May 15
A special thanks to Maria Fleischhack and all the wonderful Baker Street Babes for this delightful review of my new book ‘Psychic Lies & Mental Spies.” Here is a link to the review on their site:
The Baker Street Babes Podcast: Review: Psychic Lies & Mental Spies.
May 14
The follow article & lesson is taken directly from my new book “Psychic Lies & Mental Spies.” Enjoy!
“I consider that a man’s brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it.” –Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet.
That‘s right. Arthur Conan Doyle was on the right track when he attributed his fictional consulting detective‘s ‘mental powers‘ to be the result of a well-organized ‘memory attic‘ system. While the ‘Memory Palace‘ system that is widely employed today isn‘t necessarily associated with Sherlock Holmes with the exception of the BBC’s “Sherlock.” I believe the above quote should be given the credit it deserves. Now, let‘s get on to what the Memory Palace (or Method of Loci) actually is. This is going to get historically deep for a moment, but then we will break it down so you can create yours, NOW!
The Method of Loci (loci is the plural form of the Latin word ―locus, meaning ―place or ―location), also called the Memory Palace, is a mnemonic device introduced in ancient Roman rhetorical treatises (as described in the anonymous Rhetorica ad Herennium, Cicero’s De Oratore, and Quintilian’s Institutio Oratoria). It relies on memorized spatial relationships to establish order and recollect memorial content. The term is most often found in specialized works on psychology, neurobiology and memory; though it was used in the same general way at least as early as the first half of the nineteenth century in works on rhetoric, logic and philosophy.
The Method of Loci is also commonly called the ―mental walk. In basic terms, it is a method of memory enhancement which uses visualization to organize and recall information. Many memory contest champions claim to use this technique in order to recall faces, digits, and lists of words. These champions‘ successes have little to do with brain structure or intelligence, but more to do with their technique of using regions of their brain that have to do with spatial learning. Those parts of the brain that contribute most significantly to this technique include the Medial Parietal Cortex, Retrosplenial Cortex, and the right posterior Hippocampus.
In other words, the ability to do this does not lie in preexisting intelligence, but rather it is a learned tool.
CREATING YOUR MEMORY PALACE
The whole memory palace technique is based on the fact that we‘re extremely good at remembering places we know. So, the first step is to create a memory palace of your choosing in your mind‘s eye. A memory palace is essentially a physical location that you are very familiar with such as your home, or route to work; it can be any place you know well as long as you can clearly visualize each room or landmark within your memory palace with little to no effort. Everyone has a place they can choose. It is entirely up to you, choose your first ‘memory palace‘ and map it out well in your mind. Really visualize this place, take the route, walk through the house, and your palace will be established.
DEFINING YOUR ROUTE
The second step is to trace a clearly defined route through your memory palace and visualize particular objects along the way. If you are considering your home for example, your route may start with your front door. You may enter into a hallway and notice a mirror hanging on the wall. Start with one object per room and follow an easy path (such as, left to right) until you are back at your starting point.
Practice following this route in your memory palace, making an effort to remember each specific object in order. This shouldn‘t be hard to do if you choose a place deeply embedded within your mind; consider the house you grew up in. Each object you see and encounter is known as a ‘memory peg‘. Start with one object or ‘memory peg‘ for every room in your palace, or every stop on your route. A simple example would be: you walk through the front door and see the coat rack, then you walk into the kitchen and notice the stove, then you walk into the garage and notice the ladder. Coat rack (front door), stove (kitchen), and ladder (garage): already, you have three ‘memory pegs‘ in three different rooms in your Memory Palace.
USING YOUR MEMORY PEGS
Now think of something that you‘d like to remember, such as a shopping list or your agenda for the week ahead. Place items in a particular order and integrate each with a memory peg (object) within your memory palace. It helps to conceptualize objects as being bizarre or perhaps cartoon-like at this stage. Memory does, after all, perform best when operating in a strong, visual way.
