The memory palace, also called the method of loci, is one of the oldest memory techniques we know. Ancient Greek and Roman speakers used it to deliver long speeches without notes, and modern memory competitors still rely on it.
Why it works
Human brains are excellent at remembering places and vivid scenes, and poor at remembering abstract lists. The palace turns a list into a walk through a place you already know.
Build one in six steps
- Choose a familiar place. Your home works well.
- Pick a fixed route. Front door, hallway, kitchen table, sofa, bed. Always walk it in the same order.
- Mark 8 to 10 stops. Each stop is one "slot" for one item.
- Turn each item into an image. Make it vivid, large, strange, funny or a little rude. Boring images fade.
- Place the images. Put the first image at the first stop, doing something dramatic.
- Walk it back. Mentally stroll the route and read the images off.
Example
To remember a shopping list of milk, eggs and a lamp: a waterfall of milk pours through your front door, a giant egg sits in the hallway wearing your coat, and a lamp is cooking dinner at the kitchen table. You will recall it tomorrow.
Tips
- Use different palaces for different lists so images do not clash.
- Review the same day and once more a few days later, so it lasts.
- Abstract ideas need a stand-in image, such as a courtroom for "justice".
It takes practice, but the first list you recall perfectly feels like a magic trick. Compare your results with the memory games in Brain Club.