When I started using memory techniques back in grad school, I worried that I was going to quickly run out of Memory Palace ideas.

I had tons of textbooks to cover, after all!

The same worry occurred to me later when I needed to learn German.

In retrospect, it was a silly worry that I can laugh at now.

But even though I’d heard that many memory champions and professional mnemonists typically developed hundreds of these mnemonic tools in short order, I still doubted myself.

After all, back when I was in grad school I had barely traveled. I also still barely knew about the technique and how it really works.

I needn’t have worried, however. And nor should you.

That’s because today I’m giving you concrete examples from a wide variety of people.

Some come courtesy of students who have completed my Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass.

Others are from my friends in the worlds of either memory competition or memory training.

Yet others have been handed down to us from the ancient history of mnemonic methods.

I’ll even share with you a few of my own Memory Palace examples.

So, are you ready to dive in and discover where to find Memory Palaces?

Good. Let’s begin our search with a powerful tool for assessing what precisely makes the following possible locations worthy of your time and effort.

Before I dive into a list of examples, it’s useful to have a means of deciding whether or not one of today’s ideas will work for you.

Since the Memory Palace technique is based on the method of loci, I came up with a handy acronym for you:

Keep this “L.O.C.I.” acronym in mind as you sort through the Memory Palaces ideas that follow.

The Memory Palace technique usually involves buildings you’ve visited. These can include:

To give you a simple example of how I’ve used one of these locations, check out this quick drawing I made of my mnemonic image for the German word for “area” inside Berlin’s Tegel Airport:

I know, I know.

I’m not a great artist.

But that’s not the point.

The drawing involves Bender and the drummer Steve Reich in an area I was familiar with in the airport. I chose them because the sounds of their names combined reminds me of “Bereich” in Germany.

Why did I stick this strange image in the airport? In this case, it’s because airport starts with the letter ‘A.’ And although you can’t see it in the drawing, they are situated in the “area” of the airport where you can buy pretzels.

In German, pretzel is “das Bretzel” and Bender is trying to buy them from Steve Reich. But he’s getting drum sticks instead in that area of the airport.

If you’re new to combining mnemonic images with Memory Palaces, I know this can sound like there’s a lot going on.

But once you have a bunch of Memory Palaces, it will become very simple. Even intuitive.

So to begin the journey towards the ease I’ve experienced now for decades, start writing down possible locations from you life based on the list above.

And let me know in the comments: What additional possible Memory Palace examples come to your mind?

My personal preference used to be buildings and the only time I would stray was when I used vehicles to memorize playing cards.

These days, I’ve expanded my collection of Memory Palaces and use:

Some outdoor locations are too difficult because they don’t have enough landmarks.

So when I mention rivers, please understand that I’m using the Brisbane CityCat ferry stops. They’re still all outdoors locations, but their plan lends a specific structure to the mnemonic journey.

I’ve heard from a lot of people over the years who can’t travel or go outside.

That was once me too.

Long before I was able to travel the world, I spent most of my life indoors during the long Canadian winters.

For me, the initial key to getting together a number of Memory Palaces was to break my schools down to individual classrooms.

For example, in the Memory Palace drawing above, I indexed each room of the high school with the name of the teacher.

In other words, Mr. Ralston’s class was the R Memory Palace. Mr. Schmidt’s class was the S Memory Palace, and so on.

Although small, it was possible to use this one high school in a variety of ways.

Frankly, I believe schools are one of the best places to use as a Memory Palace because most of us spend hundreds, if not thousands of hours in them.

They also provide tactical benefits, including:

Although limited in size, it’s possible to use any human or animal body as a Memory Palace.

Ron White and I discussed his approach in depth in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method podcast.

As with all Memory Palaces, it’s important to keep the rules of L.O.C.I. I mentioned above in mind.

This approach is very difficult to tap out provided you develop a proper pegword system.

In brief, the pegword system I use gives me at least one person for each letter of the alphabet (Adam West for A, Brad Pitt for B, etc.)

Each figure has 10 Magnetic Stations.

This means that if you have one figure for each letter of the alphabet, you’ll have 260 stations per pegword list you develop.

You can prepare lists based on the kinds of categories used by many of our ancestors through ars combinatoria (the art of combination).

In other words, I just mentioned a couple of actors, but you can go far beyond that by having Body Memory Palace Networks based on:

I’m sure you can think of more categories. The key is to keep developing more over time.

And in case it isn’t obvious, you can double the strength of any Memory Palace by populating them with Body Memory Palaces.

This suggestion was inspired by a strategy outlined by Giordano Bruno in his book, Thirty Statues.

In his work, he suggests 30 Magnetic Stations per body. Personally, I find that too much so use Ron White’s suggestion of 10.

Let’s say you really like Body Memory Palaces.

You can also break the body down into sections.

When I use my fingers, for example, I think of them like objects.

Likewise my wrist when I memorized the carpal bones.

Essentially, your hand and other parts of your anatomy comprise geometrical shapes. To help you better break things down, give this tutorial on using geometrical shapes for your Memory Palaces a watch:

If you’d like to work with the cards you see in the video, they’re a wonderful product created by my fellow mnemonist John Michael Greer.

Other objects you can use include rings, keys, coins, even the buttons on your own shirt.

The key consideration when selecting objects is again found in the L.O.C.I. set of guidelines.

Although you can use a grain of sand as a Memory Palace… is it really going to help you achieve much?

Always keep the goal in mind as you develop your Memory Palace Networks.

Now, you might be wondering:

Is it possible to create Memory Palaces out of thin air?

Yes and no.

When thinking about virtual Memory Palaces, keep in mind that they are always referential.

Here’s what I mean:

Whether you choose a game that has a fortress in it, or develop one on your own, that imaginary fortress is based on your more practical concept of what similar buildings look like in reality.

Some people do just fine with such Memory Palaces and that’s great.

But for many of us it adds a level of cognitive load because we have to memorize the location or object to which we have no practical connection.

Here’s what matters most:

Experiment.

If you run into issues, no problem. You’ll have learned something.

Don’t run away too soon, however.

What you might struggle with in the beginning can soon become easy after a bit (or a lot) of deliberate practice.

During over a decade-and-a-half of teaching the Memory Palace technique, I’ve received countless examples from lifelong learners around the world.

Here are some of my favorite examples they’ve sent me.

As Kevin told me on the Magnetic Memory Method podcast, he originally learned about Memory Palaces and then dropped them for two years.

Eventually, he came back and used my teaching to help himself finally understand how to use the Memory Palace approach for language learning.

Next thing Kevin knew, he was able to understand tons of Japanese.

When Keko heard me talk about combining Memory Palaces with mind maps, she determined to give the technique a try.

As you can see above, she used my “sea shelling” principle to create a “path on paper” she could mentally navigate for spaced repetition of my lessons.

Although some minds might find this approach challenging, it’s worth experimenting with at least a few times.

I’ll never forget Lee Escobar reaching out for one-on-one coaching for a very specific goal.

As a speaker, he wanted to remember the names of all his attendees… and their seat number.

Having this knowledge committed to memory enabled him to write a highly personalized presentation that blew his audience away.

Don’t take my word for how amazing his results were after I showed him how to accomplish this goal.

Lee himself sent me the results to share with you via this video:

I’ve got dozens of success stories like this on my testimonial page.

But let’s turn now to some examples from memory champions and memory experts I’ve known over the years.

As far as I can tell, the only difference between people who become highly skilled with Memory Palaces and those who don’t is a willingness to study and practice this special mnemonic device.

Here are some of my favorite success stories.

When Jonathan Levi visited me in Berlin, the first thing he wanted was a personal lesson in creating the perfect Memory Palace for his upcoming TEDx Talk.

The image you see above is the result. It’s very similar to the kind of Memory Palace I used to memorize my own TEDx Talk several years later.

As a successful entrepreneur, Levi nailed that talk and even shared it in the presentation. Although he’s now a retired mnemonist, he taught memory techniques to thousands of people during his run.

We tested each other more than once during our many hang outs and he really knows his stuff.

Alex Mullen won the World Memory Championship three times.

As he has discussed and shared, he uses his own home as a main Memory Palace.

Want to know what it looks like inside?

Give this video a view:

Although I don’t have a picture of any of his Memory Palaces, I’ll never forget Don Michael Vickers telling us about how he uses locations like Tim Hortons during this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.

He’s so fast with his Memory Palaces, he memorized 50 words in just under 38 seconds?

You can watch him do it under official conditions on MemorysportsTV.

There are other examples from other pros, but these are my favorite that come to mind.

I’ve been using Memory Palaces for decades now. 2003 feels like a lifetime ago, but that’s when I first got into them.

I first learned about the technique via my interest in card magic and memdeck applications. Then I deepened my understanding by reading extensively about the ancient memory tradition.

Most of my Memory Palaces are simple, but some are a bit more complex. Here are my three favorites.

I still don’t know what I was thinking.

Jonathan Levi and I were developing a non-memory business together and the Magnetic Memory Method project was hopping.

But I’d so enjoyed visiting China and learning about the mnemonist Matteo Ricci‘s adventures there, I just knew I had to learn more about the language.

And so I did.

Without too much time on my hands, I used the Chinese classroom itself for much of the task. You see my sketch of it above.

I also combined a few mind maps with Memory Palaces, like this:

Finally, I used my optimized flashcard method quite a bit.

