Self-Hypnotic  Learning
&
Study Techniques (part-2) !
By  Ther°al L . Bynum, M.D.

      ^«He That Seeketh Findeth; And To Him That Knocketh It Shall Be Opened;  For Only By Patience, Practice, And Ceaseless Importunity Can A Man Open The Door To The Temple Of Knowledge. ^»

Discussion

      FEW OF US ARE EVER AS EFFECTIVE IN OUR STUDIES as we would like to be.   Contrary to the opinion of many, the way to achieve effective study is not by more study or even with just more determined concentration, but by changing the quality of one's study techniques.
            The successful student does not necessarily study longer hours.   He uses his study time more efficiently.   Ineffectiveness may be due in part to such defects as slow reading rate, poor vocabulary and grammar, or poor study habits;  these deficiencies can cause a student to hobble along in his work when he might be able to go much further, with the same amount of effort, if these deficiencies were remedied.   Or the unsuccessful student may just be trying to do his work the hard way,  not realizing that there are better techniques.  

We all learn in two distinct ways:

Intellectually  & Emotionally

Intellectual Learning

      REQUIRES EGO ACTIVITY and focused attention.    The human mind is not a blank slate upon which reality imposes itself as one would write information on a clay tablet.    The acquisition of knowledge must be actively persued.   Our attention must be focused within a distinctly narrow range of outside stimuli in order to acquire new knowledge.
            While in the state of Hypnosis, attention cathexis is withdrawn from the normal range of its distribution so as to concentrate it with full intensity upon a single focal point.   Self-Hypnosis consequently, is very effective in the learning process since it is a state of highly focused attention cathexis (-that conscious or unconscious attatchment of psychic energy to an idea, object or person -), and a state in which there is Ego activity as well as Ego receptivity (suggestibility).  

Emotional Learning

      RESEARCH HAS SHOWN that a person's mood, or the level of Autonomic Arousal while experiencing a particular event, may determine the subsequent accessibility of memory for that event.   Accessibility is generally improved when the mood state during retrieval is similar to the mood state at acquisition.   Hypnosis appears to provide a potentially effective technique for the recovery of mood-specific memories, because of its ability to induce and/or recall autonomic arousal states.

      Emotional Learning is accomplished when the Ego is receptive (suggestible) and open to the promptings from without (such as the evocative interpretive comments of the instructor in the classroom) or from within (with the unconscious and preconscious images that float into awareness).   The process of hypnoanalysis can help the patient to learn emotionally and to gain deep insight faster than in plain psychoanalysis.   Due to the vascillation between Ego activity and Ego receptivity that appears to be a characteristic of Self-Hypnosis, emotional learning can be integrated along with intellectual learning quite easily.  

^«Good Memory^»

      The ability to create mental structures for ourselves, to set priorities and separate the important information from the less important, is one of the keys to the perpetuation of good memory.   Most problems with memory are caused by an inability to establish a structure,  and being mentally organized.  

      It takes more than knowledge to improve study skills.   Motivation is a prime determinant of scholastic success.    The will to study is probably the most important determinant of effective use of study time, next to the ability to concentrate.    Not only must a student know what effective study skills are, but he must also Practice them faithfully until he has acquired those skills!  

      A student may be proficient at picking out important points so he can do well in an immediate quiz, but this facility does not insure that he will remember those points at a later date.   It therefore becomes important to understand the causes of forgetting, and then to develop a strategy which will improve memory!  

(SeeShort-Term Memory )

^«Forgetting^»

      In deference to common belief, the process of forgetting is very much like the process of learning;  following particular dynamic patterns.   There are several observable facts concerning memory loss:

      First, not all material is forgotten at the same rate, or even in the same way.
   For example:   Charles Darwin said he found it necessary to write down immediately any data which disagreed with his theory of evolution, but that information which supported his theory was much easier to remember.

      Second, studies have shown that memories will gradually change to fit ones previous knowledge and thoughts.
   For example:   The bad actions of a good friend are harder to remember (unless they are so outrageous that they stand out), than the bad actions of an enemy.

      The importance of all this, for the serious student, is that one should try to get a complete understanding of all of the information given to you, since this will help to retain the essential ideas of that information.   Additionally, one should study carefully, those items which tend to disagree with the general theme of the overall body of given information.  

      It has been observed that two weeks after reading a lesson, a student usually remembers only about 20% of what he knew immediately after studying the lesson.   The student's problem in studying is twofold:   learning what should be known, and then fixing it to memory so it will be there when called upon.   Those individuals who tend to remember the most do so by utilizing certain skills and attitudes.  


Four primary methods of attacking the process of forgetting are:

Interest

Selection

Recitation,  &

Distributed Learning

Interest:

      Every student intends to remember what he studies, but students vary in, the degree to which they mentally clarify the specific things they intend to remember, and in the strength of this intention.   Some have only a vague urging from their conscience to remember what they are reading.   Others carefully select the points they feel they will need to know and definitely attempt to fix them to memory.  

Selection:

      The selection of major points and key phrases.   When observing the techniques of students given a reading assignment, it was discovered that the better students organized the main ideas of the given material into a short outline and by noting key phrases used to represent these ideas.   This plan gave a general understanding of the sense of the lesson, some pegs to which to tie the rest of the ideas, and a basis for later reminding themselves of what the lesson was about.   Organize ideas into phrases!  

(See Reading  Skills )

Recitation:

      By recitation I mean quite literally, to verbally express in words the information you just learned!   This process may seem odd at first, however in doing so you are actually performing an associative neurological process which converts information from written words to that of spoken information.   Repitition of information recently acquired is one of the most effective devices used to retard forgetting.   An axiom in preparing for a task is to practice it the way it will later have to be done.   Self-recitation insures that the information is understood and also acts to fix it to memory.  

(SeeNeurological Memory )

Distribution:

      A simple way to increase learning and improving retention is to distribute the learning over a number of small study periods, instead of trying to master the entire assignment in one longer but equivalent period of time.   The usual ten minutes between classes not only provides time for travel, but also allows what has been learned to become set before the student has to start on new material.
            This example should serve as a rule for efficient study:   Study no longer than 50 minutes at a time, on any subject, followed by a 10 minute break!   Relax your mind and body completely when you take your break.   Upon returning to your study material, use the first 5 minutes to review the material you had just studied.   This sets in motion the neurological processes of Rehearsal and Consolidation which is essential for the formation and retention of Long-Term Memory Engrams, or  (fixing it to memory).  

(SeeLong-Term Memory )

Conclusion

      Follow the instructions provided on the audio-CD or DVD for "Self-Hypnotic Learning & Study Techniques," at least twice a day, until you have mastered the method.   Before beginning your studies, prepare your Mïnd by reaching Level 22 in your Self-Hypnosis training. 
      Prepare your study environment by removing sources of distraction before hand.
      Remember to review the "twelve-step check list" of study suggestions.   While studying, remember to study for short periods (no longer that 50 minutes), followed by a 10 minute break!
   Lastly, ^«Reward Yourself^» after the study session has been completed successfully!  

Return to Part-I

a service of  Ther°al L . Bynum, M.D.
Dr.Bynum@HypnosisForYou.com^®

last update:   July - 2010.

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