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How To Memorize Text Quickly

It's hard to memorize text quickly and efficiently. There are many things you want to be able to refrence and recall without having to look it up. The primary reason to memorize text is to give your mind the opportunity to use that information in a way that is useful to you, in real time. The Bible calls this writing the Word of God on our hearts. This is a great way to be able to recall scriptures that have been memorized and written on the heart when the Holy Spirit prompts you to do so.

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Methods​

I'm certain there are many different methods and each will work depending on the person. I will be agnostic in sharing the methods and will provide my conclusions at the end.

The 8 Step Stefanos Method​

A method to memorize text verbatim and with a really nice speed. For example, the creator of this method, Stefanos, memorized Psalm 27 in 5 to 10 minutes.

The technique you are using is similar to the one used by the Japanese mnemonist Kikujiro Wadamori. The technique is known as “registering.” You start with something that you already have memorized, and you use that as your starting point for other memories. Wadamori would use famous quotes or lines from songs he knew, and then (just as you have done) attach memories to each word. By thinking of the phrase he then had access to all the memories associated with it. Psalm 27:1 is your register in this case, and is your link to all the other memories, and you access all the other verses through it.

So, let's say that you have to memorize this:

Psalm 27(NKJV)

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.

4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.

5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.

13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.

14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Step 1​

This step is the most important. In this step you have to already know by heart a verse. Any verse. I don't care with what method did you learn it, be it by rote, by memory palace, by anything. You have to absolutely know a verse by heart, word for word, for this method to work. This could even be the first verse of our example. You learn perfectly word for word the first verse of Psalm 27 and then you continue to step 2.

Step 2​

OK, for our example I will use the first verse of Psalm 27 which says:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

Now, what you have to do, is to take every word of that verse and make it a clear image in your mind. After you do that, practice to remember the sequence of the images perfectly. If you forget an image you will be able to bring it back in your memory, by saying the verse in your mind. That is the reason you have to know 1 verse perfectly. The verse is actually your memory palace for the other 13 verses and maybe more. The difference between this memory palace and your home or maybe a journey in your town, is that you create it by the same text you are reading. Let's go to step 3 and make it more clear for you.

Step 3​

Now that you know your images and their sequence perfectly, take your first image and zoom in it enough to see it big and clear in your mind. For our example the 1st image is created by the word “The”, the 2nd by the word “Lord”, and so on. Now that you zoomed in your first image select 5 places on that image. Do this for the rest of your images. After you finish this task you will be ready with a memory palace of [26 rooms/images (made from the 26 words of our 1st verse) * 5 places in each room/image] = 130 places ready to take not only psalm 27 but more information.

Step 4​

Here is how you move in this super memory palace. You start moving from the first room/image/word of your verse until the last. In each room/image you move something like clockwise in every one of the 5 places you have set, in each one of the images/rooms.

Step 5​

Let's see how you will store information in this palace. The rule is, that you will put each of the rest of the verses of Psalm 27 in each of the images of your palace. Verse 2 of Psalm 27 will go to the image/room made by the first word of 1st verse(“The”). Verse 3 will go to the image/room made by the word “Lord”. And so on. But first let's see step 6.

Step 6​

Now that you have your palace ready and set, continue reading the rest of the verses (2,3,…,14) . For each verse find 5 keywords and make each one of them an image, as fast as you can.

Step 7​

Now that you found each verse's 5 keywords and made each one an image, let's start storing verse 2. Take that verse's 5 key-images and start placing each one, in each one of the 5 places, of your 1st room. Repeat the same task for the rest of the verses by putting verse 3 in the second room and so on. If you haven't already understood, verse 1 is actually your memory palace.

Step 8​

Now, try repeating psalm 27 in your mind by looking at your memories you created.

Mnemonic Machine Memory Systems​

"A mnemonic machine is a device or system that is designed to help people remember information by associating it with a specific set of cues or patterns. Mnemonic devices have been used for centuries as a way to improve memory and recall, and there are many different types of mnemonic machines that have been developed over the years. Some examples of mnemonic machines include memory palaces, mind maps, and the Method of Loci, which involves creating mental images or associations with specific locations in order to remember information. There are also various software programs and apps that are designed to help users create and use mnemonic devices, such as Anki and SuperMemo. It's worth noting that the effectiveness of mnemonic devices can vary depending on the individual and the type of information being learned, but they can be a useful tool for many people.

There are many different types of mnemonic machines that have been developed over the years, and some common examples include:

The Method of Loci​

This involves creating mental images or associations with specific locations in order to remember information. For example, you might imagine placing key points from a speech or text in different rooms of a house and then walking through the house in your mind to recall the information.

Acronyms and acrostics​

These involve creating a word or phrase from the first letters of a list of items that you want to remember. For example, "Roy G. Biv" is an acronym that is often used to remember the colors of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).

Rhyme and alliteration​

Using rhyme or alliteration can make information easier to remember by making it more memorable and catchy. For example, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue" is a rhyme that helps remember the date that Columbus sailed to America.

Mental imagery​

Creating vivid mental images can be a powerful way to remember information. For example, you might imagine a clown juggling a series of objects in order to remember a list of items.

Flashcards​

Flashcards are a simple but effective mnemonic device that can be used to memorize a wide range of information. They consist of a question or prompt on one side and an answer on the other, and can be used to quiz yourself on various topics.

Memory palaces​

A memory palace involves creating a mental map or layout of a familiar location and placing items or information that you want to remember at specific locations within the map. You can then "walk through" the memory palace in your mind to recall the information.

Example using the Sermon on the Mount​

Here is an example of how a mnemonic machine could be used to remember the Sermon on the Mount from the New Living Translation of the Bible:

First, identify the key points or passages that you want to remember from the Sermon on the Mount. These might include the Beatitudes, the Golden Rule, and the teachings on loving your enemies and trusting in God.

Next, create a mnemonic device to help you remember these key points. One way to do this is to use the Method of Loci, which involves creating mental images or associations with specific locations. For example, you could imagine walking through a house and placing each key point from the Sermon on the Mount in a different room or location.

As you walk through the house in your mind, visualize each key point from the Sermon on the Mount and associate it with the location where you have placed it. For example, you might imagine the Beatitudes written on a chalkboard in the living room, the Golden Rule hanging on a wall in the kitchen, and the teachings on loving your enemies and trusting in God written on a whiteboard in the bedroom.

Practice recalling the key points from the Sermon on the Mount by walking through the house in your mind and recalling the information associated with each location. With practice, you should be able to recall the key points from the Sermon on the Mount more easily.

It's worth noting that this is just one example of how a mnemonic machine could be used to remember the Sermon on the Mount, and there are many other techniques and strategies that you could try as well. The important thing is to find a method that works well for you and practice using it regularly." Author - ChatGPT