Although technically flashcards aren’t Memory Palaces, my colleague and Zettelkasten expert Sascha Fast recently told me he thinks they’re close enough. I agree.

When I visited Olly Richards in Cairo, I had big plans to learn as much Egyptian Arabic as possible while there.

A few days in, however, I fell off a camel. I got hurt so bad, I wound up not doing much language learning at all.

I did visit a bookstore in Zamalek, however.

It impressed me so much that I immediately sketched it out. I still use it to this day.

People ask me often about reusing Memory Palaces.

Although you certainly can do it, I normally prefer to avoid this practice. There are lots of issues that can arise, as discussed in this video tutorial about what mnemonists often call “ghosting”:

Call me crazy, but when I was asked to give a TEDx, I thought I’d risk it.

I’ve used this same Memory Palace three separate times. Not only that, I used it in three separate ways.

In addition to the TEDx Talk, there are two long-form mantras in it based around dozens of Sanskrit phrases.

I go into detail about how I managed to pull all of this off without making mistakes in the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass.

But to be frank with you: I won’t take that risk again.

It was worth it for the experiment, to be sure. But I ultimately feel that my performance of the talk would have been better in a completely unused Memory Palace.

In Sand Talk, Tyson Yunkaporta teaches a very simple Hand Memory Palace.

Basically, you link the rules for a meeting to your four fingers. As you touch your thumb and each finger together, you recite: “Connect, Respect, Reflect, Direct.”

I showed Tyson that I had used it during our interview and I’ve been using it ever since. There are many other ways to use hands as Memory Palaces, and I look forward to spending the rest of my life exploring them.

Now that we’ve gone through multiple ideas and plenty of examples, let’s get some of the most frequently asked questions answered.

I believe it’s best to give your mind the easiest possible option.

That could be your home, workplace or school.

The key is that the location is already in your memory.

I don’t advise people to memorize locations because that would be the “Memorized Palace technique.”

A true Memory Palace is based on a location already in your memory.

The answers vary.

Memory athletes need speed so their Memory Palaces tend to be clear.

For my personal projects, I often need a lot of volume. So I look for places with big rooms and large walls.

Originally, I struggled with hanging associations in the air. But now I’m much better at it and much of my TEDx Talk is outside.

Ultimately, I find that the more people practice, the more quickly they develop a personal “mnemonic style.” They develop an intuition for what kinds of Memory Palaces work best for their goals.

If you’re just starting out, I suggest getting familiar with 8-10.

That will prepare you for many more.

In the image above, you can see the Memory Palace I used for hiragana. It has 48 loci, which I could easily use because I’d already had years of experience.

That said, some people take to this technique very easily.

So it’s important that you experiment.

Try to avoid the idea that there are any “magic numbers.”

Set goals instead and develop Memory Palaces that will help you achieve them. You can always split large goals across multiple Memory Palaces.

First things first, having negative emotions associated with a location can make it a bad idea to use certain locations.

There are some exceptions to this rule, but generally I suggest picking either happy or emotionally neutral places.

Beyond that, if the locations are overly complex like shopping malls, this can be bad.

Not all hope is lost, however. You can always break shopping malls down into individual stores and corridors. I’ve done that quite a bit.

Some people say that the locations should not be bland or visually unexciting. I haven’t found that to be an issue personally, however.

Many university campuses feature buildings that aren’t particular exciting. They’re just long hallways with doors leading into classrooms.

But I’ve found them perfectly suitable, so long as I hold them in memory. In some cases, bland locations are the best because they don’t distract from the task at hand: using them to memorize information.

I believe you should develop as many as you possibly can across your lifetime.

Even if you only do it for the brain training, constantly exercising your spatial memory is a very good thing.

If you’re a lifelong learner, even better. You’ll easily remember what you study using the abundance of Memory Palaces you have on hand.

When I was just starting out, I had the benefit of years practicing both sleight-of-hand magic and music.

So I knew that it was going to be a lifelong learning journey that involved continually refining my technique and gathering more locations.

Now you have a proven framework that took me years to develop: L.O.C.I.

Always keep in mind that the best locations aren’t necessarily exotic. So long as they’re familiar and lend themselves to mental navigation, you’ll have no problem using them.

Treat your attention as the gateway to finding and using more Memory Palaces. They are literally every way. You just have to notice them and develop them.

Need more help? Sign up for my free memory improvement course:

It gives you four free video tutorials and three worksheets that walk you through everything you need to know.

So what do you say?

Are you ready to develop some Memory Palaces and use them to experience deeper recall, sharper thinking and long-term retention?

Make it happen!

The post Memory Palace Ideas from Lifelong Learners and World Class Pros appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Instantly memorizing what you need to know is the ultimate dream, isn’t it? Mnemonic devices can get you quite close to that learning goal.

But let’s face it.

There’s no such thing as perfect memory.

What we do have are the kinds of mnemonic tools we’re going to discuss today.

Including examples of people who have absorbed astonishing amounts of information using them.

How do I know so much about all of these memory boosting tools? In such depth?

For the past fifteen years, I’ve been operating as the host of the Magnetic Memory Method podcast. I have interviewed dozes of memory experts and memory athletes.

Not only do I interview people who use these techniques. I use them myself and have written many books about them.

As a result, I’ve received dozens of questions every week since 2012 from people who read my books and this blog.

I share my knowledge openly, especially since mnemonic devices to help me memorize a variety of things to complete my PhD during a time of intense struggle.

Later, mnemonics helped me learn German so I could teach in Germany, which I did for several years.

But for many people who don’t yet understand what mnemonic devices are and how to use them, their inability to remember anything presents the ultimate nightmare.

One reason people struggle to master their memory is simple:

There are so memory experts out there who use different terms for the core memory techniques you need to succeed. It can be confusing.

Don’t fret. on this page, I’ll help you understand everything and help you find the memorization approach that will work best for you.

Here’s what this post will cover:

What Is A Mnemonic Device?

So if you’re ready to dive in, let’s get started with…

The best mnemonic device definition we can start with is this:

Anything that helps you remember better is a mnemonic.

Even the dictionary says that mnemonic devices are anything: “assisting or intended to assist the memory.”

Many of them operate like mental snapshots.

But that’s a modern metaphor.

As you’re about to learn, the techniques are rooted in the ancient world.

They’re perfectly validated by modern memory science too. Researchers have tested everything from Aboriginal memory techniques, to mnemonics that are science-backed for use in schools.

Overall, “mnemonics” is a highly adaptable term. It’s ultimately an umbrella term that covers a wide range of tactics and strategies. As you’ll see, you can optimize in your personal practice.

Keeping the ancient world in mind, here are the major types of mnemonic devices in use today:

But here’s something to notice that might be helpful.

Flashcards really are “devices.” They are objects that you create and sort through using your hands.

Memory techniques like the Memory Palaces, however, involve the use of mental imagery as a process.

As memory expert David Berglas made clear in A Question of Memory, memory is not a unitary mechanism or a “thing.” It is a behavior.

And that is how you use mnemonic devices. You understand them as processes and then you sprinkle mnemonics into your life strategically so that applying them becomes part of your learning behaviors.

Of course, there’s more to it than that. Let’s have a look.

As a technique, mnemonics leverage visual memory, auditory memory, spatial memory and other natural types of memory.

At a basic level, research shows that mnemonics create stronger connections in the brain.

Here’s what weak memories look like in your brain.

When you use mnemonic devices to create stronger connections throughout your brain, the scans clearly paint a picture of much stronger memory:

One of the most impressive mnemonic tools you can use is the Memory Palace.

As this study from the brain science journal Neuron has shown, Memory Palaces helped people go from recalling an average of 30 words (from a list of 72) to remembering more than 60.

In other words, using this specific mental tool helped people double the amount they could remember.

Let me make these research findings concrete for you:

When I gave a TEDx presentation, I did more than merely memorize my talk.

On the day I delivered the speech in Melbourne, Australia, I also became deeply familiar with the people I met using a specific technique for memorizing names.

This means that I used a wide variety of techniques (see how to memorize a speech) and chose the specific mnemonic devices based on the circumstances.

This is just one of many examples where I’ve used multiple mnemonic types to accomplish incredible results in my life.

And all it takes is study and practice.

With deliberate practice in particular, you’ll find that using mnemonic devices happens almost on autopilot!

I just mentioned how I used a variety of techniques to memorize my TEDx Talk.

It’s possible to memorize just about anything you want when you have the core techniques under your belt. Including:

There’s literally nothing I’ve seen yet that mnemonics can’t help you remember. In fact, when I was invited to moderate at the 2023 Pan-American Memory Competition, the top memory athletes used a combination of the techniques on this page to memorize cloud formations.

In other words, it’s even possible to memorize abstract shapes when you use these techniques.

Let’s dig a little deeper using our list of mnemonic examples above.

My friend and language learning expert Gabriel Wyner inspired me to give these a try after reading his book, Fluent Forever.

Basically, instead of downloading software put together by a stranger, get some paper and colored pens. (Obviously, you also have all the information you want to memorize organized too.)

Next, use the paper and colors to help you create images. These images should remind you of the target information you want to recall.

Now, there’s a whole lot more going on in this example, so please keep it in mind. I’ll go deeper into it later in this post.

For now, if you’re worried about having a bunch of cards flying all over the place, don’t be. You can wrap them up in a Memory Palace drawing just like this:

Next, let’s look at how abbreviations can help.

