Danny Jones Podcast #347

6x Memory Champ: The Ancient Trick to Develop a Super Human Brain | Nelson Dellis
Date: November 7, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Danny Jones dives deep into the world of memory with four-time US Memory Champion, Nelson Dellis. They explore ancient memory techniques, the competitive memory circuit, what truly underlies human recall, and how modern distractions are affecting our cognition. The conversation also takes fascinating detours into remote viewing, consciousness, the mysterious nature of memory, and even the intersection of psychedelics and exceptional mental performance, all peppered with anecdotes, skepticism, and wild possibilities.

Main Themes

• Nelson's journey from concern over Alzheimer’s to memory world champion
• Ancient roots and evolution of memory techniques (Simonides, Greeks)
• How memory palaces work and practical tips
• The decline of memory in the digital age
• The science, subjectivity, and spirituality around where memory resides
• Mental athleticism globally—from Mongolia to the US
• Fringe frontiers: remote viewing, telepathy, altered states, and skepticism

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Nelson's Entry into the World of Memory (00:08 – 02:19)

• Began out of personal concern after witnessing Alzheimer’s in his grandmother.
• Discovered the world of memory competitions in 2009.
• Became obsessed with measurable memory feats: “Every day, every minute, I’d just be trying to memorize stuff.” (Nelson, 01:17)

Natural Memory vs. Trained Memory (02:19 – 04:07)

• Not all memory champs are born with superior memory. Many, including Nelson, rely on training and specific techniques.
• “I don’t have that… I have to use my techniques… but we all have that ability to train it, in a sense.” (Nelson, 03:14)

Ancient Memory Techniques & the Memory Palace (04:07 – 09:54)

• Memory was central before the written word—preserving traditions and stories.
• The "Simonides story" and the memory palace technique: assigning information to imagined locations in familiar spaces to aid recall.
• “Our brains remember spatial information really well... If you go through your house in your mind, you can attach images for things.” (Nelson, 08:06)
• Conversation on the transition from scrolls to codices and how ancient rhythmic speech patterns aided memory.

Building & Using Memory Palaces (10:04 – 12:49)

• Memory athletes maintain extensive catalogs of memory palaces—dozens or even hundreds.
• Each palace can be dedicated to different types of information (e.g., numbers, cards, or entire books).
• Organizing what’s important to remember is critical—focus on key ideas to avoid wasting “memory palace real estate.”

Sensory Links & Learning (13:09 – 16:38)

• Strong association between physical location, music, and even smell with memory.
• “There is a legitimate association that’s hardwired into us with physical locations and learning stuff.” (Danny, 13:10)
• Smell is incredibly potent, but harder to summon through imagination alone.

Memory Competitions: How They Work (17:59 – 21:59)

• Events include memorizing numbers, decks of cards, names/faces, poetry, word lists, and social “tea party” challenge.
• Techniques: using person-action-object (PAO) systems to encode cards; intensive reliance on well-maintained memory palaces.
• Stress and nerves can create retrieval issues: “The moment I’m supposed to say the next card… I just freeze up.” (Nelson, 21:34)

Physical Books vs. Audiobooks—Retention (25:05 – 27:33)

• Touching, smelling, and reading physical books enhances memory due to multi-sensory engagement.
• “We remember pictures of things, and a visual is all of your senses interacting.” (Nelson, 26:55)

The Importance of Interest & Attention (33:00 – 34:07)

• Deep focus and personal interest are vital in encoding and retrieving memories.
• Memory techniques are about making data “light up” the brain by making it vivid, exciting, and meaningful.

Global Championships & Cultural Memory (31:39 – 36:19)

• Germany, Sweden, Mongolia, Vietnam, and China are recurring leaders.
• Mongolia’s tradition of oral transmission and formal memory schools bolster national skill.

Where Is Memory Stored? (45:00 – 55:53)

• Science doesn’t pinpoint a single memory “location”; it’s distributed, possibly “holographic.”
• Alternative theories (e.g., Rupert Sheldrake’s morphic resonance) and the idea of the brain as a receiver, not a storage device.
• “Maybe practice is honing the connection to the information that’s out there.” (Nelson, 50:49)

Remote Viewing & The “Psychic” Mind (62:10 – 86:50)

• Nelson was recruited for a remote viewing project due to his skilled visual imagination.
• Remote viewing is taught as a replicable skill—describing “targets” (unknown images) through intuitive, non-analytical thinking.
• Experiment performed live (01:15:03–01:33:40). Nelson demonstrates considerable descriptive overlap with the hidden image, highlighting the unpredictable nature of intuitive information.

