Artful Memory Hacks#
As we navigate through our daily lives, we encounter numerous sets of numbers that we need to remember, be it phone numbers, bank account numbers, or even simple grocery lists. Traditional memory techniques can seem dull, and it’s often hard to create a strong mental association with a plain number. Enter the world of mnemonics, where we make things memorable by creating vivid mental images. Here’s a creative method involving famous personalities that can help you remember numbers more efficiently.
In this method, we assign each digit from 1 to 10 a corresponding letter(s) and create a Person-Action-Object (PAO) association. Here’s the letter assignment:
0 -> S or Z
1 -> A or T
2 -> N
3 -> M
4 -> R
5 -> L
6 -> J
7 -> K
8 -> F or V
9 -> P
The power of this approach lies in creating robust and memorable images. Let’s dive into this fun and imaginative journey:
Stephen Hawking zooming in on a black hole: Stephen Hawking, a famous theoretical physicist known for his work on black holes, represents the ‘S’ or ‘Z’ for the digit 0.
Albert Einstein analyzing an apple: The world-renowned physicist is deeply scrutinizing an apple. The number 1 corresponds to ‘A’ or ‘T’ in our method.
Neil Armstrong navigating a NASA spaceship: Visualize the first man on the moon skillfully steering a NASA spaceship. Here, the number 2 is represented by ‘N’.
Marilyn Monroe munching on a mango: The legendary actress is thoroughly enjoying a sweet, juicy mango. For this, we’re using ‘M’, the letter for 3.
Robert Downey Jr. racing a remote-controlled car: Imagine the charismatic actor engaged in a thrilling remote car race. The number 4 corresponds to ‘R’ in our scheme.
Leonardo DaVinci leaning a lion picture: The master artist himself is in the process of creating his most famous painting. In our mnemonic, 5 is represented by ‘L’.
Julia Roberts juggling jars: The famous actress is skillfully juggling jars without dropping any. The letter for 6 in our system is ‘J’.
Kevin Costner kicking a kite: Envision the veteran actor, Kevin Costner, powerfully kicking a colorful kite into the sky. In this mnemonic, Kevin Costner represents the number 7 (K) because his first and last names start with ‘K’. The action of kicking and the object, a kite, also begin with ‘K’, further reinforcing the association with the number 7.
Forest Gump film a volcano: In this system, 8 is represented by ‘F’ or ‘V’.
Pablo Picasso painting a portrait: The influential Spanish painter is meticulously crafting a portrait. Here, the number 9 corresponds to ‘P’.
The key to making this work is to vividly imagine these scenarios. The more detailed and absurd the image, the more memorable it will be. These famous personalities and their actions can serve as a delightful and efficient tool for remembering numbers.
If you prefer to use a 3-number system, you can certainly do that. Here’s how the visualization for the number 7735730979 would change:
Break down the number into triplets - ‘773’, ‘573’, and ‘0979’. Then use the Person-Action-Object (PAO) associations for each triplet:
773 - Kevin Costner kicking a mango: Picture Kevin Costner, who represents ‘7’ (K), vigorously kicking a ripe, juicy mango, which represents ‘3’ (M).
573 - Leonardo DaVinci kicking a mango: Imagine Leonardo DaVinci, who corresponds to ‘5’ (L), giving a strong kick to a ripe mango, sending it flying through the air, which represents ‘3’ (M).
0979 - Stephen Hawking painting a colorful kite over a volcano: Picture Stephen Hawking, who represents ‘0’ (S/Z), with a brush in his hand, meticulously painting a colorful kite flying over an erupting volcano, which represents ‘9’ (P), and ‘7’ (K) due to the kite (kite flying can be associated with kicking, if it makes it easier to remember).
To memorize the number 7735730979, picture these scenes in your mind: Kevin Costner vigorously kicking a ripe, juicy mango on a stage. Then, Leonardo DaVinci gives a mighty kick to a mango, sending it flying. Lastly, we see Stephen Hawking painting a colorful kite flying high over a bursting volcano. The more vivid and detailed the image, the more memorable it will be.