Training Blog 5 [82] ramblings of a deductionist

[none of the pictures on my blog are mine unless stated otherwise]

Topics of Discussion:

Short Introduction

How to Use Video Games as Mind Palaces

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Short Introduction

Hi All!

I just wanted to say that I think I have determined that for the remainder of this school semester my blogs are going to be shorter than they have been in the past. They will be a similar length to last week’s blog. This is simply because of my schedule and I even considered putting the blog on hold but I didn’t want to do that because it helps me stay consistent with training as much as it is supposed to help all of you.

I hope you will still read and I hope you enjoy the topics to come!

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How to Use Video Games as Mind Palaces

I recently got a console that I can play video games on. I haven’t had anything to play things on since I used a wii when I was young.

I was looking through all of the game options when something occurred to me… I could use the maps in the games as memory palaces just like I use real places!

Personally, this was like a whole new world was opened up because game maps can be so huge and they sometimes already have “important places” mapped out for you that you can use for memory pegs.

So, I thought I’d explain in a short blog how to use video game maps as memory palaces.

To begin, you shouldn’t use all game maps as memory palaces because some maps are hard to visualize. I would stick to using maps that are easy to follow, not maze-like in any way, and well lit. I also recommend you pick a game that gives you the option to explore around the environment without much of a set path that is required. This is important because you want to be able to take in the whole area in order to get a good feel of it for your memory palace.

(Small tip: I have always found that when areas are well lit in my memory palaces that I can more easily store things and remember them than in areas of low lighting.)

Once you have picked a game, explore the areas it holds. I have really enjoyed playing a game called “sky: children of the light” because it is free and it has a huge map that I have already started using as different memory palaces. It is also nice to use this game because most of the environments are outdoors which gives you an easier option to build onto in your head if you want.

Here is a map from the game:

This is just one area of many and this map does not do it justice for how big it actually is. There are seven total areas of this game. That means you could have seven or more memory palaces out of areas just like the one presented above. The areas are also very different from one another so you can separate for different subjects.

Another tip I highly suggest is seeing if you can find maps like the one above for the area you are hoping to use. This gives an arial layout of the area so you can see how it all works in your head. However, if you can then correlate the map with the actual person view from playing the game, it’s similar to walking through a building and mapping out where you want to put memory pegs.

I would also pick what types of things make sense to store in the different environments you are choosing. It is all fine and good to have such large areas as memory palaces, in great detail, but they aren’t useful if you don’t store things in them.

Most of the maps in the game I am using are separated by “season” so I have been storing topics that my brain associates with different types of weather in those places. For example, I am in a biology class currently (I shouldn’t have to be… don’t ask… I am in one anyway) and my brain just associates biology with spring for some reason so I am putting the information I need for my exams and that I want to keep for just general knowledge or to apply to deduction in the area that is associated the most with spring. However, because the areas are so big that sill leaves a lot of room to add other topics in different subareas as well! You can map yours out similarly. Use it like a regular memory palace, it is just bigger than one building!

For anyone who likes to play games every once and a while, this is a great tool to also expand your training!

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Next Blog: Training Blog 6/Let’s Play Deductions

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Disclaimer:

I teach people inductive/deductive reasoning and related topics. Most of the information on my blog comes from my own experiences and observations but some of it will also come from various different sources and is just information I use. I don’t claim ownership of information from other sources.

I have been studying these mindsets religiously for a while now and have been practicing memory techniques since I was in the sixth grade. However, I too am still learning. So if you have any suggestions or comments that are helpful to others that I neglect to mention please do so in the comments. I do not claim to know everything there is to know about these techniques. This blog is for educational purposes for me and the readers.

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There are several books on the topics which I cover in my blogs. I can send you my working book list if you would like to read them. If you are interested message me.

Also, if you want a source for daily deduction practice material message me.