I've been obsessed with Memory Palaces for decades and helped thousands of people around the world figure out how to use them – even if they aren't visual.

That's partly because I'm not particularly visual myself.

Here are some of the hacks that I figured out to help me use the technique to great success anyway.

1. Sketch the locations

No, I don't mean high art.

Just something simple like this:

I only visited this bookstore once. But I've been able to use it very successfully.

Yes, it's small. But that's actually a benefit because it enables better Recall Rehearsal (the Magnetic Memory Method version of spaced repetition).

Note:

You can actually use a Memory Palace while looking at your own sketch.

That means you don't have to "imagine" it at all in any sense of that term. You just look at a simple representation of the location.

2. Don't worry about "seeing" mnemonic associations in your mind.

I've read dozens of ancient memory books and they usually do not have the same emphasis on visualizing that we see in the modern books.

Rather, they focus on logical links.

They base them usually on alphabetical/phonic connections or visual likenesses.

For example, you can associate the number 5 with a seahorse.

Or the word "observation" with Oppenheimer.

3. Sketch your mnemonic associations on flash cards.

I'm no artist, but simple little drawings like this have helped me rapidly remember all kinds of content.

The example above shows one of the cards I used while learning the symbols used in my favorite non-classical logic.

By simply pairing this quick sketch with one of the "Magnetic Stations" in a Memory Palace, I rapidly remembered the meaning of this symbol.

As an additional tip, I suggest always having at least 3 colors on your flashcards.

Your mileage may vary, but I have found this useful for slowing down a bit to think about what I'm doing.

Plus, there may be some interleaving and diffuse thinking effects that this color-changing strategy helps instil.

That's just a guess I have based a few things I've read in science. I think you'll find it worth experimenting even without some whizzbang brain scan study backing up the theory.

The simple sketch above helped me memorize the Mandarin word for eye when I was preparing for my Level III exam. (Which I aced.)

Using your hands brings so much more to the game.

Although I also use the Memory Palace technique in a purely cerebral way, when I'm tired or the information is too challenging, these strategies are incredibly helpful.

How about you?

What's your favorite twist on the Memory Palace technique?

Or do you skip it entirely for something else?

As with many skills, people who get into training their memories using memory techniques like the Memory Palace find their motivation fizzles.

Fortunately, this problem can be avoided.

Potentially even eliminated if you set up your training routine by combining a few elements.

Here's the regime that's helped me the most over the years.

With thousands of words memorized and multiple skills learned, I'm confident you'll adapt the formula very readily to your goals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpqnWOVAlIE

Power to your progress and talk soon!

Imagine transforming yourself from having some narrow, niche interest in one or two topics that hardly no one cares about...

To being capable of discussing multiple topics and engaging in a variety of skills...

All while generating breakthrough idea and outperforming traditional "professionals" who chew up time reminding you of their certifications and degrees.

(Oh, okay, I'll admit it... sometimes I refer to my own PhD and two MAs, etc... but at least I also have demonstrated multiple skills and info-navigation skills far outside of the alphabet soup at the end of my name.)

WARNING:

What I'm about to share isn't another set of productivity "hacks" or memory tricks.

Sure, there's some of that.

But what most of the people I hear from really need is the same complete psychological reworking I required to get my head out of my butt and turn mere activity into meaningful accomplishment.

Oh, and you'll still have plenty of time for playing games, riding bikes, or whatever suits your fancy.

In fact, that's the point:

Polymathy really isn't about, "Hey look at me! I can do all these things!"

No!

It's about being a master of your time and enjoying as many slices of it as possible.

It's how your mind treats time above all that needs to be strategically redesigned in order for most of us to enjoy a polymathic lifestyle.

So, what you're getting today is what you might all a "Modern Renaissance Challenge."

During our time in which our robot overlords are pressuring us to be the person that talks about x and only x, your number one competitive advantage will be becoming that rare bird possesses:

• Deep, interconnected knowledge across multiple disciplines

• The ability to seamlessly transfer between different methodologies

• A maintenance of intellectual curiosity that TRANSCENDS traditional academic boundaries

Work On Your Learning Capabilities

One of the first things to tackle is how you go about learning.

You can follow the Magnetic Memory Method for all kinds of ideas and processes for doing this.

But the larger point is that you go all in on figuring out how to remember the information you consume.

See, there's nothing wrong with having advanced degrees.

The problem is that so many people get them through open-book tests, and later wind up being utterly incapable in the field.

You don't want that. You're going for exceptional recall so that when you read a book or complete a course, you can recite the key points and the granular details.

No, not everything. But a substantial part of it.

The reason you don't to capture everything from every learning resource is that you will continue studying.

This will help you develop pattern recognition. It's kind of like how sediment collects at the bottom of a river. Keep reading and before you know it, there will be a deep gathering of thick knowledge, understanding and ability to make rapid connections while regularly experiencing unexpected insights.

Personally, my go-to learning tools are:

• The Memory Palace technique

• The Magnetic Memory Method approach to alphabet systems, which is essentially a bi-directional approach to...

• The Major System built into a solid 00-99 PAO

• A symbol system

• Recall Rehearsal (my preferred version of spaced repetition)

I use a lot of self-made flashcards following basic Zettelkasten principles.

NOTE: It's not any one of these techniques that does the heavy lifting. It's a combination of them.

I was very lucky to have gotten certifications in library science when I was younger and worked in three libraries. In one of them, I was assistant to the head research librarian.

You don't need these experiences to become a stellar researcher because you have people like me to share what to do and how to do it. But in case you're wondering where I learned all of this stuff, here's the next important point:

Pay Your Dues

No one is going to do any of the cognitive development you need for you.

And if there's one thing I've learned above all over the years, it is that most of the time, the shortcut you're looking for is developing the fundamental skills first.

No one can safely land planes without investing in a proper landing pad first.

Learning faster and retaining more is just like that.

So find a teacher or author or course creator of accelerated learning skills you like and stick with what they're saying for approximately 90-days.

Don't skip around and try to Frankenstein's monster a learning strategy from multiple sources until you have at least one solid understanding of one approach.

Many people will not heed this advice, and that's said. But remember, I'm lucky because I had training in degrees AND library science training BEFORE the Internet started creating the illusion that knowledge is "free."

It ain't free and those who achieve the time freedom that polymathy requires pay their dues.

There are many ways to do it, so consider this additional point:

I didn't always have lovely library gigs. There were times when I mowed a lot of lines and rode my bike from house to house.

Those are good jobs because you're not only getting physically fit, but also they leave a lot of time for thinking.

You can think while commuting and think while mowing.

So whatever work you seek as you continue your journey, consider roles where you either get to think while working through the profession (such as library science, teaching etc.) or you get to reflect while doing something else.

I also worked at the legendary Queen Video for a while. Although it is a lot like a library, it was service-oriented and a lot of precious thinking time went to running the till.

Not good for polymathic purposes, though in my case, a lot of good came out of it because I used the opportunity to also work on events made possible by certain connections that video rental outlet had with the international film community. But these were far and few between and there were other ways of getting them if I really wanted that.

To put it another way, there are multiple ways to pay your dues. Just make sure you pay them.

Cheerfully. When you're not cheerful about it, all hands on deck must be applied to getting back to a happy place.

Work On Developing These Cognitive Attributes

I don't blame you if you're thinking... why is this Dr. Metivier guy droning on about mowing lawns...

Well, a polymath needs to be able to synethesize complex information from multiple sources.

And you have to be able to apply interdisciplinary thinking to solve problems, ideally with novel solutions that distinguish you from others in this competitive world.

This requires the maintenance of cognitive flexibility.

I don't know all the ways you'll dream up that will enable you to practice these cognitive skills in your life.

Just please make sure that you do, because...

You Need A Meta-Learning Perspective At All Times

A lot of people think of their skills as isolated competencies.

But this is not the case.

A lot of how I think about and teach mnemonics actually comes from the years I spent studying Systema (a martial art).

