The Neural Reset Protocol
(Closing your eyes (specifically your right eye), after reading)
Read a passage and then write down what you have just learned.
Neurosurgeons memorise complex procedures by closing only their right eye for five seconds after reading. This forces “left brain processing” where sequential memory excels.
Closing the right eye activates your left hemisphere exclusively, (your Copus Colossum, the side developed for verbal and sequential memory) temporarily reduces crosstalk between the two hemispheres and recently absorbed information gets encoded into one location instead of being scattered.
Medical students tested this technique, with their right eye closed for 5 seconds after studying, and this improved recall by more than three times.
Left eye closure showed no benefit, both eyes closed was similar, but slightly less effective than right eye closure alone. The action must happen immediately within two seconds of learning. If you leave it for longer and the memory disperses. Surgeons use this technique for remembering surgical steps, drug dosages and anatomical variations. Students started using it for exams with identical results.
If you read important information ,immediately close your right eye, count to five and open it, the memory locks in your left hemisphere with extraordinary clarity. The neural reset protocol uses hemisphere isolation for cognitive enhancement.
Neural Enforcement (Simple)
Read a passage and then immediately write down what you have just learned without reference to the original material.
Neural Foundations (Complex)
Creating a neural foundation (previously called the 2-7-30 rule) is a spaced repetition memory technique designed to move information from short-term to long-term memory by reviewing material at specific, but increasing intervals. It is designed to combat the “forgetting curve” (where 75-80% of information is lost within a week) and can reportedly assist individuals to retain up to 90% of what they read or learn.
How the 2-7-30 Rule Works
- Day 0 (Initial Learning): Consume the information, take notes, or create a summary.
- Day 2 (First Review): Revisit the material two days later. This is crucial as it this is the time when the memory begins to fade, forcing the brain to move it from short-term to long-term storage.
- Day 7 (Second Review): Revisit the material again one week later to strengthen the neural pathways.
- Day 30 (Final Review): Review the content one month later to lock it into long-term memory.
Key Principles and Tips
- Active Recall: Instead of just re-reading, you should actively quiz yourself or summarize the information from memory, which makes the learning process more effective.
- Desirable Difficulty: The intervals are designed to be challenging enough to strengthen neural connections without being too frustrating. If you find the process frustrating, then you can adjust the timescales to best suit your own development.
- Application: This technique is versatile, working for learning lines, studying for exams, learning a new language, or retaining content from books and articles.
- Implementation: Using a calendar or a task management app to schedule the reviews for each section or part is recommended for consistency.
Some variations of the method exist, such as the “2-hour, 7-day, 30-day” approach that adds an immediate review to further combat early memory loss. Feel free to adapt the programme to best suit your own circumstances.
These ‘neural’ techniques can be learned in conjunction with other memory techniques, so you could use the 2-7-30 technique with a memory palace to help memorise large pieces of text or the Neural reset technique alongside mnemonic memory links.
