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Shereshevsky, Soloman - Using images and symbols to help in recall
Identifier
003699
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
The mnemonist Shereshevsky used the link between words and the set of images that could be used to bring back the words in order to remember long sequences of meaningless words for his stage performances. This may show that our memories are based on symbols , for example............
A description of the experience
A R Luria – The Mind of a Mnemonist
MI – here I set up an image of a Jew who comes out with the remark. 'We had nothing to do with it [Russian mwi]
RITROVAI – this is some reply to him on the phone
TRU – but since the receiver is transparent it disappears [Russian trubka]
VAI – what I see then is an old Jewish woman running off screaming 'Vai!'
PER – I see her father [Russian per] driving along in a cab near the corner of Lubyanka
UNA – but there on the corner of Sukharevka I see a policeman on duty, his bearing so stiff he looks like the figure 1
SELVA – I set up a platform next to him on which Silva is dancing. But just to make sure I won't make a mistake and think this is Silva, I have the stage boards under the platform crack which gives me the sound 'e'