Put Those Images Somewhere
The next piece of the memory puzzle is choosing a location for the information. The technique is known as “memory palace,” and it works by connecting images with places to assist in recalling order or names.
We can use a dancer memorizing choreography as an example. If they are dancing on a rectangular stage, the dancer may memorize sections of their routine according to where their body is within the space. Or they may think about a phrase of the music to what they see when they are moving to assist with timing.
Someone who is trying to remember several different zip codes may affix those digits with specific landmarks located within the area the zip code covers.
In terms of neurology, it has been found that there is more activity in the occipitoparietal region of the brain when using the memory palace technique. In other words, the technique activates regions that are typically devoted to things outside of memory, like the parietal lobe, which helps us navigate, or the occipital lobe, which helps us see.
