On the Tip of the Tongue

Look at the worry lines on his forehead. He has placed his head in his hands and is thinking! He tries to recall the name of that famous person, which seems to be on the tip of his tongue. But he can’t. Repeatedly, waves of recognition run through his body – yes, I know, I already feel how this name shakes me by the shoulders and cries: “My name is… !!!”.

But no, the name does not come to his mind. He goes through hundreds of thousands of dendrite intersections in his brain cells, but still can’t find his answer. His body is already tired from thinking, soon sweat will start flowing from his temples to cool down his overheating thought processor.

Finally, he gives up and goes to make a tea. The crossword can wait. And at that moment, when he pours hot water into his cup, the name flashes in his mind. “Here I am, my name is (insert a politician’s name here)!” And he runs back to his desk and finds the question in the crossword: “Reformer, deceitful politician:”, and with satisfaction fills the boxes with letters.

I can’t even count how many times I’ve had a thought “on the tip of my tongue” and haven’t been able to articulate it. This idea has tickled, annoyed, and mocked me. I know it, yet I don’t.

And I tense up my entire body and start “remembering”. Yes, as if this physical exercise would help.

Now, I have given up this habit and found a much better way to remember something. The method is not original, of course. Einstein used it. And many others, whose names I can’t recall at the moment. Einstein would write the question in a notebook and go to sleep, knowing that when he woke up, he would most likely have the answer to the question.

The method is simple in itself. You have to trust your subconscious.

I once read a book related to magic. The first task among many was to adopt the belief that my subconscious is also a being. We have to give him a name. This name should be as unique as possible, so I could address it in my thoughts without confusing it with someone else.

I will not give you the name of my helper being, it is something between Balzac and Baron (Barzac, Balon, Balzon). Once this name was given, I had to start communicating with the subconscious as with a specific person, whose purpose was to assist me. When I faced a problem I couldn’t solve, I had to ask for help in my thoughts. Since it was essentially the subconscious, which remembered everything, and it was connected to the Jungian collective subconscious, I could even ask it things I was unable to know myself.

This character inside me turned out to be very helpful. Every time I couldn’t remember a name, I politely asked: “Please help me, remind me what this famous person’s name is.” And now, the most important step is to completely forget the question, relax, and do other things. And so I did, and in a minute or two, the answer would pop into my mind by itself.

There was no magic involved, nor do I believe that there is an angel-like being inside me whose task is to find answers to silly questions. However, I do believe that the human subconscious is capable of much more than we can imagine. All these magical phenomena may turn out to be tricks of the brain. Since many don’t believe in the capability of their brain, they replace the phenomenon with guardian angels. As one principle of Huna magic says: “Effectiveness is the measure of truth”.

I’m done with supernatural magic. Angels and witches are not exciting for me. I believe in the capabilities of my own brain. And to remember a name that’s sitting on the tip of my tongue, I ask myself the question, set a goal, and then forget about it. And the answer comes. Some part of me knew the answer from the beginning, but all this physical tension and strained concentration blocks the exchange of information.

The formula to remembering is simple:

1. Ask the question and then ask for help from your subconscious/angel/devil/spirit to solve it.
2. Then, forget the question and don’t wait for the answer. Relax, do something else.
3. When the answer comes, thank that part of you that/who gave you the answer.