How to memorize your private keys - it’s easier than you think

A few years ago I learned that memorizing the order of a deck of cards, or a long string of words is actually just a trick and doesn’t require some “super genius” brain.

Edit: just watch this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6PoUg7jXsA

I learned this trick through a random audiobook I bought before a flight called “Moonwalking with Einstein”. The author, Joshua Foer, basically showed me that becoming a “Memory Champion” is a learnable skill that anyone can practice with a small set of techniques.

The trick is actually so easy that I even gave a short demonstration around the family dinner table, teaching my family how to remember a long list of 30+ items. Everyone was amazed at how simple, yet effective these techniques are.

So, how does it work? - I recommend watching a YouTube with a better teacher than me - but I’ll try my best to explain.

Basically the trick lies in the “Memory Palace” technique. You need to start by visualizing a familiar place in your mind - your childhood home for example. Then, you create vivid, often absurd, mental images for each piece of information you want to memorize.

(I am using chatGPT here to help me share a good example)

Let's create a vivid journey through a Memory Palace, starting at the driveway of your childhood home and associating different striking images with characters of a private key. For this example, let's assume a hypothetical key fragment: "5G2B8X."

Driveway (Character: 5) - As you stand in the driveway, imagine a giant, neon-green snake coiled around the mailbox. The snake is shaped like the number "5." Its hissing and the unusual color make it a striking and memorable image.

Front Door (Character: G) - Moving towards the front door, you see a life-sized gorilla wearing a graduation gown and glasses, knocking on the door. The gorilla represents the letter "G," and its scholarly appearance makes the image both humorous and memorable.

Entryway (Character: 2) - As you step into the entryway, you notice a pair of giant, red ballet shoes (size 22) dancing by themselves. The number "2" is represented by the pair (two) of dancing shoes, creating a whimsical and vivid scene.

Living Room (Character: B) - In the living room, there's a giant blueberry muffin sitting on the sofa, with a "B" icing on top. The muffin is unusually large and smells incredibly delicious, linking the letter "B" to this appetizing and unusual sight.

Kitchen (Character: 8) - Heading into the kitchen, you find an octopus cooking eight different dishes simultaneously. Each of its tentacles is busy with a task. The octopus symbolizes the number "8," and its multitasking in a domestic setting is both amusing and memorable.

Backyard (Character: X) - Finally, stepping into the backyard, you're greeted by a treasure chest marked with a giant, glittering "X." Inside, instead of treasure, it's filled with laughing xylophones playing a tune. The "X" marks the spot, and the whimsical scene cements the last character of your key in memory.

So that’s basically the trick. For the context of your bitcoin private keys, you will need to imagine 64 unique spots in your Memory Palace, and attach 64 striking mental images to each place, but there really is no limit to how many items you can add to your mental memory journey. If you can vividly imagine a place; you can memorize anything.

Hopefully this made some sense and piqued your interest enough to look more into it and give it a shot yourself.

I still recommend keeping a physical copy of your keys stamped into metal somewhere safe. But this could come in handy for unexpected times.