Memory Palace Technique | Trick to Improve your Memory

Summary

In this video, Ashish explores the ancient memory palace technique, also known as the loc method, which has been used since the Roman and Greek empires. He explains how this method can enhance memory for daily tasks like remembering names, speeches, and shopping lists. Ashish shares his personal experiences using the technique for academic success and creating YouTube content. He also provides a detailed example of how to use the method by memorizing a list of 12 unrelated words through a vivid, bizarre story, emphasizing its effectiveness for long-term retention.

Takeaways

• 🏰 The Memory Palace Technique, also known as the loc method, is an ancient method dating back to the Roman and Greek empires and is still highly effective today.
• 📈 This technique is particularly useful for individuals with poor memory who wish to develop a flawless memory, as it allows information to be mentally 'written down' and recalled without physical paper.
• 🔑 The method involves creating a mental journey or story to link unrelated items or concepts, which aids in remembering them in sequence.
• 🗣️ Ashish has used this technique to excel in exams, remember content for YouTube videos, and prepare speeches for seminars.
• 📝 The technique is applicable for memorizing various types of information, from speeches and paragraphs to names and grocery lists.
• 🧠 It works by connecting new information (surface memory) with familiar, unforgettable memories (core memory), such as childhood experiences or well-known paths.
• 🛤️ Core memory can be further divided into 'path' and 'story' memories, with paths being routes we've physically navigated and stories being narratives that resonate deeply.
• 🔗 To apply the Memory Palace Technique effectively, create vivid, bizarre, and memorable scenarios that link the new information to your core memories.
• ⏱️ The technique is not suitable for understanding or learning concepts, as conceptual knowledge is naturally retained in core memory through comprehension.
• 🚫 A limitation of the Memory Palace Technique is that it cannot replace the understanding of complex ideas or the learning process; it is best for memorization of discrete pieces of information.

Q & A

What is the memory palace technique?

The memory palace technique, also known as the loc method, is an ancient memorization strategy dating back to the Roman and Greek empires. It involves associating new information with familiar mental images and places in one's memory to enhance recall.

How has Ashish used the memory palace technique?

Ashish has used the memory palace technique to achieve good scores in his semester examinations, remember content for his YouTube videos, and recall points for speeches he has given in seminars.

What are the two types of memory mentioned in the script?

The two types of memory mentioned are core memory and surface memory. Core memory consists of things that are hard to forget, like the alphabet or driving skills, while surface memory consists of things that are easily forgotten and not deeply ingrained in one's mind.

How does the memory palace technique help with remembering paragraphs?

The technique helps with remembering paragraphs by breaking them down into bullet points, each represented by a word. When you are reminded of that word, it triggers the memory of the point, allowing you to assemble the points in sequence.

What is the role of bizarre or unusual elements in the memory palace technique?

Bizarre or unusual elements make the mental images more memorable because they are more difficult to forget. The more vivid and unusual the scenario, the stronger the memory trace.

Can the memory palace technique be used to remember names?

Yes, the memory palace technique can be used to remember names by creating associations between the new name and something unforgettable or deeply ingrained in your memory.

What is the limitation of the memory palace technique as discussed in the script?

The limitation of the memory palace technique is that it cannot be used to understand or learn concepts. It is most effective for remembering specific pieces of information that do not make much sense or are difficult to remember.

How does Ashish describe the process of creating a memory palace?

Ashish describes creating a memory palace by creating a vivid and bizarre story that includes a familiar path and unusual elements to help remember a sequence of 12 random words.

What is the significance of the number 12 in the script?

The number 12 is significant because Ashish challenges viewers to remember a list of 12 unrelated words in sequence using the memory palace technique.

How does the memory palace technique help with public speaking?

The memory palace technique helps with public speaking by allowing the speaker to remember the structure and key points of their speech, making it easier to deliver without forgetting important parts.

What is the importance of visualization in the memory palace technique?

