being able to easily give any speech or presentation from memory. Imagine, if you will, life with a phenomenal memory. Don’t pass up the opportunity to improve your life so profoundly. At the very least, read my reviews of the School of Phenomenal Memory Course and the Giordano Memorization System. Download and read the GMS Manual. If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment and I’ll be happy to discuss anything with you. 🙂

Private Pilot Certification – Unit 3 pt. 3

*This is a current project of mine. I am using GMS to memorize a study guide for the FAA Private Pilot Certification test. After taking the 60-lesson course at the School of Phenomenal Memory, this is an example of what you would be able to do.*

I finally got the time today to continue working on Unit 3. There was a lot in this part of the unit that I hadn’t heard of before, and the opportunity to research and learn is only made better by the fact that I know I’m not going to forget it 🙂

3.7 – Collision Avoidance
3.7.1 – Airplanes have a red light on the left wing, a green light on the right wing, and a white light on the tail. Knowing which side of an aircraft you are looking at is important for determining if you are on a collision path with the airplane.
3.7.2 – A flashing red light is a rotating strobe, visible from all sides.
3.7.3 – Scan the surrounding area in 10 degree eye movements for other aircraft. You will pick up traffic in the daytime from direct vision easiest.
3.7.4 – At night, scan the area similarly, but look for traffic with your peripheral vision.
3.7.5 – An aircraft that appears to not be moving is probably on a collision course. If the size of the aircraft grows, begin evasive action.
3.7.6 – Scan for traffic before performing maneuvers, especially upon approach/leaving an airport.
3.7.7 – All pilots are responsible for collision avoidance.
3.7.8 – Have your landing lights on under 10,000 feet for safety, day or night.

3.8 – ATIS and Ground Control
3.8.1 – Automatic Terminal Information Service transmits noncontrol information.
3.8.2 – ATIS reports weather, active runway, and other pertinent information.
3.8.3 – After landing, contact ground control only after directed to do so by the tower.
3.8.4 – Clearance to a runway gives clearance to use the taxiway and cross intersecting runways, but not to proceed onto the runway.
3.8.5 – ‘Taxi into position and hold’ gives clearance to taxi onto the runway, but not to takeoff.

3.9 – Class D Airspace
3.9.1 – Any tower controlled airspace that is not class B or class C.
3.9.2 – Indicated on maps with a blue dashed circle.
3.9.3 – When taking off from an uncontrolled runway within class D airspace, you must first contact the tower for the runway for which the airspace is designated.
3.9.4 – Class D airspace is 2500 ft above the airport.
3.9.5 – Two way radio communication is required for all take-off and landing procedures, regardless of weather.

3.10 – Class C Airspace
3.10.1 – Class C Airspace consists of the surface area and shelf area.
3.10.1a – Surface area is the area within 5 NM of the airport and under 4,000ft. AGL.
3.10.1b – Shelf area is from 5-10 NM of the airport, and 1,200-4,000 ft AGL.
3.10.2 – Outer area is the area within 20 NM of the airport. This is not class C airspace.
3.10.3 – Equipment required for operating within Class C airspace:
3.10.3a – 4096 transponder.
3.10.3b – Mode C capability.
3.10.3c – Two-way radio communication capability.
3.10.4 – Two-way radio communication with ATC must be established before entering Class C airspace.
3.10.5 – Contact ATC upon take-off from satellite airport.

3.11 – Terminal Radio Programs
3.11.1 – Terminal radio program services under VFR are basic, TRSA(Terminal Radio Service Area), Class C, and Class B.
3.11.2 – Participation is voluntary under VFR.

3.12 – Transponders
3.12.1 – Normal transponder code is 1200.
3.12.2 – Ident feature to be used as instructed by ATC only.
3.12.3 – Emergency codes:
3.12.3a – Hijacking code = 7500.
3.12.3b – Lost radio communication code = 7600.
3.12.3c – General emergency code = 7700.
3.12.3d – Military intercept code = 7777.

Singling Images Into Parts

So far you have learned how to create support images, how to connect information visually, and guidelines for visualization. Now, we are going to look at a useful technique for giving yourself more space on your support images.

Let’s take the first item you have in your Cicero System. A chair, for example. If you look at the chair, you see a back, you see armrests, bars holding up the armrests, a seat, legs, cross-bars, feet, etc…. You can pick 5 of these parts, and suddenly your 1 image has turned into five! When you need to remember something,  you can put the first item on the back, second item on the armrest, third item on the seat, etc… This gives you a lot more storage room in your mind very quickly.