Have you ever asked… what is it called when you use letters to remember words? As usual, there’s no one answer, but the first method is called an acronym.

For example, when I teach memory improvement in a live setting, I usually talk about how following the rules will set you F.R.E.E.

“Free” is a word that helps me remember the meta-rules students need to make learning with memory techniques easy and fun:

Frequent practice in a state of…

Just follow those rules as you use mnemonic devices and you will truly be free to memorize as much as you want.

The best part?

Because acronyms are a form of chunking, you can use this approach to lay out acronyms inside of a Memory Palace.

Chunking is a memory strategy more than it is a device, but by breaking information down into smaller groups, you’re following Miller’s Law.

George Miller was the psychologist who discovered chunking and noticed that our brains can hold 7±2 items in working memory at any given time.

Memory athletes make use of this principle all the time, as do learners who use acronyms.

Some example acronyms that people often use include:

Frankly, many of my students find acronyms to be the least effective mnemonic devices for learning semantic information.

That said, one study has shown compelling evidence that acronyms are good for remembering the sequence of actions in a task (sometimes called procedural memory).

That’s why I sometimes use the FREE acronym model when giving simple presentations. It’s proven to work for this kind of task. I just wouldn’t use acronyms for larger speeches or long term learning goals, like developing fluency in a language.

My point is this:

Use acronyms with caution, or at least combine them with the most powerful mnemonic device of them all, which is the one we’re going to cover next.

The Memory Palace is an ancient technique. It uses familiar spaces as a core mnemonic device.

It used to be called the method of loci because people would assign specific locations within a home or along a journey. Then they would place associations along this journey that helped remind them of various types of information.

You can start the process of using this technique now by thinking about a familiar location.

Next, chart out a logical journey that does not take energy from your memory. If you have to memorize the journey, it is not a good Memory Palace, so pick another location.

A Memory Palace must be based on your memory of the space. Do not memorize a location to use this technique – that would be called a Memorized Palace and simply takes too much work.

And don’t worry if you can’t remember each and every detail of a location.

For example, I once visited a bookstore in Zamalek. This is a part of Cairo, Egypt.

I don’t remember every single part of the bookstore and that’s find. As you can see in the illustration below, I used only the parts of the bookstore I remembered.

To help my brain reduce the cognitive load even further, I made a quick drawing of the space as part of the planning processed:

Keep in mind that I’m using the word “drawing.” But this is more like a “chicken scratch.” It’s purely for planning purposes and not meant to be high art.

Notice I’ve also drawn the Memory Palace on an index card (or flashcard). I do this because it makes it easy to store many of them for quick reference if I ever need them in the future.

Next, I strongly recommend that you write down the number of your stations and name them.

I find this step helps me “set and forget” the Memory Palace and ensure I’ve gotten it right the first time. It also helps me make sure that I don’t overload the Memory Palaces, an issue Peter of Ravenna identified with his memory students during the medieval period.

Inside of your first Memory Palace, place a list of mnemonics you create. These will be a kind of mnemonic that are multi-sensory.

For example, think back to that first image I shared above with the flashcards for Chinese. Those colorful drawings help me remember the sound and the meaning of the Mandarin words.

But those mental images aren’t just on the flashcards! They’re also mentally situated on stations in the Memory Palaces I use.

(Some people call these stations “loci.” It’s basically the same thing, but “Magnetic Station” is my preferred term because recent advancements make them much more powerful than the ancient teachings suggest.)

To make such imagery, you will want to complete a number of exercises.

For example, go through the alphabet and think of an image for each letter. The pegword method is a great way to explore this technique further.

If you’re really serious about mastering the Memory Palace technique, you can explore having an image on each and every station.

For example, when I memorize cards, I always have images on the stations to help me “trigger” the row of cards I’ll be placing and later recalling on a Magnetic Station.

Basically, what I’m talking about is multiple levels of linking all at once. Some people talk about the linking method in a weak way. Their suggestions amount to little more than “this links to that.” I don’t find that approach is strong enough and certainly don’t use linking as superficially as other teachers tend to describe the method.

What most of us need is for our association imagery to combine:

Furthermore, the real trick with these associative images is that they must:

And when you think about what mnemonic devices mean more holistically, each card is a kind of station in a Memory Palace.

Using a story (with or without a Memory Palace) is not much different than using, links pegs or associations. The only difference is that with the story method you’re adding the extra step of creating a narrative.

Why use it at all?

As Wang and Ross have demonstrated, the human brain is wired for story.

Stories also cause you to create strong cause-and-effect associations. They don’t have to be logical, but adding a certain rational element to them helps make recall effortless.

For example, let’s take the example of a time when I memorizes a list of names at an event in Brisbane that started with:

If you were using pegs, you would look at “h” when seeing Haley and associate her with something like Halley’s comet or a hat. Allan could be associated with an Allen key.

You can also spontaneously produce associations or have stock characters. For example, every Sharon could be Sharon Osbourne.

The story method, on the other hand, requires us to add a narrative to the association, such as:

Halley’s comet is crashing into an Allan key in the hands of Sharon who finds it burning hot and hands it to Andrew.

The story method can possibly be used without a Memory Palace. However, stories have parts. And those parts exist somewhere in your brain which means they are inherently spatially located.

I think you’ll find it a lot less mentally taxing to lay out any narrative elements you use in a Memory Palace.

Another way to approach the story method is to use a movie or novel plot you know well.

For example, let’s say you have mentally reduced The Matrix series down to three scenes: the hotel, the desert of the real, and Neo’s cabin on Morpheus’ ship.

For the first piece of information you want to remember, you would use the first room and perhaps Trinity doing her flying kick. Then you would move on to the next location for the next piece of information.

This example shows how stories are always spatial in nature… after all, if they don’t take place somewhere… how can they be stories?

Closely related to the story method is the number rhyme technique.

It works through what some scientists call “phonological encoding.”

To use rhyming mnemonics as part of creating supercharged recall, you need to first create your rhymes.

The ones I use are:

There are different ways to use number rhymes. For example, if you have to remember a list, you can associate the first item with a bun.

You are essentially making a tiny story. If the first item is a carrot, you put that carrot in a bun, which is kind of weird and memorable.

Likewise lettuce inside your shoes will be difficult to forget.

One of my favorite approaches involves making stories from numbers that I imagine as different types of shapes.

To use it, you think about what the numbers 0-9 look like. Then you associate them with those shapes.

Here’s my list:

To make a story using this technique, you could simply have your number one item being burned by a candle.

Your second item takes a ride on a swan, and so forth.

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong with these techniques. You can use stories on your own or amplify them with either number rhymes or number shapes.

The choice basically comes down to your level of skill, the context, and the nature of the information.

When it comes to memorizing numbers themselves, there are some very powerful mnemonic devices to discuss. Let’s examine the first of them next, and I do hope you find an opportunity to learn and use it.

When it comes to associative imagery, the alphabet is a great tool. But it can also be mixed with numbers.

The Major System (often called the Major Method) helps you associate a consonant with each digit from 0-9. This mnemonic device has been in use since the Katapayadi of ancient India.

A more common approach that has been in use since the 1700s looks like this:

A more recent innovation is the Dominic System. It has some key differences, so make sure to study both.

PAO stands for Person, Action, Object. Basically, you’re taking the Major System and using it to help you make words from numbers.

Here are some examples from mine:

Notice that I’ve put some concrete examples for you in parentheses. I’ve done this because “sad” is not very evocative. It’s just a concept.

But when I think of a tragedy mask, it links the word based on the Major more closely to the concept of sadness.

To make the mnemonic connection even more specific, I think of the tragedy mask worn by William Shatner in Oedipus Rex. As you might already be thinking, the process I’m sharing adds a layer of elaboration that works by adding in a bit of the story method.

Tony Buzan is one of the greatest innovators of mind mapping, but he says in Mind Map Mastery that he abandoned this technique for improving memory back in the 70s.

He focused more on using keywords that help with creativity, problem-solving, and planning.

I feel that the conclusion to remove their use as a memorization tool was premature. If you would like to learn how to combine mind maps with Memory Palaces, for example, here’s a simple way to also add in the Major System for incredible results:

As you can see, it’s fun to mix keywords with the Major Method on paper in a way that turns the mind map into a simple Memory Palace.

And this is really just the beginning when it comes to learning how to remember things.

It’s not just that there are a TON of mnemonic devices to choose from. It’s that we get to delight in how they can be mixed and matched in so many ways.

We’re incredibly lucky.

Although it can be confusing, the Internet has enabled dozens of memory competitors, memory athletes, and plain ol’ memory fanatics like me to create tons of free content for the world.

Even though it’s easy to get lost in the intricacies, remember: Memory is not a thing. It is a behavior.

Dive into each of the approaches you learned today.

Really dig deep into their nuances through practice.

Let me know if you found this guide helpful and comment below. If there are mnemonic devices I missed, please share it so I can update this post. All of us will be eternally grateful.

And if you want to learn more about how to make the most of your new mnemonic strategies using a Memory Palace, pick up your free copy of the memory improvement kit today. Just go ahead and click this image to get started:

The post Mnemonic Devices: Top 10 Tools For Boosting Your Memory Fast appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Mindfulness expert Michael Taft had long know about the Memory Palace technique.

But something was missing.

An ingredient absolutely critical for success in memorizing mantras for meditation.

