Advanced Memory: The PAO System

I’m going to use a two-digit PAO. That means every set of digits from 00 to 99 has a person, action, and object attached to it. When we read off a number, like 713904, we first break it into a series of two-digit numbers. In this case: 71-39-04. The first two digits correspond to the person. The second two match up with the action, and the last two are tied to the object.

If you look at the chart below, you’ll see that 71 is Catwoman, cutting, and cat. We only need the person — Catwoman — from this selection. Similarly, 39 is Miss Piggy, mopping, and map. 39 is the second set of digits, so we need mopping. Lastly, 04 is Salman Rushdie, serenading, and sarcophagus. Since it’s our last number, we’ll take sarcophagus.

Of course, we want to visualize these vignettes as vividly as possible. We also want to place the story inside a memory palace, but that’s another story.

I have posted my PAO chart below. As I work through the PAO, I may swap some of the items, but this is a good starting point. I’m also making ‘flash cards’ for each of the PAOs. I’ll update this article when they’re done and post it as well.

Enjoy!