Visualization is crucial in the memory palace technique because it involves creating mental images and associating them with familiar places or paths. The stronger the visualization, the easier it is to recall the associated information.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 Introduction to the Memory Palace Technique

Ashish introduces the Memory Palace Technique, also known as the loc method, which dates back to ancient Rome and Greece. Despite its age, the technique remains effective for improving memory in daily life. Ashish shares his personal experiences using the method to achieve good scores in exams and to remember content for his YouTube videos and speeches. The technique is suitable for anyone wishing to enhance their memory. It involves mentally noting down information without the need for physical paper, by creating a mental structure where information can be stored and retrieved. Ashish challenges viewers to remember a list of unrelated words in sequence, emphasizing the difficulty of remembering nonsensical information and the utility of the Memory Palace Technique in such scenarios.

05:00

🧠 Understanding Core and Surface Memory

Ashish explains the concept of core and surface memory. Core memory consists of things that are hard to forget, such as the alphabet, driving skills, or the layout of familiar places. Surface memory, on the other hand, is more transient and includes information that hasn't been deeply ingrained, like the paragraph on steering mechanisms one might need to remember for an exam. The Memory Palace Technique is particularly useful for transferring information from surface to core memory, making it unforgettable. Ashish discusses the importance of connecting new, fleeting information with old, unforgettable memories to create lasting memories. He provides examples of how he used the technique to remember various things, including a complicated table in health physics and a symbol in mechanical engineering.

10:01

🚀 Practical Application of Memory Palace Technique

Ashish demonstrates the Memory Palace Technique by creating a vivid story that incorporates the 12 random words from the introduction. He uses a combination of a familiar path and an engaging story to create a memorable scenario. The story involves Ashish receiving a headache, looking up an app for relief, being called to give a speech, going to a grocery store, and encountering various bizarre events along the way. Each event is associated with one of the words, helping to cement them in memory. Ashish emphasizes the importance of making the story as bizarre as possible to make it unforgettable. He also shares how he used the technique in a seminar, creating a vivid and strange narrative that helped him remember the content of his speech.

15:01

📚 Recap and Importance in Exams

Ashish concludes by recapping the key points of the Memory Palace Technique and its importance, especially for remembering information for exams. He reiterates the technique's effectiveness for transforming surface memory into core memory through the creation of memorable stories and paths. Ashish also reminds viewers of the technique's limitations, noting that it is not suitable for understanding or learning concepts, as concepts naturally become part of core memory. He encourages viewers to practice the technique with the 12 words provided earlier in the video, showcasing its versatility and potential for long-term memory retention.

Keywords

💡Memory Palace Technique

The Memory Palace Technique, also known as the Method of Loci, is a mnemonic device that involves associating items to be remembered with specific locations within an imagined building or a familiar environment. In the video, Ashish explains how this ancient method can be used to enhance memory, particularly for recalling lists of items or points in a speech. He uses the technique to remember a list of 12 seemingly unrelated words, demonstrating how each word is associated with a specific location in a vivid, imagined scenario.

💡Core Memory

Core Memory refers to the long-term, deeply ingrained memories that are hard to forget, such as childhood memories or well-practiced skills. In the video, Ashish contrasts core memory with surface memory, explaining that the Memory Palace Technique is particularly effective for transferring information from the easily forgettable surface memory to the more permanent core memory.

💡Surface Memory

Surface Memory is the term used to describe short-term or less significant memories that are easily forgotten, such as a newly introduced acquaintance's name. Ashish uses the Memory Palace Technique to connect surface memories with core memories, making them harder to forget. For example, he associates the word 'cesium' with a vivid image to help remember it for a long time.

💡Mnemonic Device

A mnemonic device is any learning technique that aids in memory retention, such as acronyms or visual imagery. The Memory Palace Technique is a type of mnemonic device. Ashish explains that mnemonic devices are useful for remembering lists or sequences, and he provides an example of how to use the Memory Palace Technique to remember a list of 12 words.

💡Path

In the context of the Memory Palace Technique, a 'path' refers to a route or sequence of locations used to associate and remember items. Ashish mentions that humans are particularly good at remembering paths, which is why incorporating a path into the Memory Palace can enhance memory retention. He uses a familiar path from his past to create a sequence for the words he wants to remember.

