^Tutorial 17 - Reading, Studying, and Learning\

Having worked through Memory Master tutorials 1 to 16, you now have the
necessary knowledge to remember any reading material ^as you read it\.

The facts in reading material are normally sequential, so you can apply,
basically, the |Link System\.  Within most reading material you may come
across names, unfamiliar words, numbers, technical data, and so on.  None of
this need present a problem, because you already know how to memorise them.

You are familiar with the Substitute Word system, which will help you
remember names, unfamiliar words, and concepts.  You know the Key Word or
Key Thought idea, which, together with the Link System, will help you
remember those things in sequence.  You also know how to picture numbers,
which will enable you to remember them as you read.

All you have to do is simply apply the Memory Master systems to the reading
material you wish to remember.

Let's see how that actually works in practice.  Assume you want to remember
the facts in the following 'mini geography lesson' about the island of
Jamaica.#

^'The island of Jamaica lies in the Caribbean Sea, and is one of the group
of islands known collectively as the West Indies. Jamaica covers an area of
some 4,411 square miles, and has a population of 2,388,000. The island's
capital is Kingston, which is situated in the South.

Jamaica was first reached by Europeans when Columbus landed there in 1494.
The island became British in 1655, and independent within the Commonwealth
in 1962.

The island's chief exports are sugar, bananas, bauxite, and coffee.  Jamaica
also has a rapidly expanding tourist industry.'\


Now, start applying the Link System to the facts in this text about Jamaica.
You should begin your Link with a 'Heading' picture, a Substitute thought
which will remind you of Jamaica. You might, for example, picture a <Jam
Maker\, a chef dressed all in white who is frantically making pots and pots
of strawberry jam, and getting covered in it from head to toe.#

As always, the picture which you think of yourself is best for you to use,
but let's assume for the moment that you are going to use ^Jam Maker\ to
begin your Link.

Before proceeding with the Link, you should realise that although the silly
pictures described on the next few pages take a lot of words to describe,
the actual images are formed in your mind as fast as thought.

O.K, picture a ^Jam Maker\ <carrying beans\ to some >Vest Indians\ - a group
of Red Indians wearing string vests. This ludicrous picture will remind you
of the first few facts - you're reading about ^Jamaica\, which lies in the
<Caribbean\, and forms part of the >West Indies\. See the crazy picture in
your mind's eye for just an instant, right now.

The next two facts to remember both involve numbers - the area of Jamaica is
4,411 square miles, and has a population of 2,388,000. This is precisely
the type of data which is normally so difficult to remember - it is
completely abstract.#

But, you have now learned how to picture numbers, so (as, incidentally they
say in Jamaica) it is 'No Problem !'. The number 4,411 could transpose to
%Re-routed\, and 2,388,000 to $Gnome Viva Success\. So you could picture
those Red Indians in string vests running around and being %re-routed\ as
they run, by a giant hand. And, as they are re-routed, they keep tripping
over a garden $gnome\, which hops about shouting $'Viva Success'\.

Now, it may take a little time to come up with that picture, but, in order
to do so, you are really concentrating on the material, and heightening your
Initial Awareness of the facts you wish to remember. Also, how would you set
about memorising a number like 2,388,000 ^without\ a system ?

Make sure you see that last picture clearly, then continue your Link.
Associate the gnome saying 'Viva Success' to |King's Ton\ (Kingston). You
might picture a |King\ sitting on a throne, surrounded by a |ton\ of gold
coins. Suddenly, out of the gold pops that gnome, still merrily shouting
'Viva Success !'.

The next fact to remember involves a date - Columbus discovered the island
in 1494. To picture any date, simply split it into two two-digit numbers and
link the Peg Words for those numbers. So, 1494 would be ^Tyre Bear\.#

Now, link $King's Ton, Column Bus (Columbus) and Tyre Bear\.  Imagine the
King counting his ton of gold when out of the gold pile drives a ^bus\
shaped like Nelson's ^column\.  The ^column bus\ drives round and round on
the ton of gold, then screeches to a halt.  Out of the bus leaps a ^bear\,
swinging a big tyre around its middle like a hoola-hoop.  Try and see that
zany picture right now.  It does take a little imagination to come up with
the sily pictures, but once you see them clearly, just for a split second,
you will have memorised the facts you wish to learn.

The next fact to remember is that the island became British in 1655.  To
picture this, you could see a |dish\ - shaped |lily\ (16 - 55) waving a
Union Jack flag.  Now associate that image to Tyre Bear.  Picture that bear,
still swinging the tyre around its middle, leaping into a pond full of
dish-shaped lilies which are vigourously waving Union Jack flags.  As
mentioned earlier, this picture takes a lot of written words to describe,
but is actually seen in an instant.#

Continue your Link.  Jamaica became independent in 1962 (tap - chain).
Picture a %tap\ with arms and legs which swings a heavy %chain\ around in
the air.  As it does this, it jumps across that lily pond, stepping on the
dish-shaped lilies as it goes, until it falls >in\ the >deep end\
(independent) of the pond and sinks slowly, dramatically, to the bottom.

Now, form your own silly pictures to Link to the next facts - Jamaica's
exports include sugar, bananas, bauxite, rum, and coffee.  Include each one
of these items in your Link :- associate tap - chain to sugar to bananas to
bauxite to rum to coffee (hint - for bauxite picture ^box it\ - the other
items can be easily pictured).  Make those associations clearly, right now.

Complete your Link by associating coffee to the final fact - the island's
rapidly expanding tourist industry. Picture lots of tourists who are somehow
expanding very quickly, as if being inflated by a giant pump. They are
drinking coffee, which is so hot it makes them burst, like balloons. Make
that mental image as comical as possible, and you are sure to remember it.#

That completes your Link, and also the task of memorising the stated facts
about Jamaica. Go over the complete Link in your mind once more, before
reading any further. If you have really tried to see all the ridiculous
pictures, you will remember all the facts in the 'mini lesson'.

In this example, ^every\ fact from the reading material was included in the
Link.  Obviously, when you actually start to use the system in practice,
you will be selective and only link the facts you feel you want to remember.

Press Page Down to see how well the systems worked for you in remembering
the facts from the example given.~