How to create a memory palace: common mistakes to avoid

Updated on July 3, 2020

What is a memory palace and tips on its creation

The mind palace known as the Method of Loci is a scientifically proven method for boosting memory capacity and improving the ability to store and retrieve hard to remember information. The concept of this approach to memory practicing is that you create a virtual map of the well-known place in your brain, e.g. your bedroom, and select the most noticeable things there. After, you associate everything that should be remembered and recalled with the chosen objects from that location.

Let’s take a shopping list as an example. How to create a mind palace for more than 2-3 items? Well, if there is a kilo of sugar on your list, you can create a connection with something white. It can be a door handle, chandelier, curtains, etc. Try to think about something vivid that you can hold in your memory for a longer period. In such a way, you place all the shopping items in your mind. In fact, it can be used for more serious cognitive processes such as learning a new language, scientific concepts, complicated definitions, notes, etc.

If you want to take advantage of the mind palace technology, the following recommendations will help you to do it in a creative and engaging way:

·         when picking a location for your map, don’t use a static scene, try to visualize the path or route through which you can walk;

·         think only about the most distinctive features that catch your attention the most;

·         use the map carefully structuring the material, and try to practice several locations at once but not overload your mind with unnecessary information even if you do it only for honing mental skills;

·         consider modern technologies and innovative software for a more interactive and joyful way of structuring, organizing, and managing the learning content;

·         be aware of mistakes that you can make applying this strategy, as avoiding them, you ensure the effectiveness of the process.

Discovering what is a mind palace is not enough. It requires daily exercise and hard work. However, advanced developers such as Jonas von Essen that keep up with trends offer some modern solutions for facilitating the process of encoding and recalling information. MemoryOS is great software for creating the memory map and obtaining essential mind skills that significantly improve your life. Choosing innovative technologies with an immersive experience that can be available as applications, you open new possibilities for enhancing cognitive performance and expanding mental boundaries.

What are the major mistakes of applying the Method of Loci

As it was mentioned above, after discovering how to create a mind palace, it is important to determine the biggest mistakes during the building of a mental map, no matter you use a standard approach or the latest developments. The main common problem is to choose the wrong place for your map or not picking it at all. Some people prefer to create separate associations, so when they want to learn a foreign language and remember, for example, the word cow, they simply imagine this animal. However, it doesn’t work like this. Only a familiar pathway can be productive enough, as it should be remembered hundreds or even thousands of words. And organizing everything as one logical system will be a great tactic. Another top mistake is to ignore rehearsing the retrieving process of stored information and not revisiting the location. Only regular training will bring the expected results. And try to always keep calm and be relaxed as peace of mind is a crucial component of the memorization process.

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