💡Story

A 'story' in the Memory Palace Technique is a narrative constructed to link items or concepts together in a memorable way. Ashish emphasizes the importance of creating a bizarre or unusual story to make the memory stronger. He weaves a story around the 12 words, making the connections between the words and the story as vivid and unusual as possible to aid memory.

💡Bizarre

The term 'bizarre' is used to describe the unusual or unexpected elements in the story created for the Memory Palace Technique. Ashish suggests making the story as bizarre as possible because our brains are more likely to remember unusual or surprising events. He gives an example of a bizarre story involving an auditorium, a grocery store, and a rough patch of road.

💡Public Speaking

Public Speaking is the act of addressing an audience and is one of the applications of the Memory Palace Technique mentioned in the video. Ashish explains how the technique can be used to remember the points of a speech, making it easier to deliver without forgetting key parts. He uses the technique to remember the structure of the very video he is presenting.

💡Semester Examination

Semester Examinations are used as an example of a situation where the Memory Palace Technique can be applied to remember study materials. Ashish mentions that he used the technique to remember information for his exams, suggesting that it can be a useful study tool for students.

💡Grocery List

A 'Grocery List' is a simple, everyday application of the Memory Palace Technique mentioned by Ashish. He suggests that the technique can be used to remember a list of items to buy at the store, demonstrating that it is not only useful for academic or professional settings but also for mundane daily tasks.

Highlights

Introduction to the memory palace technique, also known as the loc method.

The memory palace technique dates back to ancient Roman and Greek empires.

The technique is still applicable in daily life and can improve memory scores.

Ashish uses the technique for remembering content for YouTube videos and speeches.

The method is suitable for anyone with poor memory who wants to develop a flawless memory.

The technique allows you to 'write' and 'read' information in your head without physical paper.

Ashish challenges viewers to remember a list of 12 unrelated words in sequence.

The technique is especially useful for remembering paragraphs and bullet points.

The method helps connect new information with things that are unforgettable in your mind.

It can be used to remember names to avoid awkward social situations.

The memory palace technique is not just for remembering lists; it aids in memorizing complex information.

There are two types of core memory: path and story, which the technique leverages.

Path memory involves remembering routes or physical spaces.

Story memory is about recalling narratives or events.

The technique involves connecting surface memory (easily forgotten details) with core memory.

Ashish shares a personal example of memorizing a complex table using the technique.

The memory palace technique is not for understanding concepts but for retaining specific information.

Ashish demonstrates how he memorized the 12 words using a bizarre and vivid story.

The story includes a path and bizarre elements to make the memory stronger.

The technique is particularly useful for public speaking and remembering speeches.

Ashish emphasizes the importance of making the story as vivid and bizarre as possible for better retention.

The video concludes with a reminder of the practical applications of the memory palace technique.

