# Mirror Article

By [Untitled](https://paragraph.com/@0x2c838f5e05c2e78b93859851b37d029edf56c942) · 2023-11-04

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Encoding: Putting memories into the brain
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Encoding is a process of imprinting information into the brain. Without proper encoding, there is nothing to store and attempting to retrieve the memory later will fail. One way to improve encoding is simply to repeat the information more times. Scientists who study memory call these repetitions “rehearsals” of the information.

However, as the case with the bank note illustrates, many rehearsals do not always mean you’ll successfully recall the information. What makes the difference between this case and the more familiar case of remembering your phone number because you’ve had to use it a lot?

When you were trying to memorize the phone number, you did not merely look at it repetitively. Instead, you deliberately tried to memorize it. You may have read it to yourself several times. Maybe you attempted to recall it from your memory, checked whether you were right and corrected yourself accordingly. Perhaps you noticed that there were some relationships between different numbers (e.g. some numbers were the multiples or sums of preceding or following numbers). In summary, you employed certain cognitive strategies and processes. You still needed repetition, but repetition was effective only when used together with these strategies.

Similarly, if you want to have an effective memory, the cognitive strategies you use will make a big difference on your ability to remember things later.

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*Originally published on [Untitled](https://paragraph.com/@0x2c838f5e05c2e78b93859851b37d029edf56c942/mirror-article)*