Since we created three pegs in the above example, the coat rack, the stove and the ladder; we can now utilize those pegs. If your grocery list only consisted of three items such as milk, bread and cheese you would then ‘peg‘ them one at a time. Your first peg in the example is the coatrack; you walk through the front door and see the coatrack. So all you have to do is visually connect ‘milk‘ and ‘coatrack.‘ It is important to make your images as animated and bizarre as possible, so see the coatrack spewing milk from all its ends. At this point you would take a moment to really ‘see‘ this image, and burn it into your mind. Now you would connect ‘bread‘ to ‘stove.‘ Keeping in mind that merely getting bread out of a stove isn‘t dramatic enough for memory. So I would see a man beating the stove to pieces with a gigantic loaf of bread. Done and done. Now just connect ‘cheese‘ to ‘ladder‘ i.e. A man is trying to climb the ladder and failing because it‘s made of cheese.
Your simple list would now be committed to memory.
At the store, all you ever need to do is walk through your mental memory palace and your grocery list will fly right back at you. You will walk through the door and see milk spewing from the coatrack, then you would walk into the kitchen only to find a man beating the stove with a ridiculous loaf of bread, you then walk into the garage and see a man climbing the cheese ladder. Milk, bread and cheese is a pretty easy list to remember without a palace, yet you can begin see the power of the method.
The amazing thing is that your memory palace is EVERY bit as effective at storing enormous amounts of information as it is storing very small bits. Now that you have your own memory palace, expand it.
In my Ebook “Psychic Lies & Mental Spies” I delve deeper into the techniques of the memory palace, including how to store enormous amounts of information in very little time. If you’re interested in taking your Memory Palace to the next level I suggest you pick up a copy today!
Joe Riggs
May 14
I absolutely could not resist sharing Scott Sylvan Bell’s brilliant insight into the Body Language of Successful Women. You can find out more about Scott Sylvan Bell at http://readingbodylanguagenow.com/
Body language of successful women:
Having the ability to read body language like an expert can help you in many situations whether professional, personal or even when it is dangerous. Understanding the cues or nonverbal actions that men and women take will allow you the ability.
Women have some specific traits that they have when it comes to body language and typically women are softer when it comes to their actions and what they do than what you would find with the body language of a man. This is not a judgment or a bad thing it just is what it is.
The approach that women have when working with others is different than what a man might do and this ranges from the way that they walk up to a man or woman and what body language or nonverbal actions that they use.
Women have come far in the short span of the last 50 years just going back that far it wasn’t common for a woman to own a business or to be successful without a man. It’s a great and fantastic thing that it is more and more common to see successful women.
When it comes to the nonverbal signs of successful women there will be plenty of “maybe’s and “possibly” statements as there is no exact uniform body language of successful women or men just some common threads that may or may not happen as with any other reading of nonverbal actions.
As a general guide you will always want to baseline the man or the woman that you want to read the body language of especially if you are going to interact, you will not want to have some issues with the law of reaction.
When successful women read your body language or nonverbal actions know and understand that you will be under far more scrutiny than you would be of that of a successful man, they will know what to look for.
Body language of successful women and confidence
Typically for all of the issues that have held women successful women back they will normally show good signs of confidence. The successful women will normally glide while they walk and it will seem like its even. The eye contact may be stronger than normal as successful women have probably been “eye checked” to see how serious they may be about their business strategies and or tactics and this may really be the case when a man doesn’t believe that “she” will be able to succeed. Women can tell when a man or another woman lacks confidence as they have been approached for dating and can interpret the bad sigans and signals from the lack of confidence.
Body language of successful women’s hands and touching others
Typically women take better care of their hands than what men do. You may notice that a successful woman has possible manicured hands and clean skin. A woman who is successful may or may not touch others but when she does it will be appropriate to make sure that the wrong message is not sent to the recipient especially if the recipient is a man. To put it simply a successful woman will know where to touch and where not to no matter what her hands look like.
