a fun way to boost memory and brain health...
If ever there was a more challenging yet rewarding exercise in memory training, accurate recall of series of playing cards would be it. Your brain is definitely the real Ace Up The Sleeve when it comes to playing cards and mental agility. The ability to identify cards of 10, 20 or more - even the whole deck - and the location of any card, is a productive yet fun way to exercise the brain.
The technique is not about just sequences, each card in a group can be singled out regardless of where they are… all based on an ability to create strong, compound mental images. While seemingly simple, it is not easy at first; when I first tried my method, my first full deck challenge took around 15 minutes to encode for accurate recall… but after a few hours of practice, that average became around 2-3 seconds per card. The real key, of course, is trying new things and memorizing card sequences is a great mental exercise.
Whatever the desired outcome from brain training for memory improvement, recalling peoples’ names, remembering long speeches or shopping lists, reciting a string of Pi digits or simplifying algorithms of Rubik’s Cube etc, adding this offers many benefits, both practical and cognitive:
Memory Improvement: Memorizing card sequences can significantly enhance your memory skills amplifies the process of encoding, storing, and retrieving sequences, which exercises your brain while improving overall memory capacity and recall abilities.
Cognitive Skills: Enhanced cognitive abilities such as pattern recognition, visualization, and mental agility are all aided. As you become more adept at recalling specific visualisations, your brain's processing speed and efficiency will improve.
Social Interaction: Memorizing card sequences can be a fun and impressive skill to showcase in social settings… a cute party trick even. It can serve as a conversation starter and entertain friends and family during gatherings or game nights.
Brain Health: Overall, engaging in activities that challenge memory and cognitive skills is associated with improved brain health and a reduced risk of cognitive decline as you age. The process of neurogenesis is well associated with trying out new things (such as juggling, as described in an earlier article) where increases in grey matter volume in brain regions associated with visual and motor coordination help protect the brain.
Note: (disclaimer!) You will see there is no reference here for specific card games; no doubt there are settings where remembering sequences can help, but am not suggesting for one minute you head off to your local casino once perfecting this technique… I certainly don’t want to see you thrown out for counting cards! For me, the thrill of the memory challenge is invigorating enough, even if just for a useful party trick among friends and family. Overall, in my world, it is the health benefit of memorizing playing cards and sequences with the cognitive advantages extended to various aspects of life, which make this a very worthwhile skill to develop and nurture.
Francis FitzGerald
AN ELEPHANT BRAIN
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