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In my previous posts on memory improvement, I showed you how to memorize lists and made an introduction to number memorization. Today, you will see how to memorize big numbers: Phone numbers, credit card numbers, birthdates… You will see that you can memorize any number you want, no matter how many digits it is composed of.

The benefits of being able to memorize any number

Image credit: phishpot

When I use my cellphone, I never use its phonebook to find somebody’s number. I always punch in the number directly. I am an impatient ADDer and scrolling through the menus and the names in my cellphone just drives me crazy.

It is much quicker for me to punch in the number directly. Why? Guess what, because I know every single number in my cellphone by heart! And also those that I never even took the time to type in. If I ever lost my cellphone, I wouldn’t have to worry so much, because I know every phone number that I need - I’ve got it stored in my memory. And that’s very handy.

I know by heart the PIN and card number of every debit/bank/credit card I have. I don’t need to remind myself of them, or carry around a paper with the PIN when issued a new card, because I memorize it immediately.

I can commit to long term memory any birthdate, phone number, street number or anything else that I wish instantly. Sounds fantastic? Well, the good news is that you can do it too, because I wasn’t born with this ability - I learned how to do it. All by myself. And now I am going to show you how you can do these amazing feats too, by teaching you a very useful and practical mnemonic method that will make your life easier.

A specific system of memorization

To be able to memorize numbers properly, you need a system. And there are a few things that you will have to learn by heart to make this system work. It’s easy and once you start practicing the memorization of numbers with this method, you will know these few things perfectly and you’ll be able to use them for memorization anytime, anywhere.

What you’ll do is substitute numbers for persons that are doing something. Remember, I told you that human memory works via vivid images and powerful impressions. That’s also why human memory is infinite. You can store as many impressions, images, scenes, and movies in your head as you like.

You remember most of your life, don’t you? But especially the most pleasant as well as most uncomfortable moments that you’ve lived through. That’s why you will use the system in which the numbers are substituted with persons doing something. Thanks to images and impressions, lively scenes in your mind, you will develop a powerful, infinite memory.

Letters and numbers

The first thing that you need is an alphabet that will substitute the ten digits from 0 to 9. Here it is:

• 0 = O
• 1 = A
• 2 = B
• 3 = C
• 4 = D
• 5 = E
• 6 = S
• 7 = G
• 8 = H
• 9 = N

Now, write this down on a piece of paper. And learn this small alphabet by heart. Do not proceed until you are sure which letter stands for every number from 0 to 9.

How to remember this? Easy: The letter that substitutes zero is O, of course. Next, the numbers from one to five (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) are represented by letters in the order in which they appear in the alphabet. A is the first letter, so 1 = A, B is the second, so 2 = B, etc.

Now say the word “six”. Can you feel how the letter S has a prominent place in this word, at its beginning and at its end? That’s why I chose to use the letter S for number 6. The same is for number nine. The letter N is encountered twice in it, so 9 = N.

7 and 8 are again represented by the letters that occupy their respective places in the alphabet: 7 = G, 8 = H.

This suits me fine. If you feel that every number should be represented by a letter that occupies that same place in the alphabet, then go for it. You don’t have to stick to my system if you feel that other number-letter combinations feel more natural. You may even use some letters the shape of which resemble certain numbers. See what works best for you.

Once you have your letters, learn them by heart. You must know exactly which letter represents which number. Take as much time as you need to do this.

OK? Ready to move on? Follow my lead

People and numbers

Take a new sheet of paper. You will now write down all the numbers from 00 to 99, with their corresponding letters next to them, while leaving a place for a person you are going to associate with each number. Like this:

Number     Letters     Person

00                 OO             …
01                 OA
02                 OB
03                 OC
.
.
.
36                 CS
37                 CG
.
.
.
99                 NN

OK? So, you have to write 100 numbers, from 00 to 99.

Associating a person that is doing something with each number

Now that you have written down the 100 numbers, you must begin to make associations. For example, let’s try the number 22. With the alphabet code I wrote above, 22 equals BB (maybe it’s different for you if you chose some other number than 2 for the letter B - always stick to your own code).

