The Memory Palace Technique For Studying
Summary
TLDRThis script delves into the Memory Palace technique, a powerful method for enhancing memory and studying efficiency. It emphasizes the importance of using the technique correctly to avoid wasting time, drawing on historical examples and the speaker's personal experience in obtaining a PhD. The video promises to teach the correct approach to mastering this ancient method, covering its origins, the integration of various mnemonic systems, and practical tips for effective learning and memory retention. The speaker encourages viewers to subscribe for more insights into this valuable skill.
Takeaways
- 🏰 The Memory Palace technique is most effective when used correctly and can be a powerful tool for memorization and studying, as demonstrated by the speaker's experience during their PhD.
- 📚 The technique has ancient origins and has been studied and refined over centuries, with early examples like Hugh of St Victor's method involving number systems for memorizing dates.
- 🧠 The Memory Palace technique is not a single method but a combination of at least five systems: the Memory Palace system, alphabetical associations, numerical associations, symbol associations, and spaced repetition.
- 🔑 The key to successful memorization is to make the Memory Palace and its associations as clear and distinct as possible, based on real memories and not invented details.
- 🎯 It's important to focus on memorizing only the key points that are most likely to be tested or are essential to understanding, using a process of assessment and summarization.
- 📉 The 'Romantic effect' suggests that less is often more; focusing on fewer key points can lead to better retention and understanding due to the connections formed in the mind.
- 🔢 The speaker introduces the concept of using the pages of books as mini Memory Palaces, leveraging a number system to associate each page with a distinct image.
- 🔄 Spaced repetition is crucial for reinforcing memories and should be combined with active recall techniques, such as moving through the Memory Palace in various patterns.
- 🛠 The 'CAVE COGS' formula (Kinesthetic, Auditory, Visual, Emotional, Conceptual, Olfactory, Gustatory, and Spatial) is recommended for creating multi-sensory associations to strengthen memory.
- 🔡 Training with the alphabet, numbers, and symbols is essential to quickly generate associations during memorization. This involves creating a mental index of people, objects, and images linked to each letter, number, or symbol.
- 🔄 Having multiple Memory Palaces, potentially one for each letter of the alphabet, can help manage information from various subjects and prevent overcrowding in a single Memory Palace.
Q & A
What is the Memory Palace technique and why is it considered a waste of time if not used correctly?
-The Memory Palace technique, also known as the method of loci, is a mnemonic device that involves associating information with specific locations in a familiar environment to aid in memory retention. It is considered a waste of time if not used correctly because it requires a proper understanding of how to create and navigate these 'palaces' effectively to enhance memory, and many people do not teach or learn it in its full depth.
Why did ancient people develop the Memory Palace technique?
-Ancient people developed the Memory Palace technique as a way to carry entire books in their minds when they couldn't physically carry them on their backs. It was a method to remember and recall large amounts of information effectively.
What is the significance of Hugh of St Victor in the history of the Memory Palace technique?
-Hugh of St Victor is significant because his approach to the Memory Palace technique is one of the earliest examples where number systems were applied to memorize information such as historical dates, and he also introduced the idea of reusing memory palaces by adding layers of information.
How does the Memory Palace technique help with studying and exam preparation?
-The Memory Palace technique helps with studying and exam preparation by placing information into long-term memory through active learning processes. This allows for reduced study time, stress-free exam preparation, and increased confidence in recalling information during tests.
What are the five systems that come together in the Memory Palace technique?
-The five systems that come together in the Memory Palace technique are the Memory Palace system itself, alphabetical associations, numerical associations, symbol associations, and spaced repetition. These systems work in tandem to enhance memory retention.
Why is it important to use the Memory Palace technique for key points rather than trying to memorize everything?
-Focusing on key points is important because it helps to prioritize the most critical information that is likely to be tested or used. This approach saves time and cognitive resources, and it leverages the 'romatic effect,' where focusing on fewer key points can help the brain make connections to the broader information.
What is the 'romatic effect' and how does it relate to the Memory Palace technique?
-The 'romatic effect' is a principle that suggests 'less is more' in terms of memorization. By focusing on and memorizing key points, the brain can naturally make connections to the broader information, similar to how roots of plants can extend and connect without direct contact, forming a network of associations.
How can the pages of a book be used as mini Memory Palaces?
-The pages of a book can be used as mini Memory Palaces by assigning a distinct image to each number, based on a number system like the major system. This allows each page to represent a station in a Memory Palace, where information on that page can be associated with the image for that page number.
What is the purpose of recall rehearsal in the Memory Palace technique?
-Recall rehearsal is a method of active retrieval practice that strengthens memory by revisiting the information in a Memory Palace in various patterns, such as forward, backward, and skipping stations. This challenges the brain and helps to solidify the information in long-term memory.
Why is it recommended to have multiple Memory Palaces for different subjects or topics?
-Having multiple Memory Palaces for different subjects or topics prevents overcrowding and allows for better organization of information. It also makes it easier to switch between subjects and reduces the cognitive load by having distinct locations for different sets of information.
What is the 'cave cogs' formula and how does it enhance the Memory Palace technique?
-The 'cave cogs' formula is a method of elaborative coding that involves creating multi-sensory associations with each piece of information in a Memory Palace. It stands for Kinesthetic, Auditory, Visual, Emotional, and Conceptual associations, which help to deepen the memory trace and make the information more memorable.
Outlines
📚 The Memory Palace Technique: Mastery for Academic Success
The speaker emphasizes the effectiveness of the Memory Palace technique when used correctly, as part of their PhD studies. They highlight the need to understand the ancient methods to maximize memory retention. The audience is encouraged to subscribe for more insights on this powerful memory enhancement method, which can lead to excellent academic performance. The origin of the Memory Palace technique is discussed, with a nod to Lynn Kelly's research, and the importance of applying the method correctly is underscored. Historical figures like Hugh of St Victor are mentioned for their contributions to the technique, particularly in using number systems for memorization.
