WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:05.960 Training the eye. Before the memory can be stored with 2 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:11.240 sight impressions. Before the mind can recollect or remember such impressions, 3 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:14.800 the eye must be used under the direction of the attention. 4 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:18.559 We think that we see things when we look at them, 5 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:22.600 but in reality we see but few things in the 6 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:26.600 sense of registering clear and distinct impressions of them upon 7 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:30.800 the tablets of the sub conscious mind. We look at 8 00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:36.560 them rather than see them. Hallick says, regarding this sight 9 00:00:36.679 --> 00:00:40.880 without seeing idea, a body may be imaged on the 10 00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:45.240 retina without insuring perception. There must be an effort to 11 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:48.880 concentrate the attention upon the many things which the world 12 00:00:49.079 --> 00:00:53.399 presents to our senses. A man once said to the 13 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:57.159 pupils of a large school, all of whom had seen cows, 14 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:00.159 I should like to find out how many of you 15 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:05.079 know whether a cow's ears are above, below, behind, or 16 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:09.159 in front of her horns. I want only those pupils 17 00:01:09.159 --> 00:01:12.439 to raise their hands who are sure about the position, 18 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:15.799 and who will promise to give a dollar to charity 19 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:21.840 if they answer wrong. Only two hands were raised. Their 20 00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:24.840 owners had drawn cows, and in order to do that, 21 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:28.959 had been forced to concentrate their attention upon the animals. 22 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:33.439 Fifteen pupils were sure that they had seen cats climb 23 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:38.280 trees and descend them. There was unanimity of opinion that 24 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:42.159 the cats went up heads first. When asked whether the 25 00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:46.319 cats came down head or tail first, the majority were 26 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:49.480 sure that the cats descended, as they were never known 27 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:53.319 to do. Any One who had ever noticed the shape 28 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:56.439 of the claws of any beast of prey could have 29 00:01:56.519 --> 00:02:02.159 answered the question without seeing an actual descent. Farmers boys 30 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:06.000 who have often seen cows and horses lie down and rise, 31 00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:09.960 are seldom sure whether the animals rise with their fore 32 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:13.560 or hind feet first, or whether the habit of the 33 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:17.039 horse agrees with that of the cow in this respect. 34 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:22.360 The elm tree has about its leaf a peculiarity which 35 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:24.879 all ought to notice the first time they see it, 36 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:28.719 And yet only about five percent of a certain school 37 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:33.120 could incorporate in a drawing this peculiarity, although it is 38 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:39.759 so easily outlined on paper. Perception to achieve satisfactory results 39 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:43.919 must summon the will to its aid to concentrate the attention. 40 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:48.199 Only the smallest part of what falls upon our senses 41 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:53.479 at any time is actually perceived. The way to train 42 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:57.520 the mind to receive clear sight impressions, and therefore to 43 00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:01.439 retain them in the memory. Is simply to concentrate the 44 00:03:01.479 --> 00:03:05.879 will and attention upon objects of sight, endeavoring to see 45 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:10.360 them plainly and distinctly, and then to practice recalling the 46 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:15.400 details of the object some time afterward. It is astonishing 47 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:18.560 how rapidly one may improve in this respect by a 48 00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:22.719 little practice, and it is amazing how great a degree 49 00:03:22.759 --> 00:03:26.240 of proficiency in this practice one may attain in a 50 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:31.199 short time. You have doubtless heard the story of Houdin, 51 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:36.000 the French conjurer, who cultivated his memory of sight impressions 52 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:40.960 by following a simple plan. He started into practice by 53 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:44.199 observing the number of small object in the Paris shop 54 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:48.400 windows he could see and remember in one quick glance 55 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:52.879 as he rapidly walked past the window. He followed the 56 00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:56.120 plan of noting down on paper the things that he 57 00:03:56.240 --> 00:04:00.199 saw and remembered. At first he could remember but two 58 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:03.639 or three articles in the window. Then he began to 59 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:08.039 see and remember more, and so on each day, adding 60 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:12.560 to his power of perception and memory, until finally he 61 00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:16.279 was able to see and remember nearly every small article 62 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:20.439 in a large shop window. After bestowing but one glance 63 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:25.240 upon it. Others have found this plan an excellent one, 64 00:04:25.720 --> 00:04:29.639 and have developed their power of perception greatly, and at 65 00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:34.319 the same time cultivated an amazingly retentive memory of objects 66 00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:39.040 thus seen. It is all a matter of use and practice. 67 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:44.839 The experiment of Houdin may be varied infinitely with excellent results. 