Has anyone here had success with the method of loci (memory palace)? I’ve seen it mentioned a few times on LW but I’m not sure where to start, or whether it’s worth investing time into.
I considered it seriously and spent hours working on a method, then realised that if I reduced stress I could improve my memory in a way that I didn’t need it.
Using memory palaces to solve your problems might be a harder path to doing whatever it is that you want to do than other existing paths that might seem aversive. (I was hoping to remember names better. Now I just choose to remember them with more ferocity)
I personally am satisfied with some much more simplistic memory techniques like trying to remember context when I remember something (e.g. try to remember the sight and feel of sitting in a certain classroom to remember content of a lecture), and using repetition more judiciously (remembering to use peoples’ names right after I hear them is the biggest use, but this is also good for shopping lists etc).
I also suspect that practice using any sort of deliberate memorization at all will improve some sort of general deliberate memorization skill, so you might find that practicing mnemonics or method of loci improves your memory in a general way.
“Your Memory: How it works and how to improve it” by Higbee is an excellent book on memory. It dispels some common memory myths, clarifies concepts (e.g. short vs long term memory), teaches general principles on how to remember information (meaningfulness, organisation, association, visualization, etc.), as well as specific memory techniques (method of loci, peg mnemonic, first letter mnemonic, etc.).
Has anyone here had success with the method of loci (memory palace)? I’ve seen it mentioned a few times on LW but I’m not sure where to start, or whether it’s worth investing time into.
I considered it seriously and spent hours working on a method, then realised that if I reduced stress I could improve my memory in a way that I didn’t need it.
Using memory palaces to solve your problems might be a harder path to doing whatever it is that you want to do than other existing paths that might seem aversive. (I was hoping to remember names better. Now I just choose to remember them with more ferocity)
Brienne has, example blog post here. She’d probably recommend it.
I personally am satisfied with some much more simplistic memory techniques like trying to remember context when I remember something (e.g. try to remember the sight and feel of sitting in a certain classroom to remember content of a lecture), and using repetition more judiciously (remembering to use peoples’ names right after I hear them is the biggest use, but this is also good for shopping lists etc).
I also suspect that practice using any sort of deliberate memorization at all will improve some sort of general deliberate memorization skill, so you might find that practicing mnemonics or method of loci improves your memory in a general way.
“Your Memory: How it works and how to improve it” by Higbee is an excellent book on memory. It dispels some common memory myths, clarifies concepts (e.g. short vs long term memory), teaches general principles on how to remember information (meaningfulness, organisation, association, visualization, etc.), as well as specific memory techniques (method of loci, peg mnemonic, first letter mnemonic, etc.).