How to Create a Virtual Memory Palace

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Once you've got the theory under your belt, check out this detailed case study of using the Imaginary Memory Palace Method of Hugh of St. Victor next: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKeWiIaGZstnr5I

[@SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

Huzzah! I honestly prefer virtual palaces. They are not as easy, but I don’t care as much about easy. It’s fun! 😂

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Challenge rules! 🚀

[@billholt8792]

The less than 90 days is so true in all aspects of life. I am on my ?? multiple, 4th time I think? I have completed the course over a year ago, and I revisit both ,the MMM course and the free MMM PDF, often! Thanks Dr Anthony!

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Always great to hear your reports and your diligence inspires!

[@jb1892l]

Just grabbed out my Lego Taj Mahal model to use... Lol. Great video

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

🤣

[@the_neutral_container]

I have had a huge detailed imaginary city sitting on a reasonably detailed planet for decaded so this should be right down my alley!

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Very cool. I don’t bring up using planets in this video, but I have elsewhere. Underground cities beneath the moon are cool tool, especially when they invert the surface cities - inversion/mirroring being one of the more obscure Memory Palace techniques.

[@the_neutral_container]

@@AnthonyMetivierMMM Hah! Interesting. I'm going to find that one. I'm just getting started with mnemonics to learn some vocabulary.

[@Renee-Heal-The-Eagle]

I am still plugging along with the Freedom Journal. My current challenge...one latin prayer that started in one memory palace but I decided that another one is more appropriate.

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Sometimes that happens. Usually things pick up after a change when needed. I don’t know why, but sometimes certain content and certain locations don’t want to go together.

[@piercehawthorne8124]

wow already an other video! I’m excited :)

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Hope you enjoy! 🙏

[@Davlavi]

All good points having fun helps take action.

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

🙏

[@christophera3330]

3rd. Thanks for sharing this with us. Greetings from Oslo.

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

🙏

[@Charmian-and-Iras]

Interesting topic. I like the advice of taking a screenshot. About reducing cognitive load and making virtual mp more magnetic, didn’t you mention starting a sanskrit text in a video game in an arcade once? Would that be a walk around-anchoring a virtual mp to a device in a specific station of a place you’ve been to irl? As ever, thank you for this bountiful content 🙏

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

My Atma Bodha Memory Palaces does start in a real arcade that was at the back of a convenience store. The stations are exactly where the game consoles were (it was a very small arcade). This demonstrated the principle of reducing cognitive load very well, so I’m glad you raised it. Because the “real” spatial memory basis is so strong, all focus that matters can fall on the assignment of sounds and meanings to the mnemonics. Ksana papanam takes full focus as a KISS pinball machine with the pope dancing on it, for example. This would be too mentally strenuous for me in most invented locations. And because this arcade connects to an entire neighborhood, once the Memory Palace is assigned, all attention goes to simply laying out the mantra. Does this way of looking at it help describe the distinction? 🙏

[@Charmian-and-Iras]

@@AnthonyMetivierMMM yeah, it does enlighten it, thank you for the specifics. From what I’m gleaning from this example, virtual Memory Palaces might not be as effective perhaps because our minds treat them a bit like "information floating into space", unless we do as you did with this example and stick it on a very real station somewhere. As someone who’s a bit obsessive about honing my sense of direction-knowing North from South wherever I’m at, not relying on GPS but building my mental maps-I think the key for a location to feel like one and for us to harness the power of spatial memory might be this sense of "I know I can get there".

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

There's more nuance to this topic than I could cram in to an hour. I would suggest looking into mental imagery. I only scratch the surface here, but it's a start: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmmxkGOjhraLpZo Basically, all information is spatial and the speed of accessing it involves cognitive load, which can be increased or reduced. Practicing without GPS is a great idea because you will effectively increase and ultimately reduce it at the same time. You can go one step further by noticing language on signs and other visual features in the environments you reach. I mean passive noticing rather than actively trying to memorize anything. I'll have to do a video at some point about the difference between passively establishing new Memory Palaces so that no memorization is needed. That way, they will be true Memory Palaces and much more truly useful.

[@samuelzins5089]

That's a really cool idea

[@ThihaLinn-b9c]

I have a psychological problem. I have urge to know incessantly more that becomes to much to handle even with memory palaces. How do I silence my thoughts which are recursive? I am a bit of a perfectionist since i learn something, i do feel the need to learn everything i can so that i can feel "completed"

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Although I've never been a perfectionist myself, I have dealt with my own urge to know by researching and understanding information science. I believe the Renaissance scholars did something similar, as I discuss here in the battle to "know it all": kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJSwZIl4mdF8rMU Hope it helps!

[@eyasu1894]

Dr. I want to ask you one question. I am a medicine student in Ethiopia , but I always loss my confidence due to my failure on memory and organize my reading How can I overcome this situation and fulfill my entire desire to be successful medical doctor.... please help me

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

How can I help beyond the clear instructions in all of my videos? Take notes and practice the steps. I have books and courses if you need more help.

