Unlocking the Secrets of the Memory Palace
Do you ever wonder how memory champions are able to recall hundreds of random words, numbers, or even the order of several decks of cards? “Moonwalking with Einstein” by Joshua Foer delves into the ancient mnemonic technique known as the “method of loci,” more commonly referred to as the memory palace. And guess what? You can build your own memory castles too! Let’s explore how. Moving forward, I call them memory castles, but is really just the same thing.
Memory Castles: Pathways to Memorization
Each of us has the power to enhance our memory by constructing elaborate virtual structures in our minds. These aren’t just mere castles; they are personal libraries of information, segmented into different rooms and corridors that hold the key to unlocking vast reserves of knowledge. Here’s a quick overview of how these memory palaces work:
Imagine standing at the entrance of your mind’s castle. With every step you take, you embark on a journey along a path you’ve uniquely designed, passing through rooms dedicated to specific topics. Think of the entrance to your parents home as the color brown, the kitchen is blue, the living room all in green, the bed room is red, and the restrooms are yellow. Close your eyes, imagine all of these rooms in their respective colors. And now repeat it in your mind… just by walking through their place. Does it work? Could you memorize them? This is basically how it works.
I took time to summarize the books that I consider the most valuable when it comes to aspects such as software engineering, business and humanities. Below you find my castles and the wonderful places that I am allowed to enjoy over and over again, when I walk these memory castles.
Engineering
- Object Oriented Python: bring me to a nice trip through mu beautiful hometown of Wuerzburg, Germany.
- Algorithms and Data Structures: Reminds me of the magnificent streets when strolling through the world’s most liveable city: Vienna, Austria.
- Machine Learning: In Vienna, I loved in Schottenfeldgasse, 1070. With Silvio, Blue and Barry.
- Deep Learning: Detailed and
deepappreciation for my parents home in Eichelsee, Germany. - Golang Syntax: A drive from our current home in Snoqualmie to Bellevue, Washington State.
- Cloud Infrastructure: Discovering the Unescco world heritage town of Bamberg, Germany.
- Architectural Principles: Getting to Pickleball up on our Ridge’s Community Park.
- Regex: Every year, we celebrate the Summer Nights Festival in my small village. I correlated regular expressions with it.
- Clean Code: Brings my mind to the flat I so loved in Wuerzburg, Germany.
- Software Philosophy: TODO Brings me on an extensive stroll through Seattle, WA.
Business
- Leadership & Motivation: We will go on a run through Soviet-shaped Bucharest in Romania.
- Investment Banking: Explore the beauties of the city of love, Paris.
- Personal MBA: We’ll need a lot of memories for this one, so Budapest, it will be.
- Never Split the Difference: Sofia in Bulgaria has some beautiful memories to offer.
- Think Again: Bratislava, Vienna’s little sister, shows what makes a great employee and human.
Humanities
- Philosophies: Combines a trove of knowledge of the most influential books in the world, and makes me revisit in select capitals, I did visit in my life.
- Beautiful Questions: Learn about asking the right questions, when walking the cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong.
- Funny Stories: Albeit I didn’t like it too much why not bringing a bit of laughter to Dublin, Ireland.
Conclusion: Your Mind Holds Limitless Estate
The concept of memory palaces is not just a trick but a transformative technique. The construction of memory castles takes practice, creativity, and a pinch of patience. But once mastered, it turns the average brain into a thriving metropolis of memories, and you’ll never forgot so many important matters.
Start building your castles today, and you may find yourself walking with Einstein through the corridors of your own extraordinary mind. The book itself, is definitely a recommendation.