Memorization Techniques

Getting Started

• Have an interest and desire to learn.
• Give the material your full attention and concentration.
• Set realistic study goals.
• Study at times when you are most alert.
• Use your prime time to study difficult material.
• Take breaks during your study time.
• Reward yourself for studying efforts.
• Minimize distractions.
• Put small blocks of time to good use.
• Divide and conquer large projects.
• Be selective about what you memorize.

Understand the Information

The preliminary work to any type of memorization is to work on understanding the information. The more you understand the information, the easier it is to memorize.

Organize the Information

• An organized list of items is easier to recall than an unorganized list.
• The simplest kind of organization is numbering. If you recall that there are 8 items on a list of information, your brain will keep searching until you recall all 8 items.
• Another type of organization is classifying information into groups or categories. It is easier to memorize material that has been organized into a pattern rather than random information.

Make Connections and Associations

The more connections and associations you can make between new information and information already stored in your memory, the better the chance for recall. The more associations that surround a particular fact, the more retrieval cues you have to bring that fact to mind.

Visualize the Information

Create a visual picture of the material you wish to memorize. This can be done either on paper or in your mind. Tables, charts, maps, and graphs arrange information visually. Do not skip over them in your textbooks. Create visual study tools such as visual maps, hierarchies, matrixes, cartoons, pictures, and time lines. Create study tools for vocabulary such as flash cards and vocabulary sheets.

Use Story Lines

Create a story to include the list of words or ideas that you wish to memorize.

Use Mnemonic Aids to Memorize

Acronym

A word formed by taking the first letter of key words in a list of items. The following are good examples of acronyms:

• BASIC is an acronym for Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instructional Code
• HOMES in an acronym to memorize the names of the 5 Great Lakes - Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.
• FOIL is an acronym used in mathematics for multiplying binomials. F for firsts, O for outers, I for inners, and L for lasts.
• ROYGBIV is an acronym used to memorize the colors as they come through the spectrum.
• BAR is an acronym used to memorize the "big three" allies during World War II - Britain, America, and Russia.

Acrostic

A sentence formed by taking the first letter of key words in a list of items. The following are good examples of acrostics:

• The sentence "A cow eats grass" can be used to memorize the spaces in the base clef for the left hand on the piano. The spaces are A C E G.
• The sentence "Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally" can be used to memorize the order of operations in mathematics. The order of operations is parenthesis, exponents, multiplication and division (from left to right), and addition and subtraction (from left to right).
• The sentence "King Philip can only find green snakes" can be used to memorize the hierarchy for the classification of organisms which is kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
• Use rhythms, rhymes, and jingles. Formed by listening for words that rhyme or by attaching a catchy tune to a saying, i.e. the jingle to memorize the number of days in each month.

Rehearse to memorize

• The actual work of memorizing is repeating information over and over until it is stored in our mind.
• Recite the information to yourself out loud, from memory, and in your own words. Recitation is an important step in committing information to memory.

Review

• Create study sheets, summary sheets, and outlines for review.
• Create questions and write down the answers to those questions.

Pancha Kosha's

Pancha Kosha

A Kosha, usually rendered "sheath", one of five coverings of the Atman, or Self according to Vedantic philosophy.  There are five known kosha:

1. Annamaya Kosha
2. Pranamaya Kosha
3. Manomaya Kosha
4. Vijnanamaya Kosha
5. Anandamaya Kosha

1. Annamaya Kosha

Annamaya Kosha is the physical body which needs nourishment to survive. The human being is a part of the food chain as any other creature (i.e. the mammals). It is the visible part of our Self and therefore we erroneously identify ourselves with it. It is the most vulnerable of the five bodies and it suffers visibly of the deficiencies of the other bodies. An adequate alignment due to our body type and a physical hygiene (extern and also intern) supports and strengthens our health.

To activate this body it is necessary to do moderate exercises in accordance to age and physical condition. e.g Walking.

2. Pranamaya Kosha

Pranamaya Kosha exists in the physical body, interactive and dependent. It is the vital shell that is full of life. The Prana flows are in the blood, lymphatic and nervous circulation. Breath is a life-principle and is a controllable expression. Through the regulation of the breath (Pranayama) other bodies can be positively influenced. This body can be made visible in high frequency photography (method by Kirlian).

People with a special ability in seeing another persons aura can perceive this body with their naked eye. Basically it is the principle of life that distinguishes between living and dead matter. Maha Prana, the grand vital force is present in all aspects of the universe and pulses with its smallest elements. This shell survives the physical body only momentarily, for it is also transitory.

3. Manomaya Kosha

Manomaya Kosha, the inner organ is also interactive and dependent of the former two. It governs the faculties of perception and instinctual consciousness. It is the mind which can construct and destroy. It is our subconsciousness that is formed by negative and positive experiences and where our Self has developed with its behavior. Within this shell actions happen automatically and it dominates the outer shells.

"Actions are mighty, thoughts are almighty" (Vivekananda). 

To activate this body the former two bodies should "freeze" through a deep relaxation (i.e. Yoga Nidra). With this technique deep sheath of our mind can be penetrated and negative programmings can be changed into positive and constructive ones. This process needs perseverance and constancy. This body is also transitory.