68 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:50.680 The Hindus train their children along these lines by playing 69 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:54.639 the site game with them. This game is played by 70 00:04:54.680 --> 00:04:57.839 exposing to the side of the children a number of 71 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:02.680 small objects at which they gaze intently, and which are 72 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:07.199 then withdrawn from their sight. The children then endeavor to 73 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:09.839 excel each other in writing down the names of the 74 00:05:09.879 --> 00:05:14.240 objects which they have seen. The number of objects is 75 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:18.800 small to begin with, but is increased each day until 76 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:24.759 an astonishing number are perceived and remembered. Rudyard Kipling, in 77 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:28.639 his Great Book Kim, gives an instance of this game 78 00:05:29.079 --> 00:05:34.720 played by Kim and a trained native youth, Lurgan Sahib. 79 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:37.879 Exposes to the site of the two boys a tray 80 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:42.240 filled with jewels and gems, allowing them to gaze upon 81 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:45.199 it a few moments before it is withdrawn from sight. 82 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:52.319 Then the competition begins as follows. There are under that paper, 83 00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:57.720 five blue stones, one big, one smaller, and three small, 84 00:05:58.279 --> 00:06:02.600 said Kim. In all haste. There are four green stones, 85 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:05.720 and one with a hole in it. There is one 86 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:09.319 yellowstone that I can see through, and one like a 87 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:14.480 pipe stem. There are two red stones, and and give 88 00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:19.399 me time. But Kim had reached the limit of his powers. 89 00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:24.920 Then came the turn of the native boy. Here, my count, 90 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:30.639 cried the native child. First are two flawed sapphires, one 91 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:34.240 of two ruttees and one of four. As I should judge, 92 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:39.439 the four rutty sapphire is chipped at the edge. There 93 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:44.399 is one turkestan turquoise plain with green veins, and there 94 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:48.759 are two inscribed, one with the name of God in guilt, 95 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:52.959 and the other being cracked across, for it came out 96 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:57.160 of an old ring I cannot read. We have now 97 00:06:57.240 --> 00:07:02.000 the five blue stones. Four flame emeralds there are, but 98 00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:05.480 one is drilled in two places, and one is a 99 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:14.360 little carvin their weight, said Lurgan sahib impassively. Three five, 100 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:19.199 five and four rattis. As I judge it, There is 101 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:23.240 one piece of old greenish amber, and a cheap cut 102 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:28.439 topaz from Europe. There is one ruby of burma one 103 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:32.680 of two rattis without a flaw, and there is a 104 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:37.720 balis ruby flawed of two ruttis. There is a carved 105 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:42.680 ivory from China representing a rat sucking an egg. And 106 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:47.040 there is last Aha, a ball of crystal as big 107 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:51.920 as a bean set in gold leaf. Kim is mortified 108 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:56.800 at this bad beating and asks the secret. The answer 109 00:07:56.920 --> 00:08:00.519 is by doing it many times over till it is 110 00:08:00.600 --> 00:08:05.560 done perfectly, for it is worth doing. Many teachers have 111 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:09.920 followed plans similar to that just related. A number of 112 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:14.079 small articles are exposed and the pupils are trained to 113 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:18.439 see and remember them, the process being gradually made more 114 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:23.519 and more difficult. A well known American teacher was in 115 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:26.560 the habit of rapidly making a number of dots on 116 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:30.600 the blackboard and then erasing them before the pupils could 117 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:35.080 count them in the ordinary way. The children then endeavored 118 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:39.120 to count their mental impressions, and before long they could 119 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:42.879 correctly name the number up to ten or more with ease. 120 00:08:44.120 --> 00:08:48.279 They said they could C six or C ten, as 121 00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:52.799 the case may be, automatically and apparently without the labor 122 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:57.759 of consciously counting them. It is related in works dealing 123 00:08:57.799 --> 00:09:01.679 with the detection of crime that in the celebrated thieves 124 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:05.159 schools in Europe, the young thieves are trained in a 125 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:09.960 similar way the old scoundrels acting as teachers, exposing a 126 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:13.879 number of small articles to the young ones and requiring 127 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:18.320 them to repeat exactly what they had seen. Then follows 128 00:09:18.360 --> 00:09:22.080 a higher course in which the young thieves are required 129 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:25.759 to memorize the objects in a room, the plan of houses, 130 00:09:25.879 --> 00:09:29.960 et cetera. They are sent forth to spy out the 131 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:36.000 land for future robberies in the guise of beggars soliciting alms, 132 00:09:36.039 --> 00:09:40.360 and thus getting a rapid peep into houses, offices, and stores. 