In early February, Vishvaa Rajakumar, a 20-year-old Indian college student, emerged as the winner of the Memory League World Championship, an engaging online competition where participants are challenged to memorize sequences, like the order of 80 random numbers, in a race against time.
Renowned neuroscientist Eleanor Maguire, who sadly passed away in January, conducted research on mental athletes like Mr. Rajakumar. She discovered that many of them utilized the ancient Roman technique known as the “method of loci,” also referred to as the “memory palace.”
This method involves imagining a large house and assigning memories to specific rooms. By mentally navigating through the house, the hippocampus – the brain’s memory center that fascinated Dr. Maguire throughout her career – is activated.
Credit…via Vishvaa Rajakumar
We spoke to Mr. Rajakumar about his memorization strategies. Below are his responses, slightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Q. How do you prepare for the Memory League World Championship?
Hydration plays a crucial role in mental performance. When memorizing information, sub-vocalization typically occurs, and keeping a clear throat is beneficial. Not consuming enough water can slow down your processing speed, while staying hydrated can enhance clarity and speed.
Q. What does your memory palace look like?
My memory palace comprises familiar locations like my room, kitchen, hall, veranda, and bathroom. Each location represents a set of words or information that I encode into stories, helping me retain the sequence.
Q. How much can these rooms hold?
With the memory palace technique, I can store and recall a significant amount of information. Organizing stories in each location aids in easily remembering the sequence of data, even with a large volume of data.
Q.: Can you describe one of the challenges in the Memory League World Championship?
One of the challenges involves memorizing 80 random numbers within a short time frame. Participants must then recall the numbers accurately. In one instance, I memorized and correctly recalled all 80 digits in just 13.5 seconds, showcasing a remarkable speed of processing.
Q. Do you realize how amazing this is?
Absolutely, I do. The experience was quite emotional for me.
Q. What’s Next?
Upon completing my college studies in the next two to three months, I plan to pursue a career as a memory trainer. My goal is to establish a memory institution in India to educate others on these memory techniques and make a significant impact in this field.