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Upgrade Your Memory

Room 3 · Hall of Methods

Memory techniques, rated by the evidence

Every technique on this site comes with a plain label for how well research supports it, and with the sources. Some of the most useful techniques have the strongest evidence; some of the most famous have less than you would think.

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01

The techniques

Strong evidence

Retrieval and spacing

Test yourself, then test yourself again a little later

How it works →

Good evidence

Memory palace

Place images along a route you know well

How it works →

Good evidence, for remembering things in order

Peg system

Hang each item on an image you learned in advance

How it works →

Mixed evidence

Names and faces

Link a feature of the face to an image of the name

How it works →

Practice-based

The number code

Turn digits into letters, and pairs of digits into characters

How it works →
  • Strong evidence Consistent results across many studies, including reviews.
  • Good evidence Positive controlled studies, but fewer of them or of lower quality.
  • Mixed evidence Results vary with the material, the person or the study.
  • Practice-based Used by memory competitors and trainers, little or no laboratory research.