A problem with the “memory palace” concept is that it implies that the palace, once constructed, will be stable. If you’ve built a building well enough to take a walk through it, it will typically stand up on its own for a long time.
By contrast, a “memory palace” crumbles without frequent maintenance, at least for the first few days/weeks/months—I don’t really know how long it might take to hypothetically have the memory palace be self-supporting. I suspect that depends on how often your work or further schooling makes use of the information.
What’s useful about the memory palace isn’t so much that it is an inherently more stable way to store memories. Instead, it makes memory maintenance much more convenient and compelling. Instead of reviewing flashcards at your computer, which are static, dull, and involve staring at a computer screen, you can explore and elaborate on your memory palace while taking a walk around the neighborhood.
It also makes it easier to navigate between thoughts, inspect relationships, and reorganize your thoughts using your spatial awareness and visual imagination. The elaboration that occurs as you do this makes all the memories stronger.
But the memory palace only helps if you make use of it to its fullest potential—walking through it, building connections, reorganizing the place, living there.
Memory palace maintenance
A problem with the “memory palace” concept is that it implies that the palace, once constructed, will be stable. If you’ve built a building well enough to take a walk through it, it will typically stand up on its own for a long time.
By contrast, a “memory palace” crumbles without frequent maintenance, at least for the first few days/weeks/months—I don’t really know how long it might take to hypothetically have the memory palace be self-supporting. I suspect that depends on how often your work or further schooling makes use of the information.
What’s useful about the memory palace isn’t so much that it is an inherently more stable way to store memories. Instead, it makes memory maintenance much more convenient and compelling. Instead of reviewing flashcards at your computer, which are static, dull, and involve staring at a computer screen, you can explore and elaborate on your memory palace while taking a walk around the neighborhood.
It also makes it easier to navigate between thoughts, inspect relationships, and reorganize your thoughts using your spatial awareness and visual imagination. The elaboration that occurs as you do this makes all the memories stronger.
But the memory palace only helps if you make use of it to its fullest potential—walking through it, building connections, reorganizing the place, living there.