Assimilative Memory Part 8

Then counting Noah and his wife, and his three sons and their wives, there were four pairs of human beings altogether. This gives the figure 4. Finally the total number of human beings who entered the ark were 4 pairs or _eight_ persons. This gives the figure 8. Thus we have the entire set of figures, 2348 B.C. Take the date of the creation according to the accepted biblical chronology as 4004 B.C. We could say the date has _four_ figures, that the expression of it begins and ends with the figure 4, and that the two intermediates are nought, or cyphers; or that the figures are expressed by 40 and _forty reversed_ as 40-04--or 4004.

A SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT.

Having met several persons who claimed that they always remembered figures by reasoning about them [whatever that may have meant], and yet all such persons having shown an inability to remember many dates or numbers, I inferred that they were honestly mistaken in supposing that they could remember numbers, or else that such a method was not adapted to their idiosyncrasies. At that time, I did not suspect that their failure may have arisen from lack of _training_ in In., Ex., and Con.

From the circ.u.mstance that I myself could use this method with prompt.i.tude and certainty, I determined to test it in a strictly scientific way.

I made the experiment two years ago, and all my experience since has corroborated the conclusion then arrived at.

I experimented with the two groups of 20 pupils each. Neither knew any method of dealing with dates and numbers. The first group had had no training in In., Ex., and Con.; the second group had been well practised in those laws. I then gave each member of each group several very difficult cases of dates and numbers to be memorised--one example containing 24 figures. To save time and s.p.a.ce in exposition, I have heretofore only mentioned 12 figures, or the half of the amount. All of the first group failed except one. He, however, could not memorise the 24 figures. All of the second group handled all the new examples with success, and only two of them met with much difficulty in dealing with the 24 figures.

Since this decisive experiment, I have heartily recommended the method of finding relations amongst the numbers themselves, to all who are proficient in the use of In., Ex., and Con.

The example of 24 figures must conclude this exposition. They represent respectively the number of the day of the month in which the first Sat.u.r.day in each month falls in 1895 and 1896. To one without practice in applying a.n.a.lysis to figures, there seems no hope of memorising this long group of figures except by endless repet.i.tion. The 24 figures are

522641637527417426415375.

Yet reflect a moment and all will be clear. Divide the 24 figures into 2 groups of 12 figures each and number the first group, divided into four sections, thus:--

(1) (2) (3) (4) 522, 641, 637, 527.

Now bring the first and fourth groups into relation, and you see at once that the fourth group is larger than the first group by only _five_.

Bringing the _second_ group into relation with the _third_ group, we find they differ only by _four_. Again: the third group is larger than the fourth by 100 and by 10, that is 527 becomes 637, the seven alone remaining steadfast. Beginning with the fourth group and pa.s.sing to the third group we have the fourth group with 110 added. The second group is the third group with only four added, and the first group is the fourth group with only five subtracted. Thinking out these relations you can recall the groups as groups or the separate figures of each group or the entire 12 figures either forwards or backwards--and you have achieved this result by _Attention_ and _Thought_.

The other twelve figures are easily disposed of. They are 417426415375.

Divided into groups of three figures each we have

(1) (2) (3) (4) 417 426 415 375.

Bringing the first group into relation with the third group, we notice that it is larger by two--and considering the second group with the fourth group, we find that the second group is as much and one more above 400 as the fourth is below 400. Other minor matters could be noticed, as that the first two figures of each group are respectively 41--42--41--37, and that the last figure in each group is 7--6--5--5.

But these relations are hardly worth observing.

Coming back to the first series, we know that each figure represents the number of the day of the month to which it belongs on which the first Sat.u.r.day in that month falls. The figures for 1895 are 522--641--637--527. The first Sat.u.r.day in January, 1895, falls on the _fifth_ day of January, hence the second Sat.u.r.day must be 5 + 7 = the 12th day of January; the third Sat.u.r.day the 19th, and the fourth Sat.u.r.day 26th. It is easy to know on what day of the _week_ any day in January falls. Suppose you ask on what week day the 25th of January falls? You know the 26th is Sat.u.r.day, and hence the 25th must be the day preceding the 26th, to wit, Friday, the 25th. Suppose you ask on what week day the 9th of January falls. You know the 12th is Sat.u.r.day (the second Sat.u.r.day). You now count backward thus: 12 is Sat.u.r.day, 11 must be Friday, 10 Thursday, 9 must be Wednesday. The _first_ Sat.u.r.day in January, 1895, is the 5th; of February, the 2nd; of March, the 2nd; of April, the 6th; of May, the 4th, &c., &c. And we can tell on what week day any day of any of the other months falls.

EXERCISES.

1.--The Ratio of the Circ.u.mference of the circle to its diameter is expressed by the integer 3 and 708 decimals, of which I give only eight.

Learning these nine figures is good practice in numeric thinking--3.14159265.

2.--The Yellowstone National Park contains 2,294,740 acres.

3.--The Monster Chartist Pet.i.tion contained 3,317,702 names.

HOW TO LEARN PROSE AND POETRY BY HEART.

THE a.n.a.lYTIC SYNTHETIC METHOD APPLIED TO LONG SENTENCES.

How _un.o.bservant_ and wholly _unreliant_ many pupils are may be seen from the fact that notwithstanding my elaborate handling of the processes of learning prose and poetry by heart, I often receive requests to send some indication of how I would learn a particular chapter or selection by heart! But a chapter consists of paragraphs and paragraphs of sentences. Learning the desired pa.s.sages by heart is done by applying the methods here so profusely ill.u.s.trated to the successive sentences of the chapter or selection, until practice and training in these methods will make their further application unnecessary.

In pursuance of my plan to keep the mind in an a.s.sIMILATING condition when trying to learn and to further aid in making the intellect stay and work with the senses, I proceed to furnish a Training Method for committing prose and poetry to memory.

