Andrew Mayne's AI-Inspired Journey into the Ancient Memory Palace Technique

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Ready for another conversation about a very old technology... with a memory master who things "remote viewing" might actually be possible?... Watch me try and stump him with a "magic trick" next! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGOXYZh8j7OkZpY

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Thanks for your question. I'm referring to getting a good foundation in the memory arts. There are countless examples across the channel, but the magic happens when you take the free course on my site and complete it thoroughly. Without applying the theory, none of the examples will make full and complete sense.

[@Sanyat100]

Best discussion so far...

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@lumosity2500]

I knew that you are still uploading, this really shows great passion! If you can make videos about novels ways to memorize things, that will really be unique. By novel i mean other than the known ways loci and these systems. Keep up the work❤🎉

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Thanks for your kind words. I’m aware of no other ways that work this well. Otherwise, I would indeed share them. Do you know of any? 🙏

[@lumosity2500]

@ I’ve two that actually were very helpful to me. First technique is about imaging four squares and each pair have its own color set( lets say red and blue). I use this technique to watch debates, and the function of this technique is to temporarily hold information(aka working memory ). Each color well represent each side, and when there is a point i need to remember i will make an image on the fly and put on a square. Seeing the squares and moving them around makes it very easy to hold informations in such fast paced thing like a debate. Sorry, this comment have got too long.

[@lumosity2500]

@ the other technique (which is my favorite) is similar to “the story method” but its more visual. Which i use to memorize a long sequence of things, like for example long lines of code. I make pictures and these pictures will be combined to make a comical story. Exactly like dc comics which just images in a consequential order, but without any texts. I do appreciate visual techniques more, and specially if they were abstract ( like the squares in the first tech). And i would love to hear some novelty from other people, because its will inspire if it didnt help me directly.

[@billholt8792]

Another great tool for my granddaughters tool bag for a Gen Z -Preserving Old School to new school. I try to appreciate and utilize a blend of boh in my own daily endeavors, blogs, vlog, pods, and social media. Thanks,

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

The neat thing is how the old school memory techniques can help us keep the speed of development exciting because we have more mental processing space to keep up with it all. 🙏

[@robjfulton]

Lot's of great eenergy and also the section on encoding and decoding - would love more on this topic in the future. I WANT IT!

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Thanks for checking this one out. I do want to eventually cover the encoding-decoding science... Have to figure out a way to word it that will set the world and the algos on fire for memory!

[@debashisde1184]

Thank you Anthony....neophilia vs neophobia;.a.i machine learning tools vs Baconian knowledge organisation hierarchy... where's it all going? However like yourself - studying some of the classics the technology needs to follow the memory methods, their rationale and the best of the heart and mind....and (as your guest said, great mind by the way Mr Mayne) focus on solving human needs. Excellent interview.

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Great question... It seems to me that part of where it's all going is 'pataphysical. I've written an article about this and will probably turn it into a new video in the year to come. Thanks for checking this one out in the meantime and for your posts.

[@Wordywizard1121]

Brilliant. Hallucinations generated by the machine to improve the clarity factor or generating a memory 'hardcopy', it could be a convenient tool if used correctly. Thanks for these great videos!

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Thanks for checking this one out. Certainly there is lots to explore. Are you memorizing anything at the moment?

[@Wordywizard1121]

@@AnthonyMetivierMMM I'm manoeuvring my memory around occult and traditional spiritual teachings. Memorising sections of interest helps me read more thoroughly. I'm also memorising 'miscellaneous' legal documents as I want to confront corruption in my area. Your enthusiasm is helping me a lot but I'm still incurably lazy at times. Breathing techniques help. Thanks again my friend.

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Sounds like you are moving in some interesting areas. Frankly, I wish I could be lazy myself from time to time. But for some reason, that's just never been possible for me. It's not by choice, but for whatever reason, I've almost always been one of those "I'll rest when I'm dead" types...

[@Wordywizard1121]

@@AnthonyMetivierMMM I think your a class act. I've also been teaching my son about memory techniques I've learnt from your work, we've turned it into a pictionary type game where we guess each others memory pathways with sequence challenges (colours, themes, item cards) etc. We call it 'Brain Droppings', a nod to the legend that is George Carlin (my son doesn't know that reference). Thanks again for the inspiration Anthony.

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Sounds like a great game!

[@BARGABEATS]

THANKS FOR ANOTHER BANGER

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

🙏

[@Davlavi]

I do not blame you people go for the path of least resistance and any new technology can lead to more laziness. Glade for the interview

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Thanks for checking this one out. Resistance is so key. Perhaps some people are already using AI to help them experience true and proper resistance training for both the body and the mind.