Transcripts

hello everyone this is ashish welcome

back to talk 4712 and today we are

having an extremely interesting topic of

discussion we are going to talk about

the memory palace technique or the

original name of it would be the loc

method now this method is old and when i

say old it is back in the bc days old it

is back in the ancient roman empire the

greek empire but surprisingly even after

2000 years this method is having firm

application on our day-to-day life and

i've used it extensively to get very

good scores and semester examination i

still use it on a daily basis to

remember what i'm going to talk about in

my youtube videos i've also used it a

lot to remember my speeches of what i'm

going to talk about in the seminars that

i've given but you can choose to use it

however you want to use it this method

is basically for everyone who is having

a poor memory but wants to develop a

flawless memory yes this method actually

gives you a perfect memory it is almost

like you have written things down on a

piece of paper and you're reading things

out of it but the only thing is that

there is not going to be any paper any

physical paper you are going to be

writing things down in your head and you

are going to be reading straight out of

your mind i'm going to be talking about

everything the technicality the working

principle i'm going to be also

explaining it using an example by the

end of this video but before that just

let me just give you a few words and you

do your best to remember these words and

also do your best to remember these

words in the sequence that i am giving

you in

so the words are

12

terrible

application

paragraph

name

speech

grocery

work

limitations

rough or roughness

cesium and semester examinations now

these words are not connected at all but

still this method is going to help you

to remember all of them

in a proper sequence now this is going

to be the most difficult thing things

that does not really make sense to you

remembering those would be most

difficult and it would be easier in

every other application where you want

to memorize things now you might be

asking ashish why would i want to

remember a bunch of words so here's the

thing in paragraphs remembering

paragraphs whether whether it is you

giving a speech or you giving a semester

examination it is going to be helpful

for you to remember paragraphs now how

will words help you to remember

paragraphs the paragraphs can be broken

down into bullet points these points

each can be represented by a word when

you are reminded of that word you are

reminded of that particular point you

assemble those points in a proper

sequence because this method is also

going to help you to remember things in

sequence and you got a paragraph which

you can use anywhere you want to use i

can use a paragraph to give this video

talk i can use a paragraph to give a

speech in front of thousands of people i

can use this paragraph to just memorize

things to write it down in my semester

examination so there are infinite number

of application

of doing that you can just use this

method of very small at a very small

scale this method can be useful for you

to remember names for example we have

all been in a situation where we just

met a person i introduced myself to that

person that person introduced himself or

herself to me and then after two minutes

i forgot that person's name now it is

going to be super awkward for me to go

and ask that person's name again but

this method is going to help you

basically how it works is that there are

things in your head that you cannot

forget but there are things that are

coming inside your head all the time

that you're forgetting all the time so

this method actually helps you connect

the new things that are entering with

the old things so if you want to

remember you just have to make a

connection and it starts making sense to

you we do forget things that do not make

sense to us it's as simple as that or

you can just use it to remember your

grocery list or let us say you are on a

phone call and the person on the other

side is giving you four five things that

you should remember you're not having a

piece of paper to note it down this

method is kind of like noting things

down so how it actually works is that it

is going to connect things that you

cannot forget with things that are just

coming to you right now and if you may

just make that proper click connection

then you are never going to forget it as

long as you don't want to forget it so

let us first talk about the working

principle how it actually works so this

is how it works or this is how i

understood that it works there are two

different kind of memories there's the

core memory and the surface memory core

memory is the kind of memory that you

can't really forget for example the

alphabets or

the driving skills that you are having

or let us say the place where you grew

up or the path from your place to the

washroom

or your favorite restaurant you can't

really forget about the pathways and

these things or you can't really forget

about your favorite movie the story of

that movie you can't really forget about

the lyrics of your favorite song but you

can forget about a paragraph on steering

mechanism that you have to go and

execute on the day of the examination

you can't forget a lot of things for

example you might have most likely

forgotten about the 12 words that you

that i gave you in the beginning of this

video so

those things that you can forget are

called the surface memory those are not

very much settled in your head and

whatever is in the surface are easier to

evaporate but what is in the core will

stay over there so our job over here is

to connect the core memory with the

surface memory once you do that you

won't forget the things that you have

just received that can go from any place

from the names that you just received to

the paragraphs that you want to remember

that you want to talk about in your next

speech all right let us talk about the

core memory in a little bit more detail

manner so there are two different kinds