Pay attention to how you touch a woman successful or not for them it will be a comfort zone issue. Know that the general rule is that it is ok to touch a woman after they have touched you in limited locations like particularly on the back of their arm from the shoulder to the elbow. Now for the guys who think that they are pick up artists or alpha males the men may think that these rules do not apply to them.
If you are a man or woman reading this women will be looking at your hands to determine what they can decipher about you without even talking.
Body language of successful women’s clothing
You may find that successful women dress well, now that doesn’t always mean expensive cloths but you will find that most of the time successful women will make sure that their presentation of what they wear is acceptable to the other women and men around them.
If you get the chance to ask women who they dress up for whether its shoes, clothing, makeup, accessories and they will normally say that they way that they look is for other women to not be judged by them. This may not be the case for men, for the most part men only worry about what woman think (this is not a 100% for every man).
A successful woman will show through he nonverbal signs of her clothing that she is a force to be reckoned with especially if she is used to seeing the micro expressions of contempt.
Women whether successful or not will typically pay attention to how other women and men are dressed and make their decisions based upon what they see.
Body language of successful women’s accessories
You will find that successful women will typically know the limitations of what accessories should be worm in each occasion. You may find that “she” has bracelets, earrings, pendants on a chain or a ring that are tasteful but not excessive. This is not a 100% rule as some successful women make sure that you know she has money and the diamonds and gold will prove it.
You may find that the successful woman is carrying a nice purse and that her accessories have to match what she is wearing.
Body language of successful women’s shoes
Men typically don’t understand that for women shoes are an accessory that can make or break an outfit whether a woman is successful or not it is typical for women to pay close attention to shoes but not just theirs, but your also.
For some women dirty shoes are a deal breaker especially if you have not taken care of yours. That means that they better be cleaned and or polished and this could be for a man or a women. Women usually pay more attention to details and make their decisions based upon “gut instinct” more than what men do.
If you tell a woman that you are successful the shoes that you wear as a man or a woman may just give away whether you are telling the truth or fabricating your abilities.
Body language of successful women’s nonverbal actions
Successful women will understand the rules of proximity even if they don’t know a name like “bell bubble”. Women can be more intuitive when it comes to dealing with others and may have a better sense of paying attention to what their body is doing so that they do not have to answer for it later.
A successful women will pay attention to your nonverbal actions to see if what you are saying will match up to what your body is saying or doing.
It is not ever a good idea to lie to someone but lying to a successful woman would be a mistake especially if they have kids because they are used to seeing kids make things up to not get into trouble. If she thinks for a second that you are not being truthful chances are you are done and will not get a second chance.
Body language of successful women and double standards
Over the years with women being around business the unofficial rules have relaxed but there still is plenty of room to make changes. You may see successful women show the signs of frustration while dealing with others especially if there are double standards as to what they are doing and dealing with men. Women can touch other women or men but its not the other way around for women getting touched by men there is a double standard but that isn’t a bad thing.
Body language of successful women as times change
It’s a good thing to see women making their way more into the business world. A recent article said that 70% of all new businesses being started are by women. It will be interesting to see the types of changes that move forward as women become more successful and the culture of business changes. Hopefully the endeavors work out for the women and you will get more of a chance to read the nonverbal actions and signs of successful women in the future.
As always I would like to thank you in advance for your comments and or questions about reading the body language of successful women.
Now go implement!
Scott Sylvan Bell
May 13
“You see, but do not observe.” -Sherlock Holmes
‘Deductive’ Observation as I like to call it, allows you to predict and anticipate what a particular person is going to do or say next. It can reveal a wealth of information and insight to ones thoughts and intentions. As a Mentalist knowing the language of the eyes can be most, advantageous.