[@crestwoodbaby]

Hey Anthony, have you thought of making a discord community to connect fellow mnemonists? Couldn't find one unfortunately

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Yes, but I prefer the monthly Zoom meetings with the MMM Inner Circle. Since mnemonists practice P.E.A.C.H., it’s a respite from the hydra-esque flourishing of words on screens. 🙏

[@crestwoodbaby]

​@@AnthonyMetivierMMM Ah i see, thanks for replying

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Just shout out if you have any other questions. :-)

[@knw-seeker6836]

Could one memorise all details which has to be memorised for an exam with memory palaces or is it just not worth it because the lecture slides or textbook content is just too much?

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Memorizing for exams has been worth it in my experience - just not using Virtual Memory Palaces.

[@ProdHymns]

Every object can have 8 stations, top/bottom, front/back, left/right, in and out

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

A triangular prism has 6 vertices, 5 faces and 9 edges... don't even get me started on the dodecahedron... 😂

[@ProdHymns]

@@AnthonyMetivierMMM oh boy you just opened a rabbit hole for me, I didn’t think about advanced shapes 😭, but like you said less is more 😉 👂🏻

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

In my experience, the rabbit hole never ends. Hence the power of setting limits and rules of constraint so that things actually get done. It's why I roll out my "activity vs. accomplishment" mantra so often in these videos. I worry it comes off preachy, but I mean it to help people at least know what they're getting into when it comes to speculative mnemonics. (A term I think I got from Tony Buzan.)

[@mr.pickitt5426]

Very interesting topic and I’m looking forward to watching this video over the weekend. I usually only comment after watching the whole video, but I’m making an exception here. Best to you all and thank you Anthony!

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Awesome! Thank you and look forward to your thoughts then. 🙏

[@larahporter8123]

Any valid observations about Justin Sung's learning program?

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Neither valid or invalid from me, as I have not taken it. But if someone wants to donate the registration fee, I might go through it and create a review as I done with other products in the past for supporters. 🙏

[@larahporter8123]

@@AnthonyMetivierMMM smart answer

[@stevensimonds3787]

Thank you for this very interesting

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Anything you'd like to see covered further in future videos?

[@thomasnaliiii1314]

I have to ask have you tried realtor tours with a 3D virtual headset ?

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Not that exactly, no. But something close to it. It’s possible actually doing it would change things, but having had a spouse who worked in real estate, I doubt it.

[@thomasnaliiii1314]

@@AnthonyMetivierMMMI just know you mention using palaces that you’ve only visited once. Which in my mind is very simula to taking a 3D tour in a headset because we are dealing with natural spatial memory. I personally have found that walking through one time to establish my 5 10 or 15 micros per macro gives me a solid memory the same as visiting in person, if not more because there isn’t the distractions of any other reason of being there. Then again it could be argued that the diffuse mode is hard at work when visiting in person! Love your work Dr. Metivier! I know you’ve said you’re not a huge fan of the woo woo, but the woo woo in some of the literature you’ve recommended has ignited my desire to learn so I will be pursuing all of the stuff about hermeticism and everywhere that leads me haha :)

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

I'm a fan of lots of things and definitely find value in woo books too - but without the thinking that contextualizes it, the value just isn't there for me. What others value is its own debate. Thus, the problem with the virtual Memory Palace discussion is: 1) You could indeed have equal or greater verisimilitude, which leads to... 2) For what can you demonstrate how well it works and "prove" that you're using the 3D tour-derived Memory Palace? No matter who sets the standard, we still have to rely on the radical honesty of the individual. I await the person who can demonstrate that they use these kinds of Memory Palaces to accomplish substantial goals. But so far, here's what's really interesting: No one who can demonstrate substantial goals has said they do it with 3D/virtual anything. A few people tell me they have but they universally fall apart upon any amount of scrutiny. There's perhaps one exception to the rule that I've met out of thousands, and in this case, hyperphantasia appears to be at play. At the end of the day, I don't have a dog in anyone else's personal sense of accomplishment. But as a "journalist" and "philosopher" of memory, walking through these places and getting a "solid memory" isn't what we're talking about here. We're talking about a useful mental tool that helps produce substantial learning outcomes. So although I'll grant that I'm moderately convinced by one example that seems to have some hyperphantasia in the mix, if this approach to using the Memory Palace technique worked, more memory competitors would be screaming about it and we'd be talking about it all the time. Absence leaves its own type of clue...

[@samuelzins5089]

On the topic of dreams as memory palaces, i have a question. This morning i had a lucid dream that began in my yard and i got lucid at recognizing the oddity of the scenario. Anyway, my house structure was abnormal and i had 2 front doors facing 2 directions. When i went in the less realistic (accurate) door, i found my living room exactly as it is in real life. I haven't yet experimented with this but plan to today, but in your experience, would there be overlap issues / ghosting when using identical rooms connected to different other areas? I'm guessing it's similar to using alternate versions of a room (like making the room out of Legos or all blue) but I wanna hear your experience if you've tried anything similar. Thanks!

