| Every now and then, I get an email that reads | | | | guarantee success in such an endeavour is a liar. (I |
| something like this one:"I want to learn how to | | | | know those are strong words, and it is just my opinion; |
| memorize the whole Bible. I read your description of | | | | but my opinion it is.)There are books books out there |
| your program and I am still unsure whether it is all that | | | | on memorizing, some great, some not-so-great, and |
| you say it is or some scheme. I was wondering if | | | | some that probably shouldn't be sold at all.Most |
| there are any other details that you can give me to | | | | Memory Books Teach MnemonicsWhat most of |
| help me?"Is It Really Possible To Memorize The Whole | | | | these books teach, are mnemonics and mnemonic |
| Bible?As you undoubtably know, memorizing the whole | | | | tricks. These range from the extremely simplistic, |
| Bible is an enormous task. However, I do believe it is | | | | like:General Electric Power Company -- This is for |
| possible! In fact, William Walker Atkinson says, in his | | | | remembering the order of Galations, Ephesians, |
| book "Memory, How To Develop, Train and Use It":In | | | | Phillipians and ColossiansandThis is the way the |
| India, in the past, the sacred books were committed to | | | | disciples run |
| memory, and handed down from teacher to student, | | | | Peter, Andrew, James and John Phillip and |
| for ages.And even today it is no uncommon thing for | | | | Bartholemew |
| the student to be able to repeat, word for word, some | | | | Thomas next and Matthew, too. |
| voluminous religious work equal in extent to the New | | | | James the less and Judas the greater |
| Testament.Max Muller states that the entire text and | | | | Simon the zealot and Judas the traitor."...to very |
| glossary of Panini's Sanscrit grammar, equal in extent | | | | advanced systems, like memory pegging techniques |
| to the entire Bible, were handed down orally for | | | | and phonetic substitution systems.Tricks like these |
| several centuries before being committed to | | | | might be great for remembering tidbits and facts, but |
| writing.There are Brahmins today who have committed | | | | they do not improve your memory in the long run. And |
| to memory, and who can repeat at will, the entire | | | | of course, they do not help you remember long texts, |
| collection of religious poems known as the | | | | or large amount of information.The only way I know to |
| Mahabarata, consisting of over 300,000 slokas or | | | | train your memory, not for party-tricks, but for |
| verses.Leland states that, "the Slavonian minstrels of | | | | extensive feats like memorizing the whole Bible, is to |
| the present day have by heart with remarkable | | | | practice. And to practice a lot!Tke Key Ingredient Vital |
| accuracy immensely long, epic poems.I have found the | | | | To Your SuccessThere is one thing that is absolutely |
| same among Algonquin Indians whose sagas or | | | | essential when you want to memorize a large body of |
| mythic legends are interminable, and yet are committed | | | | text. It is HOW you practice. I'll say that again: The way |
| word by word accurately.I have heard in England of a | | | | you practice is vital to your success.So how do you |
| lady ninety years of age whose memory was | | | | practice? Easy. You need to apply Attention and |
| miraculous, and of which extraordinary instances are | | | | Interest. Attention, because it is, of course, impossible to |
| narrated by her friends.She attributed it to the fact that | | | | remember something you didn't quite notice in the first |
| when young she had been made to learn a verse | | | | place.How do you become attentive? By being |
| from the Bible every day, and then constantly review | | | | interested! When you are interested in your subject of |
| it.As her memory improved, she learned more, the | | | | study, |
| result being that in the end she could repeat from | | | | attention follows.There are no fancy ways of doing |
| memory any verse or chapter called for in the whole | | | | this.I cannot teach you to memorize the Bible in 90 |
| Scripture."So it is possible! But it is no small feat. And | | | | days; there is no Royal Road to Memory. You can, |
| no matter what techniques you use, it will take you a | | | | however, train your memory. For every step you take, |
| very long time to succeed -- if you succeed at all.I | | | | it becomes easier. After a while, you will be able to |
| cannot guarantee you that you will succeed in | | | | achieve whatever you set your mind to.-- |
| memorizing the whole Bible, and I would venture to say | | | | Sten Andersen helps making memorizing large bodies |
| that anyone who claims to have techniques to | | | | of text easier. |