[@Pneumanon]

Anthony- I am with you in my high level of skepticism about AI. AI is the reason I started learning memory methods. When I was in school, my grandmother used to say that pocket calculators would make us terrible at mathematics and reliant on those calculators. We completely dismissed her concern, but the fact is, I do need a calculator now to do anything more than basic arithmetic and even more basic multiplication. As time goes on, a population trained to rely on AI not only for memory but for knowledge and thinking will become very weak-minded and very easily deceived. Not only will we let AI models tell us what to think, we will _prefer_ that to thinking for ourselves, just like I vastly prefer to use a calculator than do the sums myself. We should be very, very wary of outsourcing our thinking, which is one of the things AI technology wants to lure us into doing. On the comment about Open AI being supportive of Nick Cave’s stance on AI, great. But Nick Cave is a very well established artist. As an artist myself, it is already becoming incredibly difficult for emerging artists to survive in the current market conditions created by file sharing & social media. AI is only making this worse. Yes, we all have the choice whether or not to use AI in our creative endeavours, but we don’t have the choice about whether to eat or pay our bills. As AI draws work away from humans (not just artists) and increases competition, humans are going to find it harder and harder to survive, let alone spend time on things like writing music.

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Thank you for your considered thoughts. I can see it both ways, and personally think about it in terms of the "recursion" issue we discussed. Nick Cave is an interesting example because he is known to have relationships with artists like Blixa Bargeld. I don't know how much of Bargeld's songwriting methodologies got into Cave's music, but Bargeld's main band involves a lot of "generated" music. Theoretically, so does all music - generated directly out of the physical laws that we interpret as scales, modes, etc. We also have always had extremes of distribution where only a few get established at scale. I think we stand a chance at much greater amounts of people "making it," but that's ultimately a fool's game. It's as empty at the top as it is at the bottom if the individual doesn't love what they're doing. There will always be things causing issues in the world, but sometimes the shakeups are more cleansing than they seem. Frankly, I'm on Bandcamp all the time and blown away by how many people are making a good go at it. That's at least an optimistic view, and I'll be straight up: As a musician myself, I don't go full hog on Bandcamp because: A) I love music, but not the business of music enough to do it. B) I know I'm just not that good. So I stick with playing for the love of music and don't make a narcissistic goal out of it that would just wind up making it a wound to my ego. And this I see as a huge problem in how egos meet the arts. People want to be included or recognized simply because they are as compelled to create as the "successful" artist. That is a normal thing to feel, and exclusion definitely hurts. But there is a stillness to be found that can help you enjoy your journey anyway, and create with abandon, even if proves impossible to break through the noise of the mainstream. So the real risk I see is that more people with more access to tools will lead to more unhealthy narcissistic ego suffering. All while there's a good chance that more people than ever before are going to get to participate. For those in whom the now is not full and complete, there is never enough.

[@MikeT-o5b]

But I think as Anthony said earlier in post that information is meant to remain as a repository. Not to know all the things. But also I think a better solution is to have AI computing as an automated game changer for say a manager's job where we won't need a manager. While we as people could have the freedom to do what is right and good to never think about all the wrong or even all the unspeakable evil things. Like motion app is great for automating a schedule since a lot of time will go wasted or is the great planner some of the unexpected. So this comes as a challenge to handle the complexity since but it's doable. Just depends how realistic it is without being too dependent on it.

[@Pneumanon]

@@AnthonyMetivierMMM Well thank you in return Anthony for your very thoughtful reply, I agree with much of what you wrote. There are lots of interesting threads we could follow in this discussion. Since we're limited for space/time in this medium, I'll try to be relatively brief (though quite long for a youtube comment section!) I think the topic of ego in the arts is a complex one. To pursue a career as a rock star for purely egotistical reasons would seem on it's face to be a 'bad' idea, however Ziggy Stardust made love to his ego and if we presume that David Bowie was talking at least in part about himself there, I think we are all beneficiaries of that narcissistic motivation. I do think people should pursue the arts for the intrinsic reward of just making stuff BUT I also think that the audience and the culture at large clearly benefits from talented individuals having the time to pursue their somewhat selfish creative drives. Obviously not everyone can be a Nick Cave, Blixa Bargeld or David Bowie, but that is not necessarily always the goal either. We can be creative professionals who just want to keep a roof over our heads and feed our children. I love the picture Lynne Kelly paints in her description of indigenous and ancient cultures- the way practical survival information, mythology, history, morality, laws, the arts (etc) are all woven together in a living culture that everyone participates in and also benefits from in one way or another, not for monetary gain. If only our modern culture functioned the same way rather than everything being siloed into niches and specialisations and everything being commodified or monetised in some way. But in our market driven society, people do have to make a living somehow. No-one has a right to make art or music for a living of course, but as the markets for these things become even more difficult to make money from (thanks to technologies like AI, algorithms, etc), the people who do have the kind of talent we would all love to be exposed to struggle to have the time to create their art in the first place, let alone publish it and stand out from the noise. In my mind, this will accelerate a cultural decline we have already been seeing over the past decade or so. That is my main concern regarding the arts. It's not that AI or other technologies can't be used by humans in the creation of art. Since I mentioned David Bowie, he was an avid proponent of the cut-up method of writing lyrics as I'm sure you know. That is very similar to the random poetry method Andrew was talking about. I don't see anything wrong with that as long as a human artist is still making the editorial decisions. But once we start to devalue not just the creative contribution of human musicians/artists (saying things like "hey AI can spit out random words and it's just as meaningful as anything else") but make it increasingly impossible for them to invest the time and creative energy into making art, I think we are leading the culture down a very unwise path. Thank you for all your time, energy and hard work in making these videos and taking the time to reply.