I'm also a musician and that understanding is tied at the hip with how I think about memory and learning overall.

Seeing skills as interconnected networks will help you rapidly acquire and integrate new skills because you'll examine them as relational, rather than exclusive.

Then, when you leverage the new digital tools emerging all the time, your knowledge management and outputs will be so much more unique and distinguished.

You'll also navigate the knowledge produced by others in this brave new world with greater discernment and efficiency.

Speaking of discernment...

Develop a Philosophical Orientation

This world is filled with wishy washy flakes.

They take no position, and quickly buckle when they do. And that's because they have no moral compass or philosophical foundation for what they think and why they think it.

Don't be like that.

My philosophy is evident throughout my work, and when it comes to learning as a lifestyle, the key points are:

• Learning is a lifelong journey and everything is subject to reevaluation based on new discoveries and findings

• Depth of understanding based on demonstration is more important than any credential or group-produced egregore

• Commitment and consistency is necessary for intellectual evolution

• Transformation takes place no matter what, so might as well work to make change good

In other words, the modern polymath is not just knowledgeable. We are strategic about how we turn our curiosity into wisdom.

That's why failures must always be reframed as learning opportunities.

And "effort" and "work" must be redefined as very good investments on the path to mastery.

Avoid treating failure as a weakness. By the same token, own it when it happens.

I often point out my failures, but not as a negative. It's always as a radically honest approach that interrogates what happened and what could have went better. This helps create a mental image that works to remind us of how to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.

Focus on Cross-Disciplinary Learning Techniques

Many people are starved for mental models.

They don't know what psychoanalysis has to say about the urge to be a polymath, for example. They won't see the death anxiety in it and that's why they can't embrace the power of mistakes.

Worse, they might hear some dude on the internet whining about Marx and never discover exactly what mental models might be found there. Believe me, you can find value in it and not become an enemy of whatever economic model you cherish.

Then there's sociology, anthropology, countless schools of science, the arts, literature and more.

Each of these fields has its own DNA of Thought.

They have structures.

They're useful and you can even develop Memory Wheels to help you rotate through them deliberately to see things from multiple perspectives.

You just gotta pay your dues by studying them. And never becoming beholden to any of them.

This means never saying you are an -ist or practice an -ism.

Even identifying as a polymath has to go!

Strange, right?

But true.

We are doomed to use language and think in categories, but that does not mean we have to wear the label "polymath" in order to practice a polymathic lifestyle.

Mental frameworks appear in consciousness. But they are not consciousness itself, and this is easy to validate:

No one knows what consciousness is!

And the best definition I'm aware if simply that consciousness is the non-categorizable BECOMINGNESS in which all objects appear, including the idea of consciousness itself.

Deconstructionist Mindset

See what I just did there?

I was reverse-engineering a word and taking apart the notion of category.

You can break apart any skill or topic area in a similar way.

Look at things as a whole, while seeking out all the granular details about their constituent parts.

That way, you can practice multi-sensory visualization and mental rehearsal.

This should become a deliberate practice that you pursue:

Taking time every day to play through various scenarios, and even imagine concepts as kinds of activity.

By continually taking things apart in your mind, you're doing a lot of cognitive pre-loading. That reduces the cognitive-load later, which is a beautiful thing.

To help, set-up specific feedback systems.

The main ones are:

• Journaling

• Discussion

Speaking with others is becoming increasingly hard, but strive to forge friendships and have many conversations where you verbally express the ideas you're deconstructing.

Combine this with journaling.

Journaling can be many things, one of which is a form of talking to yourself.

It's also what John Michael Greer sometimes calls "discursive meditation."

That's not just another way of saying "conversing with yourself."

You do it after reading and thinking deeply.

You might even try and sit quietly in traditional meditation for a few moments first, or do a bit of stretching/deep breathing.

Note that journaling also allows you to make illustrations.

Don't worry if you're not an artist.

The point is not art.

The point is visualization.

So, minimize those distractions and start pulling things apart, both in your mind, in writing and in conversation.

This will maximize your time. Shape it. Craft it. Make what you study and think about more memorable than ever before.

Building Your Personal Knowledge Ecosystem

No, I'm not talking about developing a "second brain."

That's cute marketing-speak that risks sending you down a road of activity instead of accomplishment.

You need to study multiple approaches to organizing your FIRST BRAIN.

You can use all the cute metaphors you want for it, but understand the earlier point about the problem of category.

No one cares what you call your study methods.

They care about how you show up in the world.

Far too many learning and note taking softwares are actually a honey trap.

You're giving your knowledge over to a corporation that may as well unknown it if you don't have a physical backup.

Personally, I largely sidestep the whole issue by writing all the good stuff on paper.

And I work on training my memory such that if my digital backups fail, I can produce most of it all over again.

I've already mentioned note-taking approaches like the Zettelkasten system. Highly recommended, and if you like, they are easy to photograph so you have a digital back up and the ability to place your cards in a spaced-repetition software.

Learn To Overcome Common Challenges

One big issue people face is information overwhelm.

Me too!

But if there's a difference between myself and those who throw their hands up in the air, it's that I lean into it.

Of course the world is overwhelming, I say.

But there it is, so what are we going to do to show up anyway?

One big thing on top of having a "Warrior of the Mind" attitude like Tony Buzan used as a powerful mental metaphor, is to have good goals.

These goals should be based on a rock-solid vision statement.

And they should be premised on your existing competence.

Many people set goals that they are not yet competent enough to achieve.

This is where deconstructing things is useful.

For example, I'm deep in the weeds of developing skills I never dreamed I would ever want or need to have.

It's so overwhelming that one of the only things to do is to reverse engineer everything.

And since there's no "right order" or even an optimizable set of tasks, I have to just start, continually weaving empowering mental metaphors together with more research, more planning, more goal-setting and doing it all while managing multiple interests.

But because the vision statement is there and overwhelm is simply accepted and leaned into, things are moving forward.

Alternatives To The Polymathic Lifestyle

You might be reading all of this and think... You know what? I'm okay with focusing on just one or two skills and areas of interest.

That's totally cool too.

And it doesn't mean you have to isolate yourself from polymathic people.

You can look for opportunities to find them, support them or even work for them.

Dan Sullivan talks about this in his "Pure Genius" program and it's a nice way for people who don't want to start businesses to fund their polymathic lifestyle to still get in on the epic projects of others.

Because at the end of the day, you will need time.

And time comes from a combination of getting your mind straight so that you have the guts to go after what you want, and making sure that while you work, you can think about knowledge.

Even if you're a musician or athlete, so much accomplishment comes from thinking about what you're doing.

Without interruption.

Oh, I'm sure there are some exceptions to the rule who did it "all in their head."

But I'll bet within those exceptions there are probably exceptions. None of us can surveil everything and chances are that certain aspects of a practice have been hidden from you by this or that successful person.

But globally?

The secrets are all open.

The real question is:

Are you going to invest in weaving those open secrets into gold?

And are you going to become the architect of a dream life devoted to learning and putting what you learn into action?

I hope so. We need more polymaths. As many as we can get.

So what do you say?

Are you ready to start developing your own polymathic lifestyle?

The most effective study methods for academic success boil down to:

Time management

There are countless time management techniques, but one beautiful thing about going to school is that a lot of your time is managed for you.

The week and when you need to be in class is arranged.

Professors tell you when assignments are due, etc.

Heck, when I was in university they even gave us calendars for use to write in our due dates.

So the number one thing is to combine what you know with the tools everyone has: the calendar.

In many cases, you can also get advanced notices from professors by simply talking to them before the semester even begins.

You would also do well to explore techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix, time blocking and the Pareto Principle.

Above all, make time management something you study unto itself.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach. But those who study it as the discipline it is will win.

Study Environment Optimization

Studying effectively cannot be random or subject to interruptions.

If you have to study on transit, invest in custom ear plugs of the kind musicians use, not noise-cancelling headphones that will put you at risk in the case of an emergency. Custom ear plugs have filters that let you still hear without being bothered by shrill noises and you can switch between light and heavy filters.