Join in as Michael Taft, host of the Deconstructing Yourself podcast and author of The Mindful Geek, discusses with me ways that ancient memory methods can enhance mindfulness and spiritual growth.

All the more so when you have the missing ingredient that evaded him for so long.

To that end, in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you’ll learn a powerful spaced repetition strategy for mantra meditation that most people unfortunately miss.

And you’ll discover science-backed approaches to training your mind as we explore the challenging aspects of meditation practice rarely discussed by traditional teachers.

Michael shares insights from both contemplative traditions and modern scientific insights, offering a unique bridge between multiple worlds of knowledge.

Whether you’re a seasoned meditator looking to deepen your practice or a memory enthusiast curious about spiritual applications, our discussion takes you deep into practical techniques for combining memory palaces with meditation.

In this transformative episode, we explore:

Michael Taft is a highly-regarded mindfulness teacher, author, autodidact and thought leader working at the intersection of contemplative practices and neuroscience.

With decades of experience, he is a voice many look to for deeper results from their meditation practice.

As Michael shares with us in this episode, his commitment to mindfulness goes back decades.

He’s studied and collaborated with some of the most accomplished professionals in the field, paying forward the absolute best techniques for establishing clarity, calm and more concentration in your life.

His groundbreaking book, The Mindful Geek struck a chord with me personally. As a mostly skeptical person, his demystification of various “woo-woo” ideas helped me be more open to exploring why they may have evolved. And why they might be useful to engage with even if I’m skeptical.

When you listen to the Deconstructing Yourself podcast, you’ll find Michael’s style is warm, but also characterized by a no-nonsense approach.

I hope to one day attend one of his mindfulness retreats and suggest you connect with him for news of upcoming opportunities.

And above all, I hope his experience encourages you to discover and implement the missing ingredient.

It has a name in the memory science, which is spaced repetition. Just make sure to add ye olde “Magnetic” twist!

Connect with Michael Taft:

Deconstructing Yourself Podcast

The Mindful Geek book

Michael’s YouTube channel

The post A Memory Palace Method for Mindfulness: The Missing Ingredient Revealed with Michael Taft appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

The best way to study flashcards is not to study them at all.

Now, before you bounce away, hear me out.

There’s a small set of techniques that make learning with flashcards so fast, you really won’t feel like you’re studying at all.

Instead, you’ll feel like you’re creating the knowledge you want to learn.

Isn’t that exciting?

I’ve been using cards for decades and spent hundreds of hours experimenting to find out how to memorize flashcards effectively.

I’ve used them to help me learn languages and get my Ph.d. at York University in Toronto.

Later, I used optimized flashcards to help me lecture at the University of Saarland in German.

And on this page, I’ll share with you the best tips I’ve discovered along the way. That way, you can also enjoy similar results.

Ready?

Let’s dive in.

There are a small number of steps to follow.

They’re easy to learn, but let’s not beat around the bush.

What I’m going to share may feel counterintuitive at first.

You probably won’t be used to thinking or learning in these ways.

But please don’t stress it.

To get comfortable with the approach, I’m about to teach. You just need to practice.

Seeing me talk about how I link some of my own flashcards with a variety of mnemonic devices will also help. That’s why I’ve included videos for you on this page.

Now that you know this particular approach to flashcards involves some highly specific mnemonic strategies, here’s step-by-step information on how to set yourself up for success.

Before you start making flashcards or committing them to memory, it’s important to have a strategy for identifying the main points.

Often, your study material is loaded with clues. Knowing how to analyze your information sources is key, so be sure to learn how to memorize a textbook effectively.

Typically, 3×5 is a good size. It helps you focus on recording just the key points.

However, you may need to experiment first with a few different sizes. Use discernment and your own experiments to find out what sizes are best for you.

And don’t hesitate to use different sized flashcards for different kinds of learning projects.

Also, keep in mind that you can always photograph cards of any size and import them into a spaced-repetition software like Anki.

Nothing limits your imagination like using just one color.

I try to always use at least 3 colors in each of my cards, a tip I learned from memory expert Tony Buzan.

Not only does using multiple colors make the card creation process more interesting. It also makes looking at your cards later much more engaging.

When learning how to study with flashcards, it’s easy to get stuck on using words.

By the same token, people with aphantasia cannot fully or partially visualize.

That’s where this next tip comes in handy:

Even with limited artistic skills, it’s important to incorporate images as much as you can.

Even the simplest of sketches will help you with the next tip.

I sometimes joke that my drawings look more like chicken scratches – and that’s probably too much praise.

But here’s the important point, especially for people who do not easily see images in their mind:

All that matters is that you can recognize your quick doodles on the cards. And as the next makes clear, even if you have to guess at your own drawings some of the time, that will actually help your brain start establishing the desired memories.

The number one problem people face when using flashcards is rote repetition. This is when they use the cards to repeatedly expose themselves to the information.

That is no fun!

Instead, use keywords, images and even empty spaces to give your mind the opportunity to fill-in-the-blanks.

Let’s talk about the empty space principle in a bit more detail.

This simple flashcard creation strategy lets you harness the power of active recall.

For example, on this card for the Mandarin word Měishù guǎn or art gallery, there’s a line instead of an image for the guǎn sound.

When looking at the card, I know it’s my job to press my imagination for a solution. Although it might seem uncomfortable, it’s the stretch that helped me pass my Chinese test with flying colors, including the Chinese characters. I was happy because I was able to reach almost as many words that are needed for basic fluency in this language.

We’ll talk more in a minute about how we use our imagination, but for now, make use of this principle as often as you can. It’s powerful.

Many people will be reluctant to leave out critical information when first creating flashcards in this manner.

But it is a very strong learning strategy I recommend you experiment with as soon as you feel confident.

So that you can develop confidence quickly, start with memorizing a simple list from a set of cards you create for practice.

And understand why putting too much information on your cards is such a bad idea:

Including the answers on the back of your flashcards is problematic because it leads to cheating. When you know you can just glance at the answers, you’re tempted to do so. Instead of trying to generate the answer from memory, which will strengthen your recall.

Worse, cheating by peeking at the answers is a huge problem because it leads you into the memory-destroying boredom of rote learning.

So as you build up to using flashcards as puzzles your mind has to solve to reinforce what you’re learning, use plenty of puzzles and blank spaces.

For example, on this card for the word Kǎoshì or test/exam, multiple colors have been used (black, white and pink).

On the backside of the card, notice how the blank space creates a puzzle to be solved, avoiding the horrible boredom of rote repetition:

Rest assured, this tactic is scientifically valid. It’s called a Cloze test.

Using this kind fill-in-the-blanks approach will massively boost your retention in a short period of time.

Although flashcards focus a lot on our hands and eyes, we don’t want to leave out our imagination.

As you create your cards and the associations that will help you remember definitions and key terms, include at least these sensations:

Here’s an example of what I mean.

The Měishù guǎn example pictured above and discussed in the video included with this post is not just a picture of Aunt May, some shoes, a blank space and some art in a gallery.

In my mind, I am physically feeling Aunt May kick a boot at my image for guǎn, which is a musical group called Gwar.

I can hear the sound of the boot hitting them and see them getting angry. I experience their anger and conceptualize their plans for revenge. They are going to burn all the art in the art gallery, which allows me to imagine the smell of fire and the taste of soot in my mouth.

I also take a second to imagine how big everything is and exaggerate the sizes. Combined, all of this multi-sensory association and visualization exercise makes the learning process so much faster.

Rather than passively move through your cards, actively ask questions in order to study more effectively.

If you don’t, it’s easy to get frustrated.

My favorite question is, “What is this image trying to tell me?”

Then I focus on the clues and work it out verbally.

It’s important to get your mouth involved in order to help you harness the levels of processing effect.

In addition to speaking and answering your cards out loud, you can also keep a memory journal. Doing so will deepen your brain’s processing of the learning material even further.

To memorize flashcards effectively, you need to reduce repetition by following all of the steps outlined above.

But none of us can reduce repetition entirely.

For best results, go through your cards in small, reasonably sized sets. I prefer 10-20 sets at a time.

Then, craft a schedule based on a pattern like:

But that time, you should have everything in long term memory that will in many cases last for life.

If you want to speed up the process, consider also using a Memory Palace.

For more scheduling tips, I share some of my best strategies in a post called How to Teach Yourself.

Basically, once you have your memory skills amplified, really all that remains beside comprehending and implementing what you learn is time management.

As powerful as flashcards can be, I don’t recommend using them in isolation.

Instead, consider combining them with the Memory Palace technique and mind mapping.

A powerful way to add your cards to a Memory Palace is to simply number them. Then, place a version of each association on your cards at a Magnetic Station in your Memory Palace for that number.

In other words, the fifth card’s information goes on the fifth station of its Memory Palace.

When it comes to mind mapping, I highly recommend reading Mind Map Mastery and checking out the work of Phil Chambers and Marek Kasperski.

Today’s suggestions will serve you well, so please explore them systematically.

But it’s also important to experiment. And also to improve your use of flashcards over time.

For example, as you grow with using cards optimized in the ways we’ve discussed today, you can interconnect them. To do that, I suggest exploring Zettelkasten and Leitner Boxes.

And let your own solutions arise.

When ideas come to mind that you think might work, give them a try.

Seriously.

I’m aware of no “Flashcard Police” anywhere on the planet.

Also, put aside your fears of wasting time or failure.

Mistakes will be made, but experimenting with new learning techniques and your ideas cannot waste time.