So what could 22 be? BB may remind me of Boris Becker, the once famous tennis player, or Brigitte Bardot, the legendary French actress. If you choose Boris Becker, make him play tennis. It is extremely important to have a good unique action assigned to each person. Each person in your system must be doing something that will set him/her apart from the others. This is very important!

Also, bear in mind that the letters are here merely to facilitate the associations. Some numbers won’t need any translation into letters, if they immediately remind you of something. For example, let’s try 69. What are you thinking of? Not that, you pervert For example, for me, the number 69 reminds me of the Yin and Yang symbol, which in turn reminds me of a friend of mine who is practicing acupuncture (a traditional chinese medicine system). So I see her puncturing her arms with long needles.

Another example: The number 70 reminds me of a cousin of mine who was born in 1970. He is a big fan of fast cars, and drives like he’s crazy, so I always imagine him sitting in his favourite racing car while the car’s engine is growling and there is smoke coming from the tyres. I could have translated 70 into the letters GO, but there is no need since I have a more immediate association.

Always use the persons that first come to mind! Also, if they are doing an irrelevant action that isn’t memorable (like speaking or only sitting), discard them. They must be doing something specific and memorable! For example, I have a journalist as one of my characters (posing as no. 93) and I always imagine her burning a stack of newspapers with a flamethrower. Remember: The more memorable the action, the easier it will be to memorize and recall the number quickly and efficently.

Now, you have to learn those 100 numbers/persons by heart. Learn them so that when you see or hear a two-digit number, you immediately think of the person associated with that number and you see her/him in your mind’s eye doing her/his respective action. You can memorize 20-30 persons each day, or if you think you can make it, try all 100 in one day.

Remember, the letters can help you recall who the number is associated with (example: 11 = AA = Anonymous Alcoholics = your always drunken uncle vomiting violently). With practice, you will associate numbers with persons instantly, without having to revert to letters.

Applying the system — the way to memorize numbers

Once you have learned these 100 numbers/persons by heart, you are ready to memorize any number, anytime you want. Of course, proficiency and speed will come with practice. I suggest practicing on any number you see: car license plates, phone numbers, birthdays, street numbers, etc. Practice diligently!

The basis of number memorization

Now, to show you a concrete example. Let’s say that you have a credit card whose PIN is 6829. You will use your own persons, of course. I am going to show you the example using the persons in my own system.

I use Stephen Hawking for the number 68 (SH = 68). I imagine him swirling and rotating wildly in his wheel chair. Politically incorrect? Maybe. Memorable? You bet.

I use Salma Hayek for the number 29 (because of some associations of mine…it doesn’t really matter ). Since she’s the only actress in my system, I imagine her operating a big studio camera. In her bikini.

To memorize the PIN number (6829), you will place the scene in front of the cash/ATM machine that you use frequently, or in your bank. Always place the number where you need it. If it’s someone’s phone number, place the scene in that person’s room, office, etc. You get the picture.

So, imagine yourself looking at the ATM or being inside your bank:

• You see Stephen Hawkings (68) rotating around wildly in his wheelchair, while Salma Hayek (29) is filming him.

Now, there is nothing wrong with this scene, except for the fact that you can make it more compact. And I encourage you to do so, because you will need this method for bigger numbers (phone numbers, for example).

Making it easier to memorize bigger numbers

You are again in front of your much-loved ATM machine or inside the bank:

• You see Stephen Hawking (68) in a bikini operating a big studio camera (29).

The number associated with Stephen Hawking is 68 (in my system, use the person you associated with 68 in your system) and he is performing Salma Hayek’s action - filming with a camera (29).

Do you understand now why each person must have a unique, well recognizable and memorable action associated with them? Because the key to memorizing bigger numbers is to makle your scenes more compact! You can immediately recall the number if you can clearly see what a person is doing!

If it was the other way around, for example, the PIN number 2968, I would have imagined Salma Hayek (29) in the wheelchair, rotating around madly(68). The first two-digit number is the person doing the action, which is the second two-digit number.