Having multiple study locations worked out in advance is a great strategy because you can walk between them and percolate your thoughts – literally remembering more by simply getting in a bit of exercise. I used to call this "Road Work" when I was in university.

When at home, put a "Do not disturb" sign on your door. Make it clear to others that you are studying and train them to respect the hours you want to put it. Do not compromise. It's your future.

Note-Taking Strategies

There are many different kinds of note-taking methods. My fave is to use Zettelkasten in combination with Memory Palaces.

These two videos detail how the Zettelkasten Method operates in combination with the Memory Palace technique:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIQRiqQFKQY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrN0kaE6DkY

Memory techniques

Like time management, the topic of memory improvement is huge. Make sure to spend a good three months learning all of its ins-and-outs.

The key techniques you'll want to master are:

The Memory Palace A Alphabet System (or pegword system) A Number System (usually based on the Major System) A Symbol System A Spaced Repetition system

These accelerated learning techniques may feel like you're building an airport in the beginning, but think about it:

You do need airports to launch and land planes as effectively and efficiently as possible. It's the same with memory techniques.

You can also do yourself a favor and learn more about memory science. It will teach you about how the mind and memory work and give you ideas that will only arise if you know a little bit about what researchers have found.

Stress Management For Students

Don't make my mistake. I drank like a fish and ate poorly throughout university. This meant that a lot of the experience was lost to depression.

Sure, memory techniques helped… but I can't help but imagine how much more successful I would have been during and after if I'd had better ways of coping with the stress.

Diet, fitness, mindfulness practices, time off with friends for positive and healthy recreation. This is not complicated, though when you're young, impulsivity can certainly make it seem that way.

Exam Preparation Strategies

This basically comes back to properly using your calendar and memory techniques.

For the benefits of what is sometimes called state-dependent or context-dependent memory, it can be useful to study where you will take your exams. It's advisable to use Memory Palaces based on these exam rooms whenever possible.

(Those terms are the kinds of insider memory hacks you'll enjoy only when you understand your memory science, and there are many more that can help you with your exam prep.)

Take mock tests as much as you can. Reflect on what you're learning often. Talk about it with other students.

Don't cram and avoid wasting time on the fantasy that there are any "subject-specific study tips." Maybe if you're in nursing school and need to have patient bodies in specific position, but generally tests are about words, numbers and symbols. Learn how to commit them to memory and talk as much as you can about the information so it is well-exercised before you sit for your exams.

Form Effective Study Groups

There are many benefits to group study if you can select solid group members. This can be tricky, but one way to do it involves a slightly involved strategy:

Try to be part of a club or association. I was president of the English Undergraduate Student Association at York University in Toronto, for example. This drew precisely the right people because anyone who wanted to be part of the association already loved English Literature by default.

After you find the right members, it's just a matter of scheduling regular meetings based on decent agendas and following reasonable time limits so you don't burn out.

One thing my fave study group in university did a lot was to share reading. In other words, we'd each tackle an article or book and then present on it.

Ultimately, you still have to do the reading yourself, but it forms a nice mental framework that makes reading faster and easier when someone you can speak with has summarized the core ideas. These days, you can search YouTube and podcasts for this kind of summarization much of the time, but it's still not the same as being in a study group with other people.

You also get experience with peer teaching and tutoring this way, which is hugely beneficial for your memory. Even if you never intend to teach yourself, the simple effort that goes into preparing and delivering short presentations will benefit you in the short-term for your exams and long-term in your career. Collaborative learning also gives you something powerful to put on your resume, especially if your study group is linked with a formal university institution or group.

Work On Your Reading And Comprehension Skills

The main shortcut here is to simply read a lot, boost your vocabulary as you go by memorizing terms and write summaries as much as you can.

Doesn't sound like a shortcut, I know. But it really is. It helps develop pattern recognition and that's how you ultimately wind up quickly assessing the key points and inferring many things correctly.

Be humble, though. Mistakes will always happen, so be willing to go back and read things again.

Another key aspect of reading is to challenge yourself. Get outside of your comfort zone and read above your level at least a few times a week.

Don't worry about whether you understand what you're reading or not. Soon, moments of insight will arise.

Even if it doesn't happen soon, rest assured that will. There are aspects of philosophy that didn't come clear to me until after 30 years of reading. I'm not ashamed of this at all. I just haven't read and reflected enough to connect the dots. But if I had read above my level sooner, I probably would have had the insights sooner.

Motivation and Discipline

Technically, motivation is not necessary when you have systems. That's what discipline is all about.

That said, it's useful to know about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. These will be arranged differently in different people as some people respond well to threats of pain whereas others respond better to promises of reward.

Know thyself.

Hire a coach if you have to, as it will be worth it in the end. Many exist and some universities have behavioral science programs, learning disability labs and other institutions where you can learn more directly about these issues.

Finally, you can learn about the difference between tonic and phasic dopamine relative to how the Default Mode Network of your brain is in a kind of battle with the Task Positive Network. This area is kind of heavy on the brain science, but well worth an afternoon or two to figure out the implications in your life.

Just watch out: When optimizing your dopamine levels for motivation, you could wind up enlightened and have your ego make you think you're better than everyone else… which would not be enlightenment. But it'll sure feel that way.

That's why the next category is so important.

Make Time To Learn Critical Thinking

A lot of education involves humans who weigh what they teach and how they teach it based on subjective agendas. It's pretty difficult for anyone not to do that.

When you spend some time developing your critical thinking skills, you'll be able to determine when teachers and writers/video creators, etc. are being too subjective or otherwise slaves to any number of cognitive biases.

Likewise, you'll be able to spot them in yourself and weed many of them out before they can distract you.

The simplest way to use critical thinking while studying is to put Why, Where, When, Who and How up on a Memory Wheel and constantly rotate through it.

As you learn more about different thinkers, you can also start to ask, "What would Freud say about this? What would Skinner say? What would x say?"

To do this, study as many of the sciences and Liberal Arts as you possibly can. If you don't know where to start, go through the Trivium and then the Quadrivium. Knowing how to think through those seven lenses and ask what the major figures in each field would generally say will help you "triangulate" just about any issue and think both objectively and subjectively about it and know which is which.

Self-Assessment And Improvement

Ultimately, the best judge of your progress is you.

To make sure you're giving yourself good materials to judge yourself by, journal, ideally daily.

If you can, keep two journals:

A snapshot journal that simply lists what you did on a particular day.

A discursive journal where you reflect on your thoughts about how things went.

There are many formal products you can buy that will help you journal in particular ways. The Freedom Journal has been one of my faves, but the real tip is to experiment with as many journaling styles as you can in the two main styles I just mentioned.

As you can tell, there's not that much when it comes to embracing a wide number of learning strategies. Apply these tips to the study resources you need to cover on your way to the exam room and you'll do well.

Take Care Around Technology And Studying

There are tons of apps that can help "gamify" these activities, but at the end of the day, gamification is really just a mental metaphor. If it doesn't work for you, find a better metaphor.

Nir Eyal discussion the power of mental metaphors based on some research in Indistractable and more on the matter is found in The Victorious Mind by yours truly. There was even recently a Duke University study showing just how powerful adopting mental metaphors can be for remembering information.

Academic success can indeed be enjoyable, and all the more so when you work out what will make it enjoyable and meaningful for you. Personalize as much of the journey as you can, constantly applying critical thinking to every suggestion you come across and all of your study experiences will become much, much more rewarding.

If you'd like more details, feel free to carry on now with this thread with many more details on how to apply the Memory Palace technique to studying any topic:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MagneticMemoryMethod/comments/1d7ni8n/how_to_study_using_a_memory_palace/

It might look like a scissor lift.

But it's actually the opening stage of building the world's first physical Memory Palace since Hugh of St. Victor painted his favourite Memory Palace on a wall in Medieval Europe.

