--- title: How to Develop a Photographic Memory: 4 Easy Steps description: Could you memorize the order of a deck of cards in under 30 seconds? [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_KlsQxf_UE&w=560&h=315] (Hat tip to Josh.) Don’t feel bad; I can’t... canonical: https://time.com/105434/how-to-develop-a-photographic-memory-4-easy-steps/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-05-20T04:01:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:54:07.552Z article:section: Ideas og:title: How to Develop a Photographic Memory: 4 Easy Steps og:description: Could you memorize the order of a deck of cards in under 30 seconds? [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_KlsQxf_UE&w=560&h=315] (Hat tip to Josh.) Don’t feel bad; I can’t... og:url: https://time.com/105434/how-to-develop-a-photographic-memory-4-easy-steps/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt44bdb670355b0922/6986901ee8524b6c17602f4d/480585651.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: 480585651 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How to Develop a Photographic Memory: 4 Easy Steps twitter:description: Could you memorize the order of a deck of cards in under 30 seconds? [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_KlsQxf_UE&w=560&h=315] (Hat tip to Josh.) Don’t feel bad; I can’t... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt44bdb670355b0922/6986901ee8524b6c17602f4d/480585651.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How to Develop a Photographic Memory: 4 Easy Steps by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker May 20, 2014 4:01 AM UTC  by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker May 20, 2014 4:01 AM UTC ## Could you memorize the order of a deck of cards in under 30 seconds? (Hat tip to [Josh](http://mnemotechnics.org/video/world-record-in-speed-cards-ben-pridmore-2009-1333.html).) Don’t feel bad; I can’t remember what I ate for lunch yesterday. In fact, one-third of British people under 30 can’t remember their home phone number. Via [Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H4XI5O/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004H4XI5O&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): The thing is, while some people are blessed with a naturally impressive memory, **the true memory experts are made, not born.** **How do you dramatically improve your memory? C’mon, we’re gonna build a palace.** ## The Memory Palace The idea dates back to the fifth century B.C. and was first synthesized in Cicero’s [Rhetorica ad Herennium](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674994442/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0674994442&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20). So what does a palace have to do with remembering your shopping list? **Your memory is not just a hard drive that stores everything equally well. It’s particularly good at certain things and terrible at others.** Work with it, you’ll be impressed. Work against it and you’ll be wandering the supermarket aisles for that one thing that’s on the tip of your tongue… **Our ancestors didn’t need to remember long lists, they needed to remember routes to resources.** Memory champion Joshua Foer, author of [Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159420229X/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=159420229X), penned a [piece](http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/20/magazine/mind-secrets.html) for the New York Times explaining: While we’re terrible about remembering lists of random numbers, **the human mind is naturally excellent at remembering places.** What memory experts do is work with the brain’s natural setup to turn hard-to-remember things and fit them into a format that is easy to remember: So what do you need to know about the fundamentals of memory to get cooking? * **We’re really good at remembering layouts, routes and spatial information.** * **Our minds are visual.** * **We remember things that stand out; things that are absurd, funny, sexual or offensive.** Here’s how you combine these principles to remember anything: ## 1) Build Your Palace It doesn’t need to be very royal. Basically it can be any building you know the layout of. **A good starter palace is your childhood home.** Via [Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H4XI5O/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004H4XI5O&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): ## 2) Construct The Images **The things you want to remember (like the items on a grocery list) need to each be associated with an image you won’t forget.** What type of images do we not forget? Extreme things that stand out. **Go for crazy, lewd or funny.** Via [Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H4XI5O/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004H4XI5O&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): ## 3) Place the Images In The Palace So how do you remember your shopping list? **Think about how you would normally walk through your childhood home and “place” the memorable images in the order you need to remember them along that route.** Via [Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H4XI5O/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004H4XI5O&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): So, for example: * You go in through the front door and standing there is a cow on fire (symbolizing the burgers you need to buy at the store). * You go up the stairs but they’re slick with the fiery cow’s dripping blood (you need to buy ketchup too.) * At the end of the upstairs hall is an enormous human butt (you need to buy hamburger buns.) **Did hearing any of these images make you say “gross” or “disgusting”? GOOD. That means they’re working.** ## 4) Go For A Walk To Recall **Time to remember? Just take a stroll through your palace, visiting each crazy image.** You can use this system for most any memory activity. Cicero used it for speeches, connecting the points he wanted to make as items in his palace. Via [Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H4XI5O/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004H4XI5O&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): Yes, your mind is going to be full of dinosaurs, naked people and a level of absurdity that would make Salvador Dali cringe. Who knew developing your memory could be so much fun? **Join 45K+ readers.** Get a free weekly update via email [here](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD). Related posts: [What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-imp/) [What do people regret the most before they die?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/12/what-do-people-regret-the-most-before-they-di/) [What five things can make sure you never stop growing and learning?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/11/never-stop-growing-learning/) _This piece originally appeared on_ [_Barking Up the Wrong Tr_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/105434/how-to-develop-a-photographic-memory-4-easy-steps/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/105434/how-to-develop-a-photographic-memory-4-easy-steps/"},"headline":"How to Develop a Photographic Memory: 4 Easy Steps","datePublished":"2014-05-20T04:01:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:54:07.552Z","description":"Could you memorize the order of a deck of cards in under 30 seconds? 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