10種提高記憶力的方法(下)

5. Closing Your Eyes Boosts Your Recall Ability

5.閉上雙眼，找尋逝去的記憶

We often close our eyes when deep in thought or when trying to recall a piece of information, and science suggests this act might actually make it easier to successfully remember an idea.

當你陷入沉思或是回憶某些事時通常會下意識地閉上眼睛，科學表明此種行爲事實上可以更容易地幫助你回憶。

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Surrey found that asking a participant to close his or her eyes helped him or her recall correctly 23% more of the questions asked. The research was actually comprised of two distinct studies, and each study showed that the act of closing one's eyes was key to helping the brain recall an idea or answer a question. The first study required participants to watch a movie and recall distinct visual details from the movie, such as the writing on a vehicle. The second study went a step further and asked participants to recall things like dialogue and other auditory details.

英國薩里大學的研究人員做過這樣一個研究，這項研究由兩個不同的研究項目組成，這兩項目都表明，閉上眼睛能很有效地幫助大腦回憶或回答問題。第一項研究要求受試者觀看電影，並回憶起電影中不同的視覺細節，例如在汽車上寫作的鏡頭；第二項研究更進一步地要求受試者回憶諸如影片中的對話及其他聽覺細節。研究表明，閉上雙眼後測得的記憶能力提高了23%。

In addition to asking some participants to close their eyes when attempting to remember certain details of what they had seen or heard, they also asked participants to build a "rapport" during the experiment. Interestingly, building rapport seemed to increase the success even more of a person's ability to recall certain details. The study was published in the journal "Legal and Criminological Psychology." Given the study's results, it would seem police officers investigating a crime could glean more information from a witness by building a rapport with the person and then asking them to close their eyes during questioning. Not surprisingly, the technique could also come in handy for the general public in attempting to remember specific details from a past experience.

此外，受試者們還被要求在實驗過程中建立一個和諧關係，以積極配合的態度完成此項研究。有趣的是，這種融洽的關係似乎更能提升一個人回憶細節的能力。研究結果也於《法律和犯罪心理學》上發表。鑑於此，如果警方能與證人建立一個融洽的關係，並要求證人在盤問期間閉上眼睛，那麼警方往往能蒐集到更多的線索。當然，這個方法也適用於普通百姓，可以幫助他們撥開過往雲煙，找尋逝去的記憶。

4. Micro-Cramming Could Create Permanent Memories

4.“重要的事情說三遍”

A study in the "Journal of Neuroscience" suggests rehearsing new memories for just a few seconds could help transform them into permanent memories. The research, entitled "Consolidation of Complex Events Via Reinstatement in Posterior Cingulate Cortex," found that participants could more accurately recall an event if they rehearsed the memory quickly after first experiencing the event. The study asked participants to watch several video clips and then asked participants to recall what they saw in the clips. Some participants were asked to recall details aloud, and others were asked to recall details silently while receiving an MRI scan. Participants who actively rehearsed the video clips remembered far more details after a week than participants who didn't rehearse what they saw immediately after watching the videos.

《神經科學雜誌》中的一項名爲“通過大腦後扣帶回（扣帶回是位於大腦內側的一個解剖結構，是大腦邊緣系統的一部分。其功能牽涉情感、學習和記憶。）的修復加強對複雜事件的記憶力”的研究表明，大腦在接收信息後的幾秒內不斷重複同一概念，有助於形成永久記憶。研究人員給受試者播放了幾段視頻短片，看完之後即讓受試者一邊接受核磁共振成像掃描，一邊回憶剛纔的短片內容。一部分人大聲地說出回憶內容，另一部分人則靜靜地回憶。一週後再次對他們的記憶內容做了測試，結果表明那些在看過視頻後進行短暫回憶的人幾乎記住了所有內容，而沒有立即回憶的人則基本上遺忘殆盡。

The results of the study suggested that participants could remember a much greater level of detail whether they silently thought about what they just saw or whether they had a conversation aloud about the video. Does this mean that you could study for a test 40 seconds before the start of it and expect to remember everything necessary to pass the exam?

此項研究結果表明，受試者大腦在接收信息後是靜靜思考還是激烈討論，決定了他們能記住多少東西。這是否意味着考前四十秒的臨時抱佛腳能幫助你記住所有的內容，然後順利通過考試呢？

Probably not, but if you spent more time during your study session going over an educational video you just watched, it's possible you could retain greater details about the video when test day arrived. Like other studies about making memories, the technique of reviewing events a person just experienced could also help a witness recall specific events after seeing a crime take place.

