I mean, we love using the term “from head to toe,” but…
When it comes to everything that happens between these two parts…
There aren’t a whole lot of straight lines.
That’s why we need a dedicated Memory Palace strategy when it comes to memorizing human anatomy.
And even if the human body is ultimately a whole unit, it is built from multiple systems.
That’s great because the Magnetic Memory Method operates from the basis of multiple Memory Palaces.
(I prefer to think of these Memory Palace systems as “networks” because of how one Memory Palace strengthens the other.)
Here’s the raw truth:
If you’re using just one Memory Palace, you’re not even close to the awesome power of multiple locations optimized for memorizing information like human anatomy.
But first things first:
Why Use A Memory Palace For Human Anatomy?
When you look at the alternatives, the most direct and honest answer is this:
Because Memory Palace systems and mnemonics are quite simply more fun.
More fun than software.
More fun than flash cards.
More fun than the stress and strain of forgetting the words again and again (especially if you have medical exams looming).
But the reality is this:
Not All People Love Using A Memory Palace For Human Anatomy!
And you know?
As shocking as we mnemonists find this to be, it’s totally normal.
You don’t have to enjoy the process to get results.
But it certainly helps.
And you’ll probably find that the reason you don’t like using memory techniques for human anatomy is simply that you find it a boring topic.
Assuming you’re on board to use memory techniques for human anatomy whether you love mnemonics or not, it’s useful to know exactly what we’re talking about.
Unfortunately, the term “Memory Palace” is poorly misunderstood. This leads to a lot of questions, for which “yes” is usually the answer.
Yes, you can reuse Memory Palaces (just watch out for the Ugly Sister Effect).
Yes, a Memory Palace is something that you create in your mind.
Yes, it is ideally based on a place that you’ve seen before.
But at their core, Memory Palaces are really just points in space. You are turning spatial coordinates already known to you (thanks to a free resource called spatial memory) into mnemonic devices, one Magnetic Station at a time.
The Goal With Proper Memory Palace Creation Is Simple:
You use your spatial memory to help create efficient Memory Palaces that REDUCE cognitive overwhelm.
This point is significant because most people create Memory Palaces in ways that INCREASE cognitive overwhelm.
That’s because they’re trying to imagine the Memory Palaces at the same time as the Magnetic Imagery used in Memory Palaces.
And that, Magnetic friend, is a huge no-no.
(More on avoiding that huge no-no in a bit.)
How To Create A Memory Palace For Human Anatomy
The topic is best learned with some Memory Palaces up on the screen and a “homework” assignment. Just click here to get started:
Once you’ve taken the free course and submitted your assignment, the only thing left to do is create multiple Memory Palaces and use them.
How To Know How Many Memory Palaces You Need
To create your Memory Palace networks in the best possible way, it’s good to decide how many Memory Palaces you need in advance. Here’s a YouTube Live discussion we help that will help you understand the concept:
To put this part of the art of memory into the context of human anatomy, let’s say you’re going to become an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist.
I’m not a specialist myself, but even without invoking Digital Amnesia by using Google to hunt down some info, it’s safe to guess that I’ll want to memorize the anatomy and systems related to the:
Inner Ear
Middle Ear
Outer Ear
Nose
Throat
Mouth
Skull
So, keeping it simple for the sake of creating an example, that’s at least seven Memory Palaces.
Or is it?
I ask because it looks like the entire ear could be covered by a single Memory Palace.
Myself, I would start with the outer ear and focus on the three most important parts on most ear diagrams I’ve seen:
Auricle
Auditory canal
Tympanic membrane
All three could fit in a single room based on three Magnetic Stations (or less).
In the next room, I would have the middle ear, but probably divide this into two rooms because the ossicles have parts of their own: malleus, incus, stapes.
And the ossicle bones don’t stop with just 3 names! They are also called the hammer, anvil and stirrup. For that, I would probably use the Pillar Technique.
Ultimately, the exact management comes down to your experience using these techniques.
Using The Power Of Pre-Organized Structures
If you’re using the Magnetic Memory Method, you could alphabetize your Memory Palace network. In this case, it probably will not make sense alphabetize the information inside of each Memory Palace, but it is an option depending on your Mnemonic Style.
