The Link Method - Questions about combining it with Memory Palaces and about its stand-alone use

[beau2am]

Great questions, @Vini_Villela!

I’m a big fan of the link method (aka chain method).

I’ve used it on its own and combined it with memory palaces.
Very effective.

Before I respond directly to your questions @Vini_Villela, if you’ll allow, I’d like to kindly propose that perhaps you are drastically holding your own mnemonic capabilities back by merely giving in to the fear of… I don’t know…are you afraid of doing something wrong?

Merely something to consider. Because if you’re truly open to experimentation, I have very good news for you:

• If you’re willing to experiment for just one entire day, I promise the long term benefits will be drastic.

I don’t know you personally, obviously, but what you wrote feels very familiar. Especially this:

@Vini_Villela

Since I have a lot of things I really want to memorize, I always have the fear of not having enough memory palaces to use, and it is sometimes even a barrier that avoids me on starting to memorize things, since I don’t know how much loci I will have.

So, do yourself an honest favor and DO NOT read the following until you are committed to setting at least one day aside to only playing around with ideas, exercises, and experimenting.

Now I’ll share.

Only Read when you’re genuinely committed to some Experimentation Time:

First:

@Vini_Villela

I always have the fear of not having enough memory palaces to use, and it is sometimes even a barrier that avoids me on starting to memorize things

Ready to obliterate this fear legitimately? Because it requires a little work where you sit and write for a bit. But then this one is out of the way for a long time.

• Go to the following link and legitimately follow the instructions. The longer you do this exercise, the more powerful it gets.
  If you do it until you’re sick of doing it, even better:
  The Big List: Location Ideas & Inspiration for Memory Palace Places

When you’re done, keep the results nearby anytime you have material to learn. And allow yourself to lavishly experiment and make mistakes, because some mistakes with memory palaces are unavoidable and avoiding those particular mistakes only slows mnemonists down. It’s like avoiding getting wet when you must go outside during a downpour.

Don’t do that. Live your life. Get wet. And get where you have to go.

Second:

I was really wondering if someone with experience in combining the two methods could give an insight on its capabilities.

My strong opinion:
It’s worth doing. And for multiple reasons.

On chunking:
Here is a specific post where I share my process for “chunking.”
I especially do this with the link method.
How often?
More often than not.

Chunking

When I want to “chunk” information, so that several pieces of info get “grouped” together as one chunk, I use a technique I originally picked up from Marc Channon (I think his book “Improve Your Memory” is top-notch). This is more of a “tried and true” method. Pick the information you want to be in one single chunk. Then review that information forwards and backwards over and over, while increasing imagery vividness. Once you can do it quickly both forwards and backwards, visualize it all…

For the link method, make the first associations extra memorable:
Moving on to link-method specifics, I find it helps to have a clear “anchor” to remember the very first link in the chain. I also think that is exactly what the memory palace technique so conveniently provides. You’re in the habit of always associating a particular piece of information with a very particular locational space.

Quite literally, information gets its own bedroom.

So, when I use the link method I prefer to have some sort of multi-sensory mnemonic as an anchor to the first link to kick start recall.
Below is a post where I share how I use the link method with physical movement for the very first image. The associations come much easier once initial recall has started (i.e., if we immediately recall where the information “resides”):

Does anyone else use hand gestures while encoding in a memory palace? Is this okay for competitions?

Dancing, rhythm, movement. All potent techniques for encoding and recall. I think of gestures like tiny dances (cue Elton). One technique I specifically use this for is creating impromptu memory palaces. If I don’t have a palace ready at the top of my mind for some new information, I’ll create an interesting gesture or body movement as the “starting locus.” Then I chain information from there and later I can consolidate and re-encode into a more adequate palace.

Finally:

I think your instincts on the strengths of the memory palace are spot on.

And your instincts on the strengths of the link method are also on point. I agree with them. Not intellectually, though.
What I mean is: having used the memory palace and link methods separately and combined, I’ve found they support each other like two friends carrying a gigantic sofa.

Their efforts when combined is a result significantly greater than the sum of their individual contributions.

Considering what you’re currently working to achieve, Vini, I truly believe you can only harm your effectiveness and progress by:

1. Avoiding setting time aside to experiment with methods (like the link method)

2. Avoiding having a deliberate “palace finding” session (using pen and paper).
   —and

3. Being picky about which palaces you use for which information.
   —As I mentioned to someone else, being picky is nice, but it slows things down exponentially.

Instead of being picky, I highly recommend, as your knowledge base grows, do yourself an easy favor, for each palace choose a nickname and make a simple numbered list of the palaces you have already used. Then write a brief description next to each entry of what you put in that palace (I usually just write the topic as a word or two).

It’s the simplest and easiest way to keep track of everything.
And don’t be perfect about it. That’s crazy and inefficient.

Concluding this drama of words:

Vini, as humans we associate and adapt. That’s innate in the species. Trust that the associations will come, and when they don’t you will adapt, and you’ll naturally improve and make stronger associations.

There’s a lot humans aren’t good at:
We don’t fly. We don’t have night vision. We can’t smell one lone bag full of trash from a mile away.

But we do have some natural strengths:
Humans adapt. Humans associate.
(among many other things)

Which is obviously good news for us aspiring mnemonistas.

So, keep going and keep experimenting.
Enjoy the new techniques and palaces!

Regards,
Beau