You will only learn new things that help speed your progress. The only waste that happens is when people let the fear of trying new things stand in their way.

And if you like trying new things and learning to put fear aside, check out my FREE Memory Improvement Course:

In it, you’ll learn to use even more memory techniques than we’ve discussed today. These memory hacks are fast, fun, effective and always like a game.

So what do you say?

Are you ready to take your flashcard game to the next level?

Give it a go and enjoy the learning journey!

The post How to Memorize Flashcards Quickly and Permanently appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

The number one reason students struggle to find the main points in their assigned reading is simple:

You are being tested on your ability to figure out what they are and why they’re important.

Teachers worth their salt won’t give you the answers because to do so violates your ability to learn this skill.

Why is this true?

Because all of human progress relies upon unique and innovative solutions to problems.

And knowing how to find the key points in an article is something that is learned by doing.

Plus, content is not king in this regard.

Instead, context is god.

So you not only need to practice identifying what the key points are.

You need to justify in your own words why those points are so important.

The best part?

I have tips for you that will help you improve your skills in not only finding the main points, but also explaining why those points count.

And I’ll teach you how I as a person with two MAs and a PhD earned my degrees by doing just that: finding, outlining and justifying each key point.

Ready to see A+ written all over your report cards and university transcripts?

Let’s get started!

I’m going to give you a bunch of tips in this article from my years as a university student and professor. But let’s start with the most important of them all:

When you follow these four simple tips, you can skim and scan books quite effectively. You still want to read them thoroughly for best results, but by following these tips, you’ll get much more out of the process.

I’ll expand on each of these points in greater detail below. But first, let’s spend a moment exploring the exact definition of “main point.” The meaning of this term might surprise you.

A main point has several aspects to it. For starters, we have:

Now, you might think that this is splitting hairs.

But as Stanley Fish put it, “the world is one thing, words another.”

Fish is the author of How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One. A huge part of his point is that there’s a difference between what a person actually means and how words can be interpreted in many different ways.

There’s a word for this problem: Polysemy. We face it when “a single word, phrase, or concept has more than one meaning or connotation.”

Because many sentences have this issue, the main idea of a passage almost always requires interpretation in your own words.

And if you want to interpret really well, you need to give evidence to demonstrate why your take on the meaning of the passage is valid.

So we might as well face an uncomfortable truth: 

To a certain extent, a main point is what you say it is plus what you can validate through argumentation.

The definition I’ve just given applies to all aspects of life, but might not be what a teacher in a classroom is looking for from you.

It may be that you need to give a specific answer. This is why I say that “context is god.” In order to pass a test or get an A+ on a paper, the right answer might not be in your control no matter how much evidence you provide.

I’ve personally suffered situations several times where in multiple choice exams, the wording of the question made it impossible to give the best possible answer.

That’s why I’m glad that I used to follow a few simple steps:

Once in the exam setting, if I could not figure out what answer the person grading the exam considered correct, I took a detour.

Many times, I have handwritten on the reverse side of my exams simple messages.

In these notes addressed to the examiners, I explained that I  could not give an answer in good faith. Then I would write a full explanation of why I thought the question was worded poorly. Finally, I gave the answer in prose that I felt was the best possible answer to what I felt was a better way of framing the question.

Although I cannot advise you to do the same, this strategy saved my skin in several exams. I always passed and ultimately completed most of my degrees with honor, something that would have been impossible if I had followed the “rules.”

In my case, my main idea paragraphs (or what I sometimes called “paragrowls”) saved my skin many times. And the strategy I’m sharing with you is not so outlandish. According to this study, almost 50% of students underestimate their own understanding.

That means you’re well-within reason if you think an exam question is incorrectly or confusingly written. I didn’t know about this study at the time, but I’m glad I didn’t underestimate my own comprehension.

And now you know that you don’t have to underestimate yours.

At the end of the day, the best way to know the main point is to question everything.

Ask yourself:

By asking and answering questions like these, in combination with the strategies I’ve shared for how I used to pass exams, you should feel confident that you can find the main points much easier now.

And if you keep finding that you can’t remember what you read, make sure that you’re writing out the answers to the questions you’re asking. You probably need an additional layer of mental processing.

I write a lot myself, precisely because writing helps get the information out of my mind and into my body.

You might think that sounds strange, but recent research into how memory works shows that some of our memories are encoded in cells outside of the brain. Learning is literally a “whole body” experience, so make sure you get in as much writing as possible.

Subpoints are fairly easy to define.

Remember how I said that we need to validate our opinion about what counts as a main point?

Authors of books and articles need to do this too. By offering subpoints is how they do it.

A subpoint typically involves:

For a quick example of a subpoint, just scroll up.

When I mentioned that I’ve passed all my exams so well that I’ve earned the highest degrees you can get at a university, that was a subpoint. It is providing evidence to support the claim that my strategy is valid.

I could actually make the claim even more valid by providing proof that I have a Ph.d., such as by giving you this link to the alumni page of York University’s graduate program in Humanities.

Are subpoints more important than the main points?

In many ways, yes. They are often the evidence that substantiates the main point. Or they provide the nuances or historical background that help explain what makes the main point important.

Now that we have defined main ideas and subpoints, let’s talk about some powerful ways to find them. 

The following steps do not have to be followed in any particular order, though I do suggest always starting with the first one.

As I mentioned, a teacher or examiner may have a definition of what counts as the main point. I’ve given you some strategies for figuring that out.

All you have to do after determining what counts as a main point in your particular context is to read the books with that definition in mind. Searching for information based on a goal is a key part of reading faster, so take a second to write out the specific goal every time you sit down to read.

If you’re completing a doctoral dissertation or writing a book like I often do, the burden is a bit heavier. Your goal is to have a research question before you start reading.

Answering this question, and any sub-questions you may have, is your goal.

Because it’s not always possible to know the main idea of a story or scholarly book I’m reading, I take notes on cards.

I shared a detailed tutorial on how I do this in How to Memorize a Textbook.

As I discuss in that post, there are several benefits to taking notes on cards. The main one is studying faster. Another is how using physical cards helps you constantly reshape your “deck of notes.”

The more you read, the more your idea of what counts as an important point might change, as will the subpoints you notice.

Keep in mind that subpoints don’t always have to come from the same source. As a former university professor myself, I can tell you that one way to make sure you get an A+ on your essays is to cross-reference several articles.

By doing this as much as possible in your writing and when answering exam questions, you’re demonstrating reflective thinking. This impresses your graders and will later impress hiring managers too.

One of the best things you can do is test your assumption that a point is as important as it seems.

You can test the validity of what you’ve decided are the most important details in your reading by:

Ultimately, having your test, submitted assignment or the things you write yourself graded or scored by others is the ultimate validation. You need either the feedback of your teacher or comments from the court of public opinion to know if you’ve hit paydirt.

And that’s a very good thing. External validation is a huge part of how we grow.

Yes, it takes some courage and sometimes you might get things wrong.

What then?

The answer is simple:

Be willing to admit that a mistake was made. Then commit to improving in the future. So long as you commit to doing that, you cannot lose.

There’s an ancient technique for finding out what really matters in any given text.

It involves using a Memory Palace.

Basically, you memorize a few details, or entire quotes. Then, you analyze them from within memory.

By doing this, you’re able to consider them in a way that is much deeper than if they are only partially absorbed in your mind.

If you’d like to learn more about this technique, consider going through my Free Memory Improvement Course:

This approach has helped me many times throughout the years, not only for academic goals, but also personal progress in other areas of life. I’m talking about health, mindfulness and professional matters.

Give it a try, and let me know:

What questions do you still have about identifying the main points in the texts that you’re reading? I love updating posts and answering questions in the comments.

And that’s another strategy you might consider:

Online discussion. It’s a great way to figure out what matters most to yourself and others.

The post How to Find The Main Points in an Article or Book appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

If you’re wondering what specific causes of forgetting are holding you back from acing exams or getting (and keeping) a great job, you’re in the right place.

As a graduate student, and later as a professor, I worked hard on eliminating various issues that harmed my memory.

I’m talking about everything from improving my diet to dealing with childhood trauma.

These days, I battle ageing and take action every day to keep my stress in check.

On this page, I’ll share with you everything I’ve learned about eliminating issues that harm my ability to recall critical information.

And everything I do as someone who writes, blogs and podcasts for a living. As a memory expert, I absolutely have to make sure that whatever is behind my forgetfulness is quickly and thoroughly handled.

By the end of this article, you’ll be able to effectively eliminate the gremlins causing you to forget too.

Ready?

Let’s dive in, starting with this handy infographic I created to list all of the major issues that could be causing your memory to operate in less than spectacular ways.

As we go through this list of, it’s useful to quickly define exactly what forgetting is.

Sure, it’s obvious, but let’s look at forgetfulness in all of its dimensions.

Forgetting specifically speaks to any situation in which:

With this nuanced definition of forgetting under our belt, let’s look at the most common causes behind why we sometimes struggle or fail to remember a variety of information types.

Sounds brutal, right?

Yes, but “decay” is the right word. As you’ll see, my personal experience with deliberately testing it proves the case.

According to scientific work conducted back in the 1950s, time is the number one factor behind why our memories fade.

But the term itself goes back to Edward Thorndike‘s work in a 1914 book called The Psychology of Learning. He was influenced by Hermann Ebbinghaus’ “forgetting curve.”

