User:Zmemory/Chain

The Chain Method is a mnemonic technique, where visual representations of information are directly connected together, one after another. This is useful for memorizing lists and connected pieces of information.

The Rules

A few rules need to be followed to ensure that all information is memorized correctly. First, only two items are visualized in the mind at a time. Both images need to be visualized largely, colorfully, and in great detail. To ensure that the order of items is not confused, the second image is always placed, in the imagination, above, on the right side of, or piercing, the previous image.

Example: Milk, butter, eggs, mustard, celery, cheese.

Imagine a jug of milk. The milk should be visualized largely, like the size of a TV. On top of the milk, visualize a stick of butter. The eggs would go on top of the butter, the mustard on top of the eggs, and so on. Now to recall the entire list, one needs to only imagine the milk again. The butter image will appear with the milk, and the eggs with the butter, and so on.

This method is very good for quick memorization of simple information. One of the weaknesses of the method is it's dependency on itself. If one of the connections is broken, it is very difficult to recall the rest of the list.

The Rules

See also