The Memory Palace Technique
What Is a Memory Palace?
A Memory Palace (also known as the Method of Loci) is a mnemonic technique where information is placed along a familiar mental journey through locations you already know well.
Unlike cipher tools or encoding systems, a Memory Palace is highly personal. The places, routes, and imagery need to come from the user, which is why eyeemmeff does not provide a “one-size-fits-all” Memory Palace generator.
Instead, this page explains how the technique works, when it works well, and how it has worked in practice through real experiments.
Further Learning
If you are new to Memory Palaces, an excellent introduction can be found in the work of Dr Anthony Metivier and his Magnetic Memory Method .
You may also find his YouTube explanations particularly useful, as they clearly demonstrate how Memory Palaces are constructed and navigated in real time.
A Personal Journey Into Memory Techniques
I have to confess that I am quite new to the Memory Palace technique in comparison to other memory techniques, such as the Major System, which I first learned back in the late 1980s – yes, I really am that old.
At the time, however, I didn’t know it was called the Major System.
In reality, I had always had a very good memory. I was a terrible student at school, far more interested in girls than studying, but despite that I was able to shine in exams.
When I started work in a furniture shop in 1985, I discovered I could remember customer names with ease – a surprisingly useful skill in sales.
Memory Palace vs Chaining Techniques
| Technique | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Chaining (Journey Stories) | Simple to create, flexible imagery, works well with number encoding systems like the Major System. | If one link is forgotten, the rest of the chain can become harder to recall. |
| Memory Palace | Highly structured, reliable recall, excellent for large datasets such as lists, dates, and sequences. | Requires strong familiarity with locations and more upfront setup. |
Early Experiments With Mnemonics
Around the same time, I was training in WTF Taekwondo and struggling to remember poomsae patterns. I bought a book on memory techniques (somewhat ironically, I don’t remember the title), which introduced a hook-and-chain approach: converting numbers into sounds and chaining them into stories.
While it didn’t help much with Taekwondo, I discovered that I enjoyed memorising things, and the idea of linking images into a sequence stayed with me.
Many years later, I learned that this technique was formally known as the Major System. I then went on to complete a degree in Software Engineering, and number encoding has been something I’ve used throughout my life.
Languages, Flashcards, and Spaced Repetition
In the early 2000s, I moved to France and had to learn French properly for the first time. This was my first real encounter with flashcards and what I later learned was spaced repetition.
In 2014 I moved to Portugal and learned a little Portuguese, continuing until 2020. In 2022 I bought a place in Spain for the winters and started learning Spanish. Somewhere along the way, I have accidentally become a language learner.
While searching YouTube for learning techniques, I came across Dr Anthony Metivier's channel and his explanations of Memory Palaces.
Experimenting With Memory Palaces
I experimented with Memory Palaces for vocabulary learning, but to be honest, I struggled. As a software developer, I suspect I have a fairly logical brain, and imaginative imagery does not always come naturally to me.
However, I was always quite good at chaining encoded words into stories – what I had always just called “chaining”.
The Original Story / Journey Technique
My original chaining technique was used to memorise all 50 US states, their capitals, and the year they joined the Union.
It starts with a story: walking down the street with [Delaware] Del Boy (from Only Fools and Horses) , bumping into [Pennsylvania] Penny (from The Big Bang Theory) showing off her “New Jersey”, then [Georgia] Georgie (from Young Sheldon), and then Bing Crosby on a horse dressed an Knight (from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court) to give us [Connecticut].
The story continues with encoded years, cars, songs on the radio, and musical associations to remember capitals such as Dover, Harrisburg, Trenton, Atlanta, and Hartford. Of course the characters, locations etc are all personal to me and easy to remember, if you have never watched the TV series "Only Fools and Horses" or "The Big Bang" then the characters will mean nothing."
This technique works very well for me, but it has a weakness: if you forget one element, the rest of the chain becomes harder to retrieve.
Turning the Story Into a Memory Palace
To solve this, I experimented with converting the long story into a Memory Palace.
My mum used to run a large pub with her American partner, which became the perfect location. It had multiple bars, a restaurant, function rooms, staff areas, and living quarters – plenty of distinct locations.
Because of this American connection, I used the pub as a Memory Palace for the US states, creating 10 stations and breaking the long story into five-step sequences at each station.
Knowing that each station always contains exactly five items makes recall far more reliable. For me, this approach works exceptionally well.
Where Memory Palaces Work Very Well (For Me)
- All 50 US states, capitals, and years
- All US Presidents, with Dates (grouped into stations)
- Kings and Queens of the UK since 1066, including accession years
In each case, the Memory Palace structure makes sense for the information being stored.
Where It Doesn’t Work.. For Me (Yet)
For Spanish vocabulary, Memory Palaces currently feel like more effort than benefit. Remembering stations and imagery can take more mental energy than simply using spaced repetition and active recall.
I haven’t yet fully worked out why Memory Palaces work so well for me when dealing with facts and figures, but less well for vocabulary. That may change with experience, but for now, honesty matters.
Memory Palaces and Mnemonics
Memory Palaces work best when combined with other mnemonic techniques such as the Major System, the Dominic System, and spaced repetition methods like the Leitner Box.
Rather than replacing these techniques, Memory Palaces act as a structure that helps organise and retrieve information efficiently.
Memory Palace FAQs
What is a Memory Palace?
A Memory Palace is a mnemonic technique that uses familiar locations to store and retrieve information. Each item is placed at a specific location along a mental journey, making recall more structured and reliable.
Do I need a special tool to create a Memory Palace?
No. Memory Palaces work best when they are built from places you already know well, such as your home, workplace, or a familiar route. Because of this, they are highly personal and do not lend themselves to automated tools.
Are Memory Palaces better than other mnemonic systems?
Memory Palaces are not better or worse, just different. They work particularly well for structured information like lists, sequences, dates, and historical facts. Other systems, such as the Major or Dominic systems, can be more efficient for encoding numbers.
Can Memory Palaces be used for language learning?
They can be, but results vary. Some learners find them effective for vocabulary, while others prefer spaced repetition and active recall. In practice, Memory Palaces often work best for facts and figures rather than individual words.
Can I combine Memory Palaces with other mnemonic techniques?
Yes. Many people combine Memory Palaces with number encoding systems or chaining techniques. The Memory Palace provides structure, while other mnemonics provide the imagery.