🏛️ Building the Memory Palace: Techniques and Systems
This paragraph delves into the Memory Palace technique as a compilation of five interrelated systems: the Memory Palace itself, alphabetical associations, numerical associations, symbol associations, and spaced repetition. The speaker stresses the importance of seamless integration of these systems for maximum memory retention. They clarify that mental imagery is key and does not necessarily require visualization. The paragraph concludes with advice on making Memory Palaces as realistic and memorable as possible to facilitate long-term memory access without constant reliance on the technique.
🔍 Refining the Memory Palace Technique: Focus on Key Information
The speaker discusses the importance of using the Memory Palace technique to memorize only the most critical information. They describe a process of information extraction and assessment, using cards to identify key points worth memorizing. This process not only helps in memorization but also in understanding the value of each point. The concept of the 'romatic effect' is introduced, suggesting that focusing on fewer key points can lead to better connections and retention of related information.
📖 Advanced Memory Techniques: Books as Memory Palaces
The paragraph introduces an advanced memory technique where pages of a book can serve as mini Memory Palaces, each associated with a number system. The speaker provides an example of using this method with a specific book, illustrating how to link information on different pages with distinct images and associations. They also discuss the limitations of this technique, particularly for exam preparation, and suggest using more traditional Memory Palaces for better recall rehearsal.
🔗 Linking Information in Memory Palaces: The Art of Association
The speaker explains how to combine information with associations within Memory Palaces, emphasizing the importance of clear and distinct locations. They use a personal example to demonstrate how to create vivid and logical associations with the word 'enantio' and how to avoid vague or weak images. The paragraph also touches on the cave cogs formula for refining associations with kinesthetic, auditory, visual, emotional, and conceptual elements.
🎓 Training the Brain for Memory Mastery
The speaker provides guidance on training the brain to quickly create associations using the alphabet, suggesting the use of cards to practice associating letters with people, objects, and numbers. They share personal examples and encourage training on every card to develop sharp associations based on existing memory. The importance of practicing with real-world references and familiar characters is highlighted to streamline the memorization process.
🤹♂️ Juggling Multiple Subjects with Memory Palaces
This paragraph addresses how to apply the Memory Palace technique to multiple subjects, recommending the creation of multiple Memory Palaces, ideally one for each letter of the alphabet. The speaker discusses the use of number systems for memorizing dates and the importance of not overcomplicating the process. They emphasize the need for pre-established systems to handle various types of information, such as words, numbers, letters, and symbols.
🔄 Recall Rehearsal: Strengthening Memory Through Retrieval
The speaker introduces recall rehearsal as a core component of the Memory Palace technique, explaining its role in space repetition and the strengthening of memory. They describe various recall patterns, such as moving forward, backward, and from the middle of the Memory Palace, to challenge oneself and enhance memory formation. The importance of making and learning from mistakes during this process is also highlighted.
🧘♂️ Advanced Memory Techniques: Compounding and Context Dependence
The paragraph discusses advanced techniques such as compounding memories and the principle of context dependence in memory retrieval. The speaker advises against the need to extend individual Memory Palaces, suggesting instead the creation of multiple palaces to avoid overcrowding. They also share personal strategies for cleaning out Memory Palaces and the importance of finding a style that works for the individual, emphasizing the need to explore and stick with one method long enough to truly understand it.
🌟 Mastering Memory Techniques for Exam Success
The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of mastering the fundamentals of memory techniques to achieve minimal effort and maximum results in studying. They suggest using the actual exam room as a Memory Palace when possible for context-dependent memory enhancement and recommend using the surrounding campus area as an alternative. The paragraph encourages viewers to explore the Magnetic Method for further insights and resources on creating effective memory palaces.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Memory Palace technique
💡Active learning
💡Long-term memory
💡Spaced repetition
💡Mnemonics
💡Encoding
💡Recall rehearsal
💡Context-dependent memory
💡Cognitive load
💡Elaborative coding
💡Serial positioning effect
Highlights
The Memory Palace technique can be highly effective when used correctly, but many people do not teach it in its complete form.
Ancient people could carry entire books in their minds, and understanding their methods can enhance the Memory Palace technique.
Lynn Kelly's research on the origins of the Memory Palace technique is insightful but speculative due to limited historical evidence.
Hugh of St Victor's approach to the Memory Palace technique is one of the earliest examples of applying number systems to memorize information.
The Memory Palace technique helps place information into long-term memory through active learning processes, reducing exam stress.
The technique is not just one method, but a combination of at least five different systems working together.
Mental imagery and associations are key components of the Memory Palace technique, and they don't have to be visual.
The Memory Palace technique should be used for the most critical information to create a 'romantic effect' that connects related concepts.
Using pages of books as mini Memory Palaces can be an advanced method for memorizing information.
Clear and distinct locations within Memory Palaces are crucial for effective memory retention.
The Memory Palace technique should be based on real memories and not on invented or imaginary elements.
Training with the alphabet, numbers, and symbols can enhance the ability to create quick and effective associations.
The CAVE COGS formula (Kinesthetic, Auditory, Visual, Emotion, Concept) can refine memory associations and improve recall.
Having multiple Memory Palaces for different subjects can prevent overcrowding and facilitate efficient memorization.
Recall rehearsal is a core practice for strengthening memory and transferring information to long-term memory.
Context dependence or state-dependent memory can be leveraged by using the exam room or surrounding area as a Memory Palace.
Mastering the fundamentals of the Memory Palace technique is essential before exploring more advanced methods or variations.
