Introduction - Remembering Names and Faces Remembering names and faces is probably the most common reason for

people wanting to improve their memories, because it is the one case where written notes will really not help. You can jot down a person's name, but how does that help you when it comes to linking it with his face. Many people seem happy to carry on forgetting names, thinking they can always get round it somehow, and who cares anyway ? f course, the person who !does" care is the one whose name has been forgotten. #eople $like" to be called by their names. %or e&ample, if you go to a local shop regularly how do you prefer to be addressed ' '(ello Mr)Mrs)Miss so ' and ' so', '(ello luv)dear)dearie)', or with a vacant stare ? *f the shopkeeper has taken the trouble to remember your name, you will probably have a higher opinion of him or her and possibly be more likely to fre+uent the shop. Most of us recognise !faces" ' it's the !names" that cause us trouble. ,fter all, have you ever heard someone say '* know your name, but * don't recognise your face' ?.ince we can usually remember faces, the best system to use for remembering names and faces is one where the $face" actually !tells us" the $name". /o do this, you simply need to 0associate" the name to his face. /o do this there are two steps involved 1 234 %orming a mental picture of the name. 254 ,ssociating that picture to the face. /utorial 6 shows you how any surname, however long or complicated, can be pictured.

/utorial 7 demonstrates how to associate a mental picture of a person's name to that person's face, giving you a never ' fail system for remembering names and faces.

8*ntroduction ' Remembering 9ames and %aces" Remembering names and faces is probably the most common reason for people wanting to improve their memories, because it is the one case where written notes will really not help. You can jot down a person's name, but how does that help you when it comes to linking it with his face. Many people seem happy to carry on forgetting names, thinking they can always get round it somehow, and who cares anyway ? f course, the person who !does" care is the one whose name has been forgotten. #eople $like" to be called by their names. %or e&ample, if you go to a local shop regularly how do you prefer to be addressed ' '(ello Mr)Mrs)Miss so ' and ' so', '(ello luv)dear)dearie)', or with a vacant stare ? *f the shopkeeper has taken the trouble to remember your name, you will probably have a higher opinion of him or her and possibly be more likely to fre+uent the shop. Most of us recognise !faces" ' it's the !names" that cause us trouble. ,fter all, have you ever heard someone say '* know your name, but * don't recognise your face' ?.ince we can usually remember faces, the best system to use for remembering names and faces is one where the $face" actually !tells us" the $name". /o do this, you simply need to 0associate" the name to his face. /o do this there are two steps involved 1

234 %orming a mental picture of the name. 254 ,ssociating that picture to the face. /utorial 6 shows you how any surname, however long or complicated, can be pictured. /utorial 7 demonstrates how to associate a mental picture of a person's name to that person's face, giving you a never ' fail system for remembering names and faces.

8,dditional :&ercises ' Remembering 9ames and %aces" 234 ver the ne&t few weeks, whenever you are introduced to someone you

have not met before, apply the systems you have learned to help you remember their name. *f you do not hear the name clearly as you are introduced, ask them to repeat it. You will be ama;ed at how your memory for names will improve < 254 #ick up any maga;ine, and memorise the names of all the people whose photographs appear in the maga;ine. .imply associate the name under each photograph to the outstanding feature of the face in that photograph. f course, for some names you will need to come up with suitable .ubstitute =ords. /his is an e&cellent mental e&ercise, and will rapidly improve your skill at using the systems.> 8/utorial 7 ' ,ssociating 9ames and %aces" (aving learned how to picture ?any" person's name using .ubstitute =ords and #hrases, the ne&t step is to associate that picture with the person's face. %irst of all, you need to look at the person's face and select one outstanding feature, such as a high forehead, large or small nose,

spectacles, moustache, beard, narrow or wide'set eyes, large or small ears, thin or thick lips, thin or bushy eyebrows, dimples, freckles, warts ' $anything" which is at all memorable. %irst impressions are, more often than not, lasting impressions, and whatever seems outstanding to you now will usualy still seem outstanding when you ne&t meet that person. =hat's more important is that by looking closely at a face, you are !concentrating" on it, and etching the details on your memory. (aving decided on the outstanding feature of a person's face, you then simply associate the .ubstitute =ord or #hrase you've invented for that person's name. *f you make a strong enough association, it will be almost like having the person's name written on his or her face <%or e&ample, suppose you've just met !Mr @all", and want to be sure that you remember his name. /he name !@all" might suggest to you a football, or a rugby ball, or perhaps a golf ball. Aet's also suppose you have decided that the outstanding feature of his face is his red, curly hair. 9ow, you look at that hair and picture millions of golf balls springing out of it, and bouncing around everywhere. his head. Remember the rules of association, and make your mental picture as 0ludicrous" and 0e&aggerated" as possible. *f you ?really" see that image clearly in your mind's eye, you will know Mr. @all's name the ne&t time you meet him. *magine ne&t you meet a ?Mr Barrington", who has large ears. Cse the .ubstitute #hrase ?Barry /on" to help you picture the name, and associate that picture to those unusually large ears. *magine him ?carrying" a Dton" weight on his head. (is head is being flattened by the weight, pushing his ears out at right angles to his head. /his image is the sort of picture you r, picture a football with Mr @all's red curly hair growing out of it ' the football is on his shoulders in place of