答案是，想！得！美！但如果能在複習期間仔細研究看過的教學視頻，那倒是有可能記住很多內容，在考試時大展身手的。這項研究成果還可以適用於事故或犯罪現場目擊者，幫助他們準確回憶一些重要場面和細節。

3. Drink Coffee and Enhance Your Memory

3. 喝咖啡有助於提高記憶力

Research conducted at Johns Hopkins University suggests drinking coffee, brewing a cup of tea, or consuming caffeine in some way could enhance your memory. The team of scientists at the university found people could improve long-term memory for about 24 hours after consuming caffeine. In the study, the researchers compared memory strength between participants who were given a 200-milligram caffeine tablet and other participants who were given a placebo. Participants were not regular caffeine drinkers outside of their participation in the study. Researchers showed participants images and then asked them to come back the next day to see how many images they could recall. The researchers showed participants some images they'd already seen, as well as new images and pictures that were just a little different.

約翰斯·霍普金斯大學有項研究表明，喝咖啡、衝杯茶或以其他方式攝入咖啡因都可以提高記憶力。攝入咖啡因後，人們往往有長達24小時的記憶保鮮期。研究人員針對那些不經常喝咖啡的人做了個實驗：其中一部分人吞下了一顆含有200毫克咖啡因的藥片（相當於一大杯咖啡的咖啡因含量）；另一部分人吃下的是一片不含藥理成分的安慰劑。之後，研究人員給他們看了一堆圖片，並在第二天讓他們進行圖片識別。（其中一些圖片選自於第一天看到的，另一些圖片是新加入的，和先前的圖片略有不同。）

The interesting part of the study is that it showed that caffeine drinkers could identify when images they were shown on the second day were similar but not exactly the same as the initial images showed to them. Specifically, this ability to engage in successful "pattern separation" was a sign of better memory retention. Researchers at Johns Hopkins suggest previous studies were more simplistic than the Johns Hopkins study and their simplicity is why researchers observed no measurable improvement in memory with caffeine consumption. The government's Food and Drug Administration suggests around 90% of people around the world use caffeine in some form, and about 80% of people consume caffeine in the United States every single day. There's a good chance you already drink caffeine, so you might already be enjoying the memory-boosting benefits of drinking that morning cup of coffee.

有趣的是，研究表明，喝了咖啡的測試者能夠辨認出圖片中有些和第一天的某些圖片很像，但又略有差異。更確切地說，此種“模式分離”的能力正是記憶力好的表現。霍普金斯大學的研究人員稱以前的研究過於簡單，這也是以前在咖啡因攝入領域毫無實質性進展的原因。美國食品藥品管理局稱世界上約90%的人以一些特定形式攝入咖啡因，約80%的美國人每天都攝入咖啡因。好啦，放心吧，天天早起喝咖啡的你不用擔心記憶力跟不上啦。

2. Climbing a Tree Could Boost Your Memory and Cognitive Skills

2. 爬樹可以提高你的記憶力和認知力

A study conducted in 2015 at the University of Florida concluded that climbing a tree, as well as walking on a balance beam, could noticeably improve a person's cognitive skills. In "The Working Memory Benefits of Proprioceptively Demanding Training: A Pilot Study, " researchers at the university's Department of Psychology examined the working memory benefits of adults who engaged in demanding activities like climbing trees against other participants who engaged in calmer activities like yoga. Like other studies examining the benefit of exercise on the brain, researchers found that just a few hours of strenuous activities were enough to produce noticeable gains in memory. Study participants were well above the traditional age for climbing trees and ranged from 18-years-old to 59-years-old.

佛羅里達大學2015年一項研究表明，爬樹、走平衡木可以大大提升一個人的認知能力。“經自身嚴格訓練後對工作記憶的好處”的試點研究中，該大學心理系的研究人員稱：那些喜歡爬樹等激烈運動的成年人比喜歡瑜伽等靜態運動的人記憶力更好。研究參與者年齡介於18至59歲之間，早已過了爬樹鬧騰的年紀了。實驗結果表明，只需幾小時的激烈運動就能顯著提升記憶力。

Proprioception, which is a person's ability to know where his or her body is positioned and oriented, has already been connected to memory. Researchers wanted to investigate this connection and see if activities, where a participant needed to remain aware of his or her posture, could increase the memory benefits. After a few hours of participating in activities like climbing trees and crossing a balance beam, researchers found that working memory capacity increased by a whopping 50% when participants were tested after two hours. The researchers concluded that participating in activities that required a person to think and which wouldn't allow someone to "zone out" during the activity were excellent for boosting memory. Reaching back into your childhood to participate in time-honored activities like climbing trees could very well give you a better memory.