In the School of Phenomenal Memory Course, one of the skills learned is the formation of support-image systems. Students of the course learn how to fit 125 blocks of information on one Cicero support image. I hope you are beginning to see that real, efficient memorization isn’t just about knowing a few techniques. If you want to memorize hundreds of phone numbers, names, addresses, new words every day, and entire books, you need to develop a skill for encoding information into visual images, memorizing the actual information, memorizing the sequence of the information in your mind, and fixing the information in your mind for as long as you need it. With a step-by-step, guided course, and personal help, you can make all of these processes second nature. Read my in-depth reviews of the Course and the GMS System for more information.

Memory Improvement Techniques – Cicero Method

The Cicero Method is used for creating support images. Support images are necessary to retain the order of memorized information, either temporarily or permanently.

To create support images, imagine your house. Walk through the main door. Wherever you are is going to be the first room. Now, in your imagination, walk around the room clock-wise, and pick out 10 objects. Every object needs to be distinct(you can’t pick two chairs that look the same). Now, go to the next room in your house. Do the same thing. By the time you finish with your house, you could have between 50-100 images or more.

Remember our shopping list? Now we’re going to do something similar, but you’ll see a really useful aspect of Cicero vs. simply using Chain in a bit.

Look at the first object in your first room. Picture a loaf of bread connected to this support image. On the next object, connect a jug of milk. On the next a bottle of mustard. Bag of Chips. Taco shells. Ground beef. A mop. A bag of napkins. A glass. Dishwasher detergent.

Go into the next room and memorize a cd case, sunglasses, paper plates, kleenex, pillow, guitar, some dollar bills, a pencil, a picture frame, and a pair of shoes.

You could go on, and memorize a list as long as your support system. Here are the really useful parts. With the Chain Technique, if one of the connections goes missing, you can’t recall the rest. Each image depends on the previous. With the Cicero Technique, if the second image is missing, you can just look at the next support image and go on.

Now let’s say you had memorized a list of 50 items, and someone asked you the 49th item. You simply go into the fifth room, and look at the second to last object. When you are trained, you can accomplish this in a second or less. Now you can recall your list forward and backward, and jump immediately to any item.

This is the point where I ended up joining the School of Phenomenal Memory. I could tell that the course would be very useful, and I could only imagine what would be possible with real training, rather than just reading about some techniques that are useful for remembering shopping lists. I can’t stress this enough. As phenomenal as it is for you to be able to memorize lists so easily, it’s nothing compared to being able to memorize books, foreign vocabulary, names, numbers, terms, etc… With a Phenomenal(!) Memory, all of this becomes easy. It’s an easy task to memorize 50 foreign words a day. I can’t really explain what it is like, it’s something you have to experience for yourself.

Private Pilot Certification – Unit 3 pt. 2

*This is a current project of mine. I am using GMS to memorize a study guide for the FAA Private Pilot Certification test. After taking the 60-lesson course at the School of Phenomenal Memory, this is an example of what you would be able to do.*

I almost forgot to work on this tonight, I’ve been losing track of time with my blog projects 😛 . I split the unit in half, and spent 17 minutes reading and researching the first half. I then spent 13 minutes to memorize it.

Unit 3 – Airports, ATC, and Airspace

3.1 – Runway Markings
3.1.1 – The number at the beginning of the runway indicated the magnetic heading divided by 10 in degrees.
3.1.2 – The Displaced Threshold indicates the start of the landing portion of the runway, as a bold line crossing from one side to the other. The area before the threshold can be used for taxiing, take-off, and landing rollouts.
3.1.3 – Chevrons mark un-usable portions of runway. Not to be used for anything.
3.1.4 – Closed runways are marked with an ‘X’ at the ends of the runway.
3.1.5 – Runway holding position markings are where the pilot must stop before entering the runway. Two solid yellow lines on the pilot’s side with two yellow dashed lines on the runway side.

3.2 – Taxi signs
3.2.1 – Destination signs usually have arrows, and are black writing on yellow background.
3.2.2 – Holding signs are white on red background.

3.3 – Beacons
3.3.1 – If the green/white beacon is on during the day, it is not VFR conditions.
3.3.2 – Heliports are marked with a tri-beacon, green, yellow and white.
3.3.3 – White/White/Green is military
3.3.4 – Click mic 7 times to turn on automated lights.

