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Ever found yourself turning down an unfamiliar street, only to struggle to retrace your steps?
Why does that happen?
How about back before GPS, when you would pull over to the side of the road and struggle with a map?
If you’ve experienced situations like these, there’s hope.
That’s because there’s one author in particular who has no sense of direction to speak of. And that feature of his mind makes him the perfect science writer to explore what direction is and how we might optimize our experience of it.
Even better, in Dark and Magical Places, Christopher Kemp explores how the brain produces your sense of direction.
You’ll also learn why some of us might struggle to keep on track or lose our way in space.
We delve into some of the common mistakes people make and get into some of the “metaphysics” behind space itself.
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or someone struggling to get around your hometown, you’ll find this discussion useful.
I highly recommend reading Dark and Magical places and hope you enjoy this interview with Christopher Kemp.
Dark And Magical Places Is An Excellent Read
There are many things I love about this book.
It’s well written and researched, for one thing.
But it also takes you into highly consequential situations, some of which you’ll have experienced yourself.
And if you ever find yourself lost in a dark place where the stakes are life and death, you’ll find key strategies that will help you keep yourself alive.
But above all, I love how the author makes learning about the science of navigation and the brain incredibly fun.
More Resources On Memory, Directions & Locations
A few years ago, I shared this quick video on applying memory techniques to memorizing any address:
The approach relies on a combination of:
- The Memory Palace technique
- The Pegword Method
- Either the Major System or a 00-99 PAO
If you’d like to improve your navigation skills and enjoy stronger cognitive mapping of the world, I can’t make any big promises. But it’s well-worth experimenting with techniques like these. Ancient people used them all the time, including a really cool “magical place” skill called the Songline.
And of course, these techniques will work even better when you’ve read Dark and Magical Places.
Check it out!
