Memorizing a Deck of Cards
> BUILDING_A_MIND_PALACE...
Sherlock Holmes does it. Memory champions do it. The "Memory Palace" (Method of Loci). You visualize a physical space you know, and you place weird objects in it.
The Challenge: Shuffle a deck of 52 cards. Memorize the order. Reproduce it.
Step 1: The Encoding (PAO System)
You can't memorize "7 of Clubs". It's too abstract. You have to turn it into an image.
- King of Hearts: Elvis Presley (King of Rock)
- 3 of Diamonds: A Diamond Drill
- Ace of Spades: A Shovel (Spade)
Step 2: The Palace
I chose my childhood home. Ideally, I walk through the front door, into the hall, into the kitchen.
The Walkthrough:
1. Front Door: Elvis Presley (King of Hearts) is eating a raw steak (9 of Diamonds).
2. Hallway: A Shovel (Ace of Spades) is smashing a Watermelon (Queen of Hearts).
3. Kitchen: Michael Jordan (2 of Clubs?) is dunking a toaster.
The weirder the image, the better you remember it.
Step 3: The Recall
I spent 4 hours encoding the deck. Then I put it away.
I closed my eyes and walked through my house.
"Okay, front door... Elvis... King of Hearts. Next..."
Result
Cards Memorized: 41 / 52.
I messed up the "Kitchen" room. The images were too blurry.
Conclusion
Your brain is terrible at data. It is amazing at space and narrative. If you want to remember something, don't write it down. Turn it into a story where Elvis is eating a steak on your doorstep. You will never forget it.