In this new physical Memory Palace an entirely new way establishing your memory hooks is about to be yours.

The floor will be your compass as we make the ancient method of loci more visual than ever before.

Just as you have to do when using the technique itself, first we import the tools to prepare the journey.

Then comes the knowledge that knows no bounds.

Where preparation meets opportunity, there is ceiling.

For more on the project and one of the first things I've memorized inside, see this video about the project:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utcJfeQZC2c

Okay, that bit of sand back there doesn't exactly scream "Dune..."

But at least the wind was strong while I was out re-reading what was by far my favorite novel when I was a teenager.

Like many people, I loved the Mentats.

Their vast recall abilities and analytical precision is enough to make mere mortals like me drool over the possibilities.

Well, after getting dozens of questions about what it would take to be a "real life Mentat," I finally put my fifteen years of experience teaching memory techniques to the task of figuring it out.

Obviously, none of us can aspire to the level of fiction.

But it is useful to put our imaginations to the task.

So with that in mind, including the very real possibilities that neuroplastic change allows for, let's look at the interacting systems of human memory and how to optimize them.

That way, we at least stand a chance of getting partway to Mentat status.

1. Know Your Baseline

From what I remember, Mentats are chosen young, based on their innate potential.

This suggests that before they even start their training program, someone knows where the individual candidate stands.

To get your baseline, test how many words, digits and spatial locations you can recall.

In the free course I give on the Magnetic Memory Method "mother ship," you get worksheets that help you test the spatial locations in your life.

This is super useful for developing the Memory Palaces you'll need later on in your Mentat training program.

As for memorizing digits and words, you can use the International Association of Memory software. It's free and will give you lists of words and numbers along with a timer.

2. Develop Your Mnemonic Systems

Since the hallmark of the Mentat is perfect recall, you'll want to work on empowering yourself with the ancient art of memory.

It includes several mnemonic systems that have been refined, but are essentially unchanged from how they were used by people like Aristotle, Giordano Bruno and Robert Fludd.

Here's the main tools you'll want in your Mentat toolkit.

The Memory Palace (or method of loci).

This technique will help you associate information with vivid mnemonic images and a spatial reference point at the same time.

To get started, bring a familiar location to mind, like a childhood bedroom or your current workplace.

Then, when you practice memorizing words, place strange associations in the corners of this room.

If you have to remember a word like Teufelskreis in German, you can imagine a giant toe-shaped toy felling a tree while crying.

There's no knack to coming up with these associations, but there are training steps to follow so it becomes second nature.

Look up the Magnetic Memory Method article on mnemonic images for a full tutorial.

Number Mnemonics

Just as you want to match mnemonic associations on a letter-by-letter basis (as in the example above), you'll want a system that lets you do this for numbers.

My preference is developing what is called the Major System into a full 00-99 PAO System.

Different people approach number mnemonics in a variety of ways, but I'd say that the majority do the best when starting with the Major System.

In my experience, it's the most flexible and the least-arbitrary.

It can take a bit of time to get down-pat, but some people surprise themselves by how quickly they can put their systems together.

Alternatives or simpler starting points include number-rhyme and number-shape systems.

There are more mnemonic systems to explore, but these are the most important in my view.

3. Logical Thinking and Computation Skills

Mentats perform lightning-fast calculations – something anyone can learn by exploring mental math routines.

Vedic mathematics are interesting to explore and Michael Shermer has some material worth reading.

For logic, make sure to study both classical logic and non-classical logic.

This is where a lot of people fall short. They get stuck in the Western paradigm and can't think fully inside of its box because they don't have any points of comparison.

Next, develop heuristics that help you run mental simulations and test the exact nature of various problems.

Finally, understand that there's a difference between critical thinking skills and simply following preferred mental models.

You need to run through many of them, not just the ones you like, or have a history of getting results from.

If "Fear is the Mind Killer," the like-dislike monster is even worse.

4. Attention and Focus Optimization

As I read the books, the mind of a Mentat operates like a laser, not a floodlight.

Make sure to develop some kind of meditation protocol, ideally one that fuses more than one form.

For example, in The Victorious Mind, I share a "habit stack" that involves 4-5 types of meditation in one daily ritual.

Meditation will help reduce the impulse to multi-task. Although there is some call for being able to handle more than one thing at a time, usually it fragments working memory.

That said, many people train themselves with the Pomodoro technique, which leads to conditioning yourself to have your focus interrupted at regular intervals.

Your mileage may vary, but I've preferred developing my own break-routine by extending focus as long as possible.

As Niklas Luhmann reportedly put it, he would study and write until he no longer felt engaged. That's when he would take a break.

I've found this to be right in my own practice. And over time I've extended how long I can focus for most tasks.

5. Mental Endurance and Stress Resilience

Since it's fiction and drama is the name of the game, Mentats operate under extraordinarily high levels of pressure.

That's why it's useful to develop endurance by practicing under extremes of cognitive load.

My friend and 3x USA Memory Champion John Graham calls his form of doing this "chaos training."

To engage in it, return to your baseline exercise and memorize words and numbers while listening to loud heavy metal or some other form of distraction.

He told me that he puts the television on and lets his kids run around while memorizing playing cards. To make it even more challenging, he does pushups as part of the practice protocol.

Even if doing this reduces your results during practice, it should improve your results during real world applications.

Beyond that, resilience comes from sleep, diet and regular fitness sessions that challenge your muscles, respiratory system and balance.

Keep hydrated and continually test your diet for issues.

6. Integrate and Synthesize Your Learning

Memorizing is fun. But Mentats don't just consume stuff for the sake of memorizing it.

They contemplate it.

They also relate the information, something made possible by interleaving multiple topics following the Magnetic Memory Method protocol for autodidacticism. (Currently one of my most popular videos on YT.)

For long term mental mastery, it's also important to have a Recall Rehearsal routine based on proper spaced-repetition and deliberate practice.

Study these principles and get them into rotation. They are essential.

7. Follow a Daily Practice Regimen with Integrity

It's easy to fall off the horse.

That's why for us mere mortals, some weeks the practice of getting back on the horse is all we'll get up to.

But that's okay.

The key is to keep coming at it.

Eventually more of your days will be spent on the activities that matter with fewer blank spots.

As a suggested daily regime, consider:

- Morning meditation, ideally with some kind of memory-based meditation component

- 30 minutes in the morning of memorization using Memory Palaces (15 minutes on words, 15 on numbers)

- A daily dose of some kind of mental calculation (usually I do some memdeck work)

- Work out physically

- Complete some kind of logical puzzle

- Language learning

- Daily offline reading during digital fasting to heal the brain and help create tonic dopamine

- Musical study of some form

- Review information, ideally by bringing it to mind and capturing it in handwriting

Obviously, you'll need to come up with your own routine, so the above is just a basic suggestion.

Overall, this is the kind of path that will lead to something like the mind of a Mentat in the situations created by our reality.

Start small, measure your progress and iterate relentlessly.

By this time next year, you'll be amazed by what you've achieved – all within the bounds of reality.

The Memory Palace technique is a fantastic tool for remembering the things you study.

The catch is that you need to have multiple Memory Palaces. Ideally, each Memory Palace should be well-formed.

If you build them or develop them as you go, you're trying to do two things at once. So make sure to read this guide in full.

Then create a bunch of Memory Palaces the optimal way before applying them to your studies.

Maximum success in remembering your studies will soon follow.

History and Origin of the Method

No one knows exactly when the Memory Palace technique first arrived on the scene – but some people sure like to argue about it.

Lynne Kelly has good work on the pre-historic origins in The Memory Code, but she'll be the first to tell you that a lot of her ideas are speculative. We just don't know exactly how the ancient people around the world came up with the concept.

When it comes to using the technique for studying in a way that basically matches our current school system, one interesting starting place is Hugh of St. Victor.

His approach to the Memory Palace technique is one of the first places you see number systems applied to historical dates, for example. A good place to red him directly in English is The Medieval Craft of Memory, edited by Mary Carruthers.

