How to build a mind palace to remember effectively!
I’m sure most of you will agree with me that most of what we learnt in school was taught ineffectively. We cram things in our head only a night before just to pass an exam and immediately forget it the moment we walk out of the exam hall.
So, here in this post, I’m here to share with you a technique or hack to retain the maximum knowledge that we learn. In an earlier post, I shared a technique on how to learn anything, and this piece talks about HOW TO RETAIN it for a long period of time.
Remember the famous BBC’s Sherlock? If you have seen it, then you surely must know of Sherlock’s “Mind Palace” right? To those still clueless, Sherlock would dig deep in his head for any information that he can remember and he would call this his mind palace.
So yes, I agree that Sherlock Holmes is fictional and it’s just a story to grip the audience but the technique of creating the mind palace to remember better is not fictional. This method has been used by people in the past and has been proven effective. Let’s have a look starting off with how it originated.
What is the Mind Palace?
It’s nothing but a memorization technique that first originated in ancient Greece. During those times, the paper was still an expensive commodity so people would heavily rely on their own memory to remember and recall things. It started when the Greek poet Simonides of Ceos barely escaped being crushed in a building collapse during a crowded banquet. He was able to identify the bodies of the others by remembering where they had been sitting in the room before he stepped out which illustrated the concept of attaching a physical location although in the head.
Does it actually work?
In short, yes! Quite effectively actually.
A case in point is Dominic O’Brien. He is the eight-time World Memory Champion and writes memory-related books. Here’s a video of him attempting to create a world record.
Another example is Rajveer Meena who recited 70,000 decimal places of Pi. That is a major feat but was overtaken by a Japanese man who memorized 1,11,700 places.
You’d say these are extreme cases but they also started out somewhere and that is the mind palace.
5 steps to build and use your mind palace
There are myriad uses to employ the mind palace technique and the key is to use it consistently. Here’s how you can build it.
1. Choose your palace
So, before you start, choose a place that you are extremely familiar with, such that you can walk around and name every setting around that area blindfolded. It can be your house, room, office or some particular path you pass by regularly. Make sure you define the route around that area clearly. Keep it simple.
2. Pay close attention to the features
For example, if you’ve selected your room then clearly identify distinctive items or features like your bed, study table, almirah, dressing table. The idea behind doing this is that we’re creating memory slots that will give you clues that will keep your memory running. By paying very close attention to the details you are creating memory slots.
3. Imprint the palace you decide
Okay, so if this has to work out then you need to be damn sure of the route and objects placed in the mind palace you have selected. If you’re good at visualization then this should not be a problem. But for those like me who aren’t, then follow these steps.
Retrace the path of your selected mind palace in reality (like your room for example mentioned earlier) and do it a couple of times and at the same time repeat out loud the distinctive items you come across.
List down the selected features on paper and run through them mentally.
Make sure you look at the features in the exact same direction.
Know that this visualization technique is a skill and requires practice so don’t fret if it doesn’t work on your first try.
Once you’re confident enough about the visualization of your mind palace, then refer back to it after a little break.
4. Start associating
Okay, so once you’re confident about visualizing your mind palace and your memory slots, you can now start filling them.
What this means is that now if you wish to memorize an image, then take that image you’ve seen and place it in your mind palace with something you wish to associate the image in your mind palace.
Let’s have a dry run of this.
Say you’re memorizing the lyrics of a song for a competition and let’s say your room is your chosen mind palace.
While reading the lyrics and singing the tunes to yourself, put those lyrics flashing in the wall next to your bed and each time the lyrics keep changing as you continue singing, imagine the lyrics flashing in and out of the wall.
All these things won’t happen physically but will act as mental cues and every time you see the wall, you will be reminded of the lyrics.
5. Keep visiting your mind palace
Spend some time in your mind palace especially if you’re new to this technique. Doing it once or twice isn’t going to cut it. Keep doing rehearsals at regular time intervals to sharpen the technique. It demands a lot of visualization and rehearsals will only benefit your skills. The more you do it, the more you’ll be relaxed and be able to memorize more effectively.
