Prijesh aiming Guinness Record with memory power

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Memory plays games with some, while some do just the opposite. They play tag with memory.Prijesh Merlin happily belongs to the second category. The 24-year-old, hailing from Payyannur, Kannur, but now settled in the city, hopes to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records with his talent for extreme remembrance."At present, there are two records for memory power. One is correctly reciting a list of some 200 objects in the ascending and descending order. The second one is, recollecting a list of dates,’’ he said. Prijesh says he is adept in the first category."I can easily correctly recollect about 375 random objects from a list. In fact, I’ve proved it at various forums, including TV shows,’’ he said.Prijesh discovered an innate talent for memorising during his student days. The MBA graduate from the ICM, Kannur University, says he could do without taking down notes during his college days!"I believe it’s God’s gift to me. Any normal human being can perhaps remember up to 20 objects on a list if the objects are connected to each other in some ways. But when it comes to random objects, he or she is totally at sea. That’s where memory power comes in,’’ says Prijesh, who tagged on the name of his father’s tailoring shop to his own name - Merlin, giving it a touch of exoticism and mystery. Merlin after all, was a legendary magician. So it’s also an apt name for someone who plays magic with memory.So what’s his secret? "Meditation,’’ prompt comes the reply. "It sharpens your brain, improves concentration, vastly increasing the capacity to remember,’’ he says.In fact, he has not resorted to much else in enhancing his memory skills. During his Plus I days, he had even attended a one-and-a-half-year course on meditation. ‘’If you have the talent, then meditation alone should be enough,’’ he says.During his MBA days, Prijesh had created news after he and his friends started a soft skills course for students. Four months ago, Prijesh and his family moved to Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, where he is now pursuing his civil services dreams.There’s also a problem with his gift, he says. "You store too much in your brain, and that too can be bad,’’ he says.