_Endless repet.i.tion or repeating a sentence to be memorised over and over again_ is the usual process. After one perusal, however, the mind in such a case has sated its curiosity in regard to the meaning of the sentence and each subsequent repet.i.tion for the purpose of fixing it in the memory merely makes an impression upon the eye or ear or both, and the intellect, being unoccupied, naturally wanders away. Hence, learning by _rote_ promotes _mind-wandering_: for the Attention always wanders unless wooed to its work by all-engrossing interest in the subject which in case of a weak power of Attention is rarely sufficient, or by =the stimulating character of the process of acquirement= which is made use of. In the Method about to be given, the intellect is agreeably occupied, and thereby a Habit of Attention is promoted.

The justification for this Method is found in the Psychological maxim that the intellect can a.s.similate a simple idea more easily than a complex idea, and a few ideas at a time than many ideas.

The process of this New Method of Decomposition and Recomposition is as follows:--Find the _shortest sentence or phrase that makes sense_ in the sentence to be memorised. Add to this short sentence or phrase, _modifiers_ found in the original sentence, always italicising each new addition--one at a time--until the original sentence is finally restored. Suppose we wish to memorise Bacon's definition of education: "_Education is the cultivation of a just and legitimate familiarity betwixt the mind and things._" Begin with the briefest sentence and then go on: 1. Education is cultivation. 2. Education is _the_ cultivation _of a familiarity_. 3. Education is the cultivation of a familiarity _betwixt the mind and things_. 4. Education is the cultivation of a _just_ familiarity betwixt the mind and things. 5. Education is the cultivation of a just _and legitimate_ familiarity betwixt the mind and things. In this process, the sentence is first taken to pieces, and then reconstructed. Finding the lowest terms, "Education is cultivation," we proceed step by step to add modifiers until the original sentence is fully restored.

Each time we make an addition, we recite _so much_ of the original sentence as has. .h.i.therto been used, in connection with the _new modifiers_ laying _special emphasis_ on the new matter as represented by the italic words. The intellect is thus kept compulsorily and delightfully occupied from the start to the finish. It seeks the shortest phrase or sentence and adds successively all the modifiers, making no omissions. This a.n.a.lyzing and synthesizing process--_this taking to pieces and then gradually building up_ the original sentence, makes a deep and lasting First Impression.

Every time this method is used the Attention ought to be strengthened and mind-wandering diminished and the natural Memory strengthened in both its Stages.

This process admits usually of several applications in the case of a long sentence. In the foregoing example, it might have proceeded thus: 1. Education is a familiarity. 2. Education is the familiarity _betwixt the mind and things_. 3. Education is the _cultivation_ of a familiarity betwixt the mind and things. 4. Education is the cultivation of _just_ familiarity betwixt the mind and things. 5. Education is the cultivation of a just _and legitimate_ familiarity betwixt the mind and things. Or we might have taken this course: 1. Education is a familiarity. 2.

Education is a familiarity _betwixt the mind and things_. 3. Education is a _just_ familiarity betwixt the mind and things. 4. Education is a just _and legitimate_ familiarity betwixt the mind and things. 5.

Education is _the cultivation_ of a just and legitimate familiarity betwixt the mind and things.

1. To keep the mind in an a.s.similating condition, what method is furnished?

2. What is the usual process of memorising prose and poetry?

3. After one perusal in such a process what takes place?

4. Does learning by rote promote mind-wandering?

5. Does not the attention always wander unless wooed to its work by great interest in the subject dealt with, or by the method of learning which is given?

6. How is the intellect occupied by using my method?

7. Is the habit of Attention also promoted?

8. Where is the justification of this method found?

9. Can the intellect a.s.similate a simple idea more easily than a complex idea?

10. Describe the process of learning by the a.n.a.lytic Synthetic Method.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE FULLY WORKED OUT.

"Attention is the will directing the intellect into some particular channel and keeping it there." 1. Attention is the will. 2. Attention is the will _directing the intellect_. 3. Attention is the will directing the intellect _into a channel_. 4. Attention is the will directing the intellect into _some_ channel. 5. Attention is the will directing the intellect into some _particular_ channel. 6. Attention is the will directing the intellect into some particular channel _and keeping it there_. Or we may take this course: 1. Attention is directing the intellect. 2. Attention is directing the intellect _into a channel_. 3.

Attention is directing the intellect into _some_ channel. 4. Attention is directing the intellect into some _particular_ channel. 5. Attention is directing the intellect into some particular channel _and keeping it there_. 6. Attention is the _will_ directing the intellect into some particular channel and keeping it there.

A LONG LEGAL DEFINITION.

"An estate upon condition is one which depends upon the happening or not happening of some uncertain event whereby the estate may be either originally created or enlarged or finally defeated."

1. An estate is one. 2. An estate _upon condition_ is one. 3. An estate upon condition is one _which depends upon the happening of some event_.

4. An estate upon condition is one which depends upon the happening _or not happening_ of some event. 5. An estate upon condition is one which depends upon the happening or not happening of some _uncertain_ event.

6. An estate upon condition is one which depends upon the happening or not happening of some uncertain event _whereby the estate may be created or enlarged or defeated_. 7. An estate upon condition is one which depends upon the happening or not happening of some uncertain event whereby the estate may be _either_ created or enlarged or defeated. 8.

An estate upon condition is one which depends upon the happening or not happening of some uncertain event whereby the estate may be either _originally_ created or enlarged or defeated. 9. An estate upon condition is one which depends upon the happening or not happening of some uncertain event whereby the estate may be either originally created or enlarged or _finally_ defeated.

1. In this process, what is first done with a sentence?

2. After a sentence is thus taken to pieces, what is then done with it?