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It won’t magically give you a photographic memory, but you can get pretty darn close.

The year was 477 B.C.

As legend has it, the Greek poet Simonides of Ceos was attending a banquet where he had just delivered one of his famous poems.

After he was done, two messengers summoned Simonides to step outside.

While he was speaking to the messengers, the entire roof of the building suddenly collapsed killing all the guests.

Since Simonides was the only one who knew exactly where everyone had been sitting, he was given the task of identifying dozens of bodies.

Yes, this story is morbid.

But this horrific experience led Simonides to discover a reliable method for improving your memory that came to be known as the Method of Loci, or the “Memory Palace”.

The “Memory Palace” technique

In order to recall each guest’s name, Simonides visualized their exact position around the table.

As Simonides did this, he noticed how easily he was able to bring each person’s name to mind — it was as if the physical location anchored information inside his memory.

Simonides realized that mapping information onto stationary objects in the outside world leads to better retention and recall.

How to turn objects into memory anchors

Simonides tested his idea by creating a mental map of a physical space he knew well and a dozen objects inside of it.

Then, he used each object as an anchor for different pieces of information, such as names, dates, numbers, or concepts.

When he wanted to extract something from his memory, he would simply walk through his “memory palace” and pick up the information.

Does it actually work?

I always have trouble remembering things like names and numbers.

So I tried out this method to see if I could memorize my credit card number.

Since my memory isn’t that good, in normal circumstances I would remember it for 5–10 minutes, then it would vanish from my mind.

But when I used this technique, I could remember my credit card number weeks later. Now, I know it by heart without even having to visit my memory palace.

So then I tried it out with other information, like names and dates. Each time I was impressed with my own memory.

Usually, that never happens.

So here’s how to use this ancient memory technique so you can commit information to your memory and resurface it whenever you want.

Step 1: How to build your memory palace

1. Pick a room in your house or apartment.
2. Stand in the doorway where you can see the entire room.
3. Choose 5 objects in the room (e.g. Bookshelf, Desk, Painting, Couch, TV) and number them from 1 to 5.
4. Close your eyes and memorize the number you attach to each object.

For example, Bookshelf 1, Desk 2, Painting 3, and so on.

Yes, this requires a bit of effort upfront but it’s easier than it sounds. You know your surroundings better than you think!

5. Do this in every room so you have anywhere between 5 and 25 objects numbered.

If you’re thinking this is starting to sound daunting, don’t worry. You already have a map of your home in your memory. Trust me.

Step 2: How to use your memory palace

Okay, now comes the fun part.

Here’s how to use your memory palace:

1. When you come across something you want to memorize, visualize it interacting with the numbered objects inside your memory palace.

For example, say you just met a group of 4 people: Iris, Fred, Liz, and Ross.

You could picture Iris standing near the bookshelf, reading a book with a flower on it, Fred dancing on the desk (like Fred Astaire), Liz holding the painting with a lizard on it, Ross sitting on the couch drinking coffee, and so on.

2. Visualize this in your mind as clearly as you can — injecting humor and exaggeration helps.
3. When you want to recall the names, simply walk through the room and look at the objects.

Keep your “route” consistent so you always follow your map in the same order.

Memorizing obscure information

You can also use your memory palace to remember more obscure things, like words in different languages or the periodic table of elements.

For example, say you want to memorize the first column of the periodic table, here’s how you could do it:

Hydrogen — Bookshelf (1): Hydro makes me think of water so I could picture water pouring over the bookshelf.

Lithium — Desk (2): Lithium reminds me of batteries, so I would envision a huge battery sitting on top of the desk.

Sodium — Painting (3): Here I would picture a giant salt shaker pouring salt all over the painting.

And so on.

You would do this for all the elements you want to memorize.

Then, you simply walk through the palace in the right order and your visualizations will surface the name of each element.

Your memory is better than you think

Maybe you’re not forgetful.

Maybe you just don’t have a good system in place to remember the stuff you want to store in your memory.

After all, very few people are born with extraordinary memory.

Sure, some are. But most people with amazing memory actively train and develop their powers of retention and recall.

So give it a try.

A good place to start is memorizing a number you use frequently, like your credit card or passport number.

It’ll save you time in the long run, plus you’ll be impressed with what your memory can do!

No, this method won’t magically give you a photographic memory.

But with a little bit of practice, you can get pretty darn close.