ML143: Anthony Metivier on Building a Victorious Mind by Mastering Memory, Meditation and Mental Wellbeing

Anthony was my third ever guest on the podcast and was the first guest I hadn't met before - so he'll always have a special place in the history of the MetaLearn Podcast. In that episode we spoke about how to use memory palaces to memorise virtually anything, mnemonic based strategies for learning languages and the weird and wonderful world of memory sports.

In this conversation we drew on a number of themes from Anthony's new book, The Victorious Mind, which is part autobiography, part practical manual on how to use the two pillars of meditation and memory techniques to improve your focus, sharpen your thinking and safeguard your mental wellbeing.

In this episode we discuss
- The importance of metaphors and analogies for understanding the mind
- How to master meditation and safeguard your mental wellbeing  
- How to navigate the world of self-help effectively

We also speak about the cultural conversation around mental health and the nature of knowledge.This was a great conversation and I'll be very surprised if it doesn't inspire you to ask yourself some thought provoking questions by the end of it.

Show Notes‍

• Introducing Anthony [00:40]
• Anthony’s favourite memory since being locked down in Australia [02:50]
• How did poet Leonard Cohen inspire Anthony and his book The Victorious Mind? [04:40]
• How can creating metaphors help us understand our thoughts better, especially during difficult times? [06:12]
• How do you choose your enemy? Who is Anthony’s nemesis? [07:45]
• What has Anthony learned from collaborating with Tony Buzan? How does working together in person affect one’s learnings and discoveries? [10:26]
• What is the rhizomatic nature of knowledge? Why does Anthony believe that facts are not facts but only emergent knowledge? [14:49]
• What is the current conversation around mental health? How can discussions around mental health be more nuanced? [20:49]
• How does Anthony approach the practice of meditation? [24:03]
• Why does self-help do more good than harm? [29:53]
• How does Anthony conceptualise the different aspects of memory? How do these different aspects fit together? [35:36]
• What were the biggest influences on Anthony’s journey of writing The Victorious Mind? [40:01]
• Closing remarks [43:55]

Resources
‍

🖥 Magnetic Memory Method - Anthony's Blog

📖 The The Victorious Mind: How to Master Memory, Meditation and Mental Well-Being' - Anthony Metivier

🎧 ML3: Anthony Metivier on Using Memory Palaces, Learning Languages and How To Remember Anything

▶️Two Easily Remembered Questions That Silence Negative Thoughts - Anthony Metivier