I am still new to the whole idea of using loci to memorize numbers or cards. I have a few concerns about it. One concern I have is that I am worried that this system might be a bit too complex since it requires 2000+ images. Another concern I have is that since this will be my first number system. Will I need to modify it or learn a different system to memorize two digit numbers since Ben’s system only covers three digit numbers? Could anyone with experience using Ben’s system or any of the systems help me out?
The Ben System is insane. Are you insane? If you are, then you may like making a Ben System. I’m only kidding. Well, the tone is kidding - I’m completely serious.
Something valuable is belied by this question:
“Another concern I have is that since this will be my first number system. Will I need to modify it or learn a different system to memorize two digit numbers since Ben’s system only covers three digit numbers?”
It means you haven’t anything like a realistic idea of what it takes to put a full 2-card system together. If you did, you wouldn’t be concerned about whether or not you had to create an extra 100 images because you would realize that 100 images is nothing. It’s probably not even enough to simply point out that 100 images is less than 4% of your total system. Or that if you wanted to review all of the images in your head and move to a new image every single second, it would take you 45 minutes to review them all.
Think of it this way: Simon can memorize a deck in 20 seconds. But no one can memorize 2 decks in 40 seconds, and no one will ever memorize 3 decks in a minute. In a similar sense, creating and familiarizing yourself with 2704 images is not merely 27 times more difficult than creating and familiarizing yourself with 100.
I would have no qualms with you making a Ben System. The only question is whether you’re sure that you will still want to be doing this next year, when you can finally use it with the comfort that you would have using a 2-digit system in 2 weeks. The Ben System is great. But the primary advantages are in long events, not speed. There are speed advantages too, but I have learned that in longer events the Ben System user can really excel.
You don’t sound committed to wanting a big system straight away, and that is probably wise only for the reason I stated above, that you may lose interest. But there is a middle ground, between a tiny system and the Ben System. It is my adaptation of the major system to accommodate 2 identical groups of 1352 images, to be used as a full 2-card system. By using Hannes’ method, you are able to tell the two groups apart. It is not as good as a full system, but it’s close. And as a package deal, you get a 3-digit system and either a simple 9-digit binary system or a 10-digit binary system that is more difficult to learn. If you’re up to the task, do it. It isn’t hard, it just takes a commitment of time. But in the mean time, you would do well to have some way to get your skills off the ground, so it would be better that you have a 2-digit list to practice with while you build the larger systems. If you want to make a larger system, just make 100 objects for digits and 52 objects for cards in order to learn how to link pure objects. Practicing PAO won’t be as much help. But if you aren’t sure what you want to do, just pick any small system you want, and by that I mean either pure objects or PAO basically. If you want more information about my major system formulation you can find the explanation by searching for the thread called A New 2-Card System. I will answer questions you post there if you have any. So what do you think, start with pure objects or PAO? It’s nothing but preference of style, but PAO is far more popular. However there are those, like me, who don’t care for it.
You do not need a separate system to memorize 2 digit numbers. You could use every tenth number and eliminate the last zero. 340 = 34, and so on.
So what you’re saying is that I should start with a smaller system to practice, and work my way up to eventually considering the advantages of a better system while having the experience of an easier one. I also don’t think I will lose interest. The only thing that might force me out is frustration, but I haven’t experienced any frustration so far. Also I’m a bit confused with what you said about the Ben system being a long system rather than a quick system. I assumed the purpose of it was to reduce loci needed to encode cards and numbers. Wouldn’t that make it a quicker system? or Am I missing something important in it?
I don’t recommend diving straight in to the “Ben system”. It’s probably better to start off with a 100-digit system, just because you can learn it quickly and get straight in to remembering numbers for fun. Then when you’re comfortable with that, go for the full 2704… 
Good luck!
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I would like to comment on this quote… “Simon can memorize a deck in 20 seconds”
I have a proposal to make. If Simon can memorize a deck in front of me in 20 seconds on the first try I will give him $1000 and if he fails he only has to give me $100
There is ample footage of him doing it in 21.9 seconds.