The ability to read a person’s intentions based on eye movement develops at about the age of four. Sadly most never develop this further. The general rule is that the more interested and engaged a person is, the larger the pupils become. The same is true in reverse. Conversationally this can tell you everything.
The direction a person looks almost always indicates a great many things. Conjugate lateral eye movements, or CLEMS, are involuntary eye movements to the left or right and can indicate whether a person is engaged in symbolic or visual thinking. A 1999 study showed that people are predominantly left or right lookers and that 75% of their eye movements will be in one direction or the other. This is a good indication of whether you are dealing with a more analytical left brain person who will mostly look to the right or a creative right brain person who is probably looking to the left.
Dr. Bella DePaulo, a psychologist at the University of Virginia, reported in 1986 that people think that they are much better than they actually are at reading body language. Most people inaccurately believed that “shifty eyes” meant a person was lying. A person’s body language response when defending themselves against the accusation that they have lied is identical to the body language used during lying. In Neuro linguistic programming we caution that the rule of thumb is to use a minimum of four body language cues to make deductions about a person’s thoughts.
When asking someone a direct question, a left or right eye movement can mean the difference between the truth and a lie. Looking to the left indicates a made up answer as their eyes are showing a constructed image or sound whereas looking to the right would indicate a “remembered” voice or image, and thus would be the truth. Every person is different, as I said before never base a conclusion on just one observation.
That’s all the time I have for now!
May 11
When looking at the body language of men or women who wear glasses there is definitely some nonverbal communication going on whether they think so or not. Body language expert Scott Sylvan Bell shows you how to get the edge on reading people’s body language who are wearing glasses. Yet another great article insight from Scott.
Click here for full article: Body language of glasses.
May 11
I found this wonderful article from Andrew Barras on his splendid ‘Education Storm-front‘ blog. Here Andrew uses Sherlock Holmes as a model for changes that need to be made in the education system.
Sherlock Holmes and The Case Of The Broken Education System « Education Stormfront.
May 10
What a fantastic little treasure I’ve uncovered today thanks to the brilliant Scott Sylvan Bell. I’ve incorporated quite a few of Bell’s thoughts and techniques into my Mentalism work over the years. I could not resist sharing this recent article of his:
When looking at the nonverbal communication others you can look to their accessories to give you some nonverbal clues.
When looking at the body language of cufflinks you will want to look at the man or the woman wearing them. Traditionally cufflinks are an accessory that men would typically wear but some designers are adding cufflinks to women’s accessories. In some instances they may add confidence or help with the lack of confidence.
There are a few things to look at when determining the nonverbal communication of an accessory and what it contributes to the body lf the man or the woman wearing them:
Body language of cufflinks and a suit
Cufflinks add one more layer of customization when it comes to dressing up. There are all sorts of different designs and or materials that cufflinks are made of. For some men that dress up they match their cufflinks to their ties and or other accessories. Depending upon what the cufflinks look like they may or may not add to the appearance or the persona of the man or the woman wearing them. Some may say that a suit with a shirt that has French cuffs that allow cufflinks is more elegant and more professional.
Body language of a special occasion
There are some men or women who only wear their special shirt and cufflinks for a certain occasion. This would be for them to dress up for a special event and for them it isn’t an everyday item. This is where the extra layer of elegance for some would be. Cufflinks seem to be a special item to wear but not something every day.
Body language of persuasion and cufflinks
You may see top persuaders wear cufflinks as it does add to their appearance. For some people cufflinks are intimidating because they are not normally an everyday item for some people. In some industries the persona of the person wearing them makes them seem more professional or even the idea that there will be extra cost involved.