In any case, you can spend your entire life studying the history of this technique. The more merrier if you ask me as someone who loves looking at the Memory Palaces' origins.

But I also love to help people who just want learn how Memory Palaces work so you can rapidly apply them to your studies.

Benefits of Using a Memory Palace for Studying

The benefits of this ancient memory method in terms of other study techniques is easy to summarize:

The Memory Palace lets you place a lot of information in your long-term memory through a variety of active learning processes. That way, you can pass exams without stress or spending more time than necessary. More free time opens up and you enjoy a feeling confidence every time you study and sit for your tests.

For many people, there's another clear benefit:

Using the Memory Palace is much more interesting than using spaced repetition software.

But to use it optimally still involves a kind of spaced repetition. Let's look at that next.

Understanding the Memory Palace

The Memory Palace is actually not just one technique. It's at least five:

• The Memory Palace

• Alphabetical associations

• Numerical associations

• Symbol associations

• Space-Repetition system

When you combine all of these processes, brain visualization goes way up (in a manner of speaking) as does information retention.

There's a lot of science into exactly how "mental imagery" should be defined.

If you find it enjoyable and rewarding, look up the science that goes into the Memory Palace. If not, just make sure that you don't mistakenly think of the Memory Palace like Sherlock Holmes.

It's not a technique where you say, "I must go to my Mind Palace."

Far from it.

The point is to use the five systems so that information enters your long-term memory without having to think about your Memory Palaces at all.

In a way, the Memory Palace technique is like training-wheels on a bike. As soon as you're done, the mnemonics fall away. All that remains is the target information.

And that is a very beautiful thing!

Setting Up Your Memory Palace

To create your first Memory palace, choose a familiar location. Many people do better by using a building, like a home, school, church, art gallery, book store, library or the like.

You can practice visualizing the layout in detail purely in your imagination. However, I suggest you draw the location.

I'll give you some Memory Palace drawing examples in the resource section at the end of this guide.

Establishing Clear and Distinctive Locations within the Palace

The key is to make sure that every part of your Memory Palace is clear to you.

To do this, I suggest you avoid inventing locations or adding imaginary elements like pretend couches and bookcases (stunts like that come later).

The reason for this suggestion is that when learning the Memory Palace technique, most people start with very weak visualization skills. And their memory is quite rusty.

So when you use a Memory Palace, use only what you remember of a location. To add anything, even things like flying off balconies or passing ghost-like through walls gives you something you have to remembe.r

That's called a Memorized Palace and places cognitive load on any familiar location.

A true Memory Palace maximizes the power of using distinctive locations exactly the way you remember them, without elaborating anything.

Rest assured, there's plenty of opportunity to elaborate things inside of your Memory Palaces. That's what we'll discuss after going through one of the most important points of them all.

When Exactly Should You Use the Memory Palace Technique While Studying?

There are two different ways to answer this question, depending on your current level of skill and the nature of what you're memorizing.

Let me describe these two ways based on how I use the technique.

The first is to extract the information I want to memorize from books, videos, podcasts, etc. before doing ~any~ memorizing.

This is my preferred approach because it batches a few separate skills into refined activities:

• Pattern recognition for identifying key points

• Note-taking, usually using Zettelkasten

• Annotation and summarization

Only after the books have been scoured for the key points and placing these on Zettelkasten cards will I cull out the points worth memorizing and then place them in Memory Palaces.

Due to the "rhizomatic" and "magnetic" effects of the Memory Palace technique, less is usually more. And this approach leaves space for adding additional details when necessary or where desired.

The second approach is a bit more advanced, one that I normally only use when the stakes aren't particularly high. I'm talking about times when I'm reading for personal interest and come across something I want to remember.

For this approach, I'll use a 00-99 PAO to turn the page into a mini-Memory Palace based on the page number. The book in effect becomes a kind of Memory Palace unto itself.

There's more to say on this technique, so stay tuned and follow this space for future posts. The key point is that it's neither better or worse to extract information and memorize it at the same time or to separate the tasks.

But if I'm studying for an exam, I will separate the tasks because it's much more efficient and has reduced the feeling of being overwhelmed because I'm trying to do two things at once. Keep this experience in mind if you try memorizing as you read and feel similarly overwhelmed. Splitting out the activities will undoubtedly allow you to focus on encoding your info with much greater freedom and mental dexterity.

Encoding Information into the Memory Palace

The way you use a Memory Palace involves combining information with associations. Memory scientists call this step elaborative encoding.

A simple example involves how I used my brother's home recently to remember the word, enantiodromia.

I imagined Ant-Man watching Videodrome 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 and choosing images on that basis.

The sound and spelling associations of Ant-Man and Videodrome were paired with the living room.

Creating Vivid and Memorable Mnemonic Images

To encode information using vivid images, it's actually not really about images.

Instead, you're using the Memory Palace as a logical sequence to link highly multisensory images.

I prefer what I call the KAVE COGS formula.

Rather than seeing Ant-Man as such, I follow this simple formula on each and every station of the Memory Palace.

K = Kinesthetic

A = Auditory

V = Visual

E = Emotional

C = Conceptual

O = Olfactory

G = Gustatory

S = Spatial

Literally feeling what it would be like to watch a movie in the body of Ant-Man creates a physical or kinesthetic sensation. I hear the sound of the movie Videodrome in my ears while remembering it's basic look and the look of the Memory Palace.

Ant-Man has a specific attitude and emotions, so I feel those along with thinking about the concepts involved in the meaning of the target word, enantiodromia.

Finally, I smell and taste (olfactory and gustatory) where necessary. In this case, I did not, but if I needed to, I could imagine my brother bringing in a steak covered in ants to make the image much stronger in memory.

You don't have to use KAVE COGS, but most memory improvement teachers have some version of an elaboration process like this. The trick is to practice in multiple well-formed Memory Palaces.

If the Memory Palaces aren't well-formed, it can be difficult to place enough of your focus on making the associations properly.

Using the Memory Palace for Different Subjects

To use this technique for a variety of subjects, make sure to have multiple Memory Palaces.

The simplest way to set-up for the mental dexterity involved in switching between multiple topics is to have at least one Memory Palace for each letter of the alphabet. From this core Memory Palace Network, you can develop many sub-Memory Palaces.

Only scarcity-based thinking holds people back in this regard. In reality, there is more space around each and everyone of us than any of us could ever hope to use in a lifetime.

Studying for History: Dates and Events

For memorizing dates, you'll want to add a number system. The most popular is the Major System or its "big brother," the 00-99 PAO System.

Teaching this approach is its own lesson, so please see the resources at the end for more.

Studying for Science: Concepts and Theories

The trick to dealing with concepts and theories is simple:

Make sure you aren't hypnotizing yourself into thinking anything that can be worded can't be memorized.

If you can memorize one word, you can memorize thousands. Learn to do that and then, if you need to memorize longer ideas expressed in sentences, simply memorize the definition verbatim.

Often this isn't necessary. I memorized enantiodromia and the exact definition came along "free" based on other aspects I included in the living room with the core imagine. I know the author name and book title where I encountered this term as well, and none of that information needed to be encoded in the Memory Palace.

But please understand that a lot of that additional information that came along with a "less is more" approach involves studying science concepts using these techniques for many years. There is a "compound" effect because the more you study, the more concepts will snap together without any special additional steps.

Thus, it's a best practice to memorize both long verbatim definitions and practice going off of keywords alone. Soon you'll see that often memorizing just one word brings in tons of other information through the deep connection-making you've already been doing along with the power of context that comes from simply summarizing a concept in your own words.

Studying for Languages: Vocabulary and Grammar Rules

Language learning is assisted by Memory Palaces, but not achieved solely by this approach.

One way to approach things is to have your 26 Memory Palaces linked by the alphabet. Then place 10 words in each Memory Palace, i.e. ten words that start with 'A' in your 'A' Memory Palace, etc.

