Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Derren Brown

I've just read Derren Brown's book and he relates a story about going on a photo reading course, which he then utterly dismisses as complete rubbish. It sounds like one of the learning strategies courses from the description. In brief he thinks that photo reading is a complete con and there is no benefit from using it.

Anyone else seen this?

What's the name of the book and what year was it published? I suggest you search the forum for Derren Brown. He has been discussed a few times.

Alex

The book has only just come out and it's called Tricks of the Mind.

lol what the hell?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFGG6zWByhM

Thanks for posting the
video Lolu.
I am surprised that he
feels PR is rubbish??
It appears that Mr. Brown is
just using sophisticated memory
to regurgitate the material
word for word in the book.
He must have a photographic memory, as
he even remembers which words on
which pages are ITALICIZED!

My experience, when I PR a book,
has not been remembering the
placement of the specific words
or which words were italicized
as much as comprehending
the general PATTERNS
of THOUGHT; that the author of the book
is trying to convey.

I googled Derren Brown and find that his
methods are interesting, as he uses
memory techniques similar to what is
presented on the Memory Optimizer
CD with Vera Birkenbihl.

Myself, I think I will stick
with Paul Scheele's PR system for
total COMPREHENSION
and rapid reading of books
and ignore Derren Brown's
assessment of PR.
Perhaps PR just isn't for
everyone, but it has worked great for
me.

Remember it is one thing to learn the concepts from a book in 20 minutes, it's another thing to memorize pages.

Photoreading teaches a very fast way of total comprehension, of understanding all of the material and processing it in a very fast way.

Derren Brown's video shows memorization, but there is no understanding there. If he wanted to understand the book, he'd still have to process the information that his mind's eye has captured.

By the way, correct me if I'm wrong Alex, but very experienced photoreaders can probably pull off the some trick as Alex does in the movie. I've had reasonable success myself with finding the exact location of words in a dictionary after photoreading them and I'm still pretty new to this.

Rebecca

There have been PhotoReaders who manage to read answers for a test by lifting their eyes to the visual memory area.

Remembering everyone has different learning styles and preferences some will hear answers others get a feeling when they are on track.

Derren is an entertainer. I don't know what he was trying to achieve when he did that for the video. It creates a kind of that's incredible, how did he do that and there is no way I can do that. And what's the point.

Indeed what is the point of parroting back text word for word. It might be useful for an actor. Get you into deep trouble if you give it as an answer for a test (prove you didn't cheat). So it doesn't demonstrate the knowledge and understanding you can acquire using PhotoReading.

I doubt that I would quote text verbatim... I cannot see myself as a parrot. I seek knowledge and love the fact that I can PhotoRead books and turn around and explain what I learned in my own words so that people I know can understand and if they want, learn from me.

Play with Direct Learning. Derren can do his stuff, I'll do mine and I hope you will do yours.

If you choose to learn PhotoReading with an open mind... watch out. It can change your life. It changed mine and the people who can give a testimonial that it did never learned it. Except my youngest brother he learned it last November His experience was pretty cool too.

Alex

I sort of agree with Alex and Raleigh in asking the question of, yeah, so what? Or asking, what can you really do with this? It is impressive and all, it would certainly be a fun way to get a smile on friend's faces at parties or if you're a magician you could pull this off as one of your tricks.

So yes - PhotoReading is certainly more of something you do to understand the material. Your mind is not just taking a picture - well, it IS doing that, but you are not consciously visualizing that picture - the information is being processed preconsciously, out of your immediate awareness. Your mind will spend time understanding the material so that it makes things easier for you upon returning to it.

-Scott Lee

Hi Driver,

I had to buy the book to find out what Derren actually said. And indeed, he mocks PRing without mercy!

I don't know what his purpose was, but I can see he makes mistakes that 90 % of beginners who have problems do.
1. he presumes that the whole proces is flipping the pages fast
2. He forgets totally about activation!!!

In that sense Derren is no better than anyone else who starts PRing.

[He].2s2.2p4

p.s. To make it clear, I enjoy Derren's shows a lot. He does a beautiful job when he shows how gullible we are!

I'm very confused now,
because Derren does the british library thing which inspired me to buy the book.
yet he says its rubbish?
what an promotion paradox !

hmm I reckon the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Has anybody got the exact quotes Derren has written?
Has anybody from Learning Strategies challenged Derren over its validity?
Has anybody from Learning Strategies competed in competition as speed reading competitions are?
How did Derren achieve that if not via photoreading ?
If it wasnt PR why did he use the TRADENAME photoreading and not another name?

This leaves me in a hole, because I would love the ability to PR with improving finesse to acheive my goals.
I dont believe this is possible from the book alone so is there a massive difference from the book to the deluxe pack(not just the price!)?.

What is the percentage ratio of people who attempt PR compared to the people who acheive the ability?

I must admit learning strategies have hit me with some 'Hard selling' techniques which I really dont like.

I know a lot of techniques have been weaved,borrowed or questionably stolen to form The PRWMS but I wouldn't and couldn't care less so long as it worked!.

I know MindMapping works my degree is my evidence.

Lots of Pros,Cons,Maybe-nots,and maybes.

Like the X-files quote
' The truth is out there.'

ChosenJuan