Body language of a status symbol
Just like any other accessory there is a wide range of options when it comes to cost and or design. You may find threaded balls that can be used as the cufflink but if one to wear the silk balls for a night out on town he or she may be judged for not “dressing up” enough for the situation these designs can run from $10- 15 for the set, so they may be considered the first step in cuff links
There are ranges from $6 to $2,500 or more for cufflinks as every major designer makes some for their clothes. You may find companies like:
These manufacturers may have all sorts of designs from a classic silver plate with minimal designs all the way to football teams, animals, insects or other types of objects. For the cufflinks above the $150 range there are so many options to choose from;
As a status symbol the accessories for the accessories can be fairly intricate and layered with precious stones and or metals. For the men or the women who wear cufflinks that are status symbols you may see them intently showing off what they are wearing. Maybe the man or the woman moves their arm awkwardly in order to get those around to see what they are wearing as an accessory. You may even see the man or the woman not showing off but still getting attention from the design in the cufflinks or the way that they match up with the clothing.
Body language of cufflinks and super hero articles or trophies
For some that wear cufflinks they may be a trophy or a gift. For some they may have been worn to a special occasion and have a special meaning. It may be that they were given as a prize or as an introduction into a group. When looked at like they have special powers they may be a super hero article. Now in an instance like this you may see the man or the woman wearing the cufflinks showing off or even being as covert as possible while wearing the trophy or the super hero article.
No matter who is wearing the cufflinks and where you are you will want to baseline the situation to see what is going on. The person wearing the accessories they may or may not be wearing a suit but there is a reason why they are wearing them. Just take your time and baseline the interactions that they are having nonverbally. Many times questions about interesting looking cufflinks may be a good opener when looking for a reason to start a conversation. Many times it’s an easy compliment and a way to get talking especially when they are intricate.
There is so much to the nonverbal stories and actions behind accessories and it’s not always an easy read.
Now go implement!
May 09
As a Mentalist I often have to memorize incredible amounts of data, in very little time. The good news is that I have the tools and ability to do so. The number one complaint I hear from people is that they can’t remember peoples names. This is extremely frustrating and to be honest names were the hardest thing for me to remember as well. I could remember a 50 digit number in seconds, yet instantly forget the name of the person who gave me the number.
Needless to say I don’t have that issue anymore and there are some powerful techniques you can use to also memorize every name, of everyone you meet. Benjamin Levy, author of Remember Every Name Every Time, advocates the FACE method: “focus, ask, comment and employ.” I use this in conjunction with a ‘Mnemonic’ system (described later) to great ends. Yet this system is extremely powerful on its own.
Focus: Lock in on the person’s face.
Ask: Inquire which version he prefers (“Is it Joe or Joseph?”).
Comment: Say something about the name and cross-reference it in your head (“My best friend from school was Joe.”)
Employ: Put the name to use – In the conversation like “I never knew that Joe” and recap at the end “Wonderful seeing you, Joe” to drive it home.
The word mnemonic is derived from the Ancient Greek word μνημονικός (mnēmonikos), meaning “of memory” and is related to Mnemosyne (“remembrance”), the name of the goddess of memory in Greek mythology. Both of these words are derived from μνήμη (mnēmē), “remembrance, memory”. Mnemonics in antiquity were most often considered in the context of what is today known as the Art of Memory. Here is a brief summary of the art of using Mnemonics to store and recall names.
Invent a relationship between the name and the physical characteristics of the person. Basically, you have to create a clear ‘image’ for the name, then attach it to some very noticeable feature about this person. Let us say the name is bob.
Convert Name to Image: i.e. Bob rhymes with knob so you visualize a knob.
Attach to Feature: If Bob’s nose stands out, literally see him with a ‘knob’ in place of his ‘nose.’
Visualize: You must make your connections as silly as possible. The more ridiculous, the more memorable.
The next time you see this man his nose will strike you, you will instantly see that knob on his face and his name will be delivered to your mouth rather nicely. The feature can also be external. A hat someone was wearing, the horrendous ring she was wearing or the striking type of shoe this person wears.
That’s all for now. Go remember someone. 
-Joe Riggs
May 07
To find out more Click Here!
Thank you so much, I look forward to your feedback!
-Joe Riggs
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