The memory palace is one of the most ancient forms of memory techniques known to have been developed. Speakers in ancient times used it to give long speeches without any help from memory notes, while in the present day, memory champions continue to use the technique as well.
What Is a Memory Palace?
A memory palace is a form of memory technique that involves storing data using images placed on an existing route or location in one’s brain. The technique is referred to as the method of loci or mind palace.
It is an ancient technique that still applies today. Investigations in the field of the hippocampus—responsible for navigation and memory—led to the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine being awarded in 2014 for discoveries about place cells and grid cells. Further research revealed that the process of spatial coding may considerably enhance the recall process, using navigation networks.
Jonas von Essen, five-time World Memory Champion and one of the founders of memoryOS, often presents examples of efficient memorization using structured spatial memory systems.
How to Build a Memory Palace: 6 Steps
To learn how to build a memory palace, select a place that you already know well. It can be a room in your house, a classroom in your college, an office, or your way to a shop nearby. Then choose 10-15 spots that will be the same during every journey and are called loci, like the front door, the mirror on the wall in the hall, the sofa, the dining table, and the shelves with books.
After that, come up with some peculiar and exaggerated images of the data you need to remember and put them on these loci while imagining walking along the route, and do it several times.
One of the memory palace examples is a list of items in a grocery. It would be like a huge loaf of bread obstructing your way to the front door, waterfalls of milk falling down on the sofa, and lots of apples falling from the sky into your kitchen. Every time you imagine yourself walking around, an image will remind you of the next item on the list.
Memory Palace vs Other Techniques
While the memory palace technique is great for memorizing ordered information, speeches, and huge arrays of related pieces of information, there are situations in which other approaches would be more efficient.
| Method | Strengths | Best Use Case |
| Memory Palace | Strong spatial organization and long-term recall | Presentations, lists, exams, structured knowledge |
| Anki SRS | Efficient review scheduling and fact retention | Isolated facts, vocabulary, definitions |
| Repetition | Simple and accessible | Short-term review and familiar material |
In most cases, a combination of spatial encoding and spaced repetition is the most efficient approach.
FAQ
Is the memory palace technique real or just from Sherlock?
The memory palace technique is mentioned in historical documents dating back to ancient Greece, centuries before any fictional story was written.
Does the memory palace work for people with aphantasia?
Yes. In case you suffer from aphantasia, you use more auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, or conceptual encoding. Since the memory palace technique is based on spatial encoding, it will be effective despite that.