Transcripts
The Memory Palace technique for studying
is an absolute waste of
time unless you're going to use it
correctly and there's a correct way to
do it for sure and unfortunately a lot
of people do not teach it in its full
Glory the way that I used it as part of
getting my PhD and I had to spend hours
and hours and hours of time figuring out
how was it that the ancient people
carried entire books in their minds when
they couldn't carry them on their backs
and part of the reason why that isn't
taught correctly is simply because a lot
of other people haven't read the ancient
books that I found to work it all out so
if you want to stop wasting your time
and get maximum results with minimal
effort get subscribed hit that Thumbs Up
For the Love of memory and to help me
train the robots to remember that humans
care about the great memory tradition
and and the truth about what the Memory
Palace technique is and how to use it so
you can get A+ all the way
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down now we got to talk a little bit
about the origin of the method and no
one knows exactly when the Memory Palace
technique first arrived on the scene but
lots of people sure like to argue about
it now there's good research that's been
done by Lynn Kelly on prehistoric and
some of the early historic origins of
the Memory Palace technique in the
memory code and in Memory Craft but I
think she'll be the first one to tell
you that a lot of her ideas are
speculative we just don't know exactly
how ancient people around the world came
up with the concept but we do know know
a lot about how they used it and we know
that since time in Memorial teachers
have said no no no no no no no no don't
use it that way use it this way because
there are particular ways of using it
but there are also lots of people who
like to spread the general idea without
the completeness of the idea so when it
comes to using the Memory Palace
technique for studying in a way that
basically is going to help you deal with
the the current school systems or if
you're going to do it so that you can
pass certification exams for work and so
forth the earliest place to look if you
want to get into the history I believe
is a person named Hugh of St Victor so
his approach to the Memory Palace
technique is one of the first examples
where you'll see number systems applied
to memorizing historical dates for
example now you might not have to
memorize historical dates but it's
information encoded in numbers and you
can see him also using the idea of
reusing memory palaces so you would take
one Memory Palace memorize a layer of
information in it and then add another
layer of information one of the places
that you can learn about Hue of St
Victor is the medieval craft of memory
really excellent book there's a lot to
study about Hugh St Victor in particular
and I have a whole video about his
imaginary Memory Palace technique which
is essentially using Noah's Arc and then
reusing Noah's Arc or different versions
for versions of Noah's Arc in any case
you can spend your entire life studying
the history of the Memory Palace
technique and the more the merrier if
you ask me I just love when people find
new things that I haven't seen before
there is a wealth of information that
hasn't been translated into English yet
and so by all means get into it now the
benefit of using the Memory Palace
technique correctly in the way we're
going to talk about today is really
super easy to summarize so if you've
ever had any doubts like why am I
bothering to learn this at all let alone
learning it correctly which you should
is that it is a way of helping you place
information in your long-term memory
through a variety of active learning
processes that's what helps you pass
exams without stress and makes it that
you can minimize the amount of time that
you have to spend on using the technique
and then you get to enjoy enjoy this
feeling of confidence every time that
you study and then later when you sit
for your tests or if you're learning a
language you're able to just use new
vocabulary and phrases Etc relatively
fluidly there's more to it because you
actually do have to read write and speak
and listen to a language in order to get
that sort of fluidity but nonetheless
you have this onramp that allows you to
access information from your long-term
memory without having to go to the
Memory Palace so all that side let's
understand what the Memory Palace
technique is it's actually not just one
technique it's at least five techniques
coming together and the trick the secret
if you will is to make all of those
things come together as one seamless
move and they'll never be perfectly
seamless but you can get it quite close
to seamless think about the old Abraham
Lincoln thing you know give me six hours
to chop down some trees and I'll spend
the first four sharpening my axe then
take that further so we're going to talk
about sharpening your axe but then the
actual move of chopping down a tree
isn't just one move it's several moves
your eyes have to have coordination with
your hands in order to make the axe fall
in just the right way you have to have a
sense of saving your energy so that you
actually make every strike of that axe
have maximum velocity to reduce the
amount of times that you have to hit the
tree in order to make it fall over Etc
so it's it it's quite a nuanced thing
but not super nuanced to the point that
it's impossible it's just that you've
got to find The Knack of it and then
work on it and actually get out and and
chop some trees you know in order to
figure out how you're going to use the
sharpness of your axe to maximize the
results with minimal effort and those
come together with the five systems so
the Memory Palace system is one of them
then you have alphabetical associations
numerical associations symbol
associations and space repetition itself
which is a system and all of this
combines and blends beautifully within
the Memory Palace technique and it leads
to maximum memory retention now alphabet
systems number systems symbol systems
two words mental imagery what you do in
your mind is your imagination so a
mental image or Association doesn't have
to be seen this is one of the biggest
keys to getting The Memory Palace
technique to work flawlessly you don't
have to see memory palaces you don't
have to see any of your associations
that you use in memory palaces you just
have to figure this out because it's
knacky it's going to be a little
different in your mind you got to lean
into it and you got to get away from
this Sherlock Holmes mythology you don't
say I must go to my mind Palace you just
have the information that's why we use
the Memory Palace technique for studying
so that we just have the information so
we need to use these five systems so
that the information enters your
long-term memory and then you can access
it without having to think about the
Memory Palace technique at all in a way
these five systems when they work
together are like the training wheels
that you would have on a bike as soon as
you're done training your mind with the
individual sets of information those
training wheels or the pneumonics
including the Memory Palace itself just
Falls away All That Remains is the
target information when you need it and
that is such a glorious and beautiful
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thing I have so many thousands of
drawings from students who have sent me
their memory palaces and thanked me why
didn't somebody tell me to do this
before it is so critical because if you
don't allow yourself to PL and the
Memory Palace you wind up building it as
