introHow to build a memory palace - SuperStruct

Instructables Series

Hello, and welcome to this Instructable. In the following pages,

we'll take a look at the basics of how to use a branch of
the "method of ''loci''" to store information in your memory as
efficiently as possible for short and/or long periods of time - to be
more exact, we'll focus on "memory palaces".

I've been studying memory palaces for about twelve years now,
mainly because my own memory has been degrading ever since
my late teens. I'm not quite sure of the origins of memory palaces
and in all honesty, there has been so much written on the subject
for such a long time that sorting pure fantasy from plausible
theories would be quite the epic task. Still, the most common
legendary origin about these makes for an interesting reading and
if you live in an area of the world where one can access offline,
validated versions of Wikipedia I definitely suggest you take a
look at the relevant articles when you'll be done reading this
Instructable, or even before continuing. Go ahead ! We'll be
waiting for you.

...

Are you done ? Well then welcome back ! Don't spoil the other
readers with what you've found and let them discover these
stories on their own - but let us continue. As I was saying earlier,
I've had my own, personal reasons to study and develop memory
palaces but in this day and age , there are at least 4 reasons to
study this "Art of Memory " :

- Storing important amounts of data in a memory palace makes it

unavailable to hackers, griefers and loss by digital media
degradation ;
- Using memory palaces to store data instead of computers
doesn't use any electricity, therefore saves energy ;

- In the same way, since you're not using a computer or any kind
of analog or digital media to carry the data stored in your memory
palace you're least likely to lose it during a climate exile or an
eventual looting ;

- Finally, the information stored in a memory palace is also

available on the spot without requiring access to a wired or
wireless Internet access.

In the light of these 4 scenarii , building memory palaces

addresses Generation Exile, Outlaw Planet and Power Struggle
superthreats. And without further ado let's move on to the next
step : creating your first memory palace and giving it persistence.

*No I didn't go crazy - this Instructable is the second in a series of

Instructables related to the Institute for the Future 's Alternate
Reality Game Superstruct. Set in 2019, this game places players
in a world threatened by five major ills - failing and/or hacked
communication and computer networks, a severed food chain,
devastating climate catastrophes that force populations to
migrate, epidemics of Respiratory Distress Syndrom and a world
struggling to survive without oil. If you think you're up to the
challenge or would like to explore this world more, check the main
site and join us !
step 1Creating your memory palace, and giving it persistence
Creating a memory palace is not the most complicated of
things. You can take your pick between creating one
completely from scratch, or using a place you are very
familiar with as a memory palace, all that matters is for you
to be able to recall it very vividly, which is the hardest part.
Either way, we're going to apply the same techniques to
actually give it more persistence in your mind.

Drawing your memory palace 

Whether you're going to invent one from scratch or use an
existing building you're familiar with already, a very good
way to start making this building more persistent is to sit
down and draw it on a piece of paper. That doesn't really
mean you have to draw what it would look like to walk
through the palace (unless you're so artistically inclined) ;
instead, you can just draw an accurate two-dimensional map
of it, room after corridor after room. Once this is done and
you're satisfied with the result, you can assign a function to
each of these rooms : one will be a bedroom, one will be a
dining room, another a drawing room, and so on and so
forth. That's when using a pre-existing building makes things
easier to remember, but then that might also mean less
freedom ! 

Once you've assigned a function to each room, you can add

in the furniture ! The goal is to make things as life-like, easy
to remember and realistic as possible, so don't hesitate if
you want to be original (without necessarily going all out : a
room with furniture doesn't mean a cluttered room). Don't
worry, I'm not pulling your leg : everything'll have its role to
play later on.

Walking down your memory palace 

Walking down a memory palace means imagining yourself
walking through it the way you would in real life. That might
not be very easy at first, and you might find yourself losing
focus after a certain amount of time. Keep at it until you can
walk through all the rooms completely, and once you can
achieve that, do it some more. Don't forget to visualize the
rooms with as many details as you canhandle, without going
overboard with sound, lighting and smell : you might want to
keep things simple at this stage, and over time you'll be able
to add more details as you need them.

If you're clear on that stage, then we can move on to

"memory hooks" and hooking up memories in your palace !

step 2Memory hooks, and hooking up memories

A few paragraphs ago, I told you that furniture and decoration
would play a role in recalling information. That's for now !
Everything you've added in the rooms so far is going to be used
as what is called "memory hooks".

Simply put, memory hooks are all those imaginary items that you
set up in the rooms, and that we'll use to store and connect to
memories : a table with a particular shape, a picture or a painting
hung on the wall depicting whatever you like, the pattern of a
couch's fabric and/or someone sitting on it are only a few
examples of what you can do to "hook up" memories in your
palace. Let's take a look at two potential uses of memory hooks
up close.

Example one - Storing numbers codes 

And how are we going to do that, mind you ? Not being too litteral
while remaining simple is a very good start. To give you an idea,
let's suppose you have to remember the PIN code to unlock your
cell phone - I always have a hard time remembering numbers.
Let's say the code is 1439 : a good way you could hook up that
code in your memory palace would be having your cell phone on
a small wood table in the entrance of your palace, with a post-it
note drawing the shape your fingers draw when punching in the
code to open the garage door. So much more 

Example two - organizing information 

The place themselves, with their functions, can also help you
remembering what kind of information you're storing there. For
example, all the passwords, phone numbers and codes I need to
remember are hooked up in a replica of my hometown's central
post office - I always loved the beauty of that place built a long
time ago - while all the cryptography algorithms and facts I know
are stored in...a gothic crypt.
In the end, hooking up memories doesn't have to make sense in
general : what matters is that it makes sense to you in a very
personal way which you'll be more likely to remember.

step 3Keeping your memory palace in shape

Just like all buildings when they are forgotten, memory palaces
can fall down and collapse too - even moreso since they're not
made of material much more solid than the electricity that fires
between your neurons. So how can you keep your palaces in
shape ? There aren't many around this but here are a few
pointers.

Use it ! 
if you don't use your memory palace, it's just not going to stay and
move from your short-term memory to your long-term memory
(where it'll have more chances to endure)
Expand it ! Using your memory palace to store more information
means that you'll have to walk through it, a good occasion to give
it more persistence, but also that you'll need to continue
expanding it eventually as you run out of space. Building new
buildings alongside new ones is a good way to make your
memory palace feel new, fun and exciting again, along with giving
these new buildings more persistence.

Write/draw/talk about it ! 
A memory palace is a very good occasion to use your imagination
and get creative, and might help you make interesting
connections between memories and look at problems in a
different way. Careful ! If you're going to write/draw/talk about
your memory palaces and someone should stumble upon your
notes or data, they might be able to figure out what kind of
information you stored, which is not too serious when you've lost
notes about your grandmother's birthday, but gets more
dangerous when you lose notes about your bank account number
and password. Which is why you should hook memories up in a
way that makes sense to you, and you alone !

Once again, these are just two ways to keep your memory palace
in shape : how about recording a video of a building you're using
to store memories, or recording yourself as you go through your
palace ? Give it a shot and see if it works better for you.