3.4 – Traffic Patterns
3.4.1 – Left turns at airports without ATC.
3.4.2 – Enter downwind leg at 45 degrees at midpoint.
3.4.3 – Land into the wind as indicated by airsock or other device.
3.4.4 – Segmented Circles
3.4.4a – Show runway orientation
3.4.4b – Show turn patterns for landing
3.4.4c – Show wind direction

3.5 – VASI
3.5.1 – Provides visual descent information.
3.5.2 – Far/Distant VASI system, red lights on top, white on bottom for proper glide-slope.
3.5.3 – Single light: Amber = too high, Green = correct, Red = too low
3.5.4 – PAPI – 4 lights side by side. 4/3 red = too low. 4/3 white = too high. 2 red/2 white = correct.

3.6 – Wake Turbulence
3.6.1 – Vortices are only produced when lift is produced.
3.6.2 – Slow and heavy airplanes produce greatest vortices.
3.6.3 – Vortices spiral outward and upward from wingtips.
3.6.4 – Vortices sink in the air and travel with the wind. Approach and land from above and upwind of large aircraft.

There is, apparently, more information in the second half(I split it up by pages). Tomorrow I’ll finish off Unit 3, and I’ll also be bringing you another Memory Technique. If you are interested in learning how to memorize entire textbooks, read my reviews of GMS and the School of Phenomenal Memory.

Memory Improvement Techniques – Chain Method

The Chain Method is a method for connecting images in your imagination. This is one of the basic skills needed to develop a phenomenal memory. There are a few rules for connecting images that should always be followed when using the Chain Method. As always, keep in mind the four criteria for making good images we talked about last time: Images need to be visualized detailed, large, 3-dimensional, and in color.

1 – Both the first image and the second image need to be the same size. Visualize the images as largely as you can, while still seeing both images at the same time.

2 – The second image needs to be to the right of, on top of, or piercing the first image.

Let’s try an exercise. Visualize a block of cheese. Now, visualize a can of soda. Place the can of soda on top of the block of cheese. Hold the connection in your mind for 6 seconds. Now, let the cheese disappear, and picture a jug of milk on the can of soda. Hold this image for 6 seconds. Let the soda disappear, and picture a stalk of celery piercing through the jug of milk. 6 seconds. Now visualize a carrot on top of the celery. A jar of pickles on the carrot. A bottle of mayonnaise on the jar of pickles. A paper plate on the mayonnaise. A plastic fork on the plate. And lastly, a pair of sunglasses on the fork.

Now, go through in your mind, starting with the cheese. Can you see the next image? If so, examine the soda, and see what was on it. Continue through the list. Don’t try to guess what was next, just look at the images in your mind. If something seems to be missing, go back, and view the two images together again for 6 seconds. When you can go through the entire list in order, I want you to try something else. Look at the sunglasses. What are they on? What is the fork on? The plate? You should now be able to recall the list, in perfect order, forward, and backward. Pretty cool, isn’t it?

You might get mixed results trying this. You might be doing something not quite right. I said earlier that both images need to be the same size, large. There’s probably a good chance that the can of soda wasn’t nearly so large as the jug of milk. You might have visualized them about the same size that they are in real life. What you actually want is for the jug of milk to be very large, like a 50-gallon barrel that you are looking at from 6 feet away. The can of soda should be just as big. We’ll talk about the why later, just trust me for now.

Now this is very important, and this is the difference between the techniques offered in the GMS Manual, and the training course offered by the School of Phenomenal Memory. If you made one little mistake in the chain method, that mistake would compound, and by the time you started trying to memorize college-level textbooks, you would have *severe* difficulties. One theoretical mistake can ruin your chances at really developing a phenomenal memory. Because of this, the Phenomenal Memory Course contains guided, step-by-step instructions and exercises, along with personal help from instructors whenever you need it, to ensure that you don’t handicap yourself.

Everybody will have different results with exercises like this, because your success is based off of your understanding of the techniques, your visualization ability, your ability to control where your attention is directed, your physical health, and a few other factors. Everything needed is addressed in the Phenomenal Memory Course. For now, have fun with what you’ve learned, and keep coming back as we explore the memory and your potential together.

