Learning a large image base system

[cmhardw]

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to update on my progress. I'm learning a 576 image memorization system, all the ways to pair up the letters A through X without allowing repeats like AA, BB, CC, etc. I know about 125 images so far, so I'm about 22% of the way there.

I'm very excited about finishing up all 576 images so I can start using them to memorize the larger cubes! I've already tested using my current system (24 images, one per piece) and applying two images to each location in my journey and that seems to go fairly fast. So I can't wait until applying two images to a journey will really be memorizing 4 pieces in my cycle (since each image represents two pieces in the cycle).

Can't wait to finish! I'll keep posting about my progress.

Chris

 

[cmhardw]

I made a stack of notecards today that are all the possible letter pairs I would need for memorizing a 24 piece orbital.

So there's AB-XW and not allowing stuff like AA, BB, etc.

I'm through GX so far and have started working on the H's a little as well.

The count is at 161/576 (552 for alphabet letter pairs and also 24 for the single images for just one letter).

Still chugging along, I hope to have this method memorized soon.

Chris

 

[pjk]

I am new to this stuff. How exactly are those helping you? What exactly do you practice to "learn" them?
Pat

 

[cmhardw]

Hey Patrick,

I am using them to help memorize the permutation of the edges and of the centers.

I letter each edge with a letter from A-X and I letter each center from A-X as well.

So if I have that one of my edge cycles is lUB -> fDL -> dFR -> fUR -> rDF -> fUL -> lDF -> uFR -> dfL -> uFL -> rUF -> uBR -> dBR -> uBL -> fDR -> lUB

Then what I would do first is to convert each piece to its letter:

Q -> G -> X -> F -> K -> E -> T -> D -> W -> C -> I -> B -> V -> A -> H

Then I make the first letter a person, so a Queen.

Now this person is the one walking through my journey. I group two letters together into an image, then place one image at each location.

So I would have:

Queen -> aGent X -> ForK -> ET (the movie character) -> Dark Wing duck -> CIty -> BeaVer -> Air Hockey table

The way I got those is that GX is always Agent X. FK is always a fork. Those are the images I am learning.

For the centers I would combine two images together in each location.

So the centers would be the Queen walking the journey again, but then

1) aGent X throwing a ForK
2) ET chasing after Dark Wing duck
3) CIty being destroyed by a giant BeaVer
4) Air Hockey table

-----

What I am doing to learn the images is to be able to think two letters and have the corresponding image pop into my mind instantly. For example when I see BX I just think a Boxer with his gloves on. If I can't do this instantly, then I don't know the image well yet.

Once I can do think I also go in reverse. I think of my image, then I have to recall the two letters. So if I think of an eskimo I know that the letters for that are EI. Stuff like that.

I think this will speed up my memorization for the edges and centers very much. I may consider using it for corners and central edges of the 5x5, but I want to get used to it on wing edges and centers first.

The thing I like about this method is that if I choose to combine 3 images at each journey location (some of the memory masters do this) then effectively one journey image corresponds to 6 pieces in my cycle (or three 3 cycles!). So I could remember the center or edge permutation in at worst 8 images, which would be very fast!

Chris

 

[pjk]

Wow, now that will take some work, but you have quite a mind to be able to do that. Best of luck with that!
Pat

 

[cmhardw]

Hey everyone, just thought I would give an update as to how I am doing with this image system. I realized that I have to learn 556 images, not 576 since I don't need single letter images, and also I need a few of the double letter ones. Out of those 556 I so far have 278 learned. I have literally just now hit the halfway point.

I feel a little intimidated on the one end to finish learning the same amount of images I already know again, but on the other hand I feel good to know that I am halfway there.

Can't wait until I know this whole method, I'm so excited to put it into practice!

Chris

 

[pjk]

How exactly are you learning it, what is your technique? How do you keep it memorized?
Patrick

 

[cmhardw]

Hey Patrick,

I use flashcards mostly. I have a big stack of all the letter pairs I know, and a big stack of all the ones I don't know. Seeing the stack of ones I don't know motivates me to keep learning them, and I go through the stack of ones I do know a couple times a day to make sure I have them memorized. I try to go through the stack of ones I do know as quickly as possible, to make sure I can recall the images very quickly.

This site motivated me a lot too:
http://memoryconsulting.com/videos.htm

Look for the videos of Ben Pridmore talking about speed cards (memorizing a deck as quickly as possible).

After seeing that, I refuse to believe just memorizing a 3x3x3 the regular way that we've all been using for so long can be the fastest method. Watch the video of how quickly he memorizes that deck of cards. There's no way our current 3x3 memorization method can equal that in my personal opinion. That's another thing that keeps me motivated to learn this system.

Chris