研究人員認爲本體感受（Proprioception，是指人在不同的狀態下感知身體各部位置的能力，例如，人在閉眼時仍能感知身體各部的位置）和記憶力存在着一定的關係，並想通過對其進一步的研究來探索那些需要時刻注意體位、姿勢的激烈運動是否能提高記憶力。研究人員讓受試者進行了像爬樹、走平衡木等克服障礙的活動，兩小時後進行工作記憶力檢測，發現這些受試者的工作記憶力提高了50%！原來那些需要動腦、需要集中精力的活動是提升記憶力的利器。倘若你在童年時期能多多參與這種很有年代感的活動，你的記憶力可能會更好哦！

1. Writing It Down May Help You Remember It

1. 好記心不如爛筆頭

In the digital era, it's common for people to go several days without using a pen or pencil, and we might be making things tougher on our brains by taking notes with a computer rather than with a pen and paper. Teachers have long advised their students to take notes during class, as well as during study sessions to improve knowledge on various subjects, but a recent study on writing called "Handwriting versus Keyboard Writing: Effect on Word Recall" may prove what teachers have been saying for decades. After examining the results of study participants writing in three different ways, researchers found that handwriting words led to stronger memories. The different ways participants were asked to record information included typing on a normal keyboard, using a virtual keyboard such as one on a tablet computer, and writing by hand.

在數字化時代，幾天不寫字都是司空見慣的。我們可以用電腦記筆記，而不是用筆記事。老師早就說過，學生應在課上、研討會上做筆記，擴大各科的知識面。但近日有個叫“手寫和鍵盤打字對記憶力的影響”的研究證實了這麼些年來老師苦口婆心的唸叨是有道理的。研究人員把受試者分成了三個小組，分別用鍵盤打字、用平板電腦上的虛擬鍵盤打字以及手寫，結果表明手寫組更勝一籌。

While the scientists who created the study couldn't pinpoint the reason for the discrepancy in memory between keyboard typing and handwritten writing, they suggested it could have something to do with the split attention span required to type on a keyboard. A person must occasionally glance at a keyboard and then back to the screen when typing while a person using a pen and paper need only look at the paper while recording information by hand. Another hypothesis suggested by the researchers was that writers could create better visual memories by staring at recently handwritten words than they could words typed via a keyboard.

雖然發起此項研究的科學家們尚且無法準確指出鍵盤打字和手寫之間存在記憶差異的原因，但他們認爲這可能和鍵盤輸入時會分散注意力有關。如果是鍵盤打字的話，就得在鍵盤和電腦屏幕之間遊離；手寫就不存在類似問題，在記錄時只需看着紙就行。另一個假設是書寫過程會促進對文字的視覺識別，而這種感覺是打字者無法體會的。

Whatever the reason, you might want to pick up a pen and paper the next time you need to remember a phone number without having to look at the contacts in your phone.

不管原因是啥，下次需要記電話號碼時，你一定會自覺拿起紙和筆了吧？不必依賴你的手機通訊錄啦！

So, do you need to employ all of these techniques at once to create the perfect memory? Should you wake up with a cup of coffee, take a barefoot morning run, go write down a few things you want to remember, and adopt a heart-healthy Mediterranean diet? Is it necessary to start lifting weights, climbing trees, and engaging in self-actualization? Will these techniques truly give you a perfect memory? Can you become Dr. Spencer Reid from "Criminal Minds" with an eidetic memory and an 180 IQ?

想要一網打盡所有改善記憶的技巧嗎？難道非得要每天清早一杯咖啡、赤足晨跑、記錄每日事項，養成地中海飲食習慣來保養心臟？難道真的有必要開始舉重、爬樹、奮力實現自我嗎？這些林林總總的手段，真的能帶來完美的記憶力，讓你和《犯罪心理》裏的斯潘塞·瑞德博士一樣，擁有超級精準的記憶力和180的超高智商嗎？

The Mayo Clinic reveals there's no guarantee when it comes to memory loss and dementia but that engaging in memory-sharpening techniques can help, as well as knowing when to seek help from a doctor for memory problems. Simply socializing regularly, getting organized, and getting enough sleep can have a positive impact on your memory, which means adding these scientific techniques for improving your memory could be the icing on the cake when it comes to remembering the name of your new coworker, your significant other's birthday, and exactly where you put your car keys.

梅奧診所相關人員指出，記憶減退或者癡呆症是毫無徵兆的，但是這些加強記憶的技巧可以助你早日發現端倪，及時就醫。簡化社交網絡、生活作息規律、睡眠充足都能有助於提高記憶力，再加上這些科學技術那無疑是錦上添花，再也不用怕記不住新同事的名字、某某重要的生日、不用怕忘了車鑰匙到底放哪兒了。

They were on your bedside table next to your smartphone, right? Or were they on the kitchen counter where you dropped them after bringing in the groceries last night? Fortunately, you don't have to be a savant, experience life-changing head trauma, or have a genius IQ to improve your memory. Trying out these 10 scientific secrets to a perfect memory might be all you need to remember everything you want to remember.

擁有這些技巧，你可以清晰地記得鑰匙就在牀頭、手機邊上，或者昨晚買了東西進來順手扔在了廚房櫃檯上。爲提高記憶力，不用非得經歷顱腦損傷之後才能改頭換面、重拾記憶，也不用非得成爲一個高智商的天才。試試這十個能提高你記憶力的科學奧祕吧，說不定就能讓你記憶力飛速提升了呢。