The Cicero Method, the Roman Room, or the Loci Method are the names of the same mnemonic method based on the construction of a palace of memory. After its creation, a person can memorize large amounts of information (numbers, words, etc.) in a certain sequence. In this article, you will learn how to build a memory palace, how to use it and what mistakes to avoid.
Why is a memory palace needed and how to use it?
The memory palace is a kind of space with certain static objects that a person can recreate in his imagination.
It sounds complicated, but it's actually much easier than it sounds. Try to close your eyes and imagine your kitchen or your workplace. Happened? Consider that you have already done the bulk of the design work for the simplest memory palace.
How to prepare a palace of memory for memorization
Step one:
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Choose a space that you will transform into your memory palace. It is better to take one of the rooms of your apartment, because you often go there, which means that it will not be difficult to imagine this place in your imagination.
Step two:
Highlight items that don't change their place. This can be a refrigerator, TV, painting on the wall, sink, wall clock, aquarium or air conditioner. Try to mark as many of these objects as possible.
Step three:
Imagine your chosen space. In your imagination, move sequentially from one object selected in the previous step to another. You need to make sure you know where they are and can mentally navigate between them.
Step four:
Work out the outlines of each of the highlighted items. You do not need to memorize the smallest details (every magnet on the refrigerator, the exact image of the picture on the wall, etc.). You should not see a stain or something completely different from your object, but excessive fanaticism will only hurt.
Step five:
You need to determine the sequence with which you mentally move between the selected objects. Simply put, create a route. Don't make it hard: move from left to right or right to left. The simpler, the more convenient.
That's it, your memory palace is ready to use.
How to use the memory palace?
First, I'll introduce a new word: locus. Locus is the objects that you selected in your memory palace, this is one "station" of your route.
Important: you can highlight the details of one object for memorizing, for example, you can take not the entire refrigerator, but separately the door, freezer, etc. Then the loci will be the door and the freezer, and not the refrigerator as a whole.
The mechanism of using the memory palace is easiest to demonstrate with an example. Let's say we have a random set of words and some kind of route.
Words: ice cream, soccer ball, smartphone, perch, palette, acorn, horse, milk, love, December.
Now we follow the route and leave one or two words at each locus. Let's leave one for the first two, and then we'll leave two.
Let's say the first locus is a bookshelf. Imagine melting ice cream on it between the books.
Next is a table lamp. Imagine that she has pierced a soccer ball.
Chair. Let your imagination put a huge perch on it, on which a meter-long smartphone presses from above.
Note:
Memorable items and loci should be approximately the same size. Inconsistency with reality is allowed. Also, since we read from left to right, top to bottom, the word that comes first must be higher. That is why the smartphone is above the perch.
Battery. Imagine that a large acorn is driven into it, from which a palette sticks out from above.
Chandelier. A carton of milk caught on the edge of the chandelier, into which the hanging horse gripped its teeth.
Note: For many nouns, the imaginary image is obvious: you need to remember a cat - imagine a cat, a pen - a pen. But there are also abstract concepts, the image of which is not always obvious (feelings, emotions, names of cities and countries, names, etc.). Then you need to use associative thinking. I associate love with my heart, and December with a gift, because I have a birthday in December and a New Year in addition. And yes, associations can be highly individual, illogical and strange. There is only one criterion: you must understand them.
We present a hanger, on which a heart was planted, to which a gift is tied from below.
All. We memorized these words.
Now the most interesting thing: we mentally walk along the route and see at the loci the words that we memorized. Take the same words or some others and try to place them in your memory palace. It works!
The memory palace is universal. I took the example with words because it is the simplest and any beginner can repeat it. But you can also leave numbers at your loci, a speech text for a speech, or even place entire textbooks in your memory palaces.
Mistakes that are often made when creating a palace of memory:
- Using the same loci. That is, if you have two identical objects on your route (two absolutely identical bedside tables, for example), you will confuse them. This will lead to errors. Loci of the same type can be used, such as different types of chandeliers or aquariums of different shapes, but the same cannot be used.
- Errors associated with moving around the palace of memory. It is best to choose one general rule for all routes and stick to it. Then you will know exactly what is going on.
- Forgetting loci. You must know your memory palace well. Sometimes it is impermissible to omit some of the loci. Practice memorization regularly, or at least just take a walk through your memory palace.
Author: Igor Boltovnin