Be The Spy

Finally the lock gave in to Dan’s repeated kicks.  “Well now that I’m free I’ve got to figure out where they were headed,” he thought as he broke in to a run down the corridor.  Dan listened at the door to the conference room and when he felt confident of its emptiness, slipped noiselessly inside.

There on the table he found a note pad and used an old trick to lift a set of numbers.  He recognized them as map coordinates, but which map were they from?  In the corner of the room was the set of cubby holes that held the maps they had been using.  “Think,” he said to himself.  When Kovan had him brought in earlier there was a map on the table.  It was too far away to make out any details on it, but one of the cubby holes had been empty.  His mind raced into overdrive as he thought to himself, “Which one was it? Come on, think!”

A good memory is vital to a spy.  You may have to recall the blueprints you studied before the op or information gleaned from a hastily read computer screen while undercover.  Many times incorrectly remembered information can get a spy killed or cause the deaths of many others.  That is why a spy’s memory must be trained and honed to perfection.

First – regular physical exercise with cardio.  Your brain uses oxygen like any other organ.  A physical fitness regime with regular cardiovascular exorcise can improve blood flow and promote a more active and agile mind.

Second – use your brain in different ways to keep it flexible and open to learning.  Try writing with your non dominant hand, navigating your home without the use of your eyes or try to figure out who’s walking down a hall by the sound of their footsteps.  Try to think of something novel to try every day; you can reuse exercises as long they don’t become so easy you can do them without thinking.

Now for some specific tips about memory:

• Practice all the time – No matter what tricks or system you use to remember things if you don’t practice with them regularly you will lose your edge.  At random times during your day stop and try to remember some detail from earlier.  What song was on the radio when you started the car?  What did the cashier you bought coffee from look like?  Practice trying to visualize very detailed scenes with as much accurate information as you can recall.
• Focus and concentration are key - You must learn to be able to bring your full atttention to something.  You can’t commit something to memory if you don’t pay attention to it.
• Use all of your senses - When you are trying to remember something recall not just the pictures, but the smells, sounds and feelings from that moment.  You can sometimes use a strong sensory input to lock a memory into place. Try grabbing a scented candle and taking a whiff before and after you commit something to memory.  Later, smell the candle again when you try to recall the information.
• Positive feedback - When training your mind you need to keep a positive attitude and think in terms of improvement.  Don’t say to yourself, “I’ll never learn this.”  Instead you need to think in terms of how much you are improving and how much you want to improve.
• Mnemonic devices – These are basically codes you can use to recall information more easily.  Often they are visual metaphors; for instance if you meet a man named Bob you can remember his name by imagining him bobbing up and down in the ocean.  There are a nearly infinite amount of systems for using mnemonics and we will discuss specific ones at length in future articles but this should give you a basic grounding for now.

Good practice exercises:

• Memory - This is the classic card game in which you place a set of cards face down on the table.  Each card has one and only one identical match.  On your turn you reveal the faces of two cards.  If the faces match you may keep the pair scoring one point.  On your opponents turn they do the same or if played solo you simply note how many turns go by in total and try to reduce the number upon repeated games.  This game was designed specifically to teach memory and concentration.
• The Box – This exercise requires a partner but may include up to a large number of people if desired.  One person puts a set of random items on a surface and covers them with a box.  Once the other(s) are ready the box is lifted and they have a predetermined amount of time to memorize the objects and they’re placement.  Once the time is up the box is replaced over the objects and they are given notepads upon which they may write as much detail about the items and their placement as they can in the amount of time given.  The written descriptions are then compared the actual objects.  This is an old and classic memory training exorcise referenced by Kipling in his book ‘Kim.’  The time variables as well as the amount and complexity of objects can be adjusted to preference to keep the exercise at the right level of difficulty.
• The Picture – This exercise is similiar to The Box.  A picture is selected by one partner from a book, newspaper or magazine.  The other partner may then study the picture for an amount of time before giving it back.  They are then quizzed on the contents of the picture.  The amount of time given for study and the detail of the questions can be adjusted to set the level of difficulty.