Chapter 10: Memory Assignment

Miyuki Yamaguchi Espada

Option A

BBC’s Sherlock (Sherlock Holmes’ Mind Palace)

For my topic of memory represented in the media, I have chosen to research BBC

Sherlock’s mind palace.

Simply put, a mind palace—otherwise known as the method of Loci​[1]​, memory

journey or the mind palace technique—is an ancient mnemonic​[2]​ that utilizes imagery

to aid in memorization and recall. This method requires the user to “visualize a

complex place in which you could physically store a set of memories”, (​Zielinski,

2014)​ and much like its name, “[t]hat place is often a building such as a house, but it

can also be something like a road with multiple addresses” (​Zielinski, 2014)​, and it is

in these spaces that when needed, the user can walk through to recall each individual

memory that they had previously stored within them.

This technique was thought to be first identified by Simonides of Ceos, a Greek poet

and “sophos (wise man)” (​Thomas, 2014​) who lived between the years of ​c.556-c.468

B.C.E.. “According to a legend passed on by Cicero (106-43 B.C.E.), the discovery

occurred at a banquet in Thessaly which Simonides attended in order to present a lyric

poem written in praise of the host. Simonides was called outside shortly after his

performance, and during his absence the roof of the banqueting hall suddenly

collapsed, crushing the other diners, and mangling many of their corpses beyond

recognition. Simonides, however, found he was able to identify the bodies (important

for proper burial) by consulting his visual memory image of the people sitting around

the banqueting table, which enabled him to identify the corpses according to where

they were found.” ​(​Thomas, 2014​)​.

With its efficiency and accuracy, it is said that this technique had been frequently

used to aid in the memorization of long speeches, as well as the order in which to say

certain parts of these speeches until the time of the modern printing press, and easy

access to paper and writing utensils. While the mind palace is no longer a commonly

utilized technique, some research shows that this “ancient” mnemonic may yield

benefits to students of the 21st century.

In 2014, a cognitive study testing the effectiveness of this memorization technique

was conducted on 78 second-year medical students attending the Rawal Medical

College, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences in Islamabad, Pakistan. The students were

divided into two groups: “​group 1​ was taught insulin and diabetes mellitus through

didactic​[3]​ ​lectures and a self-directed learning session, whereas ​group 2​ was taught

insulin and diabetes mellitus through didactic lectures and MOL [(method of loci)]”

[(the students created their own MOL under the supervision of the educator)].

(​Qureshi, 2014​) After a specific amount of time, both groups were given a
questionnaire and open-ended questions to answer. It was there that it was discovered

that group 2, who took the didactic lectures before an interactive method of loci

session, had shown “significantly improved performance on the assessments

compared with group 1, which had been taught through didactic lectures and a

self-directed learning session.” (​Qureshi, 2014​) The students also stated that they

found the memory technique to be helpful, and although not a student, the method has

found a way to aid in another modern day person’s life—BBC’s Sherlock

(2010-2017).

Sherlock Holmes is one of the world's most iconic detectives, and the BBC has

breathed back life into this classic character by sending him off, alongside his partner

John Watson, on many crime solving adventures once again; but this time, with a

modern twist. Sherlock is an intelligent man, with incredible skills of deduction, as

well as memory. In this adaptation of the character (played by Benedict

Cumberbatch), one of Sherlock’s key techniques he uses to aid in his crime solving, is

the memory palace. While this method typically uses images of actual buildings and

physical rooms to store certain memories, Sherlock is only shown to go through such

a memory palace very few times. While being called the “mind palace” the most

frequent visualization using this technique is more similar to that of a brainstorm, one

that requires focus and silence to enter. This often results in John Watson (played by

Martin Freeman) giving him space and leading others out of rooms so that Sherlock

can be uninterrupted. Once he has entered, what Sherlock sees when searching

through his “mind palace” are words and phrases (some in different fonts), images,

and even audio of anything related to the topic at hand. He physically sees these
things float before his very eyes, and uses his hand to swipe things away, zoom in

closer, or to click them into place.

This technique affects Sherlock’s ability to piece together different strings of

information, and is often the key component to figuring out the who, what, when,

where, and why of a crime, thus advancing the storyline. But on a personal level,

Sherlock has had to become isolated and nearly emotionless by removing

“unnecessary” memories, such as those of happiness and even the fact that the earth

circles the sun, in order to maximize the storage and efficiency of his mind palace.

Having this “mind palace” has shaped Sherlock into who he is. Sherlock had been

unchanged and unmoved for many years, until the appearance of Doctor John Watson.

Without the effects of this over amplified mind palace technique, the character

development of Sherlock Holmes may not have been as dramatic as originally

planned. Additionally, the story plot may have been far more difficult to create

without the aid of the trusty “mind palace” in which many crimes were solved, and

sometimes even explained.

Since it was being used as a plot device in a television series, this portrayal of the

method of loci was quite exaggerated, and at times unrefined. Like previously stated,

this technique is one where the user is required to ​“visualize a complex place in which

you could physically store a set of memories...[t]hat place is often a building such as a

house, but it can also be something like a road with multiple addresses” (​Zielinski,

2014)​, whereas in the show it is almost always represented via brainstorm like visuals.
However, overall, the series paid homage to the ancient technique while still keeping

it relevant and easy for the viewers to follow and understand. Through this, BBC’s

Sherlock will undoubtedly continue to spark people’s interest in psychology and the

power of memorization for many years to come.

Definitions

[1]​
loci:​ Latin for “places”
[2]​
mnemonic:​ “​a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in

remembering something.”

[3]​
didactic: a​ . “designed or intended to teach”

b. “intended to ​convey​ instruction and information as well as pleasure and

entertainment”
Bibliography

Qureshi, A. Dept. of Physiology, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Lehtrar Rd.,

Khanna Dak, Islamabad, Pakistan (2014). ​The method of loci as a mnemonic

device to facilitate learning in endocrinology leads to improvement in student

performance as measured by assessments. ​Retrieved from US National

Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health website:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4056179/

Thomas, J.T. N (2014). ​Ancient Imagery Mnemonics. ​In ​Stanford Encyclopedia of

​ etrieved from
Philosophy. R

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mental-imagery/ancient-imagery-mnemonic

s.html

Zielinski, S. (2014) ​The Secrets of Sherlock’s Mind Palace.​ Retrieved from

Smithsonian Magazine website:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/secrets-sherlocks-mind-palace

-180949567/