133 00:09:41.879 --> 00:09:44.480 It is said that in a single glance they will 134 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:49.000 perceive the location of all of the doors, windows, locks, bolts, 135 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:53.480 et cetera. Many nations have boys games in which the 136 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:57.519 youngsters are required to see and remember after taking a peep. 137 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:02.799 The Italians have a game called Morro, in which one 138 00:10:02.840 --> 00:10:06.080 boy throws out a number of fingers which must be 139 00:10:06.200 --> 00:10:10.519 instantly named by the other boy, a failure resulting in 140 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:15.480 a forfeit. The Chinese youths have a similar game, while 141 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:20.200 the Japanese boys reduce this to a science. A well 142 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:23.600 trained Japanese youth will be able to remember the entire 143 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:27.480 contents of a room after one keen glance around it. 144 00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:32.159 Many of the Orientals have developed this faculty to a 145 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:37.080 degree almost beyond belief. But the principle is the same 146 00:10:37.240 --> 00:10:42.639 in all cases, the gradual practice and exercise beginning with 147 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:46.759 a small number of simple things, and then increasing the 148 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:51.360 number and complexity of the objects. The faculty is not 149 00:10:51.480 --> 00:10:55.480 so rare as one might imagine at first thought. Take 150 00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:58.679 a man in a small business and let him enter 151 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:01.960 the store of a competitor, and see how many things 152 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:04.879 he will observe and remember after a few minutes in 153 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:09.320 the place. Let an actor visit a play in another theater, 154 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:13.080 and see how many details of the performance he will 155 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:17.399 notice and remember. Let some women pay a visit to 156 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:20.919 a new neighbor, and then see how many things about 157 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:24.000 that house they will have seen and remembered, to be 158 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:29.159 retailed to their confidential friends afterward. It is the old 159 00:11:29.240 --> 00:11:34.519 story of attention following the interest, and memory following the attention. 160 00:11:36.200 --> 00:11:40.159 An expert whist player will see and remember every card 161 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:44.279 played in the game, and just who played it. A 162 00:11:44.440 --> 00:11:48.480 chess or checker player will see and remember the previous 163 00:11:48.519 --> 00:11:52.200 moves in the game if he be expert and can 164 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:56.879 relate them Afterward, a woman will go shopping and will 165 00:11:56.919 --> 00:11:59.840 see and remember thousands of things that a man would 166 00:11:59.879 --> 00:12:06.600 never have seen, much less remembered. As Houdine said, Thus, 167 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:10.480 for instance, I can safely assert that a lady, seeing 168 00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:14.120 another pass at full speed in a carriage, will have 169 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:17.360 had time to analyze her toilet from her bonnet to 170 00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:21.279 her shoes, and be able to describe not only the 171 00:12:21.320 --> 00:12:25.279 fashion and quality of the stuffs, but also say if 172 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:29.279 the lace be real or only machine made. I have 173 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:34.720 known ladies to do this, But remember this, for it 174 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:38.440 is important. Whatever can be done in this direction by 175 00:12:38.519 --> 00:12:43.399 means of attention inspired by interest may be duplicated by 176 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:48.720 attention directed by will. In other words, the desire to 177 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:54.080 accomplish the task adds and creates an artificial interest just 178 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:58.919 as effective as the natural feeling. And as you progress 179 00:12:59.559 --> 00:13:02.480 the interest in the game task will add new interest, 180 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.600 and you will be able to duplicate any of the 181 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:10.320 feats mentioned above. It is all a matter of attention, 182 00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:16.960 interest natural or induced, and practice. Begin with a set 183 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:20.399 of dominoes, if you like, and try to remember the 184 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:24.159 spots on one of them rapidly. Glanced at, then two, 185 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:30.120 then three. By increasing the number gradually, you will attain 186 00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:33.879 a power of perception and a memory of sight impressions 187 00:13:34.200 --> 00:13:38.679 that will appear almost marvelous. And not only will you 188 00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:42.519 begin to remember dominoes, but you will also be able 189 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:46.600 to perceive and remember thousands of little details of interest 190 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:52.519 in everything that have heretofore escaped your notice. The principle 191 00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:56.080 is very simple, but the results that may be obtained 192 00:13:56.120 --> 00:14:00.600 by practice are wonderful. The trouble with most of you 193 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:04.759 is that you have been looking without seeing, gazing but 194 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:09.240 not observing the objects around you have been out of 195 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:13.320 your mental focus. If you will but change your mental 196 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:17.279 focus by means of will and attention, you will be 197 00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:20.519 able to cure yourself of the careless methods of seeing 198 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:25.279 and observing that have been hindrances to your success. You 199 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:28.399 have been blaming it on your memory, but the fault 200 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:33.240 is with your perception. How can the memory remember when 201 00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:36.360 it is not given anything in the way of clear impressions. 202 00:14:37.480 --> 00:14:41.399 You have been like young infants in this matter. Now 203 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:43.960 it is time for you to begin to sit up 204 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:47.320 and take notice, No matter how old you may be. 205 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:53.000 The whole thing in a nutshell is this. In order 206 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:56.679 to remember the things that pass before your sight, you 207 00:14:56.799 --> 00:15:00.200 must begin to see with your mind instead of of 208 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:04.480 with your retina. Let the impression get beyond your retina 209 00:15:04.600 --> 00:15:08.480 and into your mind. If you will do this, you 210 00:15:08.519 --> 00:15:10.879 will find that memory will do the rest.