Essentially, you associate words with images that help you remember the sound of the words.
For example, the French word ‘gare’ (train station) sounds like ‘big pan’ (gar) in Polish so you can imagine walking into a train station where you’d see a huge pan with soup bubbling away in the middle. That’s the image that will help you remember the French word.
There once was a lecture in Berlin by Anthony Metivier – a real expert in the field of memory techniques. Anthony recommended using mnemonics on a completely different level – he spoke about building what he calls ‘memory palaces’.
A memory palace is a mnemonic device used to memorize a large amount of information by combining visual and spatial memory.
The concept originated from the ancient Greeks and has been utilized by memory champions to perform incredible feats of memorization.
Creating and using one involves the following steps:
The first step is to choose a location that you know well, such as your home or office. The more familiar you are with the location, the easier it will be to create your memory palace.
Once you have chosen your location, plan a route through it.
This involves selecting specific areas or items within the location that you will associate with the information you want to remember.
Make sure this route is consistent and you follow it every time you use your memory palace.
As you walk through your chosen location, associate pieces of information that you wish to memorize with specific areas or items. The technique is made more effective when you add surprising or out-of-the-normal features to the information.
To memorize the information, create visual representations or mnemonic images for each piece of information and place them in each location of your memory palace. Make these images distinctive or unusual to increase their memorability.
If you are familiar with more than one location, you should create multiple memory palaces. This is useful for memorizing different types of information.
Regularly revisit your memory palace and review the information stored in it.
Creating and using a memory palace requires practice and dedication. With time, it can become a powerful tool for memorizing complex information.
