Mentat Wiki: Mind Performance Hacks
Mind Performance Hacks
Mind Performance Hacks ISBN:0596101538 is a book by Ron Hale Evans, maintainer of the Mentat Wiki. The book was published by O'Reilly Media in February 2006. Mind Performance Hacks addresses many of the same topics as this wiki, in O'Reilly's well-known Hacks format. There is some overlap between the book and the wiki, but each contains plenty of new material too.
The official home page for Mind Performance Hacks is http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596101534/, but this page is the central support page for the book. You'll find links to separate pages for each of the book's 75 hacks below, where you can comment on the book, suggest material for a sequel or second edition, make corrections, and so on.
The Sequel
Mindhacker, to be published 22 August 2011.
The Hacks
Here are the links to the book's hacks, listed by the hack's number and sorted by chapter.
Chapter 1. Memory
1. Remember Ten Things to Bring
Train yourself to remember lists by creating mental routines or visual anchors before leaving the house.
2. Use the Number-Shape System
Associate numbers with shapes that resemble them to remember numerical information more vividly.
3. Make Lots of Little Journeys
Break big memory palaces into smaller, themed “journeys” that make recall faster and more flexible.
4. Stash Things in Nooks and Crannies
Use the spaces around your home or office as real-world memory cues to store ideas and reminders.
5. Use the Major System
Convert numbers into consonant sounds and words to make memorizing long numbers easier.
6. Use the Dominic System
Map numbers to initials and famous people, creating stories that make numerical data memorable.
7. Visit the Hotel Dominic
Expand on the Dominic System by creating vivid, story-driven scenes in a mental “hotel.”
8. Dominate Your Memory
Combine mnemonic systems into a cohesive framework that supports rapid learning and recall.
9. Memorize Numbers with Carroll’s Couplets
Use rhymes or short poems—like Lewis Carroll’s mnemonics—to make numeric data stick.
10. Tune In to Your Memory
Pay attention to your internal memory states; learn how mood and focus affect recall.
11. Consume Your Information in Chunks
Group information into logical clusters to make complex data easier to remember.
12. Overcome the Tip-of-the-Tongue Effect
Develop techniques to retrieve elusive memories by activating associative networks.
Chapter 2. Information Processing
13. Catch Your Ideas
Capture fleeting thoughts immediately before they vanish—use notebooks, apps, or dictation.
14. Write Faster
Improve your note-taking and writing speed to keep up with your stream of ideas.
15. Speak Your Brain’s Language
Use your natural cognitive strengths—whether visual, verbal, or spatial—for better learning.
16. Map Your Mind
Create mind maps to visualize relationships between concepts and spark creative associations.
17. Build an Exoself
Use external tools like calendars, reminders, or scripts as extensions of your mind.
18. Pre-Delete Cruft
Periodically clear unnecessary information and habits to keep your mental systems lean.
Chapter 3. Creativity
19. Seed Your Mental Random Number Generator
Feed your mind with diverse stimuli to increase random associations and creativity.
20. Force Your Connections
Deliberately connect unrelated ideas to spark innovation and fresh insights.
21. Contemplate Po
Use Edward de Bono’s concept of “Po” to provoke unconventional and creative thinking.
22. Scamper for Ideas
Use the SCAMPER framework (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, etc.) to reimagine concepts.
23. Deck Yourself Out
Change your physical or mental environment to trigger new creative perspectives.
24. Constrain Yourself
Use intentional limits or rules to force creative breakthroughs within boundaries.
25. Think Analogically
Draw parallels between unrelated areas to inspire solutions in your current field.
26. Enjoy Good Clean Memetic Sex
Exchange and remix ideas with others to evolve your thinking collaboratively.
27. Play Mind Music
Inspire creativity with rhythmic or melodic thinking—use sound to structure ideas.
28. Sound Your Brain with Onar
Use meditation, chanting, or sound to stimulate mental focus and depth.
29. Keep a Dream Journal
Record dreams upon waking to access subconscious ideas and patterns.
30. Hold a Question in Mind
Focus deeply on a single question for extended periods to provoke insight.
31. Adopt a Hero
Model your creative behavior after a person you admire to gain perspective and motivation.
32. Go Backward to Be More Inventive Going Forward
Study history and older methods to inspire innovative modern solutions.
