As the dictionary definition states, besides "formulas" like acronyms, mnemonics is also a system of "principles". One should keep in mind two basic principles when creating a mnemonic. In order to truly learn something you must be able to visualize it. This means that you should translate the idea/concept into a picture. As they say - a picture is worth a thousand words. The problem with depending solely on acronyms is that if you remember HOUSES or COTTAGES instead of the word HOMES you are going to have difficulty remembering names of the Great Lakes. Instead of merely trying to remember the word HOMES, which is left-brained, alphabet code-based representation of the dwellings that we live in, we could have also pictured an image of Sherlock Holmes, in order to help remember that the mnemonic is HOMES and not HOUSES. In order to remember something you must associate it with something that is already familiar. Your mind wants to organize all the information that you put into it. It does so by trying to find ways of attaching it to something that it already knows. By itself, the mind is pretty good at doing this, however, have you ever had a moment when your were listening to a radio, when suddenly something that you hear causes you to remember some chore that you were supposed to have done? This is a example of a situation where your mind was not successful at association. perhaps you haven't read of Sherlock Holmes. Do you know someone whose last name is Homes? If so, put that person into your visual image, you can greatly increase your chances of memorizing the information How to Visualize In my program, I tell my students that it takes vision in order to visualize. Actually I should say VISN. V stands for violence and if you think of the statement "there is too much sex and violence on TV" then you will understand what I'm trying to say. When designing a visual image, incorporate movement and action. Within our brains is the limbic system. This system plays an important part in our long term memory. It is also the part that is our emotional controller. If you can incorporate an emotional feeling into your visualization, then it will be easier to remember. (make it happy, sad, mad, lustful, etc). I stands for imagination. Use your imagination to exaggerate the ideas, thoughts and information that you are trying to remember. Emphasize something to make it stand out. When you do, you will make it easier to remember. S stands for senses. Don't just incorporate a visual image. Taste it, smell it, feel it and hear it. Make it truly a "multi-media experience". N stands for numbering. Organize the information so that it makes sense. Count the number of items to be remembered. Find ways to rearrange the infrmation so that similiar items are grouped together, or contrasting items are paired beside one another, etc