Unlock a Superhuman Memory With This Simple Storytelling Trick

Hello, friend. Let's play a quick memory game. I'm going to give you a list of 10 random words. Your goal is to see how many you can remember. Ready?

Pen, Stamp, Thunder, Bedsheet, Orange, Duck, Mars, Newspaper, Platinum, Belt.

Now, pause and write down every word you can recall.

How did you do? If you’re like most people, you probably remembered between 5 and 7 words, and they were likely out of order. When I first tried this, I only remembered 5.

It’s frustrating, isn't it? We know our brains are incredibly powerful. In fact, studies show the human brain can store up to 2.5 petabytes of data. To put that in perspective, one petabyte is 1,024 terabytes, and one terabyte is 1,024 gigabytes. That’s roughly 2.5 million GB of storage space.

So, with all that power, why can't we remember a simple list of 10 words, a paragraph from a book, or even a phone number? Why do we spend hours memorizing information for an exam, only to forget it a day later?

The problem isn't your brain; it's your method. We are not using the best techniques to store information. Most of us try to learn by rote repetition—saying things over and over again, like the "Oh God, beautiful" scene from the movie Pasanga. But our brains weren't designed to learn that way.

The author of this method, Dominic O'Brien, is an 8-time World Memory Champion. He wasn’t born a genius. In fact, he was a poor student who even struggled with dyslexia. He became a champion because he discovered the correct principles and techniques for memorization. Today, we're going to explore those principles so you can unlock your own amazing memory.

Principle 1: Imagination - The Engine of Memory

Your imagination and your memory are deeply connected. If I asked you to share a wonderful memory from your life, what’s the first thing you would do? You would imagine it. You’d see the sights, hear the sounds, and feel the emotions. If you can imagine something vividly, you can easily remember it and explain it to others.

When I gave you the first list of words, you probably just heard them as abstract concepts. But what if you had engaged your imagination? What if, when I said "orange," you had pictured a fresh, juicy orange in your hand, felt its peel, smelled its citrus scent, and tasted its sweetness? You would have remembered "orange" without any effort.

The key to a powerful memory is to link information to your senses. The more you can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel an idea in your mind, the more memorable it becomes.

 

Principle 2: Association - The Glue That Connects Everything

Association is the act of creating a connection between two or more things. Our brains are natural association machines. When you hear a certain word or idea, related thoughts automatically pop into your head. This is because our minds don't store information in isolated boxes; they store it in a vast, interconnected web.

The reason the first list of words was so hard to remember is that the words were random and had no connection to each other. It’s difficult for our brains to remember a series of unrelated things.

But what if the list had been: Pencil, Eraser, Ruler, Sharpener? You would have remembered all of them easily, and in the correct order. Why? Because your brain can instantly associate them. It understands the connection between these items.

The Story Method: Combining Imagination and Association

When you combine the power of imagination with the glue of association, you get the Story Method. This is the ultimate technique for remembering anything. It allows you to create a memorable narrative that links together even the most random pieces of information.

Let's play the memory game again. But this time, we'll use the Story Method. I will give you a new list of 10 words, but this time, I’ll weave them into a short, vivid story.

(Word 1: Bike)
Imagine you just bought a brand-new bike. You're riding it for the first time. You can smell the fresh paint and feel the smooth texture of the metal.

(Word 2: Tea)
As you ride, you suddenly crave a cup of tea. You pull over to a roadside stall. The tea is hot and perfectly sweet.

(Word 3: Drums)
While you're sipping your tea, a wedding procession passes by. A band is playing loud, vibrant music, and the sound of the drums is clear and powerful.

(Word 4: Suitcase)
Suddenly, someone on a rooftop throws a suitcase, and it lands right on the head of the drummer.

(Word 5: Drone)
The suitcase bursts open, and out flies a drone, which starts snatching necklaces from the women in the crowd.

(Word 6: Arrow)
Out of nowhere, an arrow shoots through the sky and hits the drone, causing it to crash.

(Word 7: Bomb)
The drone has a self-destruct feature, and it explodes like a bomb.

(Word 8: Stone)
In the explosion, a small stone is sent flying and hits you.

(Word 9: Time)
You look at the stone and realize it’s the Time Stone from the movie Avengers: Infinity War.

(Word 10: Thief)
You use the Time Stone to travel back in time, find the thief who threw the suitcase, and stop the whole event from happening.

The End.

Now, pause again and try to recall all 10 words in order. To help you, just replay the story in your mind.

You likely remembered between 8 and 10 words this time, and probably in the correct order. Why? Because the story created a strong, imaginative, and associative link between each word.

The story I created was from my imagination. For the best results, create your own. When you use your own creativity, the associations will be even stronger. This is the exact technique that memory champions use to perform incredible feats of memorization.

These powerful memory principles are from the book "You Can Have an Amazing Memory: Learn Life-Changing Techniques and Tips from the Memory Maestro" by Dominic O'Brien. If you're ready to unlock your own memory championship, you can find the book here: You Can Have an Amazing Memory