Having trouble remembering where you set your keys? Do you have a big history exam coming up but keep forgetting who the Canadian prime minister was during WWI? Well, David Farrow may have the answers you’ve been looking for. While he can’t tell you that your keys are under the couch cushion or remind you the PM was Robert Borden, the two-time Guinness World Record holder for memory is bringing his unique memorization techniques to St. Clements next month for a public talk.
His program, called Memory Triggers, is aimed at students and adults alike who want to expand their own memories and give them that extra bit of help in school.
“There are a whole lot more demands on students today than there ever was in the past and there are just not the tools to overcome those challenges,” said Farrow.
“What we’re really doing is showing people that there is an alternative to giving up.”
Farrow knows of what he speaks. As a student himself he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia, which made it difficult for him to focus in class.
He decided to read as much as he could on the different memory techniques that had been developed over the years, and designed his own strategy for memorization, which he has honed over the past 15 years.
“You can only remember say six or maybe seven things, and if you try for more than that a few get popped out of your head,” he said. “I show a simple way to trigger your long-term memory so that it kicks in automatically.”
It was his struggles as a student that prompted St. Clements Catholic School to invite Farrow to the area to speak with students and parents alike. The school also extended invitations to all the area public and catholic schools, as well as Elmira District Secondary School.
“We were intrigued by his own personal story and struggle with dyslexia,” said Al Simoes, the school’s principal.
“I’m hoping his own personal message will help people understand that if they persevere and try hard, they can overcome any obstacles through just a lot of hard work and effort.”
The two-hour talk will involve lots of interactive techniques to help improve memory, and Farrow said he will triple everyone’s memory by the end of the night using his own form of focus and studying strategies.
Farrow acknowledged his methods sound like a shtick, but his memory system is currently undergoing a double-blind study at McMaster University to evaluate its efficacy.
“It’s real cutting edge. It is based on some observations of the brain and what triggers long-term memory, and what you can do when you take control of that.”
Farrow also claims to be able to reduce student study times to a quarter of what they were before, while helping students retain much more information.
The public is invited to participate in the memory talk at the St. Clements Community Centre on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and they hope to get up to 200 people for the talk. For more information contact St. Clements school at 519-699-5271.
