Researchers allowed a group of people to double memory capacities using an ancient method.
Having an elephant memory is not a gift but a technique. This is in any case the happy finding that can be drawn from a study published in the journal Neuron. Using a method practiced in ancient Greece, the authors succeeded in doubling the memory faculties of people with “normal” potential.
The team first studied the brains of 23 memory champions, who competed in international competitions and achieved the highest scores. These participants could memorize an average of 70 words.
Connections
But on imaging, the researchers observed that the brain areas of these people with tenfold memory talents showed no difference, compared to the brain of ordinary people. On the other hand, the connections between these areas were much more developed. Thus, the way in which these regions communicate with each other seems to constitute this extraordinary memory.
The researchers then brought together 51 participants, who were given memory tests. On average, participants could remember about twenty words. Then, they were divided into three groups. The first didn’t do anything special for 40 days. The second performed traditional memory tests and the third applied the loci method, also known as the “memory palace”.
This consists of associating an element to remember (in this case, a word) a very specific place. To remember it, you have to remember the place where this information is stored and move mentally in your palate.
35 additional words
After this workout, the participants who used this technique managed to remember 35 more words, or more than 60 – almost as many as the champions of the discipline. The group that performed the traditional memory exercises only improved their score by 11 words.
On imaging, the researchers were able to observe that the brain connections of these participants had multiplied, like those found in the brains of champions. The authors believe that while this method has yet to prove its effectiveness in other studies, it represents a reasonable hope for all those who want to improve their memory.
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