Why would you doubt that privately he can do faster?
Also; how is your comment relevant for this thread?
Sorry that I wasn’t clear about that. The Ben System is quick, for sure. It’s the real deal, awesome in just about every way that a system can be awesome. But creating it, and then learning it, is anything but quick. I have heard of people jumping right into it, but that really is a silly thing to do, having so many images and not really knowing what to do with them. But if you don’t mind a long project and you want to climb the ranks, I say do it! It took me about 3 1/2 - 4 months after I started with mnemonics to start building the system, and it felt extraordinarily ambitious within that time frame since I was still such a beginner. Even after 18 months of mnemonics and one year since beginning the system, I still feel like a beginner in big-boy shoes using so many images some times. So take your time and have fun like Zoomy says! 
And to the person who said the thing about making a bet with Simon for some reason… He has memorized thousands upon thousands of decks, and from time to time he actually gets under 20 seconds. It is really amazing that he was able to do it in competition at all, but you can see that since that was years ago, and he is so much more skilled now than he was back then, that it is incredibly hard to do on the spot. Still, I imagine that he breaks the world record he holds of 21.9s quite frequently, and also fyi, this idea of making a bet with him sounds skeptical at best, and even a bit hostile. Do you think he cheated?
What it means is I think the odds against him doing it in 20 seconds are greater than 10 to 1
Yes, I did pick up on that much…
Is this belief founded upon anything actual, or is it just a random guess? I would guess that you’re right, but I have never gotten the chance to speak with him at all. He wasn’t trying to do it in the XMT because it would have been poor strategy.
Question…I understand the Ben system CVC. But…with a 3 digit system…how are you guys memorizing historical dates??
Thanks in advance.
Hello, I have avoided practicing historical dates for quite some time. I have a modified Ben system for digits and was looking into how I would practice dates yesterday. It seems that they use random years from 1000-2099.
So you need 1100 images to memorize the 4 digit date. 1000-1999 can be your 3 digit images if you just ignore the first digit. You are then left with 100 years to make images for and you can do that by using a letter that is not in your system as your first digit. I doubt any fast athlete that trains with a Ben system for digits would worry about making 100 images for a system that would give such a large advantage.
Thanks for the reply…but not sure I follow you.
I need a system to memorize exact date both BC and AD. I’m starting with my own list of “most important 100 dates in history”. I’m using this as a reference framework. Then will memorize additional dates sporadically…but having the first 100 will give all future memorized dates context.
Some dates will be the year only (4 digits) …as in the example of 1206 when Genghis Kahn was made king. We do not know the day and month…but only the year in this case.
Other times the day/month/year will be needed. (8 digits) …as in the example of D-Day 06-06-1944
Does anyone already have a reliable system (or modification) for this???
Thanks!!
willworth, Here’s one way to do it. Start with a good 2-digit PAO system (100 people, 100 actions, and 100 objects). When you know this system well, you’ll be able to use it for digits, binary digits, and even slim it down and use for cards. When you need to memorize a year, when the central object is a person (like in your Genghis Khan example), you would drop him into the “person” role, and then let 1206 be the action-object. If 12 is hitting, and 06 is a tennis ball in your system, then you’d imagine Genghis Khan hitting a tennis ball, and you’d have the 1206 association. You might want to imagine him wearing a crown while hitting the tennis ball, to reinforce the idea that 1206 was when he was made king.
Remembering exact dates will require a different strategy, but assuming you can get the century correct without a mnemonic, D-day could be represented by “mmddyy” as 060644, which is tailor-made for one-image in a 2-digit PAO system. It might be John McEnroe hitting a tennis ball, for instance. Then you’ve got to make the association to the storming of Normandy by the Allied Forces. Maybe imagine John McEnroe hitting a tennis ball into a German bunker and the bunker exploding, or some other such scenario. Be creative.