4. Vijnanamaya Kosha

Vijnanamaya Kosha, the conscious body lies deeper than the previously described ones and is also interactive and dependent. This body is responsible for inner growth, for ethics and for moral. It seeks to reach beyond mundane existence into wisdom and subtle knowledge. It actively seeks to move from the exoteric to the esoteric -from the world in front of the eyes to the mental space behind the eyes.

Independent of a specific religion, the studies of holy texts like the the Bagavad Gita and texts of other great teachers, will lead us to the same truth because all religions are based on the same truth and there is only one principle. In this shell we return to life, the knowledge experienced in life is preserved in this body and outlasts.

5. Anandamaya Kosha

Anandamaya Kosha is the most subtle body and without its existence life is impossible. It interacts with the others like the sun affecting our planet. This blissfull body beyond words is perceived in flashes only in short moments, an indescribable experience where duality ends and I AM expresses the unity. We generally assume that if we want to explore new areas of experience, we first need to acquire knowledge and then to apply it. Yet in reality it works the opposite way. In the beginning we experience something new and then only begin to search for concepts that may explain our new experiences and connect them to our current understanding.

The search is mostly intuitively and often subconsciously. This process is specific for all kinds of expansion of consciousness which help us perceive more subtle areas than the material world. Daily meditation (at least for 20 minutes) activate this immortal body.

Positive Change

We learn from our parents, other people and events we experience as we grow up, how to be loved and how to stay safe. Some of the lessons we may have learned, worked for us as children, but are no longer appropriate as adults. Others are the product of difficult or traumatic experiences in the past, most usually during childhood, which have left a legacy of negative beliefs and thought patterns.

If you are seeking to improve or change your life, then to achieve it using spiritual techniques you will have to integrate the following principles into your life.

• Love & Self Esteem - Love yourself and others and the world around you without limitations.
• Forgiveness - Forgive Everyone and Release the Past - When we hold something unforgiven inside, we are nurturing anger, hatred and resentment or maybe even guilt. These emotions lock us into the moment and drain mental and life energy. Holding such emotions inside longterm will create sickness in the soul and in the body
• Awareness - Start Living Consciously - Become aware of your actions, your thoughts and words. When you find yourself off principle or taking a negative perspective, stop yourself. Turn it around into something more positive and self nurturing. You will notice the change in the way people react to you because they will have noticed the change in you!
• Gratitude, Prosperity and Abundance - Be open to and grateful for our natural abundance - Our world is infinitely abundant. However this natural flow of abundance can be blocked by a belief that we do not deserve things or a failure to recognize or appreciate what we already have.
• Honesty - Be Honest with yourself and others - Without the ability to be honest (often brutally) with oneself and with others you will not be able to make progress with your changes. This means abandoning all those little fibs and pretenses that can seem part of every day life. To succeed with change you must be prepared to face your truths and confront the fears that this exposes
• Being Positive - Start seeing the Positive side of everything! - A positive attitude not only boosts our natural immune system for better health but also by thinking positively, we boost our performance in nearly everything we do.
• Taking Responsibility for Yourself - Take control of your life - by recognizing that you alone are responsible for it, no one else. You are where you are today through your choices. By taking responsibility for yourself you are better placed to start leading the life that YOU want and making choices that will lead you to the life you choose.
• Being Open & Trusting - Let go of all fear - and trust in the process of life. Be open to all the amazing opportunities around you. Know that YOU have a unique place in the universe and deserve all the good things that life can bring.
• Self Care - Start looking after yourself - To be effective in life, you need to be performing at your very best mentally, physically and spiritually. Acts of self care are acts of self-love and are essential to your well-being. Be kind to yourself and treat yourself with love

Banana and Diabetes

Recently I visited a friend's home in different town.  Friend is a type II diabetic since few years, but has the blood sugar under control using medicine and exercise.  I found few banana in there, but no one was eating.  On enquiry it became clear to me that their doctor advised them not to eat banana.

Bananas are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C, but they do contain carbohydrates. In fact, all fruit has some carbohydrate, so you need to count them in your diabetes meal plan.  Nutrition offered by banana are better absorbed by body than the supplements they are prescribed.  Most importantly this is cost effective with much more benefit than commercial vitamin supplement.

I told them that in order to intake banana, become familiar with portion sizes and the number of carbohydrates in each.

Bananas vary quite a bit in size, so counting the carbohydrates that they provide can be difficult.

Below are some estimates for different sizes.

Extra small banana (6 inches long or less) — 18.5 grams of carbohydrate
Small banana (about 6-6 7/8 inches long) — 23 grams of carbohydrate
Medium banana (7-7 7/8 inches long) — 27 grams of carbohydrate
Large banana (8-8 7/8 inches long) — 31 grams of carbohydrate
Extra large banana (9 inches or longer) — 35 grams of carbohydrate

Be aware that blood glucose responses can vary from person to person. Be aware that you may need to make adjustments the portion size you eat depending on your how your blood glucose responds to eating bananas or other types of fruit.

Since patients believe their doctors, it is the responsibility of the doctors to be aware of the facts before recommending.

