Memory is a special function of our brain in order to recall information that we have learned or observed. This simple meaning is ironic since it covers sophisticated process that incorporates different parts of the brain and serves in rigorous ways.
Our memory can be long term or short term. In short-term memory, your mind stores data for a short period of time, about a few minutes. This kind of memory is delicate and it is just natural. Your brain will soon discard it. It is estimated that the brain can only hold at least seven short-term memories, thats why you can usually recall your call number but you need your credit card when you are purchasing something.
The Roman Room System or the Method of Loci is a primitive yet effective way of recalling data where its component is not important. For example, it serves as the basis of one of the most effective mnemonic methods used to learn a new language.
To use this system, you should imagine a room that you are familiar with, such as your bedroom, sitting room, dining room, gym, theater. Within these rooms common objects are situated. Associate these images in recalling data you want to remember with the items in the room. To remember data, simply take a stroll around your room in your mind, creating images of known items and their related images.
This technique can be enhanced by going into fine details and keying data to be recalled into smaller objects. Also you can open doors from that room into another room and use the items also. As you see them you can create extensions into your rooms in your mind, and fill them with items that would logically be situated there.
You can use other rooms to store other memory categories of data. There is no need to limit the data to rooms: you could use a town center or a forest and fill it with different images.
The Roman Room System is just one way of associating your concept map of the data in a very easy way. As an example, use your bedroom as a basis for this method. In your bedroom you may be able to see the following items:
Bed, lamp, chair, bookshelf, small bookshelf, DVD player, phone, television, mirror, photo frames, etc.
Use these things to associate to information that you want to recall such as famous scientists, English writers, American poets or elements of the periodic table.
Visualize walking through your bedroom door. Within this picture, someone can pair a picture on it showing a scene or familiar situation where you can associate another data.
The Roman Room system is very similar with the Journey method. It works by associating images and coding information to common things, in this system items in a room. This system is effective for storing lists of unrelated information while the journey method is best for recalling lists or ordered objects.
As with regular human tools of our mind, the more we practice with these tools, the more they will be effective in using them. Without practice and effort, one cannot have a good memory. Even one does not have the time required to develop the quality of memory, most of our techniques are very useful in everyday living.