Monthly Tip
November 2021
Monthly Tip
Fit for a King: Using Memory Palaces to Strengthen Long-Term Memory
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Learning a New Skill
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Fit for a King: Using Memory Palaces to Strengthen Long-Term Memory

Despite the fact that our knowledge of the ways in which memory works is still in its infancy, one of the most effective techniques for memorizing material was invented thousands of years ago by ancient Greek and Roman thinkers: method of loci, or memory palaces. This relatively simple technique utilizes the powerful spatial and visual memory all humans possess but often struggle to take advantage of. By anchoring the information to be learned to a specific visual-spatial image, learners can retrieve information from their memory much more effectively. This technique is particularly effective for memorizing information where the order is important because it allows a logical progression through the images, but it can be modified to accommodate a wide variety of information.
Setting Up Your Palace
The first step in utilizing memory palaces is to choose a space. The easiest spaces to use are those that you see every day, like a bedroom or a living room, but any space that you can mentally visualize in detail will work. Go ahead and close your eyes and try to navigate mentally around your chosen space. Imagine that you’re standing in the doorway and slowly looking around the room. Where are the pictures on the wall? Can you visualize the items that are currently on your nightstand? The more clearly you can picture the chosen space, the more effective your memory palace will be. 
Stop, Elaborate, and Picture
Memory research has shown that one of the most effective techniques for increasing the effectiveness of long-term memory is elaboration. In order to hold information past the limit of our short-term memory (around seven seconds), humans generally use rehearsal, or the repetition of the target information. In order to transfer that information to our long-term memory, connections must be made between the information and some other information that is already in our long-term memory, a process known as elaboration. In the memory palace technique, that elaboration takes the form of creating mental images for each of the words or concepts being memorized. For example, if you were trying to memorize the Bill of Rights, you might create an image of an impassioned speaker at a lectern to symbolize Freedom of Speech. The key to creating a lasting connection is to visualize the image clearly. Try to picture specific details for the speaker, the lectern, and even the background. This is a perfect opportunity to encourage creative children to spread their wings. The funnier or more outlandish the image, the more likely they are to retain the image. 
Redecorate on the Cheap
Once a clear, memorable image has been generated, the next step is to place that image inside of the memory palace. Choose a logical starting place within your memory palace; for me, that is looking left after walking into my bedroom where I have a large dresser. In my memory palace, I would visualize the newly created image covering the left half of the dresser or on the wall above it. Once the second image (a well-regulated militia or some other image designed to remember the second amendment) is generated, it will be placed on the right half of the dresser. The third image will cover the left door of my wife’s closet, and I will continue placing images by working clockwise around the room. Once the tenth image has been created and placed into the memory palace, mentally “walk” through the entire memory palace a few times to ensure that you are able to effectively recall each individual image. The more times you walk through the memory palace, the likelier you are to recall all of the images. 
Final Thoughts
Like every other skill in life, this technique requires practice. The first time that your children use it, they might not save any time over whatever memorization method they are utilizing currently. However, if they commit to trying the memory palace multiple times, it will not be long before they are able to effectively memorize information using this technique in a fraction of the time of less efficient methods. 
TO BLOG
Learning a New Skill

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m sure that you heard about the dozens of videos of people learning new skills. From baking bread to juggling to playing an instrument, it seemed like everyone was putting their newfound free time to good use. But if you’re like me, you might have just skipped those videos because you felt guilty for not discovering that you’re secretly a wonderful opera singer or a master jigsaw puzzler. Like a lot of people, I didn’t want to try something new and be bad at it. I mean, there are few worse feelings in the world, right? To try so hard and put in so much time and effort, but in the end, to just fail.