you go and that's trying to do two
things at once you want to establish
clear and distinctive locations within
each and every Memory Palace the key is
making sure that the Memory Palace is
clear to you and that it is clearly
based on what you remember don't invent
things don't get caught up in well this
couch might move in the future or this
couch has been in different different
places in the past if that is going to
be in your mind at all just don't use
the couch and don't think yet about
having pretend couches or imaginary
bookcases stunts like that can be useful
and they can come later but what we want
to do in the beginning is make it as
based on memory as possible 100% based
on memory so that you can not have to
worry about visualizing it many people
they start with this their memory is too
rusty to worry about visualizing you
just want corners and walls if that's
what it takes or you just want to use
the center of a room to add
anything things like flying off of
balconies passing ghostlike through
walls anything that you don't do in
reality is giving yourself something to
remember that's called a memorized
Palace and it places cognitive load on
the tool when the whole point of a true
Memory Palace is to maximize the power
of using distinctive locations exactly
the way you remember them without having
to elaborate anything rest assured
there's plenty of opportunity to
elaborate things when you're using your
alphabet system your number system your
symbol system and we're going to discuss
that in a minute but get this most
important points of all of them if
you're worried about couches moving
around you're adding unnecessary
thinking if you're thinking about well I
could pass like a ghost through this
wall you're giving yourself unnecessary
thinking because you're going to have to
remember that detail you want a clear en
cpse Journey you want to start at a
location and move in a linear fashion
through your mind whether you see it or
not and you don't have to see it cuz you
can just draw it you're going to move
from Station to Station to Station based
on your memory that's a true Memory
Palace and anything that has to be
memorized about it is gone because
that's not the art of memory so once you
do this with a couple memory palaces and
you use them and you fill them you'll go
oh yes that's why he's so insistent
about this right and yes later you can
do all kinds of fancy stuff and you can
use memory pales that are memorized in
all kinds of different ways there's
endless ways to play around with this
but if you're studying you don't want to
take the risk of having fiddly little
nudely memory palaces that are not
optimized based on this simple principle
now the next thing that's really
important here to make sure that the
Memory Palace technique for studying is
worth your time is to make sure you're
using it for the actual information that
matters and so I'll share with you how
I've used this technique and I've always
studied with wild abandon I've tried to
extract as much information as I
possibly could within certain limits
training my mind to understand what is
actual information that's worth
memorizing and what you kind of have to
do
is make a assessment on the fly so what
I love to do is extract information onto
cards I'm reading a book and I'll make a
little mental note I'll say this book
looks like it's got 10 chapters probably
there's going to be 10 points let's say
in each chapter maybe three depends on
what the book looks like and I will
limit myself to a certain amount of
points and when I find a point that I
don't know I don't recognize it I don't
know it before I do any memorizing I
will extract that information onto cards
now that's phase one no memory palaces
are in play at all phase two is to go
through the cards and then check does
this really need to be memorized does
this need to be memorized what about
this and I will throw cards away or
place them in a different area because
if it doesn't need to be memorized why
memorize it why use the Memory Palace
space for information that hasn't passed
the test now the key with this to
understand this is that this process of
weeding through notes that have been
taken is itself part of forming memories
right and it is about summarization it's
about annotation and it's about
assessing the validity and the value of
key points and calling them out this
will itself form memories and it will
help you understand ah this key point I
need to memorize it and then you
memorize only those things that are the
key points knowing that you're forming
memories throughout that entire process
now there's a principle that I call the
romatic effect and it basically is a
less is more approach and less usually
is more so let's say that you started
with 30 cards from a book and you've
winnowed it down to 10 things that you
need to memorize those 10 things that
you memorize they're probably going to
connect to the other things that you've
weeded out simply because you focused on
the 10 but you read the entire book and
so your mind is going to be able to send
out tendrils like ra romes send out
little tend
to connect and they may be connections
that are like non-coupling magnets so I
don't know if you've ever seen these
trains that they don't actually attach
to each other physically but they attach
to each other magnetically the
individual cars between the trains in
any case the whole point is is that
things can connect without being
connected and that's what this whole
windwing approach is all about the
culling approach going through cards and
then selecting what you're going to
memorize
so what you're going to do is once you
have identified the information where
the stakes are high these are terms you
don't know these are words that you need
to memorize these are phrases that you
need to memorize names of figures
historical dates Etc then you're going
to use your memory palaces for that
stuff not everything but the most likely
to be tested information and the most
likely to create this romatic effect
that draws things together there's
another little thing that I'll mention
here that has to do with using the pages
of books as memory palaces un themselves
or mini memory palaces so how that works
is that you're going to have your number
system built out that you can watch in
the POA system video to learn what that
is but basically what it is is you're
going to have an image for every number
and so when you have a page you can turn
any page into a mini Memory Palace based
on your image for each number and so the
book in effect becomes a kind of Memory
Palace unto itself where instead of the
wall being a station in a Memory Palace
and then the corner being a station in
the Memory Palace and a couch and a
fridge and a chair and all that sort of
stuff each page is the equivalent of a
wall in a corner and you distinguish it
in your mind because page 99 is an image
for you my 99 is the pope not the Pope
in Rome the singer from Ghost the point
is that 99 is very very distinct and
then whatever information is on that
page I will then elaborate it and link
it together with the ghost so there's
lots and lots of examples I can give for
this page 79 in a Eugene ther book well
actually page 71 to 79 talks about the I
think it's the 19th sermon from Meister
eart where he's quoting acts 98 which is
something like Saul rose up from the
ground and saw nothing and then he talks
about the four kinds of nothing and the
way that the this is not in a Memory
Palace and it never was except for the
book has a Memory Palace is that that
passage starts on page 71 it ends at