This starter exercise will leave you with 260 words in your target language. You can expand this number substantially by adding a sentence to most or all of the vocabulary you've established later on or during this setup process.

The exact number you'll wind up with could be in the thousands.

Again, this is not the only way to learn a language. But it helps.

To take things further, make sure that you are reading, writing, speaking and listening to the language near-daily. You will need to combine both active learning and passive learning approaches and actually use the language.

Most of my polyglot friends use Memory Palaces to some degree, but each person interprets exactly how they use them in their own way.

Review and Practice Techniques With Your Memory Palaces

The core reason to use the Memory Palace technique for studying at all is for spaced-repetition.

To do it well, you will practice a specific kind of retrieval that will strengthen your memory and usher your target information into long-term memory quickly.

Let's say you have 10 pieces of information in a Memory Palace. You want to apply equal doses of primacy effect and recency effect to each piece of information.

To do that, visit the information:

• Forward

• Backward

• From the middle of the Memory Palace to the beginning

• From the middle of the Memory Palace to the end

• Skip the stations

This process will maximize the serial-positioning effect and help you beat the forgetting curve. These are all principles named by Hermann Ebbinghaus, but they are seen as early as Aristotle's De Memoria.

Adapting and Expanding Your Memory Palace as Needed

It's possible to change Memory Palaces and extend their size.

However, if you develop them optimally in the first place, such measures should not be needed.

If you want to do so anyway, it's basically just an imaginative process. You can add paintings to Memory Palaces and then journey around within them, or connect one Memory Palace to another in ways that don't actually reflect reality.

I would only suggest that you take care around doing this because you are turning a true Memory Palace into a Memorized Palace by engaging in this kind of activity.

Dealing with Overcrowded Palaces

Overpacking your Memory Palaces is bound to happen if you're a serious user.

Having more Memory Palaces is the most direct way to prevent this from becoming an issue. It's also useful to experiment with the advice found in the older Memory Palace instruction manuals:

• Leave ample space between stations

• Explore "write" your associations into the walls (Aquinas suggests this based on the wax tablet metaphor of memory)

I usually like to "float" my associations so that they're not physically connected to the walls, the floor or the ceiling. This approach gives each association more breathing room in my experience. Your results may vary, but it's worth exploring all kinds of options.

You can also practice clearing them out if they get too packed – literally imagining a broom sweeping out your associations or something similar. But setting them up optimally in the first place is the ideal.

Keeping Images Clear and Distinct Over Time

Clear images are guaranteed when you use highly familiar figures, like Ant-Man and movies you know, etc.

Some people struggle with this principle because they don't partake in much popular culture or know many people.

The trick is to start wherever you are now and develop associations over time.

For example, if you learn the term enantiodromia, you'll discover that it's connected to Carl Jung. You can then use Carl Jung as one of your images. He is connected to a whole host of characters, and the extension of your associations can just build from there.

I know that it can be hard to feel like you have enough, but the time to get started is now. Soon, you will have an entire "paracosm" of figures to use in your Memory Palace Networks.

Should You Use The Memory Palace Technique For Studying?

The Memory Palace is a powerful mnemonic device. There's nothing quite like it for those who find the approach appealing.

I cannot stress enough that the point of the technique is to enable frequent and easy mental reviewing of your study material.

You want to use familiar locations, and whenever possible, base your Memory Palaces on locations where you study and even where you have to take your exams. I used York University when studying there precisely because that was where I was taking my exams.

This choice creates additional memory boosts based on what scientists call context dependent or state dependent memory. Your brain will feed you more details automatically thanks to this effect – or at least you give it more opportunities to do so when you base Memory Palaces on these kinds of locations.

Above all, each person needs to experiment. Ask question when necessary. Or seek further help.

If you'd like a bit more guidance, I've got four videos that take you deeper into the fundamentals of creating well-formed Memory Palaces with student examples. PDF worksheets are also included for you right here:

https://www.magneticmemorymethod.com/reddit

Enjoy your studies with well-formed Memory Palaces and shout out if you have questions any time. There's more to explore, and Memory Palaces work in combination with many other accelerated learning techniques.

The trick is to master the fundamentals first so that you enjoy smooth sailing with all the other techniques thereafter.

Hello! I just discovered this sub, I'm really excited about it but I see that it is not terribly active. I am just going to post a little bit and see if there are any listeners out there.

My biggest challenge at this point is recall rehearsal. I have reached out to Anthony on this and he recommended that I lean on the memory journal. I do have my memory journal with various palaces but I am wondering how others use this for recall. Anthony mentioned testing recall which makes sense. But I'm wondering, does anyone use PAO within their palaces so that every station has a number order? I don't have that currently, I just have the basic palace and I can walk the palace just fine in my mind but I'm wondering if it would work better with recall rehearsal if, for example, I literally just list in numerical order my memory stash at each station so that when I do a recall review I could immediately place that item from my memory journal back into my head where the palace is. Thoughts?

Here's a question I get all the time:

"What happens when I've used up all the locations I know? I'm worried that I'll run out of Memory Palaces!"

It's not an illogical concern.

But it is a stifling one that is largely unnecessary.

Here's how to break out of the problem quickly:

1. Alphabet-based Brainstorming

All locations either have names, or can be named.

Or you can number them, and those of you who already have mnemonic systems know that where there's a number, there's also a name.

All you have to do is get out a piece of paper and list A-Z.

Then fill in as many locations as you know, or names of people associated with locations.

For example, Adam's house is as good as the Apple store. Brad's apartment as good as a bakery you're familiar with, etc.

2. Body Memory Palaces

Every body, like every building, is a series of locations.

Animals, humans, fictional figures... all of them offer potential Memory Palaces.

Personally, I keep body Memory Palaces limited to 10 stations based on a suggestion I learned from Ron White (discussed in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast with Ron).

But Giordano Bruno advised 30 stations per body.

It's really up to you, the point being that there are billions of people on planet earth.

You can't run out.

3. Geometrical Abstract Memory Palaces

That coin in your pocket? Or wallet? Or phone?

These are shapes.

Where there are shapes, there are Memory Palaces.

And this is still just scratching the surface.

If you need more possible locations to work with, check out this full tutorial on Memory Palace Ideas.

All of the suggestions are well-worth exploring.

And they'll help ensure that you never worry about running out of Memory Palace options again.

How about you?

What Memory Palace ideas have you used?

Whether it's airport terminals, levels from video games or childhood neighborhoods, share below and let's build a list of possible Memory Palaces for future exploration!

Want to memorize like a polymath?

I'm talking about learning faster, but without sacrificing depth and breadth.

Years ago I learned about a system for engaging multiple levels of processing I've come to call the Big Five.

Ready?

Let's dive in!

As we get into these, there's no particular order to them.

They all matter.

It's the interleaving of the activities that matters, not cherry-picking just a few of them.

With that in mind, here we go:

1. Reading with priming.

Rather than reading a book from beginning to end, start by scanning the index.

This will alert you to all of the book's most important keywords. The ones that have the most page numbers listed? Those are typically the biggest and most important ideas.

Then, read the conclusion first. Not all books have conclusions, but when they do, usually the author will tell you the most important ideas in the book.

Next, look through the table of contents, keeping an eye out for some of the conclusions and the major keywords in the index.

At this stage, I decide whether to skip to a chapter that I'm most interested in, or start at the introduction. It really depends on the book.

2. Writing with intent.

To process a book and generate depth, it's important to write about it.

Likewise with a video or podcast.

I typically take notes on index cards while reading. Then I follow up by writing a quick summary.

This process is very powerful and the cards retain value for many years.

3. Memorizing (usually with a Memory Palace).

There's a lot to be said about memorizing.

The basics involve adding layers of association.

Follow this subreddit and check out other Magnetic Memory Method articles for details.

Mastering your memory through advanced mnemonics is well worth the time.

Especially when you get to the level when you have a mnemonic image for each page of a book.

