Many memory techniques involve creating unforgettable imagery, in your mind’s eye. That’s an act of imagination. Creating really weird imagery really quickly was the most fun part of my training to compete in the U.S. Memory Competition.

Foer highlights a counterintuitive truth about “memory”: elite recall is often less about raw retention and more about imaginative encoding. Mnemonic systems such as the method of loci depend on converting abstract, forgettable data into vivid, emotionally charged, and often bizarre mental scenes that are easier for the brain to store and retrieve. By stressing speed (“really quickly”) and play (“the most fun part”), he also suggests that creativity and engagement are practical cognitive tools, not mere ornament. The quote reframes memory training as a learnable craft—closer to storytelling and visualization than to passive study—and implies that cultivating imagination can directly improve performance in competitive and everyday remembering.