Magic, Skepticism, & Debunking (82:54 – 98:03)

• Recounting magicians and mentalists—some can convincingly mimic psychic feats with sleight of hand and trickery.
• Dangers of “memory grifters” (such as BJ Shahi) exploiting credulity for profit.
• “It’s easy to fool people. And you never know what people’s ulterior motives are.” (Nelson, 90:02)

Consciousness, Psychedelics, and the Extended Mind (104:12 – End)

• Conversation about past-life recall, reincarnation, DMT, and whether knowing oneself is the process of retrieving “all your memories” from a higher plane.
• Psychedelics may re-map the brain, lead to smarter/more open-minded cognition, and be central to ancient Greek mystical traditions (e.g., the Eleusinian Mysteries).
• The role of intent, environment, and altered states in accessing extraordinary mental states.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Humans generally have the same memory abilities… but we all have that ability to train it.” (Nelson, 03:14)
• “I would train my memorization of numbers, memorization of playing cards, names, lists of words… Every day, every minute, I’d just be trying to memorize stuff.” (Nelson, 01:17)
• “Memory is something that we’ve always needed up until somewhat recently… Now we don’t use it as much.” (Nelson, 05:51)
• “The memory palace technique comes in so handy because you’re attaching information to a physical location… That preserves the memory of the order and structure.” (Nelson, 09:24)
• “If you want to hold onto something, make it vivid, make it bizarre, make it emotional—make it matter.” (Nelson, paraphrased, recurring theme)
• “If I strip down what memory techniques are, it’s really just paying a lot of attention to something.” (Nelson, 29:59)
• “The moment I’m supposed to say the next card, there’s been times where I just freeze up.” (Nelson, 21:59)
• “I would love to go back 2000 years and watch one of these people just memorize something. I’m sure it’s just so effortless—for them, it’s just like texting is for us.” (Nelson, 39:47)
• On remote viewing: “I’m pretty convinced that…I think it’s just a receiver, that there’s some substrate out there that has all information… We are all able to tap in and out of that.” (Nelson, 47:06)
• “Scientists have moved away from the idea of memory being in one specific spot. It’s a dynamic process involving multiple brain regions…” (Danny reads AI summary, 55:37)
• On magicians mimicking psychic feats: “He can do what you can do with your memory, but I don’t have to have a good memory… He can fake it.” (Nelson quoting Chris Ramsey, 82:55)
• “If you can incorporate all your senses into reading—a book you can touch, see, and smell— it’s more memorable than something zipping through your ear.” (Nelson, 26:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• How Nelson became a memory champ: 00:07–02:19
• Nature vs. nurture in memory: 02:19–04:07
• Ancient memory techniques & memory palace: 04:07–09:54
• Building and using multiple memory palaces: 10:04–12:49
• Memory’s ties to location, music, smell: 13:09–16:38
• Inside competitive memory events: 17:59–21:59
• Physical books vs. audiobooks: 25:05–27:33
• Attention, interest & effective recall: 33:00–34:07
• Cultural approaches to memory—Mongolia, China, Vietnam: 31:39–36:19
• Is memory “in” the brain? 45:00–55:53
• Remote viewing intro and live demo: 62:10–86:50
• Magic, skepticism, and memory fraudsters: 82:54–98:03
• Psychedelics, consciousness, altered states: 104:12–End

Tone & Style Highlights

• Conversational & Inquisitive: Danny’s awe and skepticism carry the episode, with Nelson balancing technical details and open-ended wonder.
• Playful & Candid: Mock self-experimentation in remote viewing; admissions of failure and fallibility; laughter about debunking memory fraudsters.
• Philosophical & Speculative: Ventures boldly into consciousness, reincarnation, ancient rituals, and the outer boundaries of human potential.
• Scientific with a Spiritual Edge: Clear respect for evidence and the rigors of skill-building, but open to metaphysical explanations and uncharted domains.

Concluding Thoughts

Nelson Dellis and Danny Jones craft an episode that is equal parts practical brain science and wild possibility. Whether you’re interested in boosting recall, understanding the historical and cultural depth of memory, or contemplating whether consciousness transcends biology, this episode delivers rich stories, hard-won insights, and provocative questions.

Find Nelson at: nelsondellis.com and on YouTube as Nelson Dellis.
Watch for his upcoming book on genius skills, including memory, math, speed reading, and remote viewing.