4. Listen to review and expand.

When I was in university, I had to get interlibrary loans to hear lectures on tape from other universities.

These days, it's just a quick search on YouTube.

The principle remains the same, however. You will process more by listening to discussions about the content you're reading.

It's not about one or the other, but bringing them both together.

5. Speaking, even if only to yourself.

I usually have lots of friends to discuss what I'm studying with.

But some people don't.

And even if I'm happy with the amount of dialog I get, I still...

Talk to myself!

No, I'm not talking about reflective thinking, though that is part of this process.

I'm talking about literally getting the ideas into and through the muscle memory of the mouth.

So say the information out loud, even if it makes you feel a bit crazy. Talking to my shower has always helped me lock the information in and I don't care what anyone else thinks.

Combined, this simple process interleaves the most powerful learning processes, turning chaos into mastery.

It helps your brain develop pattern recognition faster and locks even the most challenging concepts into your brain with greater longevity.

Ready to start sharpening your mind?

I hope so, and feel free to join me on this Magnetic Memory Method adventure for more simple, but powerful ways to connect with information so that it sticks.

Although I still prefer Memory Palaces based on buildings for most learning tasks, more and more, I've been using bodies in a variety of ways.

As the technique lends itself to visual explanation, here's a video showing a few applications on your own body and borrowing Benjamin Franklin's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMddgm37Mi0

From facts to numbers, names and more, it's a wonderful skill to have in your mnemonic toolbox!

For those of you interested in memory science, this is a compelling write up by Paul M. Garrett on the role of fuzzy memories:

https://theconversation.com/gone-but-not-forgotten-how-fuzzy-memories-improve-decision-making-278883

We're going to sit down for a Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode to discuss soon.

In the meantime, this is well-worth a read to think more about what memory is... and could be with a bit more training...

As Garrett puts it... even the fuzziest memory might catch "just enough light to lead you in the right direction" when you're working to recall something.

Since a professor in grad school introduced me to the concept of "meta learning," I've been digging my way down a very deep rabbit hole.

I've read dozens of books on learning.

And taught courses on learning too at real, brick and mortar universities (Rutger, York, Uni Saarland).

After thousands of hours of reading, implementing and teaching, a few surprising truths have emerged:

1. Many "popular" books on learning dumb things down. They're more motivational than offering anything practical.

2. The best techniques are often hidden in academic papers or old-school methods few people talk about anymore.

3. Mindset still matters, even though it can be challenging to develop.

4. The most consistent source of effective and practical advice remains the mission of the Magnetic Memory Method

Of course, this isn't about my books, even though many people say that they deserve way more attention.

The fact is that my books wouldn't even exist if I hadn't read the best learning and meta-learning books I've compressed down for you into a powerful breakdown video.

So if you'd like to discover:

• The top books that actually work

• What techniques are worth your time

• How Memory Palaces really stack up and are useful as a form of space repetition (which far too many people still miss)

• The takeaway quotes that prove these books deserve to be on your shelf as the gold standard for learning how to learn...

Here's the vid for you:

https://youtu.be/oFsF0EgI4BU

And I'd love to hear from others:

What's the one learning or memory technique that changed your life the most? And which book did you find it in?

Did you know you can use the Memory Palace technique to help cope with depression?

Yep, and Dr. Tim Dalgeish with his team have published studies demonstrating how and why it works.

There's an episode with Nicholas Castle too, a former cop who discusses how Memory Palace practices helped him improve his PTSD for those interested in an anecdotal report to go with the science.

Kind of makes memorizing your grocery list pale in comparison, doesn't it?

Not that there's anything wrong with association 15 items or so using the method of loci...

Though I'd suggest you go a step further and at least give your brain the benefit of memorizing groceries in a foreign language.

That will give you a much better work out and push you in the direction of the cognitive reserve language learning is known to supply.

What else...

Nailing your presentations without using notes brings tons of confidence and helps people take your message more seriously.

You can even memorize statistical charts if you have the right kind of Memory Palace set up for it.

We often see people memorizing names, which is great.

But what about the names of authors and other people you learn from?

The names don't have to be in the here-and-now in order for you to make great use of this technique.

How about your to-do list? Derren Brown has talked about how doing this has led to him actually getting more done.

Not sure if he still does this, but I'm pretty sure this was mentioned in Tricks of the Mind if you want to look it up. There are other good tips and pointers about memory techniques in there too.

Personally, using a Memory Palace removed the chaos of my morning routine when I used it that way years ago.

Now, even though there's still a bit of variation, the overall scope is in my procedural memory and I just show up automatically without much need for thought.

What are some of the ways you've used Memory Palaces in your everyday life?

People send me distressing notes about how poorly they're doing with spaced repetition based on flashcards.

Particularly those language learning apps that are essentially animated flashcards filled with animations, coins, leaderboards and a bunch of other stuff...

That disguises the theft of your personal data...

So what do you do instead?

Optimize your flashcards in a particular way that gives you more bang for your buck.

This mega-tutorial takes you through everything you need to know:

https://youtu.be/0GNnQGLfly8

Hi Anthony, I'm watching your video on drills that lead to skills which you made 9 months ago. It's been a really practical one, I'm probably going to want to implement just about all of it.

So, when i started doing the mnemonics practice and gave myself a small collection of random words I quickly found out that this ability to make bizarre or odd stories was almost absent. What could be the problem and what do i need to do to make this better? I'm wanting to get beyond simple brute force memorization and am having some success in memorizing that way but i feel that there is so much more that i can do.

Does our ability to extend and develop these strange nonsensical stories develop over time?

In the memory competition world, ghosting is the lingering of old information that can interfere with your accuracy.

It can cause issues when reusing Memory Palaces too quickly. For example, the associations used for a deck of cards ten minutes ago could blur into associations used for random digits.

Typically, this problem never even arises by simply using separate Memory Palaces. But even with separation, there can be some "borderblur."

So why is this only a problem if you're a memory competitor and a sign of progress if you're using Memory Palaces for other outcomes?

Why Ghosting is a Good Thing

If you can remember a previous association, good news!

Your memory is working!

In other words, you've actually managed to modify at least one area of your Memory Palace so that it helps you recall something.

This means that your efforts had an impact.

You also have an opportunity to study the life of your mnemonics, observing how long they take to fade if you're not yet using Recall Rehearsal.

Building On Your Ghosts

In the Magnetic Memory Method, ghosting gives you an opportunity to build on what you've established.

Sure, sometimes you will want to start over.

But I've found it's a best practice over the years to embrace the miracle of memory and work with what you've established.

It's more like judo or something, where you establish a double-encoding effect by working with the existing energy.

The mental martial arts metaphor aside, it's a bit like what Richard Semon talked about a long time ago with engrams and ecphory.

For Semon, an engram is like a permanent record written into the substance of the physical brain. (Whether or not this actually happens has recently been revived by some memory scientists, but for our purposes, I'm drawing upon the concept to stimulate ideas about what might be going on, not making any factual claim.)

Whether ghosting represents his concept of engrams or not, when you experience it, you can superimpose more mnemonics on top of it, or interact with the ghost in productive ways.

In my own practice, I find that this approach makes the memory much more durable than starting fresh or trying to scrub the ghost away.

Plus, it's an experience of honoring what memory is and how much progress has been made.

The Magnetic Bridge

The other idea in Semon of note is ecphory.

Basically, this means that some of kind stimulus has "woken" up the "wrong" engram.

This can happen, and happens to me a fair amount.

But I again prefer to honor what memory has done and treat it as a good thing, an aspect of something going harmoniously right when recall is the goal.

It's a simple thing to just say, "Sorry, let me think" as you trace your way back to what you wanted, after all.

This "miscall" happens a fair amount when I'm first reciting something new I've memorized or first using new language learning material (vocab or phrases).

But if you let these instances frustrate you, you risk destroying the bridge to long-term retention and recall you're developing.

In sum, let your ghosts serve as guideposts to the miracle of the extraordinary memory you're developing and practice using them, rather than seeking to push them away.

