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Solomon's Memory Palace: A Freemason's Guide to the Ancient Art of Memoria Verborum
"Test every fellow of the craft and every apprentice on the art of memory and science thereof." The Second William Schaw Statutes (1599)
Freemasons have unique memorization needs. Long passages must be remembered verbatim, yet there are strict restrictions on writing, recording, or even speaking certain esoteric portions outside of the lodge, making unsuitable many of the memorization techniques used by the general public. Fortunately, the craft is not without its working tools.
Solomon's Memory Palace provides step-by-step instructions on how to construct the rare memoria verborum memory palace and discusses the curious ties between the art of memory and Speculative Freemasonry.
Freemasons have unique memorization needs. Long passages must be remembered verbatim, yet there are strict restrictions on writing, recording, or even speaking certain esoteric portions outside of the lodge, making unsuitable many of the memorization techniques used by the general public. Fortunately, the craft is not without its working tools.
Solomon's Memory Palace provides step-by-step instructions on how to construct the rare memoria verborum memory palace and discusses the curious ties between the art of memory and Speculative Freemasonry.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 31, 2018
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106 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 21, 2020
I've spent my entire life convinced that I'm terrible at studying. Other people seemed far better at memorization and recall of things than I was. In fact, I've been convinced my whole life that I just can't do it. Fifty-two years of that, and now I think I just wasn't taught how to memorize things.
This is a very Freemason-focused book but it's applicable to anything you really want to memorize, from speeches to plays to poems to vocabulary for learning a language. It's got an engaging voice, very good instruction (and I teach so I think I'm qualified to have an opinion on the instruction style) and it's going to dramatically change how I learn things going forward.
The funny part for me? I've been creating memory palaces all my life. I just wasn't using them for memorization. They were for remembering stories or places I'd been. Mind blown.
Highly recommend if you're interested in improving your memory, curious about how people used to / currently do memorize huge tracts of things, or are just curious about methods for improving memory.
This is a very Freemason-focused book but it's applicable to anything you really want to memorize, from speeches to plays to poems to vocabulary for learning a language. It's got an engaging voice, very good instruction (and I teach so I think I'm qualified to have an opinion on the instruction style) and it's going to dramatically change how I learn things going forward.
The funny part for me? I've been creating memory palaces all my life. I just wasn't using them for memorization. They were for remembering stories or places I'd been. Mind blown.
Highly recommend if you're interested in improving your memory, curious about how people used to / currently do memorize huge tracts of things, or are just curious about methods for improving memory.
June 4, 2019
Best thoughts at the end & a process good for anyone
The most thought provoking words of this pragmatic study are in the final few chapters. Lingerfelt explains a very simple and helpful method for memorizing ritual word for word. The practice of which can improve your memory and change your brain's mental processing, making learning easier in all areas. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to memorize large portions of material or simply to improve in study.
The most thought provoking words of this pragmatic study are in the final few chapters. Lingerfelt explains a very simple and helpful method for memorizing ritual word for word. The practice of which can improve your memory and change your brain's mental processing, making learning easier in all areas. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to memorize large portions of material or simply to improve in study.
January 8, 2021
Is somewhat better that some books about the subject
Very interesting and some of the techniques on it are very useful. I kinda recommend it, though I would have wanted to see more details about the loci method.
Very interesting and some of the techniques on it are very useful. I kinda recommend it, though I would have wanted to see more details about the loci method.
June 25, 2021
A bit confusing
I like what I read, it made sense in the long run, but the explanations in some cases caused confusion, too lengthy or too much detail that felt like you were going sideways.
I like what I read, it made sense in the long run, but the explanations in some cases caused confusion, too lengthy or too much detail that felt like you were going sideways.
July 16, 2023
Literally the only English book I've ever read or even heard of that properly covers Memoria Verborum.
May 21, 2024
I thought it was just bad at memorizing. I just needed a technique. This works and is phenomenal and this book is useful, not just for Masons
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews