Gabrielle Massman asked: You wrote a post on memory palaces, and I have since created my own and found it very useful– to a point. One of the main reasons why I created my mind palace was to remember Biblical Hebrew vocabulary, but I found my mind palace utterly useless in remembering any types of words or mathematical equations. I tried writing them in open books on tables, on the walls, and even in one word blood on my bathroom mirror, but nothing worked. When I walked through my mind palace, I could see that something was there, and I could remember a broad meaning of the word (for instance, if the word meant “to destroy entirely,” I would remember it had something to do with death.) However, I could not remember the word or exact definition. Moreover, in a practical sense, I wondering if I could fit (and be able to locate) 1,200 vocabulary words in a single or multiple mind palaces.

Do you have a technique to putting words into your mind palace? Or is a mind palace not the best memory technique for words and equations?

It’s not going to work if you try to write them on windows and mirrors. Period.

The reason for this is that the Mind Palace is a mnemonic system of memorisation that relies on making connections and establishing a very specified visual imagery. For tips on how to make your images work better, see this post it outlines how to use your mind palace imagery properly, including how to put large quantities of vocabulary words into it.

In terms of numbers and equations, my suggestion is that you find a way to mnemonically connect the numbers to your images, rather than simply writing them on the walls. I used the system to remember centuries worth of dates, terms, authors, literary works and royal genealogy for a test that I had one day to study for last week (the dates spanned from 3000 BCE to 1500 CE) and the memory palace served me faithfully.

If you have further questions after you finish reading my other post, please feel free to ask.

Lauren asked: Hello, I’m an INTJ and I have a question about the mind palace memory technique.  I started using the mind palace technique about 2 years ago. Maybe I just haven’t devoted enough time and energy to it but I’m having issues with information remaining in tact. For instance, I want to remember a suspicious car, so I put it in my mind palace but when I return to it only pieces remain. I can remember the make and color but not the model and license plate. On the other side, things aren’t being permanently deleted. I throw everything away in a trashcan but a few things still keep persisting.  What am I doing wrong and how should I fix this?  Thanks.

For starters: Memory Palaces for Dummies

Specificity is Key

Based on your example with the car, it sounds like your main problem is that the image/concept of the car that you’re placing into your memory palace is too general. If you’re trying to remember a piece of information that’s extremely specific, you’ve got to plant an equally specific image in your memory palace. Continue reading →