Private Pilot Certification – Unit 3

*This is a current project of mine. I am using GMS to memorize a study guide for the FAA Private Pilot Certification test. After taking the 60-lesson course at the School of Phenomenal Memory, this is an example of what you would be able to do.*

Getting new blogs started sure can take up a lot of your day. Today I read through unit 3 of my study guide, familiarized myself with the new terms with some quick research, and memorized the sub-unit headings. Ended up taking 21 minutes tonight for this(includes reading and research time):

Unit 3 – Airports, Air Traffic Control, and Airspace
3.1 – Runway Markings
3.2 – Taxiway Signs
3.3 – Beacons and Runway Lights
3.4 – Traffic Holding Patterns
3.5 – VASI Lights
3.6 – Wake Turbulence
3.7 – Collision Avoidance
3.8 – ATIS and Ground Control
3.9 – Class D Airspace
3.10 – Class C Airspace
3.11 – Terminal Radar
3.12 – Transponder Codes
3.13 – Radio Phraseology
3.14 – ATC Traffic Advisories
3.15 – Light Signals
3.16 – ELT
3.17 – LAHSO (Land and Hold Short Operations)

The GMS Manual

What is the GMS Manual?
The GMS Manual contains the theoretical material behind the Giordano Memorization System. However, and this is the really cool part, it also contains all of the techniques used in the system, for free!

Often I hear something along these lines: ‘Why would you pay money for a memory training course when you can learn memory techniques for free on the internet?’. It’s true, you can ‘learn’ all these techniques for free on the internet. But knowing the techniques isn’t enough. Just knowing about the Cicero(loci) method isn’t enough to allow you to memorize textbooks, names and phone numbers, foreign alphabets/words/grammar. A phenomenal memory is a skill-set dependent on knowledge of the techniques required for systematic memorization, retention, and recollection of material; visualization ability; attention stability; mental capacity; physical health; and motivation.

Read the GMS manual. Look at the techniques in the last portion of the book, and test them out. Memorize your shopping list, and amaze yourself when you can recall it perfectly in reverse order. If the School of Phenomenal Memory Website gives all this information away for free, just imagine how good the course is. I read the manual, and I took the course. Looking back, I would do it again without missing a heartbeat.

Memory Improvement Techniques – Visualization

I’m going to be starting a series of easily-applicable memory-improvement articles. Before we get started though, I need to tell you some things about visualization.

Visualization is the basis of memorization in GMS. All data is encoded into visual images, which are very easily manipulated, connected, and memorized. There are some very important guidelines you need to keep in mind whenever you use GMS.

1 – Images must be detailed.

This is very important. When you see things around you, your mind looks at the details, and creates the ‘big picture’ images as a culmination of all the details. Things in your peripheral vision are blurry because your eye isn’t able to focus on the details of that item, so it can’t create a detailed image.

Now, the visual processing center is capable of receiving input from your conscious thought as well. In essence, you can visualize to the same degree as you see; with the same clarity, color, detail, etc… It’s just a matter of learning how. Since we understand that the mind puts together what we see by looking at the details, it makes sense that the same method should be used to create vivid imagery.

Picture a quarter. Try to see in your imagination the ridges around the edge. Try to see the copper color along the edge different from the silver color on the face. Try to see the face and the writing. Every image you ‘build’ in your mind, you should do this process. Try to see the texture, color, and as many details as possible. With practice you will be able to visualize images that are increasingly vivid and life-like.

2 – Images must be large.

When I say large, I mean *large*. Visualize the quarter again. Picture it as being about 6 feet in front of you. Picture it as being three feet across, and 6 inches thick. Now, try to picture it larger. Keep enlarging it until you ‘lose sight’ of the entire image. That’s how large your images should be, all the time. The main reason, is because the larger the image, the larger the details. The larger the details, the more vivid the image.

3 – Images must be 3-dimensional.

Picture your quarter again. You should be able to rotate it in your mind. Stand it on edge. Look at the ‘tails’ side. Every image should be realistic, 3-dimensional.

4 – Images must be in color.

Even if you have a hard time visualizing color, decide what color an image is. Decide what color the details are. Try your best to see it ‘in color’.

Now, this can seem time-consuming. To ‘create’ an image of a quarter that fits these guidelines might take you 10 seconds. That’s ok, do it. As you practice, you’ll be able to create detailed images faster.

I am happy to share these memory improvement tips with you, but I want you to understand that learning these techniques that I’ll be sharing isn’t enough. If you really want to be able to memorize textbooks, or learn foreign languages in a matter of months, or be able to meet 20 people and remember every single name… these skills take training. The Phenomenal Memory Course contains all the training you need. 60 step-by-step lessons, with additional articles, exercises, and community support to allow you to truly develop a phenomenal memory. The course can be completed as quickly as 2 months. It’s not a magic pill or a quick-fix. Like everything worthwhile, it takes dedication and practice. If you want to dramatically improve your memory, and improve your life, think about it. Ask me any questions you would like, I’ll be happy to help 🙂