The reason the alphabet is such a powerful tool is this:
Just as you know the buildings from which you create Memory Palaces by heart, you also know the alphabet by heart.
This simple fact means that when you’re practicing Recall Rehearsal, you can easily progress through the Memory Palaces in an order.
You can also create a mnemonic hook built into the network that tells you which Memory Palace needs to be renewed next.
Again, everything begins with knowing how much you need to know so that you can get your Memory Palaces created and tethered to the information you need to learn.
From there, you can proceed based on the robust foundation of pre-organized structures in the world such as the alphabet.
How To Use A Memory Palace For Human Anatomy
The next step involves creating Magnetic Imagery.
What is Magnetic Imagery?
It’s incredibly easy.
Let’s say you want to memorize the three parts of the ossicle (all six names).
You would next create a Magnetic Image while mentally considering a point in space in a Memory Palace.
You don’t have to literally “see” these things in your mind. And yes, you can get results from this technique even if you have aphantasia:
All that matters is that you can tap into your Magnetic Modes and start to create Magnetic Imagery that is:
Bright
Vibrant
Dynamic
Big
Colorful
Crazy
Strange
Emotional
Physical
Animated
Forceful
Loud
Rhyming
Punning
And beginning to play with these terms now…
I am thinking of my own Ear, Nose and Throat specialist from when I was a kid…
In one corner of his examination room, I begin to imagine Malcolm McDowell wrestling with an eel…
Now he’s smashing the Toys R Us logo into the eel using a plastic toy “hammer”…
Like this:
Malcolm + eel + hammer + Toys R Us logo = Malleus and hammer.
Sure, that’s a picture, but I’m not really “seeing” it in my mind. I’m feeling it, hearing it, sensing it, playing with it as a concept.
Put all of these sensory elements together with your spatial memory in a Memory Palace and you will be able to encode and decode any information in a way that enters long term memory fast. In fact, there techniques are …
So Simple, Even A Child Can Do It!
Really, there’s no reason to struggle with using memory techniques for human anatomy.
You’ve just got to get your strategy sorted out.
And I know that a lot of people think it takes too much time…
Looking at the amount to be learned…
Making some projections and equations…
Creating the Memory Palaces for anatomy…
They think it’s going to be too much work.
But here’s the thing:
If It Feels Like Work… You’re Doing It Wrong!
I make no apology for this declaration. It just simply is the case that mnemonics for any subject are never hard. And they’re certainly NEVER work.
You’re at play in the fields of your mind!
You just need to understand something Tony Buzan once suggested:
The Rules Set You Free
And speaking of rules, there’s just one more set you need to understand.
Once you’ve got your Memory Palaces up and running…
Once you’re filling them up with memorable Magnetic Imagery so that you can learn and encode all the human anatomy words that you need linked with the areas of the body to which they correspond…
You need only get those words into long-term memory.
It’s really easy.
The Memory Magic Of Recall Rehearsal
Just revisit the Magnetic Imagery you created in your Memory Palaces.
As with how you will develop your own mnemonic style over time, you’ll also develop your own style of Recall Rehearsal.
You’ll learn exactly how many times you need to revisit the information in order for it to stick.
And you always have ways to speed up the process using the Big Five Of Learning that I teach throughout the Magnetic Memory Method trainings.
Follow these principles using your Memory Palace network and you will never forget human anatomy again.
On the other hand, fail to follow these principles, and you can hope for the best with the flash cards, spaced-repetition software and other techniques that you hate because they keep letting you down.
These tools can be good, but we must admit one thing: They are built for use in environments that create digital amnesia.
But understand this:
A Good Memory Palace And Mnemonics Practice Will Never Let You Down!
Not if you’re using them well.
And using them well means that you’re making your memory more and more Magnetic each and every time you sit down to study.
It’s really that easy.
Again, if you need help understanding Memory Palace creation, please take the free course. Or if you prefer ongoing support, consider subscribing to the Magnetic Memory Method Print Newsletter.
Enjoy your new ability to use a Memory Palace to memorize human anatomy and talk soon!
Human anatomy isn’t exactly linear, is it?
