THE POWER OF MIND. William Walker Atkinson
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of forming a mental image associating the figures with the object is of the greatest importance to clerks, salesmen, etc., whose work requires them to remember the price of goods. In many cases the clerk may actually see the prices attached to the goods by reviving the impression several times when looking at the goods in question. We know of a young man who was employed in a large retail grocery store who would form a mental image of this kind of every new lot of goods placed on the shelves, and who always thought of the goods as being plainly marked. If anyone asked him the price of “Baker’s Chocolate,” he would think of the package with the price marked upon it, and he knew the price of hundreds of articles of every description without referring to them except mentally. When the price changed he would wipe out the old mental figure and replace it with the new price. Today, after the lapse of over twenty years, he is able, by a mental effort, to recall the picture and price of the majority of the goods carried in the old store, the impression coming as a mental picture of the article with the price attached. His faculty of locality is large, and he is able to mentally rebuild the old store shelves, bearing upon them the goods just as they appeared twenty years ago, prices and all. If you will clearly associate the price with the appearance of the goods, the mental picture of the latter will bring with it the recollection of the former, and perhaps even the figures themselves will appear in the “mind’s eye.”
FIGURES.
Figures other than dates or prices may be associated with any object to which they would naturally be attached. But if there is no such appropriate object to which to attach the figure, the simple “visualizing” method must suffice. This method consists in photographing the figures upon the mind, until the mind will recall the details and shape of the figures, as it will those of a picture. Imagine the figures painted in large white characters on a black background. Hold the mental picture until you see it plainly in your “mind’s eye.” The ability to do this increases with practice. It is, however, always better if you can associate the figures with some appropriate object. The theory of this “visualizing” method, either with or without association, is based upon the fact (1) that many minds accept and retain a visual impression more readily than they do a mere abstract idea without a picture; and (2) that the law of association makes the mental picture (including the date) come easily into the field of consciousness, when the thought of the object suggests it.
Chapter XIV.
Memory of Place.
Treating of that faculty of the mind, which when largely developed enables one to find his way almost instinctively in strange places, and which, when deficient, causes one to “get lost” in places with which he should be familiar—The subject is taken up with the idea of showing how the faculty may be developed, and the importance of training and cultivating it—Instruction, examples, and exercises are given, upon well tested and tried lines, and the careful study of this chapter should start one well on the road to a great improvement in his sense of location, his memory of places, and the ability to “keep his bearings.”
SOME MEN have the faculty of locality largely developed and are able almost intuitively to find their way in strange places. Such people never get lost, and seem to carry the location of the points of the compass in their minds without any effort. They remember places, directions, position, nature’s arrangements as to space and place. Others possess this faculty in a lesser degree, and some seem to be almost without it. The last mentioned class find great difficulty in finding their way and dare not trust themselves in strange places and are constantly getting lost.
The faculty of Locality, like any other faculty, may be greatly developed by the proper exercise and practice. When the sense of Locality is but poorly developed, one takes no interest in the subject and pays no attention to it, hence the memory regarding places is deficient, the impressions recorded being but faint and imperfect.
If you possess but a poor memory for places, location, direction, etc., you must develop your faculty of Locality. To do this, you must begin by taking an interest in places and directions. You must pay attention and observe. Without interest you will do neither. You must look about you and notice the landmarks passed, and the direction in which you have traveled, and objects with which you have met on the way. You must look about you and see things. If in a city, note the corner buildings and their signs. Stand on the corners a few minutes and get your bearings. If you but put your heart in the task you will find much of interest, and the work will soon become interesting and pleasant. The trouble with you is that, heretofore, you have not been noticing things as you passed by. The man of large Locality notices these things almost instinctively, but you must start the habit by giving conscious attention until your mind establishes the correct habit and it becomes “second nature.”
Study maps and take imaginary journeys from place to place on the map. Follow up rivers from source to mouth. Take imaginary trips on the railroad, tracing the journey with the finger. Get a school geography and get to work when you are indoors. When you are outofdoors keep on noticing things, directions, landmarks, etc.
If you live in a large city, procure a copy of the city map and study it carefully. Start from a given point on the map and proceed to another given point, noticing the names of the streets over which you travel, and also the names of the cross streets you pass, not forgetting to keep track of the direction. Then work your way home over the same route, watching carefully that you turn the right corners, etc.
Then make the same trip (on the map) by another route, returning in the same manner. It is astonishing how this practice will brighten up your sense of locality and direction. Once in a while, memorize the names of the streets in the order in which you pass them on the map. One can get well acquainted with the city in which he is living in this way. On holidays, or other times, when you contemplate a long walk or ride, go to your map before you start and trace out the line of your trip, studying it carefully. When you then go over the same ground in person you will be continually noticing the cross streets, etc., because of your previous work on the map. A little practice of this sort will prove quite interesting, particularly if the trip is to some strange part of town.
In your study of maps, it is well to memorize them at times, wholly or in part. Look at the map and study its parts and details. Then put the map away and endeavor to reproduce it on paper, in the rough, endeavoring to note as many points of interest as possible. Then gradually add the details in their relation to each other. The object of this map drawing, of course, is to fix location and direction in your mind, and not to make an artist of you. In this practice you will find that if you lay aside the map after gazing at it a few moments and then close your eyes you will see the picture of the map in your “mind’s eye.” The first attempt at forming this mental picture will not prove very satisfactory, but open the eyes again and take another look at the map and fill in what you have missed in your mental picture. Then close your eyes again and fill in the missing parts. After a few trials you will be able to reproduce the picture in the mind with reasonable accuracy, when you may reproduce it on paper. Schoolboys sometimes form these mental pictures of their geography maps, and thus making their geography lessons much easier. When asked to “bound” a State, they are able to bring up the mental picture and describe it as if the map were actually before them.
This study of maps may seem to have but little connection with keeping you from getting lost or “losing your bearings.’” But you will find that it will so rapidly develop your interest and strengthen your faculty of location that you will be able to manifest the improvement when you are outofdoors. Always remember, of course, to keep your eyes open and to notice where you are going, which task will now have fresh interest to you, thanks to your journeys on the map.
A story is told of an American traveler who was traveling in Europe with a party. It was soon noticed that he seemed perfectly at home in the strange cities visited, and that he not only knew the names of the principal streets, but the location of the points of interest and important buildings as well, and also the direction from one part to another. It appeared as if he had visited the place before, whereas it was his first trip abroad. When asked for an explanation by his puzzled