of code memory number one is the path

one and the second one is the story one

let us get to the path first so have you

ever been in a situation where you have

traveled from one place to another using

a particular path and you have done it

only two to three times and then two to

three years later you again come back to

that place and you can almost remember

everything that you can remember when is

the next left and what is when i'm going

to see this particular statue and how

the houses are going to look and there's

a super mall over there you can almost

remember everything how do you think

you're able to do that even if you have

just traveled through that path only two

to three times it's because human brain

really remembers very well the path

through which they have physically

navigated like you have physically

navigated through that space it is going

to be extremely difficult for you to

forget that same goes with stories for

example

there is a particular movie that you

watched full and you watched it only

once you invested only three hours to

watch it but still you can remember

almost everything in the proper sequence

as well you can remember the important

parts of the movie you can explain that

full story to your friend also

how can you do it just by watching it

only once because stories are extremely

important for humans they'd really dig

deep and get engraved in our memory very

well so stories are another good way or

another good example of core memory now

our job over here is to connect the

surface memory for example whatever

information is coming to us that does

not make a lot of sense to us or we have

not done sufficient repetition of that

memory how to remember that so what we

are going to do is we are going to

connect that surface memory to the core

memory so that we don't really forget

about it i'll give you a few examples

for example back in 2017 i was in barc

training school and there was one

subject it was called

health physics now if this health

physics there was one table that i had

to remember and in that table basically

there were different radiations

and what you have to do to as a

contraceptive action if you got that

radiation so we had to remember this 10

to 20 things that were in that table and

i memorized that using the memory palace

technique and i still cannot forget a

lot of things for example cesium was

connected to masala and i still remember

that you know why because i connected in

this way cesim reminds me of caesar

caesar reminds me of rome rome reminds

me of greek and

ancient greek there were a lot of greek

gods and if you look at any of those

those are very muscular so

cesium is connected to muscles and i

still cannot forget about that so i

still remember that

the semester examination happened and

then after two three months later in the

next semester the viva of that same

subject happened and i was still able to

retain that after three months also so

it is not a route process that you are

going to mug it up you're going to just

puke it out on the day of the

examination and you're going to forget

about it it is actually helpful for you

to remember things for a long duration

of time another example is that there

was a symbol of surface roughness in our

mechanical engineering and we had to

remember different parts of that symbol

because the symbol was very complicated

so this symbol used to give a lot of

different data it was basically used in

engineering drawing and all and it is it

used to give five to six different data

so i used a memory balance kind of it

like there was a symbol that looked like

this i'm going to show the picture over

here and i replaced it using a truck and

then different parts of the track i

assigned to the different things that

were there in that symbol and helped me

remember that for a long time for like

two to three years of me giving

competitive examination i was able to

remember that so if you

convert these memories that you are

having tough time remembering to

something which is physical and you can

allocate it to different places in that

box that you've created kind of like a

palace then it is going to be easier for

you to remember it for a long duration

now here's the limitation of the memory

palace technique you cannot use it to

understand or learn or remember or

retain concepts so here's the thing you

don't really need any other technique to

remember or retain concepts why because

concepts itself goes directly to the

core memory for example i learned how

the liquid engines work during my time

in indian space research organization

but i don't think that i will ever need

any memory palace technique to remember

that matter of fact it will be difficult

for me to get that knowledge out of my

head because i understood it properly so

the concept gets directly into your head

and you won't require any memory palace

technique to retain that so whatever is

not making much sense to you the

technique is for that now

let us come back to those 12 words that

i gave in the beginning of the video and

i'll tell you the whole story of how i

remembered those words using the memory

palace technique so i'll create a

scenario which i created in my head now

this is going to be a collaboration of

path and story because i think that is

the best way to use memory palace

technique include both include a path

because it is difficult to forget path

but also attach a story to that then it

becomes almost next to impossible to

forget about that so here's the story

that i created i'm sitting in an

auditorium in vssc and the time is

during my isro induction training

program it was two months training and i

used to do this every day so it is very

well deep engraved in my head so i'm

sitting somewhere in the last bench in

an auditorium that i know very well

because i've sat there every day for 30

days more than 30 days 60 days close to

that

right so i know everything about this so

it is very well visualized in my head

now here's how the story proceeds i look

at my list watch it is 12 o'clock

and then i think that i'm getting some