page 79 there's an image for 71 and
there's an image for 79 the image for 71
seven is a k one is a t or d so I make
the word cat and there's a specific cat
and then seven is a k nine is a p so I
have capped in crunch because cap is the
sound for this so now there's this range
and then the cat who is the Cheshire Cat
is then linked with Captain Crunch and
linked with the images for the 19th
sermon of Meister eart the numbers for
acts 98 the whole idea of there being
four kinds of nothing for symbolized by
a sailboat and on and on and on so this
is a little bit more intermediate and
advanced but it's still the Memory
Palace technique looked at in a
different way because each and every
station is clear and distinct in My Mind
by virtue of each number having an image
in the same way that every corner in a
room has an image the corner itself
every wall has an image now if I'm
studying for an exam I'm probably not
going to use that technique I'm probably
going to use the standard Memory Palace
technique because it's much more
effective and efficient and it reduces
the feeling of being overwhelmed because
a corner has space between itself and
the wall and then that allows for a
broader painting so to speak with the
mental imagery and it allows for more
spaced repetition to work with space
between the stations now the ancient
memory technique books talk about this
they always talk about having your
stations in your memory palaces have
some breathing room right and you don't
get that with the page technique if you
have something on 98 and on page 99
there's no breathing room between those
two pages and it is a little bit of an
issue and a problem but that's why I
only use it for my reading when I'm not
having an exam I'm studying so to speak
but I'm not under the pressure of having
an exam so if I lose little details here
and there no pressure no worries so for
a for a proper Memory Palace for
studying if I have an exam I'm just
simply not going to use the book as a
Memory Palace I'm going to have a proper
room a house a home a church a cafe Etc
in order to give myself more space for
the recall rehearsal and really recall
rehearsal requires a bit of mental
dexterity and I don't want fiddling
around I don't want to have to worry
about distinctions between page 98 and
99 no matter how clear they are at the
level of the the the different images
because it still doesn't have that
spatial room in which to do station
skipping in recall rehearsal which we'll
talk about later before we get to recall
rehearsal though and space repetition
systems and using the Memory Palace in
that systematic way we got to think
about the way you use a Memory Palace to
combine information with associations to
link those individual spaces through
Association Now Memory scientists call
this step elaborative in coding and this
is why you want your memory palaces to
be as clear and distinct as possible
because if you have to Fiddle in your
mind with the Memory Palace technique
then you're not going to have enough
enough cognitive space to work on
elaborating and associating your images
with that space so think about each
station as just needing to be what it is
when you go to your fridge in your home
right you don't want to have to have all
kinds of issues with it you just want to
go to the fridge because you know
clearly where it is and then if you want
to take a fridge magnet you want to
stick that magnet on the fridge to hold
concert tickets in place or something
like that so if you want to to memorize
a word like I wanted to memorize a very
simple example recently
enantio right I want to memorize this
word so I'm going to go to my brother's
place right and I'm going to use his
living room in this particular case and
anoia and I'm going to imagine Ant-Man
watching video Drome in his living room
there's a bit more to the image than
that but the core technique was executed
by paying attention to the alphabetical
construction of the word the
relationship to my brother which is also
alphabetical and then placing it in a
place that is clear and distinct in my
mind where I don't have to think about
the place at all I just have to have the
alphabetical Association and then I put
Ant-Man in that place watching video
Drome so the N has to do with my brother
the enantio antio has to do with Ant-Man
the Ria has to do with video drum
they're paired with the living room and
the success of pairing them together so
quickly has to do with the memory Pals
just being a non-issue it's worked out
in advance I know where I'm going to go
I know what the next word will be if I
want to add one in the Memory Palace or
the next phrase or whatever the
information is it could be a symbol from
math and so on and so forth all that
stuff has to be super clear if you're
going to use the Memory Palace technique
for studying efficiently because then
when you come across hard words like an
antio you want to just be very quick in
putting those associations there and you
want to have memorable pneumonic images
not vague weak things where you have to
go oh what was that image there no no no
no no you don't want any of that stuff
right you want Vivid images and this is
where it's really important to
understand that the images are not about
images
[Music]
[Music]
what is really about is using logic upon
logic using the Memory Palace as a
logical sequence of stations throughout
a space a journey to link highly
multi-sensory images that are already in
your memory so my brother's already in
my memory Ant-Man is already in my
memory and video Drome is already in my
memory and I'm just linking these things
together with the sound and the meaning
of an
antio Right This is So Glorious when you
start to get this when you start to
practice it on this basis it's very very
important because you don't want to
invent stuff you don't want to have to
create images I get messages all the
time I'm struggling to create images
whoever taught you to create images in
the first place I don't know oh why that
that people talk about it that way
that's not the art of memory the art of
memory is to use memory to use memory
palaces that are based on memory to use
images that are based on memory and to
combine the two logically first and
foremost then you add different forms of
elaboration where images might be
involved now to refine everything to the
nth degree I prefer what I call the cave
cogs formula so rather than
bus around with all this stuff to
elaborate it I simply follow that
formula so rather than seeing Ant-Man as
such I first get a kinesthetic feeling
that's the K in cave cogs so what might
that feeling be well depends on what
what's going on what is the meaning of
the word so I will try to feel Ant-Man
you know somehow being overwhelmed by a
force and then responding to that force
in a particular way physically because
that relates the meaning of this word
then I'll hear an auditory sensation in
my mind's ear then maybe I'll have some
visual in this case I didn't really have
any visual because it's just not
necessary so I don't always have kav
kinesthetic auditory visual but I do
have an emotion and that emotion is also
felt but it's not felt physically in
ant-man's body it's felt in his emotion
so Ant-Man is played you know by a
particular actor and so uh is it Paul
red who plays you don't even have to
remember who it is that plays the
character as long as you can get that
sensation in your mind of what his way
of feeling emotional would be relative
to the sound and the meaning of the word
then there's conceptual which is the sea
in cave cogs and that can be a hard one
for people to understand but basically I