With the examples given above, 7022 would translate into my cousin playing tennis. Because I associate 70 with my cousin, and 22 with Boris Becker, whose action is playing tennis.

Memorizing odd numbers

But what if you have to memorize, let’s say, the number 292? OK, 29 stands for Salma Hayek, but what about the 2? Please note that this is 2, NOT 02! You have to use the single-digit number associations. My association for number 2 is a swan. So I would see Salma Hayek in her bikini, using the big studio camera to film a swan who is flapping his wings or swimming around.

How to memorize a phone number

Image credit: Gemma Kate Thorpe

Let’s say you have a friend. And that friend happens to have a phone! With a number! Let’s say that the number is 681129935. For me, this number translates immediately into the following scene:

1. Stephen Hawking is vomiting. Stephen Hawking (68) is standing up and vomiting (11, the action of alcoholic uncle). Why standing up? Because I always imagine my (late) uncle standing up and vomiting. The action of Mr. Hawking is going around in his wheelchair, so you must make him stand up. Never mix up two actions! One person is always doing one action! If it’s a two digit number, well, that person is going to be doing her/his own action, that’s all.
2. Salma Hayek is burning a stack of newspaper with a flamethrower, while being pulled by a big fishing hook. Salma Hayek (29) is doing the action of the journalist (93, the burning of newspapers). And she’s attached to a big fishing hook (which is my association for number 5).

Like I said, exaggeration, absurdity, sex and violence work very well. They are much easier to recall then ordinary scenes.

For example, let’s say that you associate the number 49 with your mother, because she was born in 1949. Let’s say that your mother is working as a teacher. Well, don’t make her action standing in front of a class speaking or giving a lecture. Why?

First, you can’t place a classroom easily somewhere else - in your friend’s room or office, where the phone number scene should be placed. Second, lecturing or speaking isn’t memorable.

Rather, make her pull a big chalk over a blackboard and hear the horrible screeching sound that the chalk emits. Or make her do that with her nails on the blackboard, which is even better. You can place the blackboard easily into any scene and the screeching sound will make it easier to recall a scene. You can also see deep incisions in the blackboard left behind her hand. Be creative! Let your imagination run wild!

Commiting a number to your memory

In order to be able to recall a number at a later time, you should repeat it a few times at first. Imagine the scene a few times. Imagine it before going to sleep the same day when you first created it. See it vividly in your mind’s eye.

The next morning, repeat it. Then, repeat it after a few days and then the next week. Imagine it after a month. You can do it again after 6 months and I think that you’re done then - you will remember it for good then. Just in case, I repeat some rarely-used telephone numbers every now and then, to remember them. Numbers that I use often I don’t need to re-imagine, because I see the scene when I’m dialing the number.

Also, know that quick memorization and efectiveness will come with practice. At first, keep the numbers that you want to memorize on a piece of paper, for quick reference. Once you feel confident, get rid of it and trust your memory. Because it’s infinite and amazing! Always be aware of that!

Say thank you to Dominic O’Brien, the man behind the system

I have come across many different approaches to memory-improvement and I’m using several memorization methods, depending on what I have to memorize. I have read books from Harry Lorayne, Tony Buzan and Dominic O’Brien. They are all experts at memory improvement.

But for me, the best way to memorize numbers is Dominic’s way. What you just learned is called The Dominic System. I would recommend that you buy one of his amazing books, which are all very straightforward and cover almost every memorization technique, from numbers, cards and speeches, to history, chemistry and faces.

Note: These are not affiliate links. All the credit goes to Dominic!

• Dominic’s books on memory on US Amazon (for those of you living in North America)
• Dominic’s books on memory on UK Amazon (for those of you living in Europe)

With that being said, start practicing as soon as you can. After a month or two, you’ll be glad that you did. And you’ll want to impress your friends, which is only natural

If you need any clarifications on this method, or have further questions about it, please leave a comment. I’ll be glad to help and discuss any questions you might have.

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