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Basic Overview
In case you're not familiar: The loci
method is a memorization strategy. It involves picturing a location
that you can imagine to walk through and putting strange and
memorable objects everywhere. Those strange and memorable objects are
used to help you remember the information that you want to remember.
If you were trying to memorize Huron,
Ontario, Michigan, Eerie, and Superior (the great lakes) you might
imagine something like this.
In the first room of your home (or
first step in your location) you see a women and shes on a horse. You
see her on (Huron) a horse. Then you can walk into the next room and
see a gangster sitting on Terry Bradshaw's (a former football player)
shoulders saying, “Yo.” Yes, that does sound ridiculous but it
helps. You see the gangster on-terry(saying)-yo. (Ontario)
You'll notice how absurd this can get
but that just increases the odds of it being remembered. Some of the
greatest memory minds in the world use this strategy but it has many
many problems.
Consistent Failures
The vast majority of people that try to
use the Loci method fail miserably for a number of different reasons.
First of all, it requires a very
intensive preparation period. You cannot just pick up the loci method
and run with it expecting results. You need to prepare your map and
practice different sets of information repeatedly. If you're not
careful and focused using this method, you can get virtually nothing
from hours worth of work.
Second, just because the top memory
champs get the best results from the loci method, it doesn't mean you
will too. Memory champions are not the average person in the
population. They're usually naturally gifted and hard trained. Not
everyone uses the Loci method effectively. (Usually the people that
struggle the most are the ones that have trouble seeing images.)
There are other methods that won't let the crazy miraculous memory
feats possible but will provide much more memorization for the
average person.
One of the most important reasons the
loci method leads to failures is in assuming it's always the best
method to use for memorization. It's like trying to use a hammer when
you need a screwdriver. Not all memorization works best with the loci
method. In fact, most memorization doesn't get much of an advantage
using it. Studying for school in particular has problems with it. The
loci method is designed for unrelated information. Studying is loaded
with relatable information. Relating that information is usually just
as effective.
When To Use The Loci Method
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You also have to consider the amount of
information you have to memorize. If you only need to memorize a few
things or a short list, unless you're highly trained, the loci method
is overkill. If you can get away with mnemonics or some other quick
method then you should. If it's a lot of information then the Loci
method may be worth the time.
If you've never used the loci method
consistently then you may want to always avoid the loci method. It
takes weeks of practice to make it efficient. For most basic
memorization needs, it's not really worth it.
Effectively Using The Loci Method
Once you decide to use the loci method
there are a few things you need to do to make it work effectively.
1. Focus
The magic of the loci method works
through is intensity in your brain. You need to feel like you're
really in the room with the information you're trying to remember. If
you're mildly picturing it and thinking about what's on TV, you're
not going to see any positive results.
2. Connection
The pictures you're using need to
connect to the information you're trying to remember. When you're
trained well this will be easy. When you're just getting started,
you'll need to make the pictures pretty obvious. (Don't use the Terry
Bradshaw example above when you're getting started.)
3. Emotional Images
Boring is your worst enemy in the
images that you picture. A boring image is an image that you forget.
Pick a picture and then aim to make it as emotionally memorable as
possible. Most people do this from plain old weirdness but you can
also make them memorable through making it disgusting, amazing, or
even sexually appealing.
4. Movement
Do not settle for only images though.
Once you get the image. Find a way for the image to move around the
room. At the very least, picture yourself walking by the image you
created. The more you feel like you're actually there, the better you
will memorize it.
5. Multiple Senses
One of the easiest ways to strengthen
your maps created with the loci method is by including multiple
senses in your thought process. Don't just see it. Listen to the
image. If you created something really interesting, it should make
some kind of noise. Maybe you'll even have to smell it. The more you
sense the room, the better off you'll be.
The loci method is not for everyone but
it can be one of the most powerful tools for memorization when used
right. If you want to use the loci method for memorization then you
need to be willing to invest the time in making it come naturally.
It's not as simple as following the steps. It's a process that needs
to be done repeatedly to see it's true power. Sure, you can see good
results from using it one time but it usually just costs a whole lot
more time then just using the less flashy memorization methods.
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