Loci is a Latin word, plural of locus, which means places. The technique is also referred to as the memory palace. It's a mnemonic device that has been used for centuries. The loci method is a memory technique that several memory champions claim to be using. It has nothing to do with brain structure. It's some times referred to as the mental walk. Some people use the techniques very successfully in card games. Others choose to use the technique to remember birthdays. It can be used for nearly anything. How does it all fit together? That's what we'll be discussing in this article.
To be able to use the loci technique, you have to choose a 'memory palace'. It can be your house, your city, or even an item. The only thing you need to make certain is that you know the palace by heart. Make sure you can see the rooms and items clearly in your mind. You're going to use this memory palace to store the memories you want in such a way that makes them easy to recall.
Get familiar with the memory palace. See it as clear and vividly as possible. Visualize it. Make a path that you will take through the memory palace. If for example you're using your house as a memory palace, make up a path that you'll take through your house. Through the different rooms in your home. Visualize everything clearly.
The key is to associate the data that you want to store with a room in your palace. Want to store a shopping list? Visualize the first item on the list in the first room. Visualize a bag of beans. It's not enough to simply see it, you need to visualize it clearly. Adding action and emotion to the image will make it easier to store. See the bag of beans in flames. See the bag of beans huge. Add some aspect to the image that will make it easier to remember. Frustration is a great example of an emotion to use. I try to open the bag but can't, so I feel very frustrated.
Put the different items that you wish to recall in the different rooms in the house. The second item would go into the second room. The most critical thing to remember of the loci method, is to know your memory palace by heart and have a perfect visual image of the items you wish to recall. You'll have to come up with your own action and emotion triggers to store the information with. To be able to store an entire deck of cards, you'll need 52 locations. Bear in mind that practice makes master.
To be able to use the loci technique, you have to choose a 'memory palace'. It can be your house, your city, or even an item. The only thing you need to make certain is that you know the palace by heart. Make sure you can see the rooms and items clearly in your mind. You're going to use this memory palace to store the memories you want in such a way that makes them easy to recall.
Get familiar with the memory palace. See it as clear and vividly as possible. Visualize it. Make a path that you will take through the memory palace. If for example you're using your house as a memory palace, make up a path that you'll take through your house. Through the different rooms in your home. Visualize everything clearly.
The key is to associate the data that you want to store with a room in your palace. Want to store a shopping list? Visualize the first item on the list in the first room. Visualize a bag of beans. It's not enough to simply see it, you need to visualize it clearly. Adding action and emotion to the image will make it easier to store. See the bag of beans in flames. See the bag of beans huge. Add some aspect to the image that will make it easier to remember. Frustration is a great example of an emotion to use. I try to open the bag but can't, so I feel very frustrated.
Put the different items that you wish to recall in the different rooms in the house. The second item would go into the second room. The most critical thing to remember of the loci method, is to know your memory palace by heart and have a perfect visual image of the items you wish to recall. You'll have to come up with your own action and emotion triggers to store the information with. To be able to store an entire deck of cards, you'll need 52 locations. Bear in mind that practice makes master.