just want to think a little bit what's
the genre here what's going on so video
Drome is kind of like a body horror
movie and an man is a Marvel picture I
believe and so these ideas are going to
be touched upon and then I'm going to
try to relate them logically to the
meaning of an antio theia then we have
old factory gustatory and spatial and
that's can get a little smell and a
taste in there and then think about the
sizes of things in relationship to each
other so literally feeling what it would
be like to watch a movie in the body of
Ant-Man creates all of these multi-
sensory
associations it is so important and you
can train yourself to do this very very
quickly and all the more so because
you're basing your images on things that
you've seen in the real world now I know
you may not have seen video drum I know
you may not have seen Ant-Man but this
is this is the art of memory is for you
to practice using what you have seen
what you have a relationship with some
people they absolutely love anime right
because they just spent a lot of time
with anime great some people like
Pokemon some people like all kinds of
things I happen to like weird Canadian
movies like video drum and I like
Ant-Man so you know these things have
come to mind but they don't come to mind
out of nowhere they come come to mind
because I've trained myself to do this
so how are we going to train ourselves
to do this as a rabbi once told his
student who said how is it that you guys
are memorizing the Tanakh with such
great tenacity well the rabbi said you
must become a student a serious student
of the alphabet so please become a
serious student of the alphabet get
yourself a blank faed deck of playing
cards or just some of these wonderful
index cards blank and write out the
alphabet and look at letters so when you
have the letter U instantly come to your
mind should be Uma Thurman right or
whoever it could be uve B you don't know
these people necessarily I do I worked
with uve B on a movie when I was a story
but that's who I have here instantly
when I look at you and I train myself
just go through here who else could I
add Alberto Ekko the great writer who
wrote the name of the Rose uh and
wonderful non-fiction and then you know
you go to R and Ricky J comes to mind
and so on and you go to Jay The Joker of
course should come to mind everybody
knows the Joker don't they but also Jack
Nicholson who played The Joker uh and on
and on and on uh John Connor it could be
a fictional character John Connor of
course being uh J J C in The Terminator
series and Jesus Christ which is
probably why he was named JC uh C Cookie
Monster on and on and on X I know this
is a a letter that troubles a lot of
people zentia Zen xenophon Xerxes
Professor X from
X-Men uh did I say Zenia yeah that was I
believe the wife of Socrates the the
whole point is is you got to train
yourself to be able to do this and also
objects are useful too xylophone comes
to mind for X um
Malcolm X you know on and on and on and
uh if you don't have a Memory Palace for
X then you could think of a library
where you read about Malcolm X that s
sort of thing you also want to include
some numbers in here because you want
number systems as well so this has
particular symbols and it depends on
which number system we're using I know
this is all mentally overwhelming for
people who are new to it but you reduce
the overwhelm by training what do you
know that starts with s Superman
probably most people know Superman and
you can go from there right and there's
all kinds of people and you just got to
train yourself and that's one of my
favorite ways to train and practice
simple cards you don't have to go to the
extent that that I've gone to to uh make
your own deck but I recommend that you
at least do it with this and then have
one just for numbers and just for
symbols and train yourself to constantly
come up with these associations because
then when you're
studying you won't have any issues
whatsoever coming up with these images
you won't and I know you won't because
the memory science is very very clear
you are going to train your procedural
memory and procedural memory is a
superpower when you're using the Memory
Palace technique for
[Music]
studying now the other thing to do with
this is to also train Cape cogs so let's
say you have Superman or you have anano
dromia and you're thinking about Ant-Man
or whatever the whole point is is to
elaborate this thing so let's say we're
in my brother's house we're memorizing
an antio the Ria and we have Ant-Man
smelling steak right and it's covered in
ants and then we have Superman serving
the steak or whatever well we're going
to feel Superman serving the steak he's
really going to hold the plate of with
the steak covered in Ants In His Hands
we're going to feel that in our hands
we're going to
hear of all these ants moving around
we're going to have a visual of it I
mean you don't even have to see the
visual in order to imagine what it would
look like if you could see it there's
usually no time when you're memorizing
then we're going to go through the
emotion so Superman what emotion does he
have when he's handing a steak to
Ant-Man in order to help us remember
this word right and then you can have
the smell and the taste of what stake is
like you can have the concept which is
like Superman is actually from DC
instead of Marvel Etc and on and on and
you can have the size of Superman's
muscles relative to ant-man's muscles
you can train on every single card right
so you get to q and you think of Quincy
Jones and then you can think of Quincy
Jones doing something what does that
physically feel like and you can rotate
through your cave CS so you get to your
ex and you have Xerxes or or xenophon or
whoever and you can think h well okay so
what is he going to have a physical
sensation of and you can actually take
two of your cards together so if you
have I don't know Kurt Russell and
zenfon so now what are they going to do
to each other to have a kinesthetic
Association to have an auditory
sensation to have a visual to have an
emotion Etc so train train train in
advance so that you're able to come
across information rack it and stack it
in a Memory Palace and have images that
are already in your memory because you
look at the letter H and you don't have
to hum and haw over this you got Harry
Lorraine for H I mean of course we're in
the memory World here we have har rain
but we have all kinds of people and we
just train train train and it doesn't
take more than a second to just think of
who we're going to have people named
Frank I have a friend named Frank
there's a philosopher named Michelle
Fuko on and on and on Einstein for E Etc
but who else see if you can always push
yourself to get five people Etc so Eric
from blah blah blah like on and on and
on and work at it it's really really
important chances are you already know
five people that have the letter V
somehow in their name train train train
and then you're always going to have
sharp associations that are based on
what's already in your memory to place
in well-formed memory palaces that are
also already in your memory with no
invention you don't have to create
anything if the memory palaces aren't
well formed and you're sitting there
trying to come up with things that don't
exist or that aren't already in your
memory you're making it too hard
so the next question that we want to
cover assuming you have all of this
fundamental optimized wonderful
strategies and tactics under your belt
or at least you're practicing them based
on the real tradition the way it really
