How many times have you been embarrassed because you couldn’t remember someone’s name? Do important dates, like birthdays and anniversaries slip through your mind like a sieve?
Improving your memory can help your relationships with the people around you, unlock your knowledge, build your confidence and reach all your important goals!
Don’t just sit there scratching your head, try these tips from one of Italy’s most renowned memory experts Gianni Golfera.
1. Consider the principal characteristic of his/her face.
If you were drawing a caricature of that person, which dominant features would you focus on and try to exaggerate?
2. Create an E.M.B.A.S.I. image for the name
E.M.B.A.S.I. stands for:
Exaggeration (creating a larger-than-life picture);
Movement (because attention is awakened by movement);
Bizarre Association – the weirder, the better
Sentimental involvement - attach it to something you feel strongly about will help even more.
So, transform the name into an image through visualization, using E.M.B.A.S.I. as a guideline. The E.M.B.A.S.I. image generates neurological activation that helps you to remember naturally. The weirder the image, or the more emotionally attached you are to the image you create, the better chance you’ll have of remembering.
3. Associate the image you have constructed
Now, it's just a matter of constructing a scene that combines these elements interacting in an unusual way!
EXAMPLES: If you want to remember the name of Mr. Paul and he has a big nose, you imagine it bigger and red because he knocked it on the bottom of a pool because pool sounds like Paul.
If you want to remember the name of Alicia and her predominant feature is her very expressive eyes, you can imagine her eyes turning green like an alien (because of the assonance with Alicia).
If you get introduced to Alexander and he has a big chin, you associate his name with Alexander the Great and imagine a sword that swings from his chin.
Gianni’s first book in the English language entitled More Memory is available at www.giannigolfera.com/products