[Note: This thread and its comments were copied into this top post from the old forum.]
gyk 16 October, 2012 - 20:16
Hi everyone!
I have a questions. About a three months ago I started employing the method of loci to memorize stuff… For every set of information I chose to memorize I created an exclusive memory palace; sometimes it was my old dorm room and sometimes it was just the route I take everyday to the grocery store. I used these palaces to store material for tests, interesting articles I read, names and new language.
At the moment I have about 50+ different memory palaces and they are all “filled up” completely. Now, everytime I want to memorize something new I need to focus really hard and find a new place to create a palace.
My question is - is it possible to recycle palaces? will it somehow damage the previous information that was store at the “recycled palace”?
Thank you!
suncover 16 October, 2012 - 22:08
Gyk - it is indeed possible to recycle them. I think what you need to think about is what information you want to keep permanently, and what information you want to keep for only a short amount of time. For information that you want to keep permanently, set aside a few memory palaces, and use these as your location where you store information never-to-be forgotten. Always add new rooms to these permanent places - mentally build on, renovate, and expand these. But, you should also have a number of memory palaces which you use for temporary information, like the things you will only need to know for a week or so. These are the ones you recycle - for example, I always reuse my house as a recyclable palace, and it never gets damaged - instead, I simply wipe out the previous images, and replace them with new images. This way, I don’t have to have thousands of memory palaces to remember 1 different list of groceries for each week, but rather, I can use one house thousands of times. Does that make sense?
Haplo 17 October, 2012 - 11:39
@ GYK
What said suncover is great and true, but i think that sometimes you can recycle some pernament palaces. Because everything is about transfering information from your short-term memory to your long term memory. If you use extansevly some information i think that you don’t need anymore the memory palace because you already have this in your long term memory. For example first you need to have memory palace for your pao list but then you start to see just images instead of numbers and you don’t need to go back to your memory palace and you are free to place other information in your palace;)