Memory techniques, explained
In-depth articles on what comes after the basics of the method of loci: how the memory athletes memorize cards and numbers, and how to use a memory palace for your exams.
- MIND PALACE · 7 min read
Sherlock's mind palace: is it real, and how to build your own
Sherlock Holmes's mind palace is based on a real technique: the method of loci. What's fiction, what's true, and how to build your own mind palace in ten minutes.
Read the article → - HISTORY · 6 min read
The method of loci: its history, and why it works
From Simonides and the collapsed banquet hall to Cicero, the Renaissance and today's memory champions: the story of the memory palace, and the cognitive science that explains why it works.
Read the article → - CARDS · 9 min read
How to memorize a deck of cards: the memory athletes' method
Learn to memorize a shuffled deck of 52 cards with a memory palace: give each card an image, walk your route and train with a timer. Step-by-step method.
Read the article → - PAO SYSTEM · 7 min read
The PAO system: how memory champions memorize numbers and cards
What the PAO system (Person-Action-Object) is, how to build one for the numbers 00–99 and for cards, and how to use it with a memory palace. With examples.
Read the article → - NUMBERS · 7 min read
How to memorize numbers: the major system explained
The major system turns digits into consonant sounds and numbers into words you can picture. Code table, examples, a 00–99 list and how to use it with a memory palace.
Read the article → - STUDYING · 8 min read
The memory palace for studying: how to use it for exams
How to use the method of loci to study: what to memorize with a memory palace, how to turn abstract concepts into images, and how to combine it with active recall.
Read the article →
New to the memory palace? Start with the 3-minute guide →