Harry Kahne’s Multiple Mentality Course: An In-Depth Review

How would your life improve if you could perform six mental operations at the same time? Do you think it would help you tap into more of your brain power? Harry Kahne certainly did. And he proved it many times, often by writing out quotes from books in both hands while talking to his audience about other topics. The strangest part? He claimed his mind was perfectly average. He told thousands of people around the world that anyone could perform multiple operations at the same time. I agree, and here is why: I’ve been practicing exercises from Harry Kahne’s Multiple Mentality Course for years. Although I can’t perform many of his impressive students, here are a few benefits I’ve experienced along the way: Sharper thinkingMore free timeImproved numeracyBetter memoryUseful mental connectionsEnhanced abilities with memory techniques. Of course, I’m not practicing these techniques to deliver stunt performances… the odd time I might recite the alphabet backwards while juggling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGEuP-ls5hA The real reason I perform demonstrations is to aid my research into how to use memory techniques better. I’m also constantly crafting new brain exercises so others can experience mental sharpness that lasts. Why? For one thing, there’s a lot of warnings out there against multitasking out there – most of them very good. Normally, we’re told to avoid multitasking. But is this always a good thing? But when it comes to using mnemonic devices to memorize, say, all the names in a packed room, we definitely need to multitask in our minds. Directing multiple mentality at our use of memory techniques seems to me the finest possible use. So let’s dive deeper into who Harry Kahne was and what multiple mentality is all about. Who Was Harry Kahne? Harry Kahne proved that multitasking is indeed possible. He demonstrated this by performing demonstrations where he would write upside down with one hand, backwards with the other, all while reciting poetry. Harry Kahne solving a crossword puzzle upside down and backwards while reciting memorized information. Or, he might solve complex calculations with his feet while speaking to his audience as his hands wrote out newspaper headlines from memory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ2S6dExuHA Born in 1894, Kahne said that he started practicing multiple mentality during school. His teachers kept catching him daydreaming, so he devised a way to read his school books and daydream at the same time. Clever! Derren Brown By the time the 1920s rolled around, Kahne was touring as The Incomparable Mentalist. I don’t know if Harry Loryane ever saw Kahne demonstrate his skills, but certainly these kinds of performances were common on the vaudeville circuit at that time. These days, Kahne’s work looks more like what we see from mentalist Derren Brown. To help other people learn how to perform several operations at once, he explained how others can practice the same “mental gymnastics” he used to develop his skills. Multiple Mentality Course Review Hopping into a time machine to attend a live lecture with Kahne is sadly not possible (yet). But we can find a PDF or webpage version of his teaching, and it is incredibly helpful. Here’s what you’ll learn: One: Why People Fail To Exercise Their Minds Kahne feels that schools focus more on socializing individuals than it teaches them to think. He also points to modern comforts as a source of weakening the mind, citing earlier survival requirements as being essential to better thinking. Although I think Kahne is right that needing to hunt, farm, build shelter and raise a family without the luxuries of contemporary medicine required more thinking, I don’t quite agree. For one thing, those skills have very little to do with writing poetry in reverse with your hands while verbally solving math problems. Also, we have the problem that the very reason we have so many luxuries comes from masses of people who have developed improved thinking skills. Kahne’s historical fallacy in this regard suggests that his objective reasoning might not have been as improved by multiple mentality as he claims. Nonetheless, Kahne is correct that all of us need “warming up” when it comes to using our mental abilities better. In fact, this point shows up in creativity studies. Just like your body needs warming up before exercising, your brain needs it too. For example, Dr. Robert Epstein is a leading authority on creativity. In numerous articles, many gathered in his book, Cognition, Creativity, and Behavior, Epstein shows how a quick warmup improves creativity, focus and attention while engaged in more complex tasks. This is why I like to quickly memorize a deck of cards or juggle while reciting the alphabet backwards before sitting down to do any writing or language learning. Two: Alphabet Exercises Kahne explains that these are the most important aspects of his training. Having ...