Mind Hacks

Chapter 9. Remembering: Hacks 81–92

The idea of priming comes up more than once in this book. Given a single concept being activated in the brain, other associated concepts are quietly activated too, ready to impinge on consciousness or experience. Automatic associations lie behind the Stroop Effect [[Hack #55]], and the measurement of a type of priming is how we know that we unconsciously ready ourselves to make use of an object, just by laying eyes on it [[Hack #67]].

We dive into priming [[Hack #81]] in the first hack of this chapter, and from there, we’ll see it manifested as subliminal perception [[Hack #82]] and implicated in the creation of false memory. For memory is the main topic here. We’ll look at how false memories and familiarity come about [[Hack #83], [Hack #84] and [Hack #85]], by using priming to activate concepts that have not been directly experienced.

We’ll also look at how to build strong, true memories too, in the form of learning. Learning implicitly involves context, the situation you’re in while you’re doing the learning (that’s another appearance of the associative nature of the mind). Exploiting this feature can help you learn better to begin with [[Hack #86]] and improve your recall skills in the future [[Hack #87]]. There’s even a nifty trick on how to improve your memory using your builtin navigational skills too [[Hack #89]].

Along the way, we’ll take in a grab bag of hacks on the reality of imagination. Such as how thinking about your muscles can make ...