terrible headache so what i do the next

thing i do is take out my cell phone and

start to google how to get rid of a

terrible headache and all of a sudden i

got a suggestion that this is an app

that helps you to get rid of headache

app reminds me of application

next i

open that app and that app basically

opens a paragraph of text given over

there start reading that text and that

text actually tells me that i have to

prepare tea with ginger and it's going

to help me with headaches so i decided

okay i'm going to do that but right then

when i was reading more about it i heard

someone calling my name ashish sanjin

get on the stage and start talking about

how to improve your public speaking and

this is extremely bizarre this does not

really happen when someone is teaching

over there about rocket science and

someone calls you to go on stage but the

better the more bizarre you can make

better off you are because it is much

more difficult to forget bizarre things

so i went on the stage gave a little bit

of speech and right after that i decided

to go to the grocery store why because i

need to get my tea i need to get my

ginger i went to the counter the

shopkeeper starts talking to me because

i know that person by the way i also

know the shop so i can properly

visualize where i'm sitting right now or

standing right now or interacting

in my head the shopkeeper asked me how's

work going on and i said work is fine

i'm enjoying it and bye-bye this is the

money i'm working out i worked out i

know the path very well i can right now

also visualize it very well and over

there i saw a big poster of my one of my

favorite movies limitless the limitless

reminds me of the word limitation now

this does not really happen you're not

going to see a gigantic poster but in my

head it is big so that i cannot really

forget about that i walked a little bit

further in the path that i am very well

aware of and i stumbled because of some

rough patch of road and then i looked

down and i saw a few bottles filled with

cesium now cesium if you do not know i'm

going to put a picture over there so it

is very well or easily visualized if you

know what cesium is and then that cesium

remind me of the basi training days when

i use the memory palace technique to

clear a lot of my semester examination

so you get the point

this is how i remembered all the

different 12 words that i told you guys

in the beginning of the video using a

story i created a bizarre story and i

also added a path to it so that i can

not forget about it in any near future

so make it as complicated as or as

bizarre as possible or you can use weird

things over there because it is much

more difficult to forget weird things

but also add a part to it a part that

you can't really forget i've been over

there for 60 days so obviously i

remember that part i remember that

auditorium i remember that shop and does

it was easier for me use that there was

one time i was taking a seminar

it is called art of speaking and at that

particular session i was talking about

public speaking so this memory palace

technique is very very important when it

comes to public speaking because you

need to remember the whole speech so one

of my student already knew about me

talking about memory palace technique

because i've talked about it about one

to two years ago so he saw that video

and i told him to explain that because i

wanted to see his way of speaking he

started to explain and he gave me

somewhere around 10 words because he

also started explaining the memory

palace technique like this only so as he

was saying those 10 random words i

started to create the memory palace on

that spot itself and it was even more

bizarre that i am sitting over there i

go out there i will see something very

big statue of a particular thing that

will remind me of a particular word and

then i go out to the balcony and jump

off the balcony and then i start flying

and the roads are filled with blood then

i take the right turn so as bizarre as

you can make so that it is very vivid

and you can actually remember the full

thing the full story or the full

creator or imagination of your head that

will help you remember things for a

longer period of time so with this

example i think it must be very clear

how we connect the surface memory with

the core memory those 12 random words

try to create any story you want those

12 words you know

i used it to just remember the whole

structure of the stock that i'm giving

you only you don't believe it okay here

we go semester examination so this

semester examination i had to talk at

the end as well in much more detail but

what happened is that the video became

too long so i decided it is not that

much necessary to talk again but yes

this word reminded me that i have to put

emphasis how much memory palace can

become important for your semester exams

few words few words meaning 12 words it

reminds me in my head who are memory

poor memory means terrible memory so

terrible words reminds me of that every

other application where you want to

reminds me of talking about applications

as well thanks in fact reminds me of how

you can remember paragraphs using this

technique speech in front of thousands

reminds me to talk about how it will be

helping you to give speeches for you to

remember names for example also i should

remember that i should talk about how

you can use it to remember names as well

just use it to remember your grocery

reminds me to be casual and how it can

be useful for your day-to-day basis as

well but how it actually works for

example i'll talk about the working

principle that's when i started to talk

about the core memory and surface memory

example cesium was reminds me of talking

about the cesium example of surface

reminds me of talking about about the

surface roughness one now here's the

limitation reminds me to talk about the

limitation and that's it so

all those 12 words were used in this

very video you can use it too and i hope

you learned a lot from this video i'll

see all of you in the next one till then

bye

[Music]

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