Dreams

During certain stage of sleep having dream is common.  Mostly dream occur during sleep state named REM (Rapid Eye Movement), although it can occur in other stages also.   Purpose of the dream is not well understood.  Study of dream is called oneirology.



Dream can be vivid or memorable.  Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind.  A dream could be a reflection of an event in the past or unresolved intent.  Duration of the dream could be from few seconds to minutes.  Mostly, recent memory firm up during the dream.

In order to dream it is important the person reaches REM sleep, rapid eye movement indicates the event in the mind. Dream is an unconscious mind activity.  This means, person's experience is played to either firm or form.  People are more likely to remember the dream if they are awakened during the REM phase. The average person has three to five dreams per night, but some may have up to seven dreams in one night.

Dream interpretation is practiced in religion, and medically.  Without getting into the significance of dream by interpreting, it is an important activity of the mind to imbibe learning, formation of thoughts, view points and strengthen self esteem.

Themes of dream include but not limited to visuals, emotions, sexual themes, relationships, life events, etc.

Do you dream?

Need for Psychological support during pregnancy

Pregnancy, beautiful gift of nature, brings about varied physiological (somatic) and psychological changes to a woman.  Men also undergo some changes, but we will deal with this later.  Pregnancy is a complex phenomenon which also includes social changes.  First pregnancy represents a powerful psychological event.  Lets understand the psychological changes in the course of pregnancy.

Likely changes during pregnancy

Pregnancy is always associated with changes in psychological functioning of pregnant women. It is usually associated with ambivalence, frequent mood changes, varying from anxiety, fatigue, exhaustion, sleepiness, depressive reactions to excitement.

During pregnancy, changes include body appearance, affectionate and sexuality, whereas the position and role of women attains a new quality. Even thoughts of pregnancy can bring about numerous worries about its course and outcome, and especially of the delivery itself, which may be so intense that they acquire a features of phobia (which may be the reason for avoiding pregnancy).

Motherhood, resulting from pregnancy, brings about several positive psychological changes as well, like emotional bonding with the child, affection, feel of family, joy.   Socially, in some countries, motherhood provides special status to women.

Relationship change is another aspect, a social change, affects not only the expecting mother, but also others closely associated with her.

Postpartum depression is another aspect of pregnancy usually requires psychological help.

Conclusion

Pregnancy is an event that involves numerous somatic and psychological changes. However, pregnancy can also be a potent stressor. Existence of prenatal maternal stress may lead to different perinatal complications that may have long-term consequences on the newborn. In prevention of maternal stress emphasis has to be put on partner's emotional support, as well as empathy of the social environment. However, in certain cases, professional psychotherapeutic support is necessary, in form of short supportive treatment. Preventive measures should include adequate psychological support during pregnancy, especially the first one, provided for all pregnant women, but also for those women that plan to get pregnant in the near future.

Internet of Things (IoT)

Internet of Things (IoT) is the new buzz word!! This is an attempt to have the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.   IoT has evolved from the convergence of wireless technologies, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and the Internet.

Network of computers, aka Internet, are almost wholly dependent on human beings for information. Nearly all of the roughly 50 petabytes (a petabyte is 1,024 terabytes) of data available on the Internet were first captured and created by human beings by typing, pressing a record button, taking a digital picture or scanning a bar code.   Such manual mega effort is unstructured, mostly wasted.  This resulted in social area like facebook, resulted in structured data.  In order to use such massive data, aka big data, brought in analytics, pattern matching.  Hadoop, similar technologies helped analyse such information.

What to expect?

Recently wearable flood the market, smart watch, iWatch etc are getting popularity.  Such gears identify location, temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and similar information about individual.  Imagine, a cardiac patient requires constant monitoring of pulse, analysis of pulse help determine the condition of the heart.  Based on the threshold setup, such information can be transmitted to the doctor automatically along with several other parameters like body temperature, environment, blood pressure, exact location of the individual.  Even, device can receive instruction to handle the emergency, alert ambulance.... essentially save a life in this emergency situation.

Second example, imagine a smart home having smart devices like fans or air conditioner based on sensors operate to to regulate temperature.  Similarly, washing machine can fitted with sensors to connect to internet, take care of creating service requests and report exact fault.  Even better, get automatic upgrade of its intelligence!!  Your water filter can order cartridge refill automatically! Television is already hooked to internet, so it is more evolved of the device so far.

Diabetic patients know their the pain of taking insulin every day.  How fixing a device in the digestive system to release insulin based on the setting of the doctor?  Health psychology deals with a challenge of patient consuming the medication as prescribed by the doctor.  Internet of Things can help increase the compliance!

Many other usages can be listed!!  The list is huge.

My view

Internet of Things are expanding the networking of devices, according to one study, 2 billion devices are expected to be interacting by 2016.  This humongous blast of information generates several petabytes of information. Life style of human being is set to change towards greater automation.  Such a change also has social challenges, relationship challenges, basic human challenges.  You need to decide to what extent this is useful or barging in to your privacy!!!  Only time will tell!!

Internet of Things are here to challenge human smartness for sure!  In this battle of smartness and intelligence, lets see who wins.