Neuroscientist uses a ‘memory palace’ to memorize a Robert Frost poem she’s never read
It is also referred to as the 'mind palace,' as Sherlock Holmes called it.
People memorize things differently. Some rely on repetition, while others use visual images or other methods. Celia (@celiaonpsychology), a cognitive scientist, educator, and coach, showed her followers how to use the "memory palace" to memorize a poem word-for-word. Celia said she has never read Robert Frost's "Nothing Gold Can Stay," but she used the "Method of Loci" to learn it in two minutes. She herself was surprised by the results. The video was shared on October 15, 2026, and it garnered 396,000 views, 14,000 likes, and 79 comments.
The 'Mind Palace'
Celia suggested the "Method of Loci" for verbatim memorization. The method was introduced centuries ago by Simonides, an ancient Greek poet. It is a mnemonic device that aids people in memorizing by using a mental picture for each thing they need to remember. Then the item or thing is placed at a specific spot along an imaginary route. Because of this, it is also referred to as the journey method, the memory palace, or the "mind palace," as Sherlock Holmes called it.
35 out of 40 words
Celia began by placing a "nature" image in front of her front door for the first line, "Nature's first green is gold." Then she moved into the living room and used a green sofa image for "green." She moved to other parts of the room, placing different imaginary images/items in different parts of the house to represent the words from Frost's poem. For example, for the line "Her hardest hue to hold," Celia used the image of a girl holding a diamond, the hardest substance in the world. Then she placed a color gradient for "hue," and a mother holding her baby for "to hold."
She kept placing different images for each word. After she assigned images for the whole poem, she closed her eyes to recite it using just her visual memory. Out of 40 words in Robert Frost's poem, she got 35 of them correct, which proved that the Method of Loci works.
Power of visual memory
Celia's method worked by connecting words to mental images and familiar places. Research has tested the memory-palace technique beyond social media demonstrations. A 2021 study published in Science Advances found that six weeks of training in the method of loci improved longer-lasting recall of word lists compared with working-memory training or no intervention. The study supports the technique’s potential with practice, rather than guaranteeing perfect recall after a single attempt.
Not for everyone
Netizens had mixed reviews for Celia's suggestion to use the Method of Loci. Some said it worked for them, while others agreed that it was easier to just read the lines over and over again till they remember. @tahsinnhr wrote, "I wonder why do so much; just read. [Do] it 3 times and memorize. This method seems more difficult." @jahvitiw added, "Thank you! My middle school English teacher taught me this exact thing!"
You can follow Celia (@celiaonpsychology) on Instagram for more psychology-related content.
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