Halcyon Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I just finished Moonwalking with Einstein and was (re)captivated by the idea of memory palaces...who has used this technique? How effective was it? I found myself trying it last night to memorize Latin declensions and it was very, very helpful (got 95% on my first pre-test!) I am wondering what else, academics-wise, people have used it for? :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I'm reading the book now. I figure that it can only help me, since I forgot the word "memory" when I was telling dh about the book, and my narration was filled with "I don't remember the specifics, but..." :tongue_smilie:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 I'm reading the book now. I figure that it can only help me, since I forgot the word "memory" when I was telling dh about the book, and my narration was filled with "I don't remember the specifics, but..." :tongue_smilie:. :lol: Right now, I have one palace in my current home, and am going to make another for challenging vocabulary in my childhood home. Next year, I will make one for learning dates in history, my weakness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 It's terrific stuff, very useful. I can still remember things from 1984 finals. If it works for you, keep at at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 It's terrific stuff, very useful. I can still remember things from 1984 finals. If it works for you, keep at at. Really? That's great to hear. I've always done something like this, but didn't know what it was called. It's very nice to have a more formal understanding of it! So cool--I practice while I'm falling asleep at night :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 bump for more responses :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I think I will read that book soon. It sounds interesting. My only exposure to memory palaces is from a tv show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Can you give a brief summary of the technique for those of us who haven't read the book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 From my tv show information, it has to do with using mnemonics to remember long series of data. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Kind of an aside: I just read this quote from Joshua Foer on Amazon. I think this is fascinating to think about. Q: What is the connection between memory and our sense of time? A: As we get older, life seems to fly by faster and faster. That's because we structure our experience of time around memories. We remember events in relation to other events. But as we get older, and our experiences become less unique, our memories can blend together. If yesterday's lunch is indistinguishable from the one you ate the day before, it'll end up being forgotten. That's why it's so hard to remember meals. In the same way, if you're not doing things that are unique and different and memorable, this year can come to resemble the last, and end up being just as forgettable as yesterday's lunch. That's why it's so important to pack your life with interesting experiences that make your life memorable, and provide a texture to the passage of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 Here's a basic intro. Wikipedia has a more detailed discussion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I've never heard of this book or memory palaces but I'm going to put it on my list to read. I've always been great at memorization. I could read or see something once and remember it. Lately...not so much:confused: I've commented on other threads that Greek studies in particular are really challenging me memory wise. I could use some help keeping up with dd who has all that natural ability I used to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 We used this technique to study many things we needed to learn for First Holy Communion. The book we used was called "Memorize the Faith" but it could be applied to anything. Very useful technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 8FilltheHeart uses this technique, I believe. She never comes over to this board though. You will have to hunt her down on the the high school one. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 The book we used was called "Memorize the Faith" but it could be applied to anything. Very useful technique. I have this book and started working through it but it seemed like more work to construct the "palace" than to simply memorize the stuff. What am I missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Here's a basic intro. Wikipedia has a more detailed discussion. Ok, that's just awesome. I cannot WAIT to use this technique, and I have a suspicion that Zee will think it's an awesome idea, too. I heard a similar-ish idea once about how to remember the name of someone you're meeting for the first time. (I am horrible with remembering names, so I was skeptical this would work.) The suggestion was that, upon being introduced to your new acquaintance and learning their name, one should immediately 'tie' that person with someone from you past that has the same name. For example, If I were meeting Jane Smith, I may say to myself 'Her name is Jane, just like my band geek friend from ninth grade was named Jane, too', while also picturing 'Jane from ninth grade' if I could. I've even caught myself saying it outloud. 'Oh Cynthia, so nice to meet you. I have a second cousin named Cynthia, too!' Makes me look a bit odd I'm sure, (and I'm sure 'new' Cynthia may wonder why in the world I would think that she cares about sharing a name with my second cousin, LOL), but saying it out loud nearly gaurantees that I'll remember the person's name. It works amazingly well. Of course, if I meet someone with a name I have no association for, well, I'm kinda stuck. :tongue_smilie: But in those cases, sometimes the name is SO unique, it's hard NOT to remember it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I have this book and started working through it but it seemed like more work to construct the "palace" than to simply memorize the stuff. What am I missing? I scanned the pictures of the rooms and gave all my kids a copy, then we memorized a room at a time, with frequent review. If you take it slowly with kids and review, it is easy. Last year I taught my preschool CCD class the ten commandments (in order) using this method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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