You’ve probably felt what it’s like for memories to fade, or “slip.” That’s what the forgetting curve described: how long it takes for something learned to slide beyond your ability to recall it.

To beat the forgetting curve, you just need to use spaced repetition.

The difference between the decay theory of forgetting and Ebbinghaus’ curve is that the forgetting curve assumes you’re still trying to recall the information during regular intervals.

Decay theory, on the other hand, describes the amount of time it takes for information to exit your memory after a period or not accessing it.

This explanation basically matches a phrase that we use all the time: “Use it or lose it.”

Although that phrase doesn’t sound all that scientific, there are principles of deliberate practice and spaced repetition that help ensure we do continue using information.

Personally, I’ve experimented with the decay theory by deliberately not reciting the Song Celestial. This set of Sanskrit phrases took a few weeks to memorize.

After three months of not reciting them, I found that I could still recite the first 10. But beyond that, the word “decay” definitely applied.

After the first ten, the rest of the phrases had crumbled. Sure, I could get back some of the words in some of the phrases, but there was literally “decay” that had eaten into them.

It was an interesting experiment, but the tragedy is that I would need to memorize them again if I wanted to be able to either speak them aloud or review them mentally.

Thankfully, I have maintained several other long-form pieces in Sanskrit that I do main. 

You’ve probably experienced interference many times. It happens a lot during arguments, for example. Someone establishes a point that you want to raise later, only to have it disappear from your mind.

Less dramatically, imagine the following scenario:

Someone introduces themselves and before you can commit their name to memory, they tell you something else that completely knocks it from your mind.

This happens not only because of interference, but because short-term memory only has a few seconds to encode the memory. If it doesn’t stay in working memory so that the information can enter long-term memory, it will typically be gone for good.

Another aspect of interference involves competition between similar memories. In the memory improvement world, we sometimes call this The Ugly Sister Effect or “ghosting.”

As a key explanation for why you keep forgetting things, it’s highly recommended to use memory techniques to handle the issue.

If you’ve ever felt like information you wanted to remember was on the tip of your tongue but you couldn’t quite get it, the failure of that attempt is called retrieval failure.

The relationship between recall and retrieval is a big topic. But you can easily improve the connections in your memory by working on a variety of memory skills.

The exact mnemonic strategies you use to combat retrieval failure should be dictated by your specific learning goals, not just how memory works. This point is important because sometimes people choose the wrong approach when combatting this particular cause of forgetting.

It’s also normal for failure to happen once in awhile. I’m on podcasts quite a bit and recently struggled to remember a certain Sanskrit phrase I normally know well when discussing language learning with Luke Ranieri. If it happens to you, don’t beat yourself up about it, but use reflective thinking instead to get to the bottom of how you can improve.

As strange as it sounds, sometimes people either forget on purpose, or work very hard at it.

Scientists don’t yet fully understand this type of forgetting. Nonetheless, this study suggests that people can and do impair their ability to retain certain types of information.

Another word for this kind of forgetting is “repression,” not to be mistaken with the kind that Freud meant.

If you’re interested in diving deep into this form of forgetting, I suggest the psychoanalytical works of Robert Langs.

One of this theories was that patients often challenge the psychoanalyst in order to avoid doing the healing work of introspection. But they will unconsciously ask to be guided.

In his book, Psychotherapy: A Basic Text, he talks about how a patient “forgot” to put the right decimal amount on a cheque for the therapeutic fee. Langs interpreted this as a communication to the doctor and created basic “boundary” rules for helping patients recognized their motivated forgetting and the issues underlying them.

Although many have been critical of Langs’ theories, I’ve personally found them useful.

One thing you can watch for yourself and in others are similar lapses in memory that may encode deeper meanings. I often catch myself “forgetting” to do things, and journal about why that might be happening. It’s been incredibly helpful for increasing my productivity and facing fewer consequences from unnecessary lapses.

As I age, I definitely notice that I don’t remember things as well as when I was younger.

Ironically, memory athletes like James Gerwing exist. He won a memory competition after retiring in his sixties.

I also remember both Tony Buzan and Harry Lorayne fondly – as memory experts, they were incredibly sharp in their 70s and 80s.

Ideally, I’ll also be that sharp. But in order to achieve that, I’ll need to continually exercise my memory.

That’s no problem at all. I absolutely love doing so by learning languages and memorizing speeches, like my TEDx Talk.

In order to combat ageing holistically, however, lots of socialization is also needed. That and solid sleep for memory and taking care to eat foods that improve memory.

This is a big one.

As Harry Lorayne often pointed out, there’s no point in using memory techniques if you’re not going to practice focused attention.

How to focus better so that information gets encoded into your memory in the first place?

One of the best ways is spend a bit of time each day with one of several concentration meditations.

You can also bring a level of intention to various situations.

For example, when I read books for research purposes, I set an intention to “hunt” for the main points. This attention strategy is tremendously useful for creating focus throughout my study sessions.

I mentioned my TEDx Talk above. It’s a snippet from my book The Victorious Mind.

In this book, I share how I wanted to stop forgetting once and for all and used something called the Memory Palace technique to help address trauma I experienced while younger.

As a result of applying this technique, much of anxiety has disappeared. It might sound fantastic, but I learned about the idea from a research study that demonstrates just how useful the method of loci (a.k.a. Memory Palace technique). As Tim Dalgleish and his fellow researchers found, people who use this ancient memory technique experienced relief from depression.

Why exactly trauma and stress harm memory isn’t well known. In fact, sometimes stress can cause us to remember more than we’d like.

Either way, the point is that anxiety and memory go together. Working on one will help resolve issues with the other.

There are more issues we could discuss, such as substance abuse, various medical conditions and situations like simply disliking school.

But if you’re keep to just get on with your learning life, here’s what I suggest.

I’ve put together a free course that teaches you the Memory Palace technique that helped finally stop forgetting. Sign up here:

In full transparency, this course will also challenge you and your memory.

The notion of challenge presents another hidden cause of forgetting:

Many of us fail to take on challenges.

That’s what this course will help you do:

Give your memory a good workout through simple and fun steps.

It’s just that they’re not too simple. And that’s important because scientists have fully evidenced the active recall activities you’ll go through on the journey to remembering more.

So, what do you say?

Ready to remove forgetting and start relying on your memory?

Make it happen!

The post 7 Causes Of Forgetting And How To Eliminate Them Quickly appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Worried about artificial intelligence and how it possibly threatens human memory? Not Andrew Mayne.

And he’s got me convinced.

That’s why I’m thrilled to share with you this exclusive deep dive into the ancient world of the Memory Palace technique, but…

With a twist – this time we’re discussing the ancient art of memory through the lens of AI.

In this hope-inspiring conversation, AI expert, innovator, magician and novelist Andrew Mayne shares his passion for memory techniques.

And he unfolds why preserving our older approach to the tradition matters.

Perhaps more than ever before.

In fact, Andrew’s on a mission that might seem contradictory.

On the one hand, he’s all about promote cutting-edge technology.

On the other, Andrew wants to inspire us to preserve our age-old memorization techniques. Andrew’s exploration of AI for Memory Palace creation is nothing short of extraordinary – and just as thrilling as his novels given what he’s concluded so far.

Whether you’re a student looking to ace your exams, a professional aiming to remember more in less time, or just someone fascinated by the intersection of technology and human potential, this discussion will be a point of inspiration as you continue to develop enhanced memory capabilities.

If you’d like to learn more about Andrew and his incredible output, here is a link library for you to explore:

For a related podcast on ancient technologies and memory, check out my discussion with Lynne Kelly about The Knowledge Gene.

And to continue the theme of magic, see what you think when I try to use a magic trick by way of testing Nelson Dellis’ theory of remote viewing.

Thanks for listening or watching and hope to hang out with you again soon on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast!

The post Andrew Mayne’s AI-Inspired Quest To Master the Memory Palace Technique appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Memory training techniques involve more than just training.

In fact, the use of mnemonics is an ancient art, craft and science practiced around the world.

And it’s not new. People have been training their memory for thousands of years.

The best part?

They’ve left many wonderful tips we can use to learn, memorize and recall more information in ways that are fast, easy and fun.

Whether we’re talking about Matteo Ricci’s recipe to overcome forgetfulness or French scholar Aimé Paris’ Mnemonic Major System, strengthening the cerebral muscles of memory has mattered to people across time and around the world.

In fact, there are numerous techniques used worldwide by memory champions as well as amateurs to train their brain.

On this page, I’ll share the best memory training techniques I know from my years of experience teaching mnemonic strategies.

As a PhD in Humanities, memory is more than just a research focus for me. I’m also a practicing mnemonist who uses these techniques myself.

Ready to train?

Let’s dive in!

As we go through this list, keep in mind that there’s no particular order of importance.

They all matter and each one is well-worth spending time learning.

The only catch is that a bit of time does need to be spent. But it will be worth it once you see the results of better memory flowing into your life.

Most people start with creating mnemonic links. It’s an excellent place to start training, as advised by some of the best memory experts (Harry Lorayne, Tony Buzan, myself and many more).

What is it?

Linking involves assigning vivid associations between what you want to learn and information you already know.

For example, let’s say you need to remember a list of words like apple, book and dog.

Since an apple is basically abstract until you think of a specific apple, you would make a mnemonic link with an Apple computer. You would then imagine an Apple computer interacting with a specific book, such as your family Bible in the jaws of your favorite dog.

