Charlotte Journal Week 1 (19/10/26 - 25/10/26)

Memory Training Journals
1

Hi guys again. I readed the PDF of “Learn the Art of Memory”. It was nice, and I was able to understand most of it, although I got kinda lost with the numbers or consonant sounds type of memorization, although they look interesting as methods.

I think I readed this PDF before, but I can remember. I say this because there was a technique I readed in other book, long ago called “Unlimited Memory”. There was this technique about making 2 things in your head and make an exaggerated animation in your head of them for it. Somehow over the years I had been using this technique, and it was effective like almost all the time if done correctly (I say “most of the times”, because for it to work I think I have to make the conscient effort of wanting to remember). Also, if I can tell a small experience too, I had a Latin exam that I had to memorize latin declinations. and I was able to do it in like 30 minutes, which impressed me, because if I didn’t use this methods and tried to use raw memory rereading, I would had not being able to remember anything.

FIRST DECLINATION NOUNS (THEM IN –ā)
terra, terrae (f.) SINGULAR PLURAL
NOMINATIVE terră1
terrae
VOCATIVE terra terrae
ACUSATIVE terram terrās
GENITIVE terrae terrarum
DATIVE terrae terrīs
ABLATIVE terrā terrīs

SECOND DECLINATION NOUNS (THEM IN –ŏ/–ĕ)
. NOMINATIVE SINGULAR IN –us and –um
dominus, dominī (m.) SINGULAR PLURAL
NOMINATIVE dominus dominī
VOCATIVE domine dominī
ACUSATIVE dominum dominōs
GENITIVE dominī dominōrum
DATIVE dominō dominīs
ABLATIVE dominō dominīs

templum, templī (n.) SINGULAR PLURAL
NOMINATIVE templum templa
VOCATIVE templum templa
ACUSATIVE templum templa
GENITIVE tempī templorum
DATIVE templō templīs
ABLATIVE templō templīs

Our teachers wanted us to know the similitudes and differences for memorizing them, but i didn’t took that approach.

First, I memorized 2 things. One: NOMINATIVE, VOCATIVVE, ACUSATIVE, GENITIVE, DATIVE, ABLATIVE, as the first lever of each: “NVAGDA”.

This also helped me to memorize the second: how was the name of each class (because i was bad remembering it). (And also in “NVAGDA” i knew the Acusative was the first and Ablative last. Also this order of NVAGDA repeated in all the tables.

The 1) table I actually recitated by sound the desinences: a-a-am-ae-ae-a-ae-ae-as-arum-is-is. For some reason I was able to memorize it thanks to the repetition of the desinences (I was imagining them in the table, which they were separated by singular and plural. So they were like this in my head (sorry in advanced for the confusing tables):

   -SING -   PLUR

n — a — ae
v — a — ae
a — am — as
g — ae — arum
d — ae — is
a — a — is

I repeated in voice A A AM AE AE A AE a (notice the the singular end and starts with A. The most difficult part was remembering AS, which I sometimed doubted. The arum, is, is i remembered thanks to thinking the two is as “isis”. And also because it repeated in the other tables).

  • SING - PLU
    N — S (us) (um) — I
    V — E — I
    A — M (um) — OS
    G — I — orum
    D — O — is
    A — O — is

This I did something interesting: SEMIOO I remembered as the word “semiotic”. and the IIOS as “iOS”. The repetition of the 2 o and 2 i were confusing, so I remembered those words exagerating the 2 vowels extending them. The 2) and 3) tables uses Orum instead of Arum and Isis remains the same. Note that the S of nominative singular was US - UM and I had to remember UM separately. The Acusative it was a M for semiotic, but i had to remember that M means UM

 - SIN -  PLU

N — M — A
V — M — A
A — M — A
G — I — ORUM
D — O — is
A — O — is

Pretty more easy to remember as you can see the repetition of the M and A. I just that to remember M means Um. And i remembered the M singular part by remembering the word “MIO” (with extended O) which means “mine” in spanish, my native language.

