How to Remember Seven 10-digit Phone Numbers in 12 Minutes
I would like to write down my technics at remembering digits. I use my memory to keep 100+ phone numbers, and my colleagues frequently use me as a phone book. Many years ago as I read a lot of Sanskrit books on Vedic wisdom, I memorized Sanskrit shlokas. It is a challenge to a mind, and I learned by heart more than 500 of them.
Now I want to share my technics of remembering numbers. To experiment, I took my cell phone and wrote down 7 numbers of my contacts starting from ‘A’ letter that I did not know before. Here they are:
- 8-050-334-15-21
- 8-096-726-56-53
- 8-044-536-11-58
- 8-044-406-72-25
- 8-067-403-85-20
- 8-067-460-28-39
- 8-050-632-83-25
I took my watch, and after exactly 12 minutes I wrote those numbers on a separate paper. This time I already wrote them down without reference to the paper or cell phone.
As it may be not so impressing for people who remember 100-200-500 digits of a time (having phenomenal memory - the joke goes at the end of this article), nevertheless most of my friends refer to my ability as outstanding. So let me reveal some secrets and technics.
First Number
Let us start with the first number. It is UMC cell phone operator number starting from (050) code. The key digit here is ‘3′. It begins like this 3, another 3, then a little more - 4. So we have 3-3-(and up)4. Then we need to memorize two more numbers - 15 and 21. These numbers are 3 multiplied by 5 and 3 multiplied by 7. So we go again with the same digit ‘3′ but multiplying it by next simple numbers - 5 and 7. Thus, in my mind the sequence looks like:
‘3′ number from UMC - 3 and 3 and (3+1) then (3*5) then (3*7). First adding 1, then multiplying by next simple numbers 5 and 7. So 8-050-334-15-21.
Second Number
(096) seems like a new Kyivstar number. They have 067 and 097, and possibly 096, so let us think that this is a little less than (097).
The logics for this number is not straightforward (maybe I could find with a larger time span). But let us think that the key digit is ‘7′, secondary digit is ‘3′. Thus starts the number. After that we have 26. So we take the secondary digit, ‘3′, and raise it to the third power, 3*3*3 = 27. But we remember that initial operator code is a little less than common (097-1=096). So we make it the same (27-1 = 26). Then we start playing with the secondary digit again, at first adding it to the first digit of 26, 2 and 6, (2+3=5) and 6, and at second substracting it from the second digit of the second number… 
Let me demonsrate you how this appears in my mind:
New Kyivstar Number Primary ‘7′ Secondary ‘3′
First part - (097 - 1) 7 (3*3*3 - 1) making (096) 7 (26)
Second part - (26) is transformed to (56) by adding 3 to the first digit of 26
Third part - (56) is transformed to (53) by substracting 3 from the second digit of 56.
So the number goes 8-096-726-56-53.
Third Number
Easy - Kiev city number - (044). First we have 536 - this number is the same as our office mobile unlimited number. Then we have 11 - two digits of ‘1′, Then we take 36 (last digits of 536) and add 11 two times. 36+11+11 = 58.
Thus we have a very simple Kiev number 536 - 11 - 58. The keys here are ’same as our office number, and 11 two times’.
So the number is 8-044-536-11-58.
Fourth Number
This is again Kiev city number with (044) code. Then we have a rising 2*2 and 2*3 number with ‘0′ in between. Then we have a mountain and cavity digit chain of simple numbers 7 and 5 (descending) with two ‘2′ in between. So we remember 7 (22) 5, down.
So we start with upwards 2 multiplied by 2 and 3 succession with ‘0′ in between, and then 7(22)5 - downwards simple numbers with two ‘2′.
The keys for this Kiev number is 2 increasing, and simple numbers 7 and 5 decreasing, with 0 and 2 in between.
So the number is 8-044-406-72-25.
Fifth Number
This is a Kyivstar number (067), followed by a familiar sequence 403, thus start our another office phone (also Kyivstar), then we have slightly modified Pareto numbers. 80-20 transforms to 85-20 making 105 percent. So we take that 85 percent of useless activity result in 20 percent of income.
So the key for this Kyivstar number is Office phone and Pareto numbers with 5 up for low-effectiveness activity.
So the number is 8-067-403-85-20.
Sixth Number
Kyivstar (067), then goes (2*2), (2*3) and 0. We already had 406, now we have 460.
Then we take a 3 cubed plus 1, making 28, and add 11 (we already had this number). Thus 39.
There is another way to remember (I have just seen this). 6 and 3 and 2, then 2, then 2 in the 3rd power, then 3, then 3 in the 2nd power.
So - (2*2) -(2*3) - 0 - 2 - (2 in the 3rd power) - 3 - (3 in the 2nd power). The key is Kyivstar with keys ‘2′ and ‘3′ , then 0, then keys in the opposing powers.
So the number is 8-067-460-28-39.
Seventh Number
The UMC number (050). Then we have 6 (3*2) broken into parts 3 and 2. Then we go again to a slightly modified Pareto numbers. They are 83 and 25. The total is 108, a powerful sacred Indian auspicious number. This sequence is similar to what we had with 5th number.
So the keys are UMC number, 6 broken into parts, descending, Pareto numbers with total 108, the last being 5 in the power of 2 (5*5 = 25).
So the number is 8-050-632-83-25.
Of course my explanation can appear far-fetched and difficult to grasp, but that works perfectly well with me. So I suggest following:
- when you hear or read a new number, think about whether you will need it often in the future. Are there any chance that you will utterly need it. Is it worth remembering?
- use images for numbers, or music. It can be the sea, city, forest;
- try to find logic in every number. Some numbers are golden, they are sold for 30-100-1000 USD, and many users of cell phones choose their number, so if they found logic, it should be on the surface. If you are experiences, you can find logic in every number;
- find similarities of numbers to other numbers that you already know;
- percept number as a whole, not as a mere sequence of digits.
Conclusion
I had a friend who assigned each number to a musical note, so he had a tune for each phone number. I prefer little mathematics with multiplying, simple numbers, powers, adding and substracting, up and down. In my head this is like an entity with certain characteristics. Although I can occasionally forget this or that number, they are easily remembered again after refreshing once in a few months. And now goes a joke.
In the circus master of ceremonies announces ”a boy with phenomenal memory”. Then a boy appears and starts to pee on the spectators from the first row. After that he disappears. The audience is puzzled. After a few more performances this boy is announced again. Spectators from the first row start to flee to other, safer places. The master of ceremonies announces “There is no use in sitting in a different place. I announce again. The boy really has a phenomenal memory!”. :-)