33. Spend More Time Thinking
Set aside quiet, undistracted time simply to think—without devices or pressure.
34. Extend Your Idea Space with Word Spectra
Play with words and language variations to expand conceptual possibilities.
Chapter 4. Math
35. Put Down That Calculator
Exercise your mind by doing simple calculations mentally to stay sharp.
36. Make Friends with Numbers
Develop intuition and emotional familiarity with numbers to improve numeracy.
37. Test for Divisibility
Learn mental math shortcuts to test divisibility and pattern recognition quickly.
38. Calculate Mental Checksums
Use checksum tricks to verify calculations mentally without detailed rework.
39. Turn Your Hands into an Abacus
Use finger counting systems to manage complex calculations in your head.
40. Count to a Million on Your Fingers
Learn binary or advanced counting systems to represent large numbers physically.
41. Estimate Orders of Magnitude
Develop the ability to approximate large values and scale logically.
42. Estimate Square Roots
Use simple mental techniques to estimate square roots accurately enough for daily use.
43. Calculate Any Weekday
Memorize simple algorithms for finding the weekday of any date mentally.
Chapter 5. Decision Making
44. Foresee Important Problems
Anticipate potential challenges by thinking several steps ahead.
45. Predict the Length of a Lifetime
Use mathematical modeling or intuition to understand life expectancy trends.
46. Find Dominant Strategies
Apply game theory to identify winning strategies in complex situations.
47. Eliminate Dominated Strategies
Remove choices that are always worse than another to simplify decisions.
48. Don’t Overthink It
Recognize when it’s better to act quickly rather than overanalyze.
49. Roll the Dice
When uncertain, let randomness help break indecision and reveal preferences.
Chapter 6. Communication
50. Put Your Words in the Blender
Play with phrasing and structure to make your writing more engaging and novel.
51. Learn an Artificial Language
Study or invent a constructed language to sharpen linguistic awareness.
52. Communicate in E-Prime
Eliminate the verb “to be” to make your speech clearer and more precise.
53. Learn Morse Code Like an Efficiency Expert
Use mnemonic and rhythmic learning methods to master symbolic systems quickly.
54. Harness Stage Fright
Transform nervous energy into confidence when speaking publicly.
55. Ask Stupid Questions
Use curiosity without fear to uncover hidden insights or assumptions.
56. Stop Memory Buffer Overrun
Manage your working memory by pausing and re-centering during communication.
Chapter 7. Clarity
57. Learn Your Emotional ABCs
Recognize emotions and their triggers to manage them consciously.
58. Avoid Cognitive Distortions
Identify and challenge irrational thoughts that cloud judgment.
59. Use the Fourfold Breath
Practice rhythmic breathing for relaxation and mental balance.
60. Learn to Meditate
Build focus, clarity, and calm through regular mindfulness or meditation.
61. Hypnotize Yourself
Use self-hypnosis to modify habits or mental states with suggestion.
62. Talk to Yourself
Engage in reflective inner dialogue to clarify thinking.
63. Interview Yourself
Ask probing questions internally to explore your own motivations and beliefs.
64. Cultivate the Naive Mind
Approach problems with fresh, beginner-like curiosity.
65. Employ Mental Momentum
Maintain psychological inertia once a productive mental state is achieved.
Chapter 8. Mental Fitness
66. Warm Up Your Brain
Start each day with puzzles or exercises to activate mental readiness.
67. Play Board Games
Engage in strategic games to enhance memory, planning, and flexibility.
68. Improve Visual Attention Through Video Games
Use fast-paced games to sharpen perception and reaction time.
69. Don’t Neglect the Obvious: Sleep, Nutrition, and Exercise
Maintain brain health through basic physical care.
70. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Enhance learning and recall by prioritizing quality rest.
71. Navigate Around the Post-Lunch Dip
Plan tasks around natural energy cycles to stay alert.
72. Overclock Your Brain
Push cognitive limits temporarily through focus, caffeine, or challenge.
73. Learn the Facts About Cognitive Enhancers
Understand the risks and benefits of nootropics before experimentation.
74. Snap Yourself to Attention
Use physical or mental cues to instantly regain focus.
75. Assemble Your Mental Toolbox
Curate a set of mental models and techniques for problem-solving.