I have NO IDEA which methods were this or which were the names but god they were useful. it is so crazy I can still remeber this at some extent (sometimes I have a mental doubt). I think the fact that I could just remember this forever without ever having to check it up again would be crazy.

It is so interesting how we can remember songs and a lot of things, and I am kinda curious of how would be if I really develop this skill. Like how good would I actually be? Would I be able to give verbal lectures mermorized word by word? Would I be able to tell a full chapter of a book without reading it from start to finish, or even the full book? Would I ever need to study that much again?

Of course I don’t wanna exagerate it and I wanna go slow and good, but I really wonder how will affect my life.

I honestly kinda lost of how to follow this. As I said in week 0, I know some things I wanna do, but I don’t know which methods would I use for approaching them. I also don’t know if I should do something instead before, like reading other book or pracitcing some specific method. What are your thoughts? Should I try something in specific?

Thanks to the people who commented in week 0 for telling me their thoughts.

I had decided I will put some more challenges for myself:

-Memorize the alphabet (yeah, I am dumb and I don’t know how to say the entire alphabet (the final parts)
-Memorize literary devices (and what they do)
-Memorice fallacies (and what they are about)
-Memorize countries and capitals
-Memorize periodic table elements and names.
-Complete monkeytype memory advice of typing (which is typing some words (i don’t remember how many, but like 20-30) by memory.

I may add something else other time.

Of course I wanna do the other things I wanted to do and also learn and improve about the art of memory. Which methods do you think I should use? Or what do you think I should do at this moment? Should I go for the small challenges or like go more deep in the basics and fundations and practice something else? For now this time i had just being looking things, but I wanna be good prepare on what I wanna do for full practice. Hope you guys are doing good, and thanks for the help.

2

Spending a ton of time studying memory techniques instead of actually trying to do things with them is a trap. Better one crappy attempt that you can learn from, than two hours of “studying memory techniques” and achieving nothing with it.

Especially if you’re starting, do short projects with things that are directly useful to you.

You had an exam and you learnt one specific thing for it, that was a great project. You want to learn all the countries of the world and their capitals, that’s… less great, because 1. what are you going to use it for? 2. Since you have no direct use, there’s no deadline and there is the risk of starting a too long project and lose motivation after a while. Not saying you shouldn’t learn the countries of the world, but find yourself a why…

Randomly learning interesting things is the same trap as making anki cards with all the interesting information you come across, and then burning out with hours of reviews every day, or ending up with a backlog of 10k cards. (I won’t tell you I speak from experience :sweat_smile:)

Make your projects worth your while with a VERY clear why. You need to be able to answer “I’m learning this, because I want to do X with it”. It’s perfectly ok to have the goal “I just want to try it out, because it seems fun”. But use a SHORT cycle: “I’m going to try this out for ten days”… and then evaluate if it really was as fun and interesting as you thought it was (since it was your why). It’s ok to change your mind after 1-2 cycles.

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3

Alright, I will not overlook too many studying memory techniques and focus in practicing. Although I would like to know some good ones, or do you recommend 1 that works pretty well with everything or some that are “must know”?

As for the things that “what i am going to use them for”, dont worry

-The alphabet was because I just really wanted to know basic knowledge that everyone knows and I had problems (and also because it is useful for using the diccionary and for the alphabet memory methods)
-Literary devices I use them a lot and are pretty useful
-Fallacies, maybe here you are a little right, but I was kinda interested in learning them for using them in conversation and just thinking “better” in a sense of trying to just learn to understand my thoughts better.
-Countries and capitals, here you are right. I just wanted to know some geography because I envy people who can name anything without effort haha. I will not learn them right now, thank you.
-Periodic table elements and names, same, you are right.
-Complete monkeytype memory (just a small challenge, and most people do it without must practice so I think it would not be harmful).

