Only six people in the world have been diagnosed with hyperthymesia — the mutant power to recall nearly every detail from every moment of one’s life. We’re guessing you’re not one of them. And while it’s annoying for mortals to realize they’ve already forgotten the name of the person who introduced himself 1.5 seconds ago, that type of irritation is nothing compared to the wrath of an angry girlfriend when you botch a detail about her she expects you to know.
The good news is that remembering things better can happen with some technique, a little practice, and attention to detail. Harry Lorayne, author of more than 17 books on the subject, has provided tips that’ll make you forget that you ever had a forgetting problem.
REMEMBER PIECES OF INFORMATION
Let’s say you’re on a first date and the woman is telling you about herself — everything from where she works to what her favorite movies are. It can be a lot to remember, but to help, you can construct mental images to keep track of the details. For example, if she works as an office assistant and her favorite Sylvester Stallone movie is Rambo: First Blood, you could visualize a cluttered office in which Rambo is going all Rambo. As she adds more specifics, add them to the story; or for instance, if she loves Germany, think of Rambo wearing lederhosen.
Another example: If you always forget where you’re parked in parking garages, use the same method. If you’re parked in section B-34 of the garage, you could think of “Bo’s 34-B boobs.” That will naturally remind you of former pro football and baseball All-Star Bo Jackson, who wore the number 34 as he plowed through defenders on the field and in the amazing 8-bit Nintendo Tecmo Bowl games.
