Cicero and the ancient memory-theorists believed you could consolidate natural memory with the right training. They invented a topographical system, the Method of Loci, an imagery-mnemonics which consisted of selecting a sequence of places, locations, that could easily be ordered in time and space. For example, you might imagine wandering through the house, choosing as loci various tables, a chair seen through a doorway, a windowsill, a mark on a wall. Next, the material to be remembered is coded into discreet images and each of the images is inserted in the appropriate order into the various loci. To memorize a speech, you transform the main points into concrete images and mentally “place” each of the points in order at each successive locus. When it is time to deliver the speech, all you have to do is recall the parts of the house in order.

Paul Virillio

From memory

Stand outside your house
Write down one thing in front of your house
Draw the entrance
Draw the first light switch
Follow the wall behind you and draw it
Go to the nearest corner, draw an object in this corner
Go to the nearest door and enter
Draw the shape of this room
Are there any exits in this room? Eg windows, make a symbol to represent these
Choose two objects furthest apart and draw these
Choose the biggest object and draw this
Go back to the entrance of the house

Stand at the entrance of your house
Step inside
Look down, draw something that is on the floor
Go to the furthest point from the entrance to your house
Draw the shape of the room you are in
Draw everything on the walls in this room
Stand in the centre of the room

Stand at the entrance of your house
Go to a room you haven’t been in a while
Go to the centre of the room
Draw the 3 closest pieces of furniture to you
Draw the highest thing in the room
Draw the lowest thing in your room
Draw something that has been hasn’t been touched in the longest time
Draw the thing furthest away from you

Go through each room and draw the purpose of each room
Go through each room and draw the thing that matters the most to you
Go through each room and draw one piece of furniture

Are there stairs? Stand at the top and draw them
Start a new drawing
Draw the stairs again
Draw every door
Draw every window
Walk around the walls of this floor and draw them continuously
Go to the closest room
Draw the shape of this room
Choose two objects that are opposites and draw these
Find the smallest piece of furniture and draw this
Go back to the top of the stairs

Stand at the top of the stairs
Choose your favourite room
Draw your three favourite things about the room
Draw your three least favourite things about the room
Draw something you do in this room

Stand at the top of the stairs
Draw a practical thing on this floor
Draw an unnecessary thing on this floor
Draw the final thing you want to add to your map
Connect your drawings together

Beatriz Moreira da Silva

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