By making the associations specific like this, you’re training your mind and memory to remember better. This core memory training technique is the basis of most Memory Palace books and I highly recommend that you master it.

Basic linking is something you can do on the fly.

However, if you really want to train, learn the pegword method and develop your associations in advance.

That’s the core difference between linking and pegwords: linking is done on the fly. Pegs involve applying mnemonic images you’ve already decided upon.

How to get trained with advanced pegs?

Set some time aside and learn each of these mnemonic systems:

If you learn them in that specific order, you’ll advance a lot faster in your memory training efforts.

People use the term “keyword” differently in the world of memory training techniques.

In some cases, they mean the pegword method we’ve just discussed. In other words, they are applying their pegs as keywords they will use in the form of associations.

In other cases, people mean that they are looking at memorizing a word like “potato” and using a “pot” as an association – literally someone smoking pot that looks like a potato.

Is this really different than linking or using a pegword system? Not so much.

However, it gets much more strategic when you are searching for the main points in a book or article.

In this case, you can memorize two or three words and remember a lot more thanks to mnemonic compression and decompression.

The keyword mnemonic technique also applies to memorizing a speech. For example, when I memorized my TEDx Talk, I didn’t memorize every single word.

No, I just pulled out the keywords and memorized those. That made the process much faster, and as you can tell by the millions of views it has garnered, it was a success.

For your memory training activities, I highly recommend memorizing either a speech or commit some poetry to memory. It will rapidly teach you the power of reducing passages down to keywords.

The core idea of alphanumerics has already been covered in the pegword section. To use it, you simply link consonants to the digits 0-9.

Here’s the exact pattern I use:

Once you have the Major System in place, you can build it out to something like Alex Mullen’s PAO system. Fun fact: It is precisely this alphanumeric number system that enabled him to memorize a deck of cards in less than 17 seconds!

I’m not that fast myself, but it is the system I use in my memdeck work using the Tamariz stack as a card magician.

These are good questions and I believe everyone should expose themselves to as many memory experts as possible.

Please don’t get the wrong idea. This system isn’t just about training yourself to memorize numbers like pi or playing cards.

Like honing any other skill or strengthening your body’s core muscles, it’s about hacking your brain to remember anything. To do that, all you need is time to study the techniques and practice.

People have been doing that for thousands of years, as Lynne Kelly has demonstrated very well in her book, The Memory Code.

We don’t know how old this alphanumeric system is, but it goes at least as far back as the katapayadi, when it looked like this:

If you ever want to experience a neat effect, try this:

Take a poem or sentence and write out the first letter of each word. Here’s what I mean using the opening of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 59 (If there be nothing new, but that which is hath been before…”

In this example, only the first letter of each word is represented.

To work with this memory training technique, you simply look at the letters and mentally fill-in-the-blanks.

As a memory technique, this approach is related to Cloze tests. In this laboratory study of the First Initial mnemonic, students who used it showed significantly better recall.

Although I would never use this approach to memorize something mission critical like a speech, it is a good training exercise. I use it a couple of times a year.

As Lynne Kelly has demonstrated in The Knowledge Gene, humans have used stories to remember information for thousands of years.

We know this well from the story of Simonides of Ceos and how Renaissance memory masters like Robert Fludd advised us to use stories in particular ways.

I personally use the Story Method in highly targeted ways and highly recommend you train with it.

One of the best ways to train your memory is to use the Memory Palace technique. Also known as the method of loci, it uses spatial memory to help you organize how you will retrieve information.

To use it, recall a familiar location and establish a path within it – you can use the journey method to do this using either indoor or outdoor locations.

Then, using spaced repetition and one of the association techniques discussed above, you revisit the images you placed along the journey. Soon, you’ll have the information you want to remember in long-term memory.

That’s exactly what I did to memorize my TEDx Talk using keywords after making a quick sketch of a familiar location.

Need proof that it works?

According to a study published in March 2017, anyone can reshape their brain’s networks by using the same tricks as the world’s top memory champions.

To understand how memory athletes remember huge strings of information, researchers recruited 23 of the world’s top-ranked memory champions.  They compared the brain scans of these memory champions with those of people who had never practiced memory techniques at all.

The scans revealed that memory athletes’ brains were not built differently from yours or mine. Far from it.

But…

These scientists did find something distinctive.

The champions’ brain showed unique patterns activity in regions that involved memory and cognition.

The researchers then put some of the rookies through a memory training program and observed how their brains changed with exercise.

The more the newcomers practiced the memory training techniques, the more their brain activity started to resemble the brains of memory athletes.

You bet. In fact:

It took only six weeks for the rookies who had never used memory techniques before to show an increase in brain power.

“These really incredible memory feats … are not some form of inborn talent. It’s really just training”. This is from Martin Dresler, a neuroscientist at Radboud University in the Netherlands and the lead author of the study.

And what these findings mean is that anything these people can accomplish in terms of brain fitness, you can do too.

Let’s start with some history.

Remember Monsieur Paris?

He’s the French scholar we talked about earlier.

Paris was the first person to publish a version of the mnemonic Major Method in its modern form that is used by memory experts.

However, French mathematician and astronomer Pierre Hérigone is said to have devised the earliest known version of the major system. Herigone apparently used both consonants and vowels in Latin and French.

What’s the real story?

Watch this video for more and a free memory improvement exercise:

As complex as the history of memory techniques may be, here’s something about which most memory historians agree:

The Major Method for memorizing numbers has its roots in the ancient Greek memory tradition. This is a tradition that combined strategic, systematic thinking with strong guidance from the larger guiding principles of memory.

And using the Major Method, numbers are converted into consonant sounds and then developed into Magnetic words by adding vowels.

You can assign any kind of words if you wish, but it’s attention to involving as many of the Magnetic Modes as possible that will make these words impossible to forget.

Different countries hold different kinds of memory championships.

Sure, they might use different rules and offer different prizes. But at the end of the day, these are the competitive meetings where mind athletes of every stripe compete with each other to prove the superiority of their cognitive prowess.

Now:

While there are no memory athlete techniques unique to any given country, several mnemonists from various regions have modified ancient mnemonic techniques to perfect memory training exercises for professionals and amateurs alike.

Ready to take a look at some fascinating examples from history?

Let’s go!

In the 16th Century an Italian Jesuit priest became the first westerner to pass China’s highest civil service exams.

Why is this relevant?

The exam involved memorizing reams of classical poetry – a task that only 1% of people who took the test were able to perform successfully.

Yet, Ricci passed these exams after only 10 years, despite not having spoken any Chinese before.

How did he do that?

Ricci did it with the help of the Memory Palace technique.

But more than just use the techniques personally, get this:

As Jonathan D. Spence writes in The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci:

“…Ricci taught the Chinese how to build a Memory Palace”.

During that time, the Chinese had their own diligent study methods that used repetition and recitation as memory aides. This was coupled with mnemonic poems and rhyming jingles that were part of the traditional Chinese memory practice.

“To everything that we wish to remember, we should give an image; and to every one of these images we should assign a position where it can repose peacefully until we are ready to reclaim it by an act of memory,” wrote Ricci in his Treatise on Mnemonic Arts.

Ricci suggested 3 locations for these “mental” buildings – they could be based on real buildings one has seen, they could be imaginary locations or a mix of both.

Ricci’s memory training techniques helps with memorizing entire books and large volumes of vocabulary.

What’s more?

He also developed a means for memorizing how to write in Chinese.

Memory champions who participate in China’s popular reality and talent show – The Brain – have used Memory Palaces (probably evolved versions of Ricci’s system) to memorize decks of cards or information about airline flights.

In each episode, seven contestants must perform mental challenges like memorizing the names and birthdays of over 900 infants or solving a series of Rubik’s Cube completely blindfolded in under five minutes.

For more, check out this video of the first episode of Season 1 of The Brain:

Want to know what system Chinese mnemonist Wang Feng uses to memorize a deck of cards?

Feng, who is two-time winner of the World Memory Championships, uses a technique similar to Ricci’s to exploit the brain’s natural ability to memorize images and locations.

To memorize the order of a deck of cards, Feng first gives each card a two digit number. Next he turns that number into an image and then puts that image in familiar location – from where he can retrieve it easily when needed.

Notice the similarity with Ricci’s Memory Palace system?

Now that you know it, you too can modify Ricci’s system to build your own memory training course (like making a gym in your own mind for mental fitness). Or you can create Memory Palaces the Magnetic Memory Method way.

Ultimately, I believe the Magnetic Memory Method approach is better for most learners.

Why? Because it not only helps you remember the information faster, but also helps you get predictable and reliable permanence that grows in strength with practice.

But more about that later. Let’s turn now to:

The founder of the Mongol Empire – Genghis Khan – would probably be delighted to know that in some of the most recent world memory statistics, ten of the top 50 people are his descendants!

Mongolia – home to one of the world’s last nomadic cultures – wants to be a titan in the obscure world of mental athletics and is using mental athletics as a nation building exercise.

At the Mongolian Intellectual Academy, students are taught to flawlessly remember the Periodic Table of Elements and other brain feats by using the same principles that govern the Memory Palace technique – linking unfamiliar words and numbers to familiar mental images or stories that can be ingrained in a person’s long-term memory.

The teacher points to the periodic table and moves through the first column turning letters and numbers into vivid and outrageous images. The visuals are accompanied by an engaging story that offers a way to remember the name of the element, its atomic number and its atomic mass.

