My PAO System Placed in a Memory Palace

How to place a PAO system in a memory palace

A PAO memory palace combines six digits into one vivid Person–Action–Object scene, then places that scene at a distinct location on a familiar mental route. For a six-digit example such as 71–39–04, use the person associated with 71, the action assigned to 39, and the object for 04. With the author’s sample chart, that becomes Catwoman mopping a sarcophagus.

1. Learn the chart first. Practice turning pairs into people, actions and objects, and reversing the process.
2. Select a fixed route. Start with five distinctive locations you know well.
3. Group numbers in sixes. Take the person, action and object from consecutive two-digit pairs.
4. Place each scene at the next stop, interacting with something already there.
5. Retrieve in order by revisiting the route and decoding each scene back to six digits.
6. Check the original sequence, correct errors and practice again after a break.

One scene per six digits reduces the number of locations required for long sequences, but only if the underlying associations are already familiar. To build yours, begin with the PAO system explanation, practice with random-number drills, and refer to the original PAO chart. The author’s chart below is preserved as a personal reference, not a universal code.

Original memory palace notes and PAO table

As I begin preparing for memory competitions, I have started memorizing my PAO system (for a more detailed discussion on the PAO system, click here). For those not yet in the know, PAO stands for person-action-object.

My PAO system follows the major system (click here for more details about the major system) as much as possible. There are a few questionable gaps in my system, like 22, which has Nick Nolte nagging at nanobots. Nagging doesn’t really fit into the n-n phonetic scheme of 22, but it’ll have to do.

To memorize the PAO list as quickly as possible, I’ve placed them in a memory palace (more about memory palaces here). I’ve drawn out a memory-palace route and built a personal set of PAO associations. The chart below preserves that original set. Use its person, action and object columns as a reference; the old interactive gallery is no longer part of this page:

For the time being, I’m going to memorize each card by placing them in their respective locations in the palace. Once I’m moderately familiar with the PAOs, I’ll start applying them to strings of numbers. Also, I’m going to ignore the card numbers and suits for now. I’ll add them after I feel comfortable with the PAO.

This was my early PAO-learning experiment. The most useful takeaway is to build clear locations, make each six-digit scene distinctive, and check that every person, action and object leads back to the intended number pair.

Next: Memory Journey

Related PAO memory resources

Start with how the PAO system works, practice with random-digit PAO drills, and build the foundational number-to-consonant associations.