might see in a '/om and Eerry' cartoon, and in fact the ridiculous pictures you see in children's cartoons are e&actly the sort of ;any images you need to create to make the pictures memorable.,lthough these pictures take a little while to describe in te&t, they can actually be pictured in your mind in a fraction of a second. Many 'Memory Man' stage performers throughout the world use this system to remember the names of five hundred or more people in an audience, after hearing the names just once < /his is an e&tremely impressive stunt when seen on television or in a theatre, but is actually based solely on the simple system described above. f course, you will need some practice before you can memorise five hundred names in +uick succession, but you can benefit from the system after a very small amount of practice. /ry it now, with ten e&ample names. %or the moment, as you're trying it without real people or faces, just see the features themselves, and the 2ludicrous4 associations. %irst on the list is 8Mrs Aambert", who has a long, pointed nose. You might use 8lamb butt" to help you picture the name 8Aambert". #icture a 8lamb" jumping up and 8butt"ing that long pointed nose. 9ot a pleasant picture, but you're sure to remember it.9e&t is $Mr @iggs", who has a bushy beard. #icture millions of $big" letter '$."'s dropping out of the bushy beard onto the floor, or see that beard gradually uncurling into a $big '.'" shape. Bhoose one of those pictures, or one of your own, and reallly see that image in your mind's eye. /hird on the list is !Miss %ortescue", who has silver'white hair tied up in a bun. You might see a !%ort ,skew" 2lopsided4 on top of that bun of white hair. Remember, the cra;ier the picure the better.

%ourth comes DMr =hitelaw", who has a noticeable gap in his front teeth. ,ssociate =hitelaw 2perhaps Dwhite law" ' a policeman covered from head to toe in white paint4 to that gap in his teeth. You could picture a policeman covered in white paint trying to crawl out of Mr. =hitelaw's mouth through the gap in his front teeth. , ridiculous, illogical picture which is sure to remind you of the outstanding feature of Mr =hitelaw's face. 9e&t on the list is ?Mr #ontin", who has a high forehead. #icture that high forehead and see a hand, with one finger outstretched, shooting out of the forehead and ?pointing" at you. Make you you see the picture ?clearly", just for a split second.0Miss =ebb" comes ne&t, and she has very long blond hair, right down to her waist. #icture that hair covered in masses of cob0webs", with spiders crawling all over it. .eventh on our list of fictitious people is 8Mr Bleese", who has very bushy eyebrows. , good .ubstitute =ord to help you picture 8Bleese" might be 8cheese". #icture those bushy eyebrows covered in 8cheese", which is melting, and dripping everywhere. 9e&t we have $Mrs Freen", who has a mole on her right cheek. #icture that mole gradually turning $green". *t gets $greener" and $greener", until it is really bright and luminous. 9inth on the list is DMr (etherington", who has long ginger sideburns. You might use Dheather in ton" to help you picture this surname. Gisualise tons of heather suddenly sprouting out of those sideburns, until it covers his face. %inally comes ?Mr #rice", whose outstanding facial feature is a large dimple in his chin. #icture that dimple with millions of ?price" tags stuck to it. *f you prefer to use a cra;y picture of your own, then you will probably

remember it even more clearly.>

8/utorial 7 ' ,ssociating 9ames and %aces" (aving learned how to picture ?any" person's name using .ubstitute =ords and #hrases, the ne&t step is to associate that picture with the person's face. %irst of all, you need to look at the person's face and select one outstanding feature, such as a high forehead, large or small nose, spectacles, moustache, beard, narrow or wide'set eyes, large or small ears, thin or thick lips, thin or bushy eyebrows, dimples, freckles, warts ' $anything" which is at all memorable. %irst impressions are, more often than not, lasting impressions, and whatever seems outstanding to you now will usualy still seem outstanding when you ne&t meet that person. =hat's more important is that by looking closely at a face, you are !concentrating" on it, and etching the details on your memory. (aving decided on the outstanding feature of a person's face, you then simply associate the .ubstitute =ord or #hrase you've invented for that person's name. *f you make a strong enough association, it will be almost like having the person's name written on his or her face <%or e&ample, suppose you've just met !Mr @all", and want to be sure that you remember his name. /he name !@all" might suggest to you a football, or a rugby ball, or perhaps a golf ball. Aet's also suppose you have decided that the outstanding feature of his face is his red, curly hair. 9ow, you look at that hair and picture millions of golf balls springing out of it, and bouncing around everywhere. his head. r, picture a football with Mr @all's red curly hair growing out of it ' the football is on his shoulders in place of