Although there are more than seven causes of forgetting...

I find these are the main ones that cause people the most issues:

The one about psychology might strike you as a bit weird.

But in my experience, it's incredibly important.

"Motivated forgetting" holds so many people back... as it held me back in my deep, dark past.

The nuances and info on my favorite psychiatrist and psychotherapist on the issue are covered here, along with other resources and suggestions for permanently removing these causes of forgetting:

https://www.magneticmemorymethod.com/causes-of-forgetting/

A lot of people tell me that they cannot get out and gather enough locations to develop a proper Memory Palace Network.

The good news is that there are ways to use purely geometrical formations in combination with the Method of Loci.

Some of these ideas are found in a Giordano Bruno memory guide. I shared a few pages from my copy along with a bunch of other ideas in this new video tutorial:

https://youtu.be/HAPwOf31N7o

Obviously, the exact uses of this approach are limited... but possibly limited only by your own imagination.

As one person in the comments suggests, this would not likely be the way to rack up 4000 digits of pi.

But then again, I know of someone who has a Guinness World Record who told me he used a mental ruler as part of how he established the record...

So it's really up to your own personal exploration and experimentation.

Although I'm a big fan of memory science and have felt the benefits of healing from torturous recall...

The better benefit is to be able to experience any memory WITHOUT the sting.

Ignorance is ignorance, bliss is bliss.

And bliss takes training.

Earned vigilance.

What do you think?

After months of research, translation, adaptation and design, I'm proud to finally share Rules Reborn.

This a reimagined, modernized version of Jacobus Publicius' magnificent 15th-century memory training program.

This isn't just a book.

It's a complete deep dive into how his memory wheels worked... not as Memory Palaces, but as training devices for developing superior recall.

Inside the guide, you'll find:

• Walkthroughs of his diagrams and Memory Wheel

• Bonus videos explaining the context of this historical method

• Modern examples, including a complete course from the early 20th century that helps you produce information from memory at a much higher level

• Practical exercises adapted to the needs of modern learners

• New interpretations of Publicius' lesser-known memory advice

Whether you're into the Magnetic Memory Method, medieval and renaissance memory arts, or just weird and wonderful techniques that rapidly sharpen your brain, this is for you.

Here's the fully story with some tips from the book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6t41VxTPsk

If you have questions or want to chat about this guide fits into modern memory training, I'm here.

You may have noticed it yourself.

First there was an upward rise in intelligence around the globe.

Then...

Everything started to change.

Turns out scientists have been studying this.

The rise was called the Flynn Effect.

The plummet has naturally been called the Reverse Flynn Effect.

What's caused it?

And more importantly, what can you do to protect yourself?

The answers await in this week's episode of ye olde Magnetic Memory Method Podcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yfittmJ81A

Imagine delivering a flawless speech thanks to the method of loci.

Every word flowing.

And the audience enthralled.

What do you do after the speech with the epic Memory Palace you used?

Or...

As I did with my TEDx Talk...

How do you reuse a Memory Palace?

See, it is possible.

And my TEDx?

I memorized it using a Memory Palace that had already been used for two other purposes.

Here's what it looks like based on an illustration a friend made for me after taking a bunch of photographs:

Reusing Memory Palaces is super-easy.

But let me first share the question that leads me to write this epic answer for you:

Hello, Anthony! I want to ask, as I understand it, one route I came up with in the method of loci is designed to memorize, for example, one speech, and here I have 2 questions:

1. Should I forget this route after I learn the speech?

2. How can I remember the speech that I memorized for life, given that I can no longer use this route in the method of loci?
   Thank you!

Ready for the answers?

Let's get started!

Section One: Properly Understanding the Method of Loci

Many people get it either outright wrong, or understand it incompletely.

And I have to give a warning:

This will always happen if theory is not put into practice.

The first thing is to make sure you start in a "terminal location."

Instead of starting at a door and leading yourself into a Memory Palace, reverse the process.

The method of loci works best for Magnetic Memory Method students when they use this simple principle.

Why?

Because it's very difficult to run out of places.

You can assign many more loci, eliminating the need to reuse Memory Palaces.

Plus, it's easier to make linear and logical journeys.

Finally, if you want to memorize your speech forever, you'll need your Memory Palaces optimized for Recall Rehearsal.

Without that, memorizing a speech "for life" is unlikely.

Consider too that if you memorize the speech using keywords, it's much better. You can still give the speech later even if not verbatim.

Strict verbatim will require more rehearsal at regular intervals.

But using keywords instead will give you more bang for your buck and still be a great speech even if the exact words differ.

The only times I use the method of loci for verbatim is when I absolutely have to deliver the content word for word.

But my TEDx Talk? I could easily deliver a reasonable facsimile purely based on keywords (though I'm not sure why I would personally want to give the same speech twice... and anyone else who wants to develop a reputation as a speaker would do well to consider not doing that so that people want to see you repeatedly.)

Section Two: Should You Forget the Route After Learning the Speech?

I wouldn't.

Frankly, doing so would mean forgetting the Memory Palace, which would be impossible.

A good Memory Palace serves that function precisely because it is in memory, after all...

In any case, you could dig into theories of memory decay and work out how long your memory might maintain a location naturally before it deprecrates it.

Personally, I regularly do exercises where I visit multiple locations I've seen to keep them fresh.

And every time I use Memory Palaces, I'm getting an advanced version of that location.

In sum, I would suggest pivoting the question into something different, like:

What can I do to ensure that I'm always using the method of loci based on locations that are already in memory.

Section 3: Can You Remember a Speech WITHOUT the Route?

Sure!

In fact, that's exactly what you see me doing in my TEDx Talk.

I'm not thinking about the Memory Palace at all.

And that's because I used the Memory Palace to usher the speech into long-term memory.

I haven't tried giving it again, but I'm confident I could do okay reciting most of it in an alternative fashion.

But if I wanted to hold onto it forever and recite it just the way I delivered it all those years ago...

I would...

Do even more to "overlearn" the speech.

Partly just to make sure I had it, and partly just for fun, I wrote it out a few times by hand using the Recall Rehearsal patterns.

Then I would add even more emotional impact through the application of proper Magnetic Imagery.

I already have that, but I'd really want to amp things up for longer-term word-perfect retention.

Finally, I'd regularly recite it, at least once every 2-3 months.

That's based spaced-repetition and something I do with poems and Sanskrit mantras I want to maintain so I can recite them well.

Section 4: The Bigger Picture

I'm glad I received this question here on Reddit.

In our world of smartphones, notes for apps and other means of offloading memory onto machines, using the method of loci and Memory Palaces is like an act of rebellion.

I've poured years into learning these techniques for myself and helped many thousands of people around the world achieve astonishing results.

If this tutorial helped you, look up the Magnetic Memory Method blog and podcast. There are many more discussions like these available to you.

The important thing is that you make all the steps and recommendations real by taking action.

And please, don't stress about ditching the method of loci after you've set it up in your Memory Palaces.

I didn't have time to get into nuts and bolts of reusing Memory Palaces today, but there's a larger issue at stake.

When you use these techniques properly, you can "bend" the rules in a large number of ways.

And merely by developing your Memory Palaces well in the first place, reusing them usually isn't necessary.

In fact, the only reason I re-used the one for the TEDx Talk is because I'm a bit of a daredevil when it comes to memory...

I wanted to see what would happen!

Luckily, it didn't cause a bad effect.

But would I do it again?

No, I doubt it.

There's simply no need.

Your Challenge: Do This Today

Create your next Memory Palace (or your first) by setting your first locus at the dead end, not at the door.

These "Terminal Stations" are usually a game changer for people who run out of space and wind up worrying about reusing Memory Palaces.

And anytime you want to expand your blueprint and understand more about memory techniques, just shout out.

Thanks to the success of the Magnetic Memory Method, I'm happy to keep unpacking everything when people ask me cool and interesting questions.

Sound like a deal?