Book Summary - Unlimited Memory (Kevin Horsley)

Imagine what you could achieve if you had unlimited memory and could absorb and remember information easily and effectively. In this book, Kevin Horsley presents a set of proven memory systems and techniques that you can use to improve your memory and multiply results in all areas of your life. In this free version of Unlimited Memory summary, we’ll outline these advanced learning strategies that you can use to transform your brain and results.

Unlimited Memory: An Overview

Your memory is the foundation of your life. Everything you know about yourself and the world you live in—from your self-identity to your skills and knowledge—comes from your memory.

A great memory gives you a distinct advantage by helping you to (i) store and access more information quickly, (ii) make mental associations, (iii) build upon existing knowledge, (iv) grasp opportunities, and (v) increase your overall intelligence.

As a dyslexic, Kevin Horsley struggled with traditional learning since young. After high school, he started to learn about the human brain and discovered that memory can be strengthened with regular use and practice, just like any other skill or habit. After reading extensively, interviewing people with good memories, and practicing various techniques, Horsley could absorb 4 books in a week and learn much faster than the average person. In 1995, he came in 5th place in the World Memory Championships and was awarded the title “International Grandmaster of Memory” by the Brain Trust. In 1999, he broke the world record for “The Everest of Memory Tests”. This involved memorizing the first 10,000 digits of Pi (divided into 2000 x 5-digit blocks), and quickly citing the 5 digits just before and after any set of numbers chosen by the testers.

We’ll now briefly outline the techniques that Kevin Horsley used to train himself and others to develop an extraordinary memory. Do get a copy of our full Unlimited Memory summary for more details, tips, and specific exercises.

Start with the Right Mindset

The only thing that can stand between you and a superb memory is yourself. The first step to developing a great memory is to believe you can do it, and to want to do it.

Drop your excuses (e.g. “I’m too old/young to learn” or “I’m not smart enough”) and stop blaming others or your circumstances (e.g. “everyone tells me I’m stupid” or “I’m too busy”).

Change your limiting beliefs. Replace all negative beliefs you have about your memory (e.g. “I’m stupid”, “I have a lousy memory”) with positive ones. Remember: you’re born with unlimited memory. All you need to do is to apply the right techniques and keep practicing them to develop your natural potential.

Write down as many reasons as possible on why you should improve your memory. Commit to take action, and get started now!

Master the 4 Keys to Unlimited Memory

There are 4Cs or keys to improving your memory: concentration, creating imagery, connecting concepts and continually applying these techniques to develop a habit.

CONCENTRATE

Many people are constantly distracted because they allow their attention to be pulled in many different directions. In our complete Unlimited Memory summary we elaborate on how to manage the inner voice in your head and improve your concentration.

CREATE IMAGERY

The human brain naturally thinks by converting information to mental images or movies. Words and sounds are less “sticky” because they’re only partial representations of those 3D images.

Use the “SEE principle” to make your mental pictures/videos more sticky and memorable:

Senses. Use all 5 senses—sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste—to experience and remember something more vividly.
Exaggeration. Things that stand out are more memorable. For example, you’d remember a football-sized orange better than a normal one.
Energize. Inject humor, color and action to make the content more vivid and fun! A neon-pink horse that’s dancing and singing is definitely more memorable than a brown horse standing still.

To convert abstract data into images, break them down into memorable images associated with each sound. For example, “Washington” can be broken down into a picture of someone washing a tin. To remember the capital of Greece, think of eight hens (Athens) swimming in grease (Greece). To remember the capital of Belgium, think of Brussel sprouts (Brussels) falling from a bell doing gym (Belgium).

CONNECT CONCEPTS

New data is stored as short-term memory (STM) in the brain. To remember them, you must transfer them to your long-term memory (LTM).

As a short-cut, you can peg new information to your long-term memory, using an existing list that you’re already familiar with. In our full Unlimited Memory summary, we explain several “memory systems” to peg information, including:

The Car Method: Using parts of a car to anchor ideas visually.
The Body Method: Using parts of your body as “storage compartments” to peg new info.
• Location or Route Markers: Using places or routes to peg/store new info.
Rhyming and Shape Pegs: Using numbers and letters of the alphabet as pegs. Once you know how to peg new concepts to existing lists, you can keep expanding your knowledge by using associations to link concepts.

Do get the full 13-page summary for detailed steps and exercises to start create images using the SEE principle and connect them using the memory systems above.

From there, we can tap on our brain’s natural tendency to associate ideas, to keep adding layers of associations to a list. In the full summary, you can try the exercise to memorize the first 12 presidents of the USA, then start to add associations to that list (e.g. adding the list of vice-presidents, key facts or events). Each word reminds you of the next, so you end up memorizing many things concurrently.

We also explain how you can (i) use the 4Cs to remember names, (ii) combine the methods above with an encoding system to remember strings of numbers, (iii) memorize written info or entire paragraphs of text, (iv) do presentations or speeches without notes, (v) remember the sequence of a shuffled deck of cards, and (vi) remember other routine day-to-day things or tasks.

CONTINUOUS USE

The methods outlined above are proven and widely used. In fact, all memory masters (e.g. Alex Mullen, Jim Kwik) use these methods. The problem is, you must put in consistent effort to enhance your memory, just like any other skill. It’s like learning a new language–it won’t work without persistent efforts and continuous use. To help you along, we also include 4 keys to improve your self-discipline in our complete summary.

The average person forgets 82% what he’s learned after 28 days. Do regular reviews to refresh your memory, deepen your understanding and create long-term memories. The first 72 hours are the most crucial for remembering something. After that, you can review it at progressively longer intervals. If you review something after 10 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days, 28 days, 2 months, then 3 months, you’ll probably remember it forever.

Getting the Most from Unlimited Memory

In this article, we’ve briefly outlined some of the key insights and strategies you can use to achieve desired change. For more examples, details, and actionable tips to apply these strategies, do get our complete book summary bundle which includes an infographic, 13-page text summary, and a 25-minute audio summary.

This is a short, easy-to-read book that focuses on practical strategies, techniques and exercises to help you understand and apply advanced learning methods. Besides the examples in our full Unlimited Memory summary, Kevin Horsley includes several other detailed exercises and tips for you to learn and practise the approaches outlined above. You can purchase the book here for the full details, or check out more resources/details at www.rememberimplement.com.

Do also check out our Mind Map Mastery summary and Limitless summary for more tools and insights for unlocking your brain potential!

About the Author of Unlimited Memory

Unlimited Memory: How to Use Advanced Learning Strategies to Learn Faster, Remember More and be More Productive is written by Kevin Horsley–an international speaker and author who focuses in helping organizations to improve learning, motivation, creativity, and thinking. He’s received the title “International Grandmaster of Memory”, and has won a World Memory Championship medalist and a two-time World Record holder for The Everest of memory tests.