Who wants to have a Mega Memory?

“You can improve your memory by 500% OR MORE!” and “Switch on your mega memory!”: these are some of the quirky phrases written on Kevin Trudeau’s Mega Memory program package.

My dad purchased this expensive package for me when I was 10 years old. He’d seen Mr Trudeau on late night TV wow an audience with his ‘photographic memory’. But now, as an adult, I can’t help but feel a little cynical/skeptical as I revisit the Mega Memory program knowing that Mr Trudeau has recently released a book called ‘The Weight Loss Cure’.

Did I ever get a photographic memory from doing Mega Memory as a child? I’m afraid not.

Perhaps a better question to ask is, did the program help me to improve my memory? You bet.

Let’s face it, there was nothing new or particularly special about the information contained in Mega Memory. All Mr Trudeau did was package up a bunch of memory techniques (that have been around for a very long time). More importantly and impressively, he managed to get millions of people (my dad and I included) excited about learning more about the human mind and memory. He sparked our curiosity and got us thinking about how far we could push ourselves mentally. To be engaged in this kind of conversation as a child was priceless.

I have to hand it to Mr Trudeau, he knew a thing or two about effective learning. In lesson 1 of his program, he sets out some really smart ground rules for taking his program. These are:

  • Take a 10 minute break between lessons
  • No heavy eating before going through a lesson
  • No alcohol or drugs before going through a lesson
  • No sugar or white flour before going through a lesson
  • Most of us know the effect of eating too much sugar or a greasy, heavy meal before studying or working. We can find it hard to focus and think clearly. Mr Trudeau’s ground rules should not be limited to studying memory techniques. They can be applied to all areas of our lives.

    He also knew about the importance of taking baby steps to slowly build your confidence. One of the first memory techniques his program teaches is the Peg-Word Mnemonic. In my opinion, it is the simplest memory technique to learn (it takes about 5 minutes to learn).

    I sometimes teach students this technique in workshops for several reasons. Firstly, it helps them to memorise lists of information really easily and quickly. Secondly, it shows students how they learn information best and thirdly, it builds their confidence. Once they realise ‘Hey, this actually works! I can do this!’, they are more open to learning about other strategies that will make a difference to their studies and life.

    To sum up

    I can’t say that I improved my memory by ‘500%’ by doing Mega Memory. But that’s okay. As skeptical as I am of charismatic salesmen like Kevin Trudeau, I have to say that his product (Mega Memory) contained some good ideas and techniques that did inspire me as a child to learn more effective ways to learn.

    Update from June 2022: I recently completed memory champion Dr Boris Konrad’s online memory training course (SuperBrain!) and I highly recommend taking that course over Mega Memory.

    12 thoughts on “Who wants to have a Mega Memory?

    1. I had a look at the course many years ago but stoped, a few minutes during because I felt the course material was something I could’have compiled myself.

      I take it to-date I have an improved memory, I decided to dedicate 12 hrs a day studying material, and can do so straight without breaks, and can understand anything I read. So to some extent I think it does work.

      1. how do i get hold of this magnificent mega memory i wanna order like now. im from southern africa, botswana

    2. Hey guys, i know how its to suffer from a problem like this. I’ve struggling from this since a few months with the normal ups and downs so i really know to have a problem like this. At a forum i noticed some people were pretty happy about a pill they got from the net and i ordered it when i found those pills at – herbalhealingstore dot com -. So you see, those herbals do work, you just have to get the good ones!

    3. Hi Jane
      You are spot on about the photographic memory claim. I didn’t get it either. Not that I was after it. Although, I found picturing objects in my mind very easy and making up action stories to link items is rather natural.

      I think there is no limit to what I could memorise and recall, there’s only a time limit. Nevertheless, I’m rather grateful to Kevin for publishing his …

    4. for publishing his Mega Memory 100 peg system. Only somewhat eight years later I came across Tony Buzan’s memory book to find out by only learning another 100 pegs you could have 10,000 memory location slots. That was mind blowing at the time but then I discovered that each one of the 10,000 can also hold 100 pegs, which makes a total of one million pieces of bits or vivid pictures linked to facts. But in reality I only need 40-60 pegs in each of the 10,000 location slots.

      I’m extremely happy about the technology, techniques, and principles provided and laid out by those two authors, and my motivation and ability to use it all. Jane, thank you for placing this blog. peace 🙂

    5. All I want to know is, does it work does ur memory improve and do you remember better then before? If yes hw much does it cost and how do I get it?

      1. The memory techniques in Mega Memory are nothing new and yes, they do work. But please ignore the sales pitch that you can have a photographic memory by the end of the course. I’m not so sure about this. I’m also not sure where you can buy the package as Kevin Trudeu was selling this product on late night TV over 20 years ago. Your best bet would be to try to look for a secondhand copy on eBay.

        Cheers,

        Jane

      2. Nathan I’m wondering if you ever got to use the Mega Memory tapes ( system) about 15 years ago I was going through a lot of stress and seemed to have been losing my memory…. I am a teacher and am often searching for solutions …. I found the tapes on e- bay after using the tapes it was amazing what I could and STILL can remember. I highly recommend it

      3. I know this was ages ago, but I used mega memory and the subsequent advanced mega memory, and for a while afterwards couldnt forget things. I would glance at things without focus and recall them easily later. Names, phone numbers etc. Only problem was that once I got to that level I slowly stopped practising the techniques and along with it my memory went back to what it was previously. So while it became a subconscious reflex, over time, without practice that effect disappeared. I wouldn’t call it a photographic memory, but was well in the way to it. How knows

        1. Yes, the key is to practise those memory techniques!

          I used to be really good at learning people’s names but then I stopped using the technique . . . it became really challenging to remember names!

          I am now practising again and (very slowly) I am getting better 🙂

          Dr Jane Genovese

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