has worked for thousands of years you're
going to be wondering like well how do I
now do this with multiple subjects I
have chemistry on Tuesday I have
philosophy on Wednesday like how do I
juggle all of this well to use the
technique for a variety of subjects make
sure to have multiple memory palaces and
the simplest way to set up for the
mental dexterity involved in switching
between multiple memory palaces is to
have them in the first place have one
for each letter of the alphabet so that
you're able to encode always at the
alphabetical level now that doesn't mean
that you are always is going to encode
at the alphabetical level you might want
to build a number-based Memory Palace
system and have sub memory palaces
memory palaces within memory palaces on
and on and on and on but the reality is
is the easiest way to do it is just to
Simply have one for every letter of the
alphabet only scarcity based thinking
holds people back in this Regard in
reality there is more space around each
and every one of us than any of us could
ever hope to use in a lifetime so get
busy get a piece of paper out write the
letter a and then write all the letters
from A to Z or whatever letters are
involved in your mother tongue and then
just think who can I use for a oh I got
a friend named Adam oh I got a friend
named Brad and just draw out their
memory palaces so that you never have to
really think about those memory palaces
again because you'll have base them on
memory and then when it comes time to
use them you'll have them ready to go
your journey sorted out in advance
now there's the point about
memorizing dates so let's say you know
you're doing history and you have to
switch from philosophy to history or you
had to add a historical date to a
philosophical point and so forth you're
going to want a number system now the
most popular system is the major system
or it's big brother so to speak which is
a 00 to 99 Pao system all of that is
covered in its own video video you can
look in the resources for links below
and whatever it is studying for science
for concepts for theories it comes down
to these five systems and the way that
you got to deal with Concepts and
Science and theories and
formulas is really make sure that you're
not hypnotizing yourself into thinking
that
anything that appears in words numbers
letters
symbols is difficult it's not if you can
memorize one word you can
memorize thousands if you can memorize
one string of digits you can memorize
thousands of them if you can work out a
way to memorize an imaginary symbol like
a two with an umlout on it you can
memorize any symbol in the world you
know you've just got to work out well
what is going to be my pneumonic
Association for an umlout and you know
in Greek you may see two dots it's not
an umlout in Greek but in any case
there's lots of places where these
things come up with so you might need to
know the difference between the uml how
it's used in German and then how these
two dots are used in Greek and then you
just Place those things in different
memory palaces but if you sit there and
trick yourself into thinking oh my
goodness there must be some different
system for this there isn't it's always
the same system all you need is to make
your systems in advance so Memory Palace
system alphabet system number system
symbol system and then comes the space
repetition system or what I prefer to
call recall
[Music]
rehearsal recall rehearsal is the core
reason to use the Memory Palace
technique for studying in the first
place it is beautiful for space
repetition and to do it well you will
practice with a specific kind of
retrieval that will strengthen your
memory and Usher your target information
into long-term memory quickly so
basically what you want to do is have
enough information in the Memory Palace
first let's say you have 10 pieces of
information in a Memory Palace and how
how this works is you want to apply
equal doses of pracy effect and recency
effect to each piece of information
using the serial positioning effect so
without going into a long speech about
Herman ebbing house and the forgetting
curve and all of that all you need to do
is revisit the information in the marry
Palace by moving forward backward from
the middle of the Mary Palace to the
beginning and then from the middle of
the marry Palace to the end of the
sequence and then you want to skip the
stations each of these recall patterns
will challenge you and that's precisely
the point because you're dipping into
what scientists of learning and memory
sometimes call Active recall and it is
the challenge that helps form the
memories and when you're making mistakes
that's not a problem that's actually an
opportunity to think what was wrong with
my image in the Memory Palace that needs
just a little bit of tweaking a little
bit of improving this goes back
thousands of years you can find this in
Aristotle's deoria and I've talked about
it in a video called Aristotle's nuclear
alphabet if you want to know more about
just how old this principle is so you
need to follow those orders and then you
solve all your problems because a lot of
people will say well how do I extend a
Memory Palace can I alter a Memory
Palace can I change its size dimensions
can I extend its size all this stuff
right well if you develop them optimally
in the first place and you use recall
rehearsal to get the information into
long-term memory extending A Memory
Palace should never be needed and plus
you'll have a Memory Palace for every
letter of the alphabet and then you'll
have another Memory Palace Network again
based on the letters of the so in other
words you'll have two memory palaces for
a eventually if not three if not four
Etc and you just don't have to extend
any individual Memory Palace because the
whole point is to use it to get the
information into longterm memory now
there's a principle called compounding
which is if you have memories
established you can add on details so
let's say I've got an antio dromia set
up I remember that it's in a particular
Memory Palace and then I want to add on
some facts about Carl Young and connect
it to another one of his cool words like
cryptomnesia right well I can compound
that on in the original Memory Palace
but I should be just as capable of
making a new memory Palace or using a
pre-assigned Memory Palace and then just
adding on this relationship shouldn't
have to go back back to the original
Memory Palace shouldn't have to extend
the original Memory Palace I shouldn't
have to connect one Memory Palace to
another in ways that don't actually
reflect the reality of those spaces you
certainly can but it shouldn't be
necessary because the new information
can just be memorized new and here's the
beauty of it all you sometimes just
remember it because you've already
established this core piece of
information in your long-term memory and
if you want to not have any risk at all
you just grab one of your memory palaces
and you weave it into space and then you
use recall rehearsal to get the
information into long-term memory so you
don't have to worry about overcrowded
memory palaces you don't have to worry
about overpacking your memory palaces at
the end of the day although that is
bound to happen if you're a serious user
the real key is to have as many memory
palaces as possible to prevent these
issues from ever happening in the first
place and then when they do happen you
can correct course and just say oh wow
I'm really getting scarcity mindset here
I'm trying to put too much stuff in this
one place I'll just move this into
another Memory Palace using the
alphabetical method drawing upon other
