(Guest submission by sah19)
Mmm..it’s the coolest memory technique ever!
Have you watched the mentalist, Sherlock, and wondered how the hell are they memorizing these facts? Surely it must be fake! Well, dear reader it is not fake! It is very much possible with the use of this simple technique (yeah, simple maybe, but not so easy; it takes a certain amount of effort).
This method can be used to memorize anything, from playing cards to whole encyclopedias (if you’re prepared to work for it!). WOW! huh!!!! Or is this guy crazy?? Ha-ha, not at all, all you need is your creativity, plus yourimagination.
Okay, let’s do this!
First you need a location. This could be a place in the real world, somewhere you know well, like your house, or a completely imaginary place like, mm … Hogwarts maybe (if you’re just beginning, a real place would be easier, but it’s up to you).
Now you have to remember the layout of the place, and the path you would use to travel through your palace. If it’s a real one then go through the place several times in reality (actually visit it and do the walk-through), then sit down and try to memorize the path you went, and try to keep to the exact same way you went. If it’s of pure imagination just create your path but remember it carefully ‘cos it can’t change.
Memorize the path by traveling in it several times purely in your mind…THIS IS IMPORTANT as you want to travel in the exact same route always. It’s probably going to be hard at the beginning, your attention will stray, but don’t stop. End the journey by returning to the starting position. Do it about ten times
Now take a break!
Practice again (mentally) over the next few days.
Now … time to store the information!
The mind remembers pictures much more readily than words … so, if it’s text, try to convert your words/sentences/paragraphs into pictures … and in converting paragraphs and sentences, highlight keywords and make pictures of them, and associate them in the most crazy and silly ways you can come up with.
Okay … now then let’s go through the Memory Palace again, and while going store these pictures you created. Just place them in order along the path you’d normally travel, so you would see them as you’re ‘walking’ your path. To recall them in order, just make sure you place them in order along the path you travel. Then, for reassurance, walk the path again, seeing the pictures in place.
Now … walk the path again …
Now, to access the information imagine walking again along the same path through your Memory Palace. Now, as you’re walking, notice the images you placed in positio. Look carefully at them, recall what each of them meant as you go. It takes time, but it will be a lot quicker with practice.
It’s just as easy as that!
To make sure your memories last longer, rehearse and practice the walk through your Memory Palace several times. This makes it much more likely you won’t start forgetting the items and confusing them. And go over your route every once in a while, say ever week or so.
You can remember a lot of information using this method, and for longer than you might have thought.
To remember even more, create as many as palaces you want, but you have to take the time to visit them as often as possible. The more often you visit and refresh your memories, the easier you’ll be able to retrieve the information.