memory-palace

🏛️ Memory Palace Skill

"The filesystem is the mind. Directories are rooms. Files are objects."

The ancient method of loci, adapted for LLMs navigating filesystems.

The Technique

Place knowledge in locations. Navigate to remember.

Each room contains:

• Objects (files) — artifacts to examine
• Exits (links) — doors to other rooms
• Atmosphere — the room's essence

This IS the Room Skill

Memory Palace and Room are deeply connected:

Memory Palace	Room Skill
Location	Directory
Object	File
Traversal	Enter/Exit
Placement	Create file
Recall	Navigate to

Memory Palace = Room + spatial mnemonic intent

Palace Structure

palace/
├── ENTRY.md          # Front door (README)
├── MAP.yml           # Navigation overview
│
├── concepts/         # Wing: Ideas
│   ├── ROOM.md
│   ├── yaml-jazz/
│   └── play-learn-lift/
│
├── characters/       # Wing: Personas
│   ├── ROOM.md
│   ├── gardener/
│   └── archivist/
│
└── skills/           # Wing: Capabilities
    ├── ROOM.md
    └── ...

Placing Knowledge

To remember something:

1. Choose a room — where does this belong?
2. Create a file — the object to place
3. Link it — connect to related objects
4. Walk there — navigate to reinforce

# palace/concepts/yaml-jazz/ROOM.yml
room:
  name: "YAML Jazz Chamber"
  contains:
    - "jazz-principles.md"    # Core ideas
    - "examples/"             # Sub-room of examples
  exits:
    parent: "../"
    related: "../play-learn-lift/"
  atmosphere: "improvisational, semantic"

Core Files

ENTRY.md

The front door to your palace:

# Palace Name

## Welcome
What this palace contains and why.

## Quick Navigation
- [Room A](room-a/ROOM.md) - Description
- [Room B](room-b/ROOM.md) - Description

## Recent Activity
- Added X to Room A
- Created new Room C

MAP.yml

Navigation structure:

palace:
  name: "Research Palace"
  created: "2025-12-30"
  
rooms:
  - name: "foundations"
    path: "foundations/"
    description: "Core concepts"
    connects_to: ["applications", "history"]
    
  - name: "applications"
    path: "applications/"
    description: "Practical uses"
    connects_to: ["foundations", "examples"]

landmarks:
  - name: "The Big Question"
    location: "foundations/core-question.md"
    importance: "Start here"

ROOM.md (in each room)

# Room Name

## What's Here
Description of this room's contents.

## Artifacts
- [artifact-1.md](artifact-1.md) - Description

## Doors
- ← Back to [Entry](../ENTRY.md)
- → Forward to [Next Room](../next-room/ROOM.md)

## Notes
Observations, questions, TODOs for this room.

Navigation Commands

Intent	Action
"Enter the palace"	Read ENTRY.md
"Look around"	ls current directory
"Go to room X"	cd to room, read ROOM.md
"Examine artifact"	Read the file
"Leave a note"	Create/update .meta.yml
"Create new room"	mkdir + create ROOM.md
"Check the map"	Read MAP.yml
"Where am I?"	Note current path

Lifecycle

Create

• mkdir palace root
• create ENTRY.md
• create MAP.yml
• create initial rooms

Expand

• create new room directory
• add ROOM.md
• update MAP.yml
• link from related rooms

Maintain

• update MAP.yml periodically
• add cross-references
• archive stale rooms
• create summaries

Archive

• move to attic/
• note in MAP.yml
• update links

Tips

1. Start small — Begin with 3-5 rooms, expand as needed
2. Name meaningfully — Directory names are addresses
3. Link generously — Cross-references aid recall
4. Leave breadcrumbs — Update .meta.yml as you explore
5. Maintain the map — MAP.yml is your table of contents
6. Archive, don't delete — Move stale rooms to attic/

Integration

Skill	Relationship
room	Memory Palace IS Room + spatial mnemonic intent
adventure	Adventure IS Room + narrative quest framing
card	Objects placed in rooms can be cards
soul-chat	Palace rooms can speak, guide visitors
summarize	Compress palace knowledge for context