# What is a memory palace anyway? \[POLL\] **URL:** \ **Category:** General Memory Chat\ **Tags:** method-of-loci, examples, polls\ **Created:** [October 16, 2021, 2:57am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/what-is-a-memory-palace-anyway-poll/67955 "2021-10-16T02:57:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 7
**Author:** ![thinkaboutthebible](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/thinkaboutthebible/32/12986_2.png) [@thinkaboutthebible](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/thinkaboutthebible)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/what-is-a-memory-palace-anyway-poll/67955/7 "2021-10-16T14:49:45Z")
@petitgugus, thank you for your reply. I have been reading [your journal](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/gugus-training-and-progress-journal/67273) with interest as you take on the very difficult challenge of memorizing pi. Your palaces are very extensive and I applaud your attempt to break the national record in France. Bonne chance à toi! I could have provided outdoor options for every choice but I wanted to keep it simple easy to compare. And I think the author of _Rhetorica ad Herennium_ would agree with you that _loci_ are spaces as the Latin translation of _locus_ is **background** and not location used by the translator in the Loeb Classical Library. I personally use terrain so it fits my acronym of SEA-IT for types of images. I noticed that you ran into a difficulty which was covered in the _Rhetorica_: “_… backgrounds differing in form and nature must be secured, so that, thus distinguished, they may be clearly visible…_” But I think because we have not been disciplined enough to follow and teach these early principles, we’ve lost some great advice. I want to bring some clarity as a teacher if I can. But first, I try to follow the advice of [Solomon ibn Gabirol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_ibn_Gabirol) who said " _In seeking wisdom, the first step is silence; the second, listening; the third, remembering; the fourth, practicing; the fifth, teaching others._ ” --- _[View the full topic](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/what-is-a-memory-palace-anyway-poll/67955)._