THE POWER OF MIND. William Walker Atkinson

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СКАЧАТЬ some orderly relation to the remembered thing. In forming the mental series, follow the rule of the alphabet, or list of Presidents, and fasten the first one in your mind firmly, then add on the next, etc.

      PRINCIPLE IX. In the study or investigation of a subject or an object, use as many faculties as possible.

      The value of this principle is perceived when we remember that each faculty registers upon the mind a separate impression, and when we use more than one faculty in the study of a thing, we receive as many sets of impressions as we have used faculties. If we are trying to commit a name or a date to memory, it will aid us materially if, in addition to repeating the name or date, we will write it down and study it with the eye, thus receiving the abstract impression of the thing, its sound, and the visual impression. In recalling it we may be helped either by the general remembrance of it, by its sound, or by our recollection of how it looked when written on paper. Many persons giving public recitations say that the position of certain words and paragraphs appear before their mind’s eye, just as they were on the page of the book from which the lines were read. Preachers who prepare their sermons in manuscript and study them over at home, going to the pulpit with only general notes or with no notes at all, tell us that they will see the position of each paragraph, and the first word of same, just before they reach it, looking just at it did in their manuscript. Public speakers experience the same thing.

      Many persons find themselves unable to remember a name unless they repeat it aloud once or twice. Many instances of the application of this principle will occur to you as you progress in your work of training the memory.

      PRINCIPLE X. You may greatly improve weak faculties by exercises adapted to each.

      When you find it difficult to recall impressions previously received from any particular faculty, it is well to begin training and developing that faculty to the end that it may register sharper impressions. Other chapters of this book will suggest many methods and ways of doing this. By developing a number of faculties, you will receive a greater number of intense impressions, and will, consequently, find it much easier to recall the thing wanted, as a greater number of impressions have been made sharply, and can be more easily found when wanted.

      PRINCIPLE XI. Difficulty in recalling an impression may be overcome by endeavoring to revive an impression received at the same time, or by trying to recall some associated component.

      An instance of the application of this principle, is had in the case of one who fails to recall a name. Try as he will the name will not come into the field of consciousness. He then begins to run over the alphabet, slowly, pausing at each letter and considering it before passing on. Very often the thought of the first letter of the name will bring back the impression of the name itself. The initial letter of a name is often remembered more clearly than the balance of the name, and the latter is brought by association when the mind recalls the first letter. If this method fails, try the plan of trying to remember the person himself, how he looked and talked, when and where you first heard his name, etc., or if it be the name of a thing, apply the same rule, and try to recall the circumstances surrounding it, the qualities connected with the thing bearing the name, etc.

      PRINCIPLE XII. In endeavoring to recall an impression, think of some definite thing connected with it and revive others received about the same time. This is better than trying to recall it in an indiscriminate way.

      When you are unable to succeed by the application of Principle xi, and can recall no impression received at the same time or component part, endeavor to recall the impression of something connected with the thing, in some way, getting as close to the object or subject as possible, and, if possible, the circumstances connected with the obtaining of the impression. Imagine yourself back in the position and under the circumstances that existed when the impression was received, and often you will start into operation a train of thought which will bring the desired thing into the field of consciousness.

      PRINCIPLE XIII. When a previous impression is recalled, involuntarily, by the mind, after a previous unsuccessful attempt to recall it voluntarily, it is well to note the associated reviving impression, for future use and experiment.

      This involuntary recollection of a thing which the mind has previously refused to recall, is, of course, an effort of the subconscious function of the mind. But, a little careful investigation will show that it came into the field of consciousness following closely another thought, although the connection between the two may not be apparent at first sight. By remembering the reviving impression, that is the impression which came into the field of consciousness just before the elusive impression, you may bring back the troublesome thing at will, no matter how long afterward the time may be when the word is again forgotten. And the noting of the dim connection will often open up quite a field for thought and give the key to a further knowledge of the great subject of memory.

      Chapter XI.

       The Cumulative System of Memory Culture.

       Table of Content

      Treating of a rational, practical, easily acquired system of Memory Culture, which in the opinion of the author of this book is the best and only practical method of developing the Memory as a whole—This is a modern presentation of the system used by the ancients, in India, Greece, Iceland, and other countries, to train the minds of students that they might acquire and store away the legends, religious books, philosophies, and laws of the races, and by means of which it was a common thing for these pupils to memorize books exceeding in size our Bible—Full instructions and directions are given for the development of the memory by this great system.

      THOSE WHO have made a careful study of the subject of Memory Culture, and who have no pet hobbies to ride or fads to promote, generally agree that the method which we term “The Cumulative System” is the only natural system of developing the power of memory. It depends upon no set of tricks, catch­words, etc., but proceeds on the theory that the development of memory must be gradual, and by easy stages. It seeks to develop the memory, instead of loading it down with “methods.” Its underlying theory is the memory may be developed just as one would develop a muscle or part of the body—gradually, and by easy exercises constantly repeated. It is not a trick method of committing things to memory, but a system of developing and training the memory until it can readily recall things without the necessity of any tricks or artificial methods. It is Nature’s own way of doing things—of developing from the seed to the plant. But at the same time it affords the best possible plan of committing to memory anything of great length.

      This “Cumulative System” is not a new system. It is merely the oldest system revived. It is the system used by the Orientals and other ancient people in training the mind to carry without mistake their sacred teaching and philosophies. In other parts of this work we have given numerous examples of the wonderful feats of memory performed by these peoples, and from what we have seen in a number of modern cases there seems to be no reason for thinking that these same feats may not be duplicated by the people of to­day. There is a very good reason for the apparent discontinuance of the old system. In the old days before printing was discovered, but very few people could write, and the writings themselves were apt to be mislaid, lost or destroyed, and the teachers were afraid to trust their teachings to parchment or whatever material happened to be in use. So they would train the minds of their pupils until they could commit to memory works of the same size as our Bible, or even larger. As you will see by reference to other chapters, the philosophies, religious books, and even the laws of many nations were thus transmitted and perpetuated for many centuries, without being committed to writing at all. Even in our own days, the rituals of secret societies are transmitted in this way, the rules of the orders prohibiting the writing or printing of certain parts of their ritual, or in some cases of any of it.

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