Remember the rules of association, and make your mental picture as 0ludicrous" and 0e&aggerated" as possible. *f you ?really" see that image clearly in your mind's eye, you will know Mr. @all's name the ne&t time you meet him. *magine ne&t you meet a ?Mr Barrington", who has large ears. Cse the .ubstitute #hrase ?Barry /on" to help you picture the name, and associate that picture to those unusually large ears. *magine him ?carrying" a Dton" weight on his head. (is head is being flattened by the weight, pushing his ears out at right angles to his head. /his image is the sort of picture you might see in a '/om and Eerry' cartoon, and in fact the ridiculous pictures you see in children's cartoons are e&actly the sort of ;any images you need to create to make the pictures memorable.,lthough these pictures take a little while to describe in te&t, they can actually be pictured in your mind in a fraction of a second. Many 'Memory Man' stage performers throughout the world use this system to remember the names of five hundred or more people in an audience, after hearing the names just once < /his is an e&tremely impressive stunt when seen on television or in a theatre, but is actually based solely on the simple system described above. f course, you will need some practice before you can memorise five hundred names in +uick succession, but you can benefit from the system after a very small amount of practice. /ry it now, with ten e&ample names. %or the moment, as you're trying it without real people or faces, just see the features themselves, and the 2ludicrous4 associations. %irst on the list is 8Mrs Aambert", who has a long, pointed nose. You might use 8lamb butt" to help you picture the name 8Aambert". #icture a 8lamb"

jumping up and 8butt"ing that long pointed nose. 9ot a pleasant picture, but you're sure to remember it.9e&t is $Mr @iggs", who has a bushy beard. #icture millions of $big" letter '$."'s dropping out of the bushy beard onto the floor, or see that beard gradually uncurling into a $big '.'" shape. Bhoose one of those pictures, or one of your own, and reallly see that image in your mind's eye. /hird on the list is !Miss %ortescue", who has silver'white hair tied up in a bun. You might see a !%ort ,skew" 2lopsided4 on top of that bun of white hair. Remember, the cra;ier the picure the better. %ourth comes DMr =hitelaw", who has a noticeable gap in his front teeth. ,ssociate =hitelaw 2perhaps Dwhite law" ' a policeman covered from head to toe in white paint4 to that gap in his teeth. You could picture a policeman covered in white paint trying to crawl out of Mr. =hitelaw's mouth through the gap in his front teeth. , ridiculous, illogical picture which is sure to remind you of the outstanding feature of Mr =hitelaw's face. 9e&t on the list is ?Mr #ontin", who has a high forehead. #icture that high forehead and see a hand, with one finger outstretched, shooting out of the forehead and ?pointing" at you. Make you you see the picture ?clearly", just for a split second.0Miss =ebb" comes ne&t, and she has very long blond hair, right down to her waist. #icture that hair covered in masses of cob0webs", with spiders crawling all over it. .eventh on our list of fictitious people is 8Mr Bleese", who has very bushy eyebrows. , good .ubstitute =ord to help you picture 8Bleese" might be 8cheese". #icture those bushy eyebrows covered in 8cheese", which is melting, and dripping everywhere. 9e&t we have $Mrs Freen", who has a mole on her right cheek. #icture that

mole gradually turning $green". *t gets $greener" and $greener", until it is really bright and luminous. 9inth on the list is DMr (etherington", who has long ginger sideburns. You might use Dheather in ton" to help you picture this surname. Gisualise tons of heather suddenly sprouting out of those sideburns, until it covers his face. %inally comes ?Mr #rice", whose outstanding facial feature is a large dimple in his chin. #icture that dimple with millions of ?price" tags stuck to it. *f you prefer to use a cra;y picture of your own, then you will probably remember it even more clearly.>

8/utorial 6 ' #icturing 9ames" .ome names can be easily pictured, because they have !meanings". %or e&ample, the surnames 0=ood, @ell, %o&, @ush" and 0Freen" immediately create an image in your mind. @ut what about names which have Dno" meaning, such as %orbes, (arrison, or #ensford ? Csing the .ubstitute =ord system which you learned in section B, ?any" name can be pictured. %or 0%orbes", you might picture 0four bees". /o visualise the name $(arrison" you could picture a $hairy sun", and for 8#ensford" ' someone writing with a gigantic 8pen" all over a 8%ord" car. /he .ubstitute =ord .ystem works beautifully for remembering names. Eust applying the system will Dforce" you to concentrate on the name ' to be $*nitially ,ware" of it. ,nd, no matter how long or strange ' sounding a name is, there is !always" a .ubstitute =ord or #hrase you can use to help

you picture the name.%or 0Rubenstein" you could picture someone vigorously 0rubbing" a 0stein" 2of beer4. %or ?#olanski" you could use ?pole and ski", and picture someone holding a huge, striped barber's pole in his teeth while trying to ski. %or $#oppadopalis" you might use $poppadum and police" and a picture a policeman wrestling with a gigantic poppadum. /he .ubstitute words and phrases you create can be !anything", as long as they remind 8you" of the name you want to remember. %or ?MacHonald", you could picture ?Honald Huck" wearing a kilt. ther people might prefer to picture ?Mac don old" ' an old don 2professor4 wearing a mac 2macintosh4. Remember that the 8first" .ubstitute =ord you think of is usually best for you to use. %or short names, you can often use a .ubstitute =ord which rhymes, or is similar ' sounding. %or the name ?=est", you might use ?=hist", or ?Gest", or ?=aist", or ?=aste". ,ny word 2or phrase4 which can be pictured will do the job.>