Sword, peg systems are amazing. I use the number shape and number rhyme most days.
One problem I had with memory palaces initially was confusing my imagined rooms with those in reality. I don't mean in a crazy person shaking his fist at imaginary flies kind of way
. I will explain below.
The problem I found when I used my own house was that I am too aware of where each object is placed in the rooms. So if I wanted to memorise a pack of cards, I found it far too difficult to go through my room ( both visualised and real ) and attach the cards to 52 objects. In real life, I hate clutter and because of this I keep as few things as possible in view. To get round this I stopped trying to use my own house as a memory palace. Instead I use my local town hall/library . I know the layout well enough to be able to walk round it in my mind. As I am not fully aware of the placement of items in the hall, I can add my own 52 items that I will later form images with when recalling the cards.
When you start adding things into a room you know well in real life, it can become confusing. In my bedroom, I have about 10 fixed items including bed, wardrobe, desk, light stand, etc. To make that number up to the 52, I had to add things into the room such as plant pot, telescope, TV, etc. I don't have these in reality, so trying to imagine them visually becomes too confusing. Using the town hall is an ideal solution.
My favored techniques for memorisation is the journey method. Everybody regardless of who they are can use this. I have a few favorite journeys in my mind and each have 52 stops. I think the main reason I enjoy this systems is that it has a start, middle and ending. You begin the journey and end the journey in 52 stages or steps. In some ways it is like playing a STT, beginning, middle and ending ( if you are not a fish and keep getting knocked out at the start like I do, lol ) . Even the old Lady at the end of the street can use this for her shopping list. She knows probably 20 routes perfectly allready such as the route she uses to go to the bingo, or see her Daughter, or her route to the bus stop in the morning. Just associate the list of items with each stop on her imaginary journey. easy.
I tried to use Derren Browns method for memorisation and although it is brilliant, it just doesn't work for me. I find it too distracting.
This is the method I use for dates. I kind of half invented it and half stole it from other systems I have studied. It is called the 'Lewis System'
Each day becomes a famous person
Each date becomes a type of food
Each month becomes a type of sport
For the year I use the major system
So for example if I wanted to remember that Scotland won the football World cup on the Monday 16th of June, I make the image of Andrew Murry eating a massive steak ( steak is my image for the number 16 ) dinner covered in tennis balls( my word for Monday is Andrew Murry as Monday rhymes with Murry ). My word for the month of June is always Fencing ( the sport ) I can't explain this one, it just feels correct when I visualise the word June.. So to add this word to this image I would see Murry coughing as he bites into the steak as there are swords sticking in his throat. For the year I add in my image word on the major system. All this is connected to Scotland winning the World cup by imagining it taking place in the middle of the pitch as the game is taking place. By using this method you can remember dates in less than 10 seconds. It takes longer to write about it than actually think it.
I will reply to your PM later on my laptop Sword, this computer I am using right now is crap
I have a few days off Andrew, I was suppose to be going MTB on holiday, but I decided to save cash instead of paying for the B&B. I am used to keeping active, so I don't really get tired that much
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