If you have some ideas of what useful things I should learn let me know. I know there is always the possibility of leaving something because somebody is not motivated or has a reason for it. Something that always helped me to get motivation is the desire or curiousity to know anything thinking maybe in the future may be useful. But yeah you are right.

Sorry what do you mean with “It’s ok to change your mind after 1-2 cycles”? And memory palace can be an invented place, like a place I saw in a game, or even a place I just invent in my own head, or has to be a place in real life, or even a place I had been one time, or a place I am really familiar with?

4

For example I learnt the morse alphabet because I wanted to try using a treelike (and not linear) memory palace.

Once I tested the concept I never reviewed (because I don’t actually have any use for the morse alphabet) and now I’ve forgotten it all. My goal was to try something out and my curiousity is satisfied. It was more like solving a problem (“how would I go about learning this”). But I don’t need to maintain the knowledge.

Also I meant it’s ok to change your mind “I thought that would be interesting but I actually don’t enjoy it that much and so I’ll invest my time in something else now”… Or “given my life right now this thing isn’t as interesting as it used to be” are both valid things. We grow and change, and our interests change with us.

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5

A memory palace can be anything you want, as long as it makes use of your brain unique ability to situate yourself in any kind of space.

I think physically walking some place and placing things to want to memorise while being there is easier, and I recommend to start with that. But it takes more time and, once you have more experience with memory palaces you can use other things.

For example I have used places where I’ve been only once, and refreshed my memory by looking at Google street view because it was too far away to go back in person.

I also use artworks as memory palaces or sometimes make my own drawings. Also using my own body as a memory palace for quick notes, etc. The possibilities are infinite.

With experience making memory palaces becomes easier. Like everything in life we get better at what we practice. After making a 1000 station memory palace to learn a 3 digit PAO, I feel like I can make memory palaces easily and quickly now (and of better “quality”)

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6

Oh, you mean so like trying something 1-2 weeks to see if it works or I like it and if not change it? Cycle would be like a cycle of 10 days or any measure i put I guess. Sorry for overthinking it haha, I just wanted to understand it right

7

Oh and if you let me ask, if for example my make a massive square of cells, like excel, or like an infinite chess board of square rooms, can I basically make an infinite memory palace? And this place like, idk, make it in a computer program and using it as a map, as if it were google map in a city?

Also, when you say “You make multiple memory palace”, you mean you select other places for separating things you wanna remember? Why you can’t just grab a place, and make 1 memory palace for absolutely everything?

And do you recommend me the memory palace for the things i said, like literaly devices or the diccionary or would you recommend me other method?

Something i dont get is if you use memory palace for memorizing everything, or you use other method or other things.

8

Hi. For fallacies there are a book of Copi. A little big complex but interesting.

9

It wouldn’t work for me because it’s a boring place to be and I won’t want to go there and review.

Plus you have to have stations that are distinct enough: do you see/feel the difference if you are at the square G45 or at the square J56?

It’s like colour. Many people speak of using different colours to multiply the numbers of memory palaces but it makes no difference to me that something happens in a blue or red environment. So I know that my brain is just going to ignore the information. Something engulfed in flames or encased in ice? Now that makes a difference!

There comes a point where you have to try things out for yourself and see what works for you.

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10

“If you have some ideas of what useful things I should learn, let me know.” – unless you share what your interests are, it’s unlikely anyone will be able to answer that for you. (I’m using a translator, so the phrasing might sound a bit stiff.)

11

For me memory palaces are often, but not always, about the learning/memorisation itself. It’s more like the classification of books in a library. To know “where to find” something I want to recall. Like in a library, a book (a memory) can still be in the library (not actually forgotten), but it can be lost (not accessible when you need it) if it wasn’t put in its proper place - following Dewey’s classification or whatever system your librarian use.