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

We can definitely take the topic in all kinds of directions. I respectfully cannot see the devaluation you're predicting, however. A) Because there is an easily evidenced flourishing of people more aware of advanced music theory putting out incredible albums all the time and making a very good go at it. B) As in this discussion with Andrew Mayne, I allow Buzan's phrase to come to mind all the time: "Always focus on what can go right." Some people won't be able to let themselves do that. But if you have an interest in memory training overall, I believe it's possible to see things differently. In this TEDx Talk I share a process I followed to help myself stop focusing on doom and gloom and lean into the good stuff instead: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oafXip2ap86Gpq8 It might not appeal to you. It might not change a thing (nor should it, as I could easily choose your focus and be "correct" about any pessimistic conclusion). But I offer it all the same with this food for thought: People were having this same conversation thousands of years ago. Things come. Things go. Some succeed. Some fail. Was it ever different? Will it ever be any different? Personally, I doubt it. And I doubt too that people "have to make a living." That's a catch-phrase that is somewhat in denial of how things actually work, to which I recommend Nietzsche's Also Sprach Zarathustra. Bowie and Blixa would undoubtedly recognize the most important line in that book: "You will not believe me when I tell you this, but it is the body that performs the 'I'." I believe no truer words were spoken and they are tremendously helpful for those who wish to be free of the illusion that any one of us "makes a living." As Bowie himself put it, "I have never known what I was going to do next." There's a phrase for that statement. It's called "the human condition." Strangely, not all humans embrace it, but in German there's an artistic phrase for those who do. Lebensart. Beautiful word!

[@Pneumanon]

​@@AnthonyMetivierMMM Mercifully my pessimism about AI doesn't extend to all areas of life :) I am actually very interested in the process you shared in your TedX talk. I have been reading Happiness Beyond Thought over the last 2-3 weeks since watching it, and have resumed meditating daily. Without going into a personal biography I am quite familiar with the idea you referred to in the Nietzsche quote and I believe I am a follower (however uncertain) of the "way of life" in the sense I think you are alluding to. I can't say I yet have the gnosis you seem to experience, but I do believe it is available to all of us as you imply. If you have any other videos that go into your experiences in this area I'm sure I would benefit greatly from watching them. Thanks again!

[@hesitr9317]

Hi, first of all, I've been following your channel for a long time and I really like your videos. I have a question for you, I would really appreciate it if you could help. Sometimes I play card games with my friends and some of my friends count cards very well and they don't forget until almost the end of the game. And I don't think I have such a talent. What should I do to have such an ability(memory), how should I follow a path and what should I apply in the short and long term to improve it?

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Thanks for your question. There’s a lot you can do, and I would start by considering the exact games you’re playing. That can help work out the best possible path. Beyond that, typically you’ll want four of the five main mnemonic systems set up and in practice. Be all in and focus for a weekend or so on learning them. From there on in it’s not talent. It’s just practicing the systems as you hone the techniques.

[@hesitr9317]

​@@AnthonyMetivierMMMThanks for your answer sir. I am playing Hearts, Poker, Bluff and Cheat. And I also have problems with visualization

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Poker I know best - and I know how a solid player used mnemonics to generate an advantage. I’d suggest getting in touch via email if you’d like to explore learning options. I’m confident you can achieve your goals, and look forward to hearing from you.

[@ujjwalbansal6276]

Hey Anthony, love your work and would like your help on some things for better visualization of abstract phrases and words required at school, can you please share your email id?! Thanks in advance!

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Let's discuss here. :-)

[@debashisde1184]

But there are also valid fears that the public is made dependent on the software, and critical thought or research skills suffer because of the mechanistic approach of a.i. and if it became artificial general intelligence pre-programmed by corporate technocrats or biased evil people whether it becomes a "dumbing down" tool for the masses? However facts, validation, careful scrutiny (by memory experts - whizzkids globally) could tip the scale 🙂

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

I think the fears of being dumbed down are perfectly rational. However, I work to resist my strong inclination to go in that direction. One reason is simply stemming from my philosophy of memory, which involves the conception that memory is not exclusive to humans. Never was and never will be. Now, I think there are problems that arise when we anthropomorphize computer memory. By the same token, there are problems that arise when we don't explore that possibility, both near and long-term. I am working on a more extensive thesis about this in my book on Bruno. Hopefully it will be out in 2025. I think he would have been "all in" on AI.