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

There is pretty much always the possibility for overlap issues because using Memory Palaces is exactly that: lapping mnemonic associations over remembered spaces. So it's not a question of avoiding it, but optimizing to reduce it as an issue. And for that, it really comes down to Recall Rehearsal. Without that, there's no point in using Memory Palaces at all, except for the short term memory competition uses. For serious, long-term retention goals, as in this video, I recommend standard, MMM Memory Palaces. I have tried many dream locations, including lucid dream locations. In my own practice and cross-referencing the practice of many other serious memorizers, there's just no comparison when it comes to return on your time spent. Minimize the issues and maximize the outcomes: that is the Magnetic way. Does this perspective make sense and help you out?

[@samuelzins5089]

@@AnthonyMetivierMMM that was give or take what i expected to hear. However, I would like to ask what that means for locations that are the same place but at different points in time. For example my room used to be organized differently and had different things on the walls. The brain can clearly distinguish the two times despite it being the same place. Does the same thing apply to memory palaces, such as if I were to use my past-tense room and current one separately? If so, why not the previous dream scenario? Also, thanks for always being great at responding to comments.

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

The ultimate answer for you is in your experiments. I would suggest caution around the idea that the "brain can clearly distinguish the two times despite it being the same place." That's not as clear as it might seem and confabulation is a very real issue. The question is to what extent is it an issue in your own practice. And that is the key: Rather than asking for a final answer from anyone else, I am trying to encourage people to think about the theory and then use it as a guide for their own experiments. I think there are good reasons to predict that certain experiments will lead to similar conclusions and results (even Bruno said this). But by the same token, a lot depends on what you are memorizing, your current level of skill, the exact retention goal and so forth. So certainty isn't in our discussion or in the theory. It's in the practice and the radically honest assessment of the results. I've certainly had interesting results with using dreams, but nothing that I wish to spend time on any more. I also had fun exploring what it's like to ride bikes with flat tires. You can get to the destination. But it's a lot more fun and easy and direct and successful when the tools are fully plump and functional. Both offer movement, but only one is fun and easy and actually good for the long term health of the knees and reputation for being on time, etc. Does this way of looking at the decision I've made for myself make sense and help you out?

[@samuelzins5089]

@@AnthonyMetivierMMM Yeah, that makes sense. I like the bike analogy as well. For context, this (at least the similar location part) is more about theoretical curiosity than actual planned use, and i completely agree with each person experimenting on their own, as I've done so almost since day one on the method. For example, i have found no difficulty crossing my path as long as that path is clear. I'm more hopeful for dream locations that don't resemble anything, as my brain has done equally well with that in recent weeks as it has real spots. Thanks again

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

My pleasure. Out of my own curiosity, how much have you used path-crossing with Recall Rehearsal in terms of volume of information you could recite today from memory if asked? (It's totally possible for path-crossing to be clear and still slow down Recall Rehearsal.)

[@Calicoo-x4d]

I really like your videos, but i find these little clips distracting. I tried to listen without looking, but i think i might missed some important pictures about books or things like that

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Sorry about that. They’re really helping the videos though, so for audio only I suggest the Magnetic Memory Method podcast channel. Those audio episodes are published via video only when there’s nothing of importance to see. In any case, video or audio, the way to not miss things is to take notes. 🙏

[@S_Roshan_....]

😮😮😮

[@rahma5591]

How do I memorize body language in the memory palace?

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

That is something to discuss at some point in the future, to be sure. Any particular goal you have for knowing more about body language?

[@rahma5591]

@@AnthonyMetivierMMM To conclude upon observation, I have read a lot of books about body language but I have not memorized the meanings of the gestures I need to memorize body language in order to infer when observing

[@samuelzins5089]

I'm partiality here to get notified of further updates but I'll also say this: I'm currently trying to get good at that very thing. If I'm taking notes about a person's baseline, I'll use their body as a mp and have a system for specific things they do. I'm still working on it but i make gestures into an image combined with the observed stimulus so it works like a notepad. Is that what you mean or are you talking about learning what new "universal" cues typically mean?

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

I would take care on this topic. As far as I'm concerned, there are no "meanings" to any gestures. There are only more or less likely interpretations of what they could mean. Most of the best experts in this area make this distinction clear. Ben Cardall and I have discussed issues related to this as well, albeit not entirely directly: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqnVdH2giZ52pJY

[@rahma5591]

@@samuelzins5089 Let me tell you, how do you memorize body language, in the memory palace or any method of memorization? Excuse me, I am Arab and I have difficulty understanding.

[@ProdHymns]

Bro please try Minecraft, you don’t need sounds, it’s the perfect game for this

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

Do you have a long form recitation you can perform live on my podcast to demonstrate how well it has worked for you? I'd love to be convinced that it's worth the additional cognitive load when Pacman already provides more than enough.

[@alamedvav]

RE: 12:15 Lets say the book cost $120.00 just for arguments sake.

[@AnthonyMetivierMMM]

It's worth $1250 if you ask me. :-)