Articles and News

Sensory memory and short-term memory work in cooperation in order to help the brain store information for later recall. When information is first received by means of one of the five senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell), it is retained for a very brief period of time in the sensory registers. The amount of [...]

Is mind mapping a serious business tool? Anthony Landale reports on a technique that is easy to use across a range of business requirements, challenges and tasks.

Being interested in a subject is a key to learning it quickly.  This is because the human brain takes in vast amounts of information but chooses to retain only select parts of it.  We tell our brains what parts to retain by paying much closer attention to those types of information.  Simply having a true [...]

Most people know the frustration that comes from being unable to recall information seen or heard in the recent past. This familiar experience is a result of the human brain’s ability to store some kinds of data effectively, making it available for recall later, and discard other kinds of data. It may seem inconvenient that [...]

A brilliant memory can transform your impact at work and further your career. Here Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine Training explains how.
Most people are hugely impressed by those who have the ability to recall events, statistics or detailed information at just the right moment. People who can accurately recite a quote or who, when asked, [...]

We all know how to think and learn, right? Not according to Clive Lewis, Director of Illumine, the training company that specialises in thinking, learning and creativity.
Being able to think, learn and work effectively used to be regarded as ‘nice to haves’. This perspective was often combined with the view that our ability to learn, [...]

Types of Memory
There are a number of distinct types of memory and a process by which long term memories are generated:
Sensory Memory

Information is gathered by our senses and sent to a sensory store
Sensory store is distributed between different regions of the brain
Data lasts for a fraction of a second
Auditory data lasts a little longer than [...]

Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine Training, explains how to become a master of memory.
Most people are hugely impressed by those who have the ability to recall events, statistics or detailed information at just the right moment. People who can accurately recite a quote or who, when asked, remember precise facts and figures.
But how do you [...]

Is the pressure of information overload getting to you? Join the club. Here Clive Lewis, MD of Illumine Training, argues that mental agility is your best hope for survival.
It’s like a tidal wave coming right at you. It’s coming via text, email, reports, messages, policies and guidelines. It’s coming at speed from every direction [...]

The RAF has been using accelerated learning (AL) as part of its strategy to help aircrew and technical staff review, digest and retain critical information. Anthony Landale reports on a pragmatic approach to learning.
Some people are still suspicious of accelerated learning (AL). But why? At the RAF they have been using AL for over [...]