Because human memory and thought involve extremely complex processes, it is possible to employ unusual modalities and specific visual strategies for remembering and problem-solving to assist patients with memory defects. This three-part paper discusses some of the research in the field of human memory and describes practical applications of these research findings. Part one reviews the experience of the memory consultation service at the Neurological Institute of New York and demonstrates that human memory is a process dependent on duration, modality, and lesion localization. Part two discusses ancient and modern mnemonic systems and how such systems can be used to bypass specific functional defects in order to improve modality specific memory disorders. Part three describes how Albert Einstein used visual methods of thinking to overcome deficiencies in verbal learning. (MAI)