William Atkinson - The Essential Works of William Walker Atkinson - 50+ Books in One Edition

The writer has found the following system of “resurrecting thought” quite useful in his own case, and in that of others to whom he has presented the matter. It is simple but wonderfully effective, and its continued use will undoubtedly repay one for the time and trouble expended upon it. It increases brain­power, in several directions, and is a most effective educational method.

The system consists of ten questions, which when applied to the object or subject under consideration, and answered by bringing into the field of consciousness all the stored­up impressions to be found there, will be found to have brought into play all the information concerning that particular thing possessed by the student. The following outline will give an idea of the system. The subject is to be first stated, and then the nine questions asked of oneself and answered, one by one.

QUESTIONS REGARDING ONE SUBJECT OR OBJECT.

I. Its Origin or Root?

II. The reason of its inception?

III. Its history?

IV. Its qualities and characteristics?

V. Things associated with and connected with it? VI. Its use and application?

VII. It demonstrates what?

VIII. Its results and consequences?

IX. Its end or future?

X. Your general opinion regarding it, and your reasons for same.

You will find that this system of questions will bring to light all of your previous impressions regarding the thing under consideration, and also will cause you to classify, arrange, consider, pass upon and determine its various features. It will educate you in recollecting, thinking, studying and observing. Each question will suggest something to you, and when you are through with the subject you will find that you know much more about it than you thought possible. Besides this, you will commit the questions to memory, and your observation and study of anything thereafter will naturally be along the lines of the questions.

Do not let the apparent simplicity of this system cause you to pass it by without trial. Give it at least one trial on a subject, under favorable circumstances, and you will begin to see its uses. Of course, the ability to recall impressions, in answer to the questions, will steadily increase with practice, after the mind becomes accustomed to the inquisitorial process. Try the system on a subject this week, and then repeat the process a week later, and you will find a great improvement, your fund of impressions regarding that subject having apparently grown materially during the interval. The explanation is that your questions have started to work the sub­conscious searchers who have been at work digging out treasures from the depths of the great storehouse. Your questions have been regarded as orders from the Will, and these little workers have been busy with their imposed task, while your consciousness was busy with other things.

ANALYTICAL MEMORIZING.

When one wishes to master a subject, it will be found advisable that he dissect that subject—analyze it thoroughly, and by thus examining its parts in detail obtain a comprehensive idea of it as a whole. This mental dissection will arouse the faculties to activity, and will cause the memory to receive intense impressions which will be readily recalled.

It has been found that by a little analytical work the meaning of a thing is brought out so plainly that the mind will readily grasp it and hold on to it. The best way to investigate a thing is to ask questions about it. The best way to bring out your knowledge of a subject is to ask yourself questions about it, as we have shown in the first part of this chapter. The best way to fix a thing in your mind is to ask yourself questions calculated to bring out its full meaning.

To illustrate this idea, let us take the well known line:

“The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,”

and dissect or analyze it. What does the curfew do ? It tolls the knell of parting day. What tolls the knell of parting day? The curfew . What does the curfew toll? It tolls the knell . The knell of what does it toll? The knell of parting day . The knell of what part of the day does the curfew toll? The knell of parting day. The knell of parting what ? The knell of parting day . If you have gone over the above questions and answers, in earnest, you will never forget this line. It will stand out clearly in your mind.

In the above sentence the active word is, of course, the verb , tolls, and the rest of the sentence is dependent upon its active part. The attention, as a rule, is attracted by a moving thing more readily than by something at rest, and if the action of the verb is impressed on the mind, the rest of the sentence will be connected with it by the law of association. It helps the memory to picture the verb’s meaning in the mind. In committing a thing to memory, find out what it all means , by this analytical method, and you will have simplified matters very materially.

Table of Content

Treating of the development of the memory upon these most interesting lines, which are so important to the man and woman in their everyday and business life— There is nothing so annoying to the student as to forget dates, and the failure to remember prices and figures has proved the undoing of many a promising young business man—This chapter goes into the subject clearly, and gives explanations of poor memory along these lines, and points out the methods whereby improvement may be had—Exercises and directions are given, which will prove valuable to the student.

There is a great difference between persons regarding the remembrance of dates, prices, figures, etc., the difference being caused by the varying degrees of development of the faculty of number. Those in whom this faculty is largely developed will invariably store away a clear and lasting impression of figures and everything connected with them, while those in whom the faculty is deficient will find it quite difficult to remember anything connected with the subject. The latter class should develop the faculty by making use of it in the direction of having much to do with figures, especially in the branch of mental arithmetic. If you are one of this class, buy an elementary Mental Arithmetic, such as is used in the primary grades of schools, and carefully study it, working out every example given. Take up one lesson every day, and in a short time you will find that you are developing quite an interest in figures, and are beginning to remember them much better. The most satisfactory results may be obtained from practice of this kind. The development thus gained is permanent, and the faculty will continue to develop and register clearer impressions of figures and all concerning them.

DATES.

To those who find difficulty in remembering or recalling dates, the plan of forming a mental image of the date as attached to some important character or thing connected with the date has proven helpful. For instance, suppose that you wish to remember the year of the discovery of America by Columbus. You will find it easy if you will form a mental picture of Columbus standing on the shores of the newly­discovered land, with the figures 1492 over his head. Or if you wish to remember the date of the Declaration of Independence, form the picture of Liberty Bell with 1776 painted on it in bright figures. Or, in the case of the beginning of the Civil War, the mental picture of Fort Sumter with 1861 appearing on its sides in large figures. Or the date of Napoleon’s death, by the mental picture of his tomb with 1821 graven on its side. In forming the mental picture it is well to have the date marked on a piece of paper, in large figures, upon which the eye should intently gaze while the mental picture is built around the figures. Then close the eyes, or turn away the head, and revive the impression. If this is done several times the memory of the figures will be indelibly impressed upon the mind.