places that I have established so I've
really wanted to focus our minds on just
using the marry Palace almost purely
logically but there are some other ways
that you can play around with this and
they really ultimately come down to Cave
cogs so one thing you can do for example
is Imagine riding physically onto the
walls of your memory palaces aquinus
suggests this based on the wax tablet
metaphor of memory that we see in
Aristotle Plato Etc and I found that
that is just an additional amount of
cognitive effort that isn't necessary I
like to float my associations so they're
not physically connected to the walls or
the floor or the ceiling of the memory
palaces and this approach gives more
breathing room in my experience to each
and every image now sometimes they may
be connected so when I think about an
anoia and Ant-Man he's kind of in a
recliner he's connected to the station
by virtue of the fact that there is a
recliner in the location that I used but
if there was nothing there I would just
float the image in space and not have
any special need for connection so I
will use the physical space if that it
lends itself to what I'm doing but not
if I'm worried that that chair might
move the recliner moving just not use it
at all or just remember the core
information through recall rehearsal so
it's not an issue right because I never
want to have to go back to a Memory
Palace to recall that word ever again I
want it in long-term memory so you can
get really into connections but I think
the ideal the nepu ultra if you will is
to not have connections at all unless
they're just happening happening
naturally due to the way the Memory
Palace is another thing that we should
talk about is people ask well how can I
clean out a Memory Palace I used to do
this a lot I'd get a broom sweeping out
the associations I'd get the mops that
Mickey Mouse has in Fantasia and have
them washing out memory pales this
really just seemed ultimately to me to
be a waste of time relative to just
having multiple memory palaces using
them with recall rehearsal to get the
information into long-term memory and
then going on to more memory palaces
there's so much space in the world the
key is to really make sure that you're
doing the art of memory in a way that
works for you so there's lots of advice
out there from all kinds of people and
you want to explore but try to make sure
that whatever you're exploring you
explore for long enough without muddying
the water of other people's ideas to get
a sense of one person's style so if you
pick this set of suggestions stick with
it for at least 90 days so your brain
can formulate the neuronal connections
that will help you really understand it
start wherever you are now and
understand that if you keep moving
around from this or that teacher and
getting shiny objects distracting you
over and over and over again you're
going to interrupt the for of any skill
by all means study this technique from
all the people you can find that's what
I did but I stuck with one approach for
long enough to really feel what that
individual was talking about then I
added different ideas and worked with
those there's a key example I can share
with you about this I did this for years
and years and years and I came across
one idea from Ron White we talked about
it in our discussion which you can watch
on my channel and listen to on the audio
magnetic marry method podcast and then I
just stuck with his Association or his
way of dealing with numbers relative to
having a body a number-based body Memory
Palace and I've been using it ever since
but I I paid the due diligence so to
speak by actually not doing anything
else for enough time to nail it to make
it really really useful and that's what
I suggest that you do too so it's not an
ego thing where I'm saying hey if you're
going to do my training stick with it
for at least 90 days it's a
neuroscientific thing and it's welln
it's well established in all kinds of
Science and I practice it myself not
just in memory but also in meditation
when I came across the Gary Weber
approach to memory based meditation
memorizing Sanskrit I stuck with it
before I started to bring in other ideas
in order to allow myself to really feel
it and knowing what I know about how
memory formation Works relative to Habit
formation letting that time build a
foundation before adding the next strata
on top of it so that the next technique
had a foundation to settle upon right
this is going to be so much better for
you over the long term even if it's a
bit of a sacrifice in the short term you
will ultimately benefit more from other
teachings precisely because you have a
foundation upon which to base the other
teachings so go nuts but always always
always keep this in mind it's been so
useful for me I hope it'll be useful for
you and the other thing about this that
I think is really really important to
understand and to allow yourself to
absorb deeply is the principle in memory
science of context dependence or state
dependent memory and get to that in a
second but thank you for being here
thanks for hitting that thumbs up thanks
for getting sub subscribed if you're new
here leaving your comments sharing this
around and if you'd like to go even
further into some of the issues around
the Memory Palace technique as such but
also in terms of reusing memory palaces
and using memory palaces specifically
for studying things like languages and
so forth make sure to go to Magnetic
method.com YT I've got four videos there
that are going to take you deeper into
the fundamentals of creating well-formed
memory palaces there's more examples
from students PDF worksheets that you
can complete that make everything faster
for you at magnetic method.com
YT now here's the thing and is you can't
always use this but when you can it is
so wonderful and Powerful to do if
you're going to have an exam and you can
find out where that exam is taking place
use that room as one of your memory
palaces for the
exam because this will give you better
context dependent memory you're going to
be in the space that you used your
memory Palace for now again it's not
always possible but there's also the
alternative which I used a lot when I
was at York University and I used it
again when I did a ma in Switzerland is
to use the campus use the area where
you're studying as a Memory Palace so
it's close enough so even if you can't
use the room where you're taking an exam
as your memory Palace you can use the
surrounding area which will give you a
little bit of that context dependence or
state dependent memory you will be in
the context of where you need to recall
the information you'll be in the state
and that will give you an extra boost of
recall I don't know exactly why it works
but I think it works probably just quite
in a common sense way you're in the
context you're in that state but the
trick still is to master the
fundamentals first so that you enjoy
smooth sailing with all of the five
pneumonic systems and that you're able
to use them as if they were just one
move even though they are built from
several moves sharpen that axe study the
individual moves of chopping the axe and
you will be able to cut down the forest
of anything you need to study in minimal
time with minimal effort and maximum
results that's what the magnetic mry
method is all about thanks for joining
me I hope you found this useful I hope
you had it as fun to go through as I had
fun making it for you get subscribed if
you're not already hit that thumbs up
and until we have a chance to speak
again keep yourself magnetic
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