Virtual Memory Palaces: Immersion aids Recall

Virtual reality displays, such as head-mounted displays (HMD) afford us a superior spatial awareness by leveraging our vestibular and proprioceptive senses. Since the classical times, people have used memory palaces as a spatial mnemonic to help remember information by organizing it spatially in an environment and associating it with salient features in that environment. In this paper, we explore whether using virtual memory palaces in a head mounted display (HMD) will allow a user to be able to better recall information than when using a traditional desktop display. Our study shows that virtual memory palaces coupled with increased immersion in a HMD provide us with a superior memory recall compared to traditional desktop displays. This, we hope, is a first step in using virtual environments for creating more memorable experiences that enhance productivity through better recall of large amounts of information organized around the idea of virtual memory palaces.