Since we are going to discuss a completely crazy technique, let’s first get our brain in the right frame of mind. What would you say if I posed the following question: Whenever Pavlov rang a bell, did he have an urge to feed a dog?
Now remain in this state of mind as we learn a crazy and amazing technique that works immediately.
Memory Palace — The Power of Remembering Without Memorizing
So, what is this crazy thing called Method of Loci, otherwise known as a Memory Palace? It is a method of memory enhancement using visualization and spatial memory. It anchors familiar information so you can quickly recall data. It is credited to the ancient people of Rome and Greece and is used by memory champions across the world.
This is a technique that should be taught in schools across the globe. The key here is to forget about trying to force facts and information into your head through repetition. Instead, try to link the ideas in interesting ways that allow you to easily recall the data. Essentially, this is a journey through your mind.
Creating a Memory Palace
Let’s see how this technique works.
- Step 1: Choose a location you are familiar with (i.e. your current home).
- Step 2: Rehearse this journey in your mind several times. Try to think of your emotion in each room.
- Step 3: Place a piece of information in each room and anchor it in a corner or on a physical object like a bed.
- Step 4: Draw your Memory Palace.
- Step 5: Begin your journey and make things interesting so they pop in your mind (i.e. nude images in weird locations!). The key is for the information to stick. Essentially, go wild and crazy with this technique… you don’t have to tell anyone.
Method of Loci for Geometry
Let’s demonstrate how this can work with math. If you are learning Geometry, which is difficult enough as it is, let’s see how this can be done using a Memory Palace in combination with a mnemonic device (First Letter Mnemonic).
How to Remember the Value of Pi
The number Pi is a mathematical constant. It is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Typically, people will approximate it to 3.14 or 3.14159. Yet, Pi has been calculated to the quadrillionth digit… that is 2,000,000,000,000,000! I don’t expect anyone to calculate this, but let’s look at an easy way to remember Pi up to 10 decimal places.
To do this we simply count the number of letters in each word. Pi to 10 decimal places (word lengths are digits):
- May I have a large container of coffee ready for today?
- May (3) I (1) have (4) a (1) large (5) container (9) of (2) coffee (6) ready (5) for (3) today (5)
So, we find Pi to 10 decimal places = 3.1415926535
Mnemonic Device + Method of Loci = Superb Memory
If you are looking for a superior memory, try combining a mnemonic device with the Method of Loci. Let’s look at a few examples of this.
Remember the Days in a Month
Remember the World Geography
Look at the first letter of each country and makes up an easy-to-remember sentence with each word’s first letter share the same letter as the county names’.
Stop Memorizing, Start Having Fun
You will be amazed how powerful these techniques are once you start practicing them. They are fun, easy to learn, easy to use, and they work immediately. It is hard to believe how powerful some of these crazy techniques are. So, get weird, have fun, and develop a superb memory!