For example I have learnt poetry at school when I was a kid. I still can recite good chunks of it (because I secretly enjoyed it contrary to many of my classmates), but if you ask me spontaneously to recite a poem I’ll probably draw a blank. Because I didn’t take the time to catalogue these poems (and the first word/line trigger) in a memory palace.

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12

Hi Hari. What type of “classification” do you use? I am a quite new as well in mnemonics. I just know a bit about memory palace. What do you think about classifying with the alphabet?
I have also seen some others replies you made, you said “When people come and say ”Help me to memorise 100 books!” No. You have to understand 100 books and then memorise what’s useful, in a format you’ll be able to use!”
How do you do that? Do you have a specific system?
I have read a lot of your replies and have learned a lot :). Thank you for your contribuitions

13

Thanks for the explanation, it was very helpful. Yeah sometimes I have a similar problem, or a lot of people, where they go blank about something they actually know, they just didn’t get to the catalogue of it

14

Oh, I was kinda thinking maybe some things that you guys considered useful in learning or recommended, but I will be more clear next time, thanks

15

Hi, thanks for the recommendation, will check it. Do you mean Introduction to Logic?

16

What I mean by «classification»: every time I learn a new piece of information, I need to place it in a framework, otherwise I’ll forget it quickly. To remember I need to make connections between things. To take the metaphor of the library: I need to know where to put the «book» (on which shelve), if I want to find it again (remember), instead of being lost (forgotten), because I left it laying in a random place.

So I made memory palaces to serve as frameworks, in which I can file the new pieces of information that I want to remember.

The main one is my History memory palace, which doesn’t serve only to study history, but in which I put everything I can, because it forces me to make connections also between subjects.

For example, I’ve been testing an app (Olive tree) which presents a serie of artworks. I looked at the painting «The Census at Bethleem» of Bruegel the Elder. I ask myself: which events in the life of the painter lead him to represent this subject, in this style? It means that I don’t only have a card with 1566 and the image of «The Census at Bethleem», but also a few cards with historical events that are linked to it, because they influenced what the artist experienced in his life. For example: Philip II of Spain becomes Lord of the Seventeen Provinces (1555), the conclusion of the Council of Trent (1563).

Side note: in my memory palace (on my flash cards) I will not write anything more than the dates and the events. The idea is not to write a mini essay on what Philip II did in the Low Countries or how the Council of Trent influenced the Northern Renaissance. Because I thought about the subject and made the connections, simply reviewing the dates will be enough. Every time I learn something that happens in that time period and in this region, I’ll remember all these connections.

Edit: this post also describes a memory palace that is a framework to add more information later. A great example with another completely different subject (memorising python documentation). Memory path/palace - #5 by beau2am

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17

Yes. Maybe it’s not easy but is very good book.

18

You know, most people choose to remember things that interest them.
After all, if someone loves drawing or painting, they might find it useful to memorize the biographies of various artists; meanwhile, someone who plays an instrument might memorize the musical notes for specific songs.
As for things that can help with learning, try memorizing your own notes on mnemonic techniques! :wink:
And in terms of generally useful information, it’s a good idea to memorize things like first-aid procedures, the phone numbers of people close to you, account passwords, email addresses, and your credit card number.

19

Thank you for answering :), makes a lot of sense.

I have some possible stupid questions regarding that. Let me make sure i understood what you are saying, when you gain new information you create a net of associations of information that you already have, but how do you know the connections you made are strong enough?

What i have been struggling with is: Let’s say i start studying a subject, how do i know what to group or put in the Loci to remember my insights? How do i know i will remember my insights? Also is there some sort of heurestic questions? Or something that you use to make sure you made the right connections/understood, or a specific number of associations? I worry that somehow i miss something in the big picture, and that my actual understanding is shallow, and that i didnt dissect the subject/idea well, or at least to the point that i can put it in the memory palace.

I know you use mind maps, perhaps learning to use them better would help. I am trying to create a system for studying :). I am very sorry for all the questions, if you dont want to answer them all its perfectly understandable. Thank you again