How does the memory palace technique allow people to memorize thousands of items?

The answer

The method of loci (memory palace) exploits the brain's powerful spatial memory by mentally placing items along a familiar route. The technique dates to 477 BC, attributed to Greek poet Simonides of Ceos. A 2017 study in Neuron by Martin Dresler showed that six weeks of 30-minute daily memory palace training increased average recall from 26 to 62 words (from a 72-word list) and produced lasting reorganization of brain connectivity patterns resembling those of world memory champions. fMRI revealed enhanced coupling between the hippocampus (spatial memory) and visual cortex. Memory champion Alex Mullen memorized the order of a shuffled deck of cards in 18.65 seconds using this technique. The method works because the hippocampus, which processes both spatial navigation and memory formation, treats imagined locations identically to real ones.