Location is the second key to a perfect memory – locations make up the map of memory. They act as mental filing cabinets, providing a natural and efficient means of storing and retrieving memories. This is because we live in a three-dimensional world where objects can be located – physically or mentally – by where they reside or by following a set of predetermined co-ordinates.

Location was first used as a memory tool more than 2,000 years ago. The ancient Greeks and later the Romans discovered that the best way to remember things was to impose order on them. They did this by choosing a series of places or loci which were already familiar to them. This could consist of rooms around the house, balconies, arches, statues, and so on. Images of what they wanted to recall would then be placed – or rather imagined – at these various loci.

Location brings order to our lives and without it our lives would be in chaos. Imagine you were instructed to write down everything you have done today, in order. Like me, you would probably start by retracing your steps and you would most likely use the places you have travelled through to act as a reference.

location second key to memory improvement

we have learned that it is possible to find a connection between any two sets of information. Likewise, it is possible for your brain to find an association between any word, object, notion or thought, and a location. Take the word “seven”: at first glance it is just a number, but once you allow your mind to radiate freely, the word can direct you to a host of associated places, seventh heaven, the cottage from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, a school you attended when you were seven years old, and so on.

[ Also Read:

A Short Lesson In Training Your Observation

Five Tips To Learn Mnemonics

How To Memorize Binary Numbers ]

Location, then, is an indispensable building-block of memory training, because it lends itself well to association. I use it in a number of my memorization techniques. It is the main feature of the Journey Method – a technique.

Exercise: Where Do These Words Take You?

Take a look at the following list of 10 words. What places are evoked in your mind by each of these words? Perhaps the word jump reminds you of a river you used to jump over. Catch hold of these places as they pop into your head and jot down as many of them as you can in your notebook. The aim of this exercise is simply to extend your powers of association by demonstrating that any word can trigger a specific associated place in your mind.

JUMP

SIXTEEN

ELEPHANT

KISS

LADDER

FATHER

CLOCK

AUGUST

HOTEL

STORM

So where do you find yourself now? Think about it.