When asked to recall the period table memorized using this mnemonic technique, there are virtually no errors!

Impressive accuracy aside, the Mongolian team still faced tough competition in the 2015 Extreme Memory Tournament.

The opponents were:

Simon Reinhard, the world’s fastest card memorizer and the reigning XMT Champion; and Alex Mullen, the 2015 World Memory Champion.

Despite the steep competition, using memory palace training exercises paid off for 17-year-old first-time competitor Enhkjin Tumur, who set a tournament record by recalling 30 images in 14.4 seconds.

Two time Guinness World Record holder for being able to memorize 59 decks of cards in order, Dave Farrow, is a Canadian who has either invented or improved some memory training techniques to remember information and recall them with ease.

One method that Farrow uses is the Peg System –  where you memorize a list of information by linking or pegging them with words or numbers you already know.

You literally hang information on a number.

This is what Farrow says about his memory technique:

“Memory techniques work by taking advantage of a natural mechanism in the brain that we all have that allows us to memorize information without any repetition. It’s a hunter-gatherer fight or flight mechanism—if you needed repetition to remember where you saw that predator, you would not be alive anymore. What I do and what I teach people how to do is trick the brain into triggering that mechanism at will.”

Another method I’ve heard Farrow talk about is sometimes called the Alpha Numeric Spectrum system.  This approach uses numerical and phonetic codes to memorize numbers and recall them with ease. It uses an arrangement like this (you can create your own version):

1 = red

2 = orange

3 = yellow

4 = green

5 = blue

6 = purple

7 = brown

8 = silver

9 = gold

0 = black

As we come to the end of this detailed post on memory training techniques around the world, you might be wondering…

How on earth did so many memory techniques proliferate!

Well, the truth is that there really aren’t that many differences between how memory techniques have been used around the world.

Rather, there exists a limited set of varied approaches that different people use according to their learning styles.

Remember when we talked about the Magnetic Modes above?

Well, it turns out that the precise approach a person using memory training techniques chooses has a lot to do with how the Magnetic Modes match up with their learning style.

But if one important aspect binds them all together, it is the use of spatial memory to create Memory Palaces.

For more information on how to do just that, please complete my free course:

It will give you several memory improvement exercises that will boost your memory quickly.

Plus, the memory techniques I teach are more than easy. They’re also fun!

The post 7 Powerful Memory Training Techniques From Around The World appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Do you really need to take vitamins for memory improvement?

For many people around the world, the answer is tragic.

Not only do they dump hundreds, if not thousands of dollars per year on the hope that pills in a pretty package will lead to a boost in memory is a common habit…

Sometimes they take vitamins that cause harmful interactions.

This happens especially to seniors who believe that it is essential to take nutritional supplements to combat against age related memory loss, brain fog.

It certainly can be, but you need the best possible vitamins to combat everyday forgetfulness and deter the onset of Alzheimer’s or dementia.

On this page, we’re going to look at a number of memory enhancing vitamins.

In many cases, you’ll be able to get what you need from food. But as we age, we often need supplementation. The trick is making sure we get the absolute best supplements matched with what we actually need.

As someone who has studied memory for a long time and who combats a number of health issues, I’ll also share the vitamin supplement pills that help me most with my own memory issues. As I age, they become more and more important for me to tackle correctly.

Ready for all of my best research findings and the vitamins I focus on above all? Let’s dive in!

As we go through this list of vitamins, keep in mind that vitamins are a group of organic compounds.

They are different from fats, carbohydrates and proteins, substances that nourish our body and are essential for our growth and functioning. We usually get them through the food we eat.

Vitamins are equally  important to maintain brain health:

“In particular, research over the past 5 years has provided exciting evidence for the influence of dietary factors on specific molecular systems and mechanisms that maintain mental function.”

That’s from Dr. Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a leading authority on nutrition and the brain at the University of California, Los Angeles in his research paper, Brain Foods: The Effects of Nutrients on Brain Function.

Now that we have a working definition of what vitamins are, let’s look at the essentials you need to keep your memory operating at its best.

B12 has been connected with cognitive impairment – something you definitely don’t want to suffer.

As this study demonstrates, people with normal levels of B12 were able to remember things much better than those who did not.

Shockingly, even having a small imbalance mean that people lacking proper B12 struggled to recall information correctly.

This raises an important point:

While we need vitamins only in small quantities, if any vitamin is absent from our diet, a deficiency disease may occur – a fact first noted by William Fletcher in 1905.

But here’s the kicker:

If you are already getting adequate B vitamins though your diet, getting extra through supplemental pills will not give you a memory boost.

Luckily, there are other foods that improve memory, many of which contain Vitamin B12.

When I started noticing my memory slipping while teaching university courses in Germany, I immediately followed the research showing that Vitamin D helps improve memory function.

Although it’s a memory supplement that comes in the form of a pill, I also make sure I get plenty of sunshine.

Exposure to sun for Vitamin D is especially critical during winter, as this scientific study has made clear.

This vitamin isn’t so much about boosting your memory.

Rather, studies like this one have shown that making sure you have enough Vitamin E is essential for reducing your chances of developing dementia later in life.

Want an immediate memory boost?

This study shows that people who take it not only enjoy better memory quickly. They also enjoy improved visuospatial and language skills.

Researchers speculate that these benefits might come from how Vitamin C improves your cerebrospinal fluid.

Although Vitamin B6 is not directly tied to memory in this study, it has been shown to slow the degradation of the brain.

Having enough of it can also help regulate anxiety, as discussed in this study.

Make no mistake. Anxiety can affect your memory, so it’s important that your B6 is in order.

Scientists previously thought that K2 was mostly about bone and cardiovascular health.

Now, as this report discusses, researchers believe K2 is of holistic importance to all aspects of your health.

The catch might be that K2 is often taken by humans through dairy. Personally, when I eat dairy, I experience brain fog.

Frankly, it’s worth a little bit of unclear mental capacity a few times a week for the greater good of my brain health. But each person has to make these decisions on their own – ideally with guidance and insight from a doctor.

The interesting thing about Vitamin A is that it helps learning and how you behave.

As this study suggests, in order to learn properly, we need Vitamin A both during development and as adults to keep learning new things, especially skills.

The answer is yes, but there’s a caveat.

As this study has found, many people experience placebo rather than genuine improvements.

Marketers know this, which is why vitamins for memory improvement has become such a vast industry.

In the United States alone, annual sales of all multivitamin and mineral containing supplements totalled $14.3 billion in 2014.

Since the 1940s, Americans have been taking multivitamin and mineral supplements.

But get this:

To date, there has been no concrete study to substantiate that popping vitamin supplements has improved people’s health or their memory more than what can be achieved by a healthy diet and exercise.

Interestingly, although more than one-third of all Americans take these supplements, they have no standard scientific, regulatory, or marketplace definitions.

Why does this matter?

Manufacturers decide the types and levels of vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients in their supplements based on factors that are not always guided by science or in your best interest.

In a phrase:

Do your own research.

Fact-checking what people and companies claim about their “memory vitamins” is so important because many vitamin supplements, fish oil and herbs like ginkgo biloba are touted to improve memory, there is hardly any evidence to back up the claims.

A 2013 study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found no evidence that drugs, herbal products or vitamin supplements (including vitamin B6 and omega-3 fatty acids – products thought to help brain function) helps prevent memory loss in healthy people.

In fact, the study revealed that certain treatments actually seemed to contribute to cognitive problems.

That’s completely the opposite of the goal!

Worse:

Healthy women who were given estrogen hormone treatment to improve memory actually suffered from higher memory loss over time, compared to subjects who were given placebos instead of actual memory enhancers.

Not only that, but get this:

Between 2008 and 2011, the FDA received 6,307 reports of health problems from dietary supplements, says a 2013 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

That’s a lot of problems!

And the fact that people are trying to learn from their smartphones about health in our age of digital amnesia only makes matters worse.

 When it comes to brain vitamins for studying or memory enhancing drugs, nothing works better than a balanced diet, lots of hydration, an active lifestyle and at least 7 hours of sleep every night.

Easy isn’t it?

Well, hang on there, because it gets even better…

Foods like walnuts, green tea, blueberries, salmon are all super foods when it comes to protecting you from brain fog and memory loss.

The best part?

An easy-to-follow Mediterranean-style diet can have lasting benefits for brain health, confirmed a 2017 study. It showed that participants who closely followed a Mediterranean-like diet were less likely to lose brain volume as they aged, compared with those who didn’t follow such a diet.

Another study published in the journal Neurology suggests that a Mediterranean diet – rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, potatoes, nuts, olive oil and fish – may help make your brain about five years younger.

Processed foods, fried and fast foods, snack foods, red meat, poultry and whole-fat dairy foods are usually eaten less under this diet plan.

Drinking water also helps to improve memory and focused attention. A new study revealed that if you are even slightly dehydrated, it can impair your attention and memory.

The other way to improve memory is to simply train and exercise your brain.

If you’d like more help with that, grab my free course here:

It gives you four video tutorials and worksheets that walk you through how to exercise your brain.

You still need to make sure you have all the right memory vitamins in your system.

But one that is covered, techniques like the Memory Palace that you’ll learn in this course will help you remember information quickly.

So what do you say?

Are you ready to vitalize your memory all around?

Power to you, one memory-friendly vitamin at a time!

The post 7 Best Vitamins For Memory Improvement & How To Take Them appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.