Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Any progress?

[These comments are a continuation of the thread entitled, "Still Skeptical."]

Several people have asked whether I've made any progress since my original posting.

The jury is still out, as we say. I do feel as if I've gained a good deal from the course (I probably won't return it), but the entire program is not at all what I expected. There appears to be more art than science here.

The PR step fosters expectations of drastic changes, but the advertising only suggests "3 times faster," something any rapid reading course or study improvement guide could easily claim. It goes without saying, however, that I'd love to be able to read the way Pete claims he can.

The weakness of the course, in my opinion, is in identifying the factors that block progress toward the PR skill. In hindsight, I'm sorry that I took the dictionary challenge up front. I should have waited until I understood what I should expect. The main thrust of the course is learning to read with your peripheral vision--something I've not seen spelled out anywhere but in the archives. Instead, there's the quasi-religious tone of the course that requires you to "believe" that the system works.

Apparently Paul hasn't discovered techniques for directly addressing the peripheral reading issue. Instead, he depends on the skill to "kick in" with practice and, I suppose, confidence. I'm hoping that by applying the steps as outlined in the course and PR-ing at least 7 or 8 books a day, that this will happen for me.

I suppose I should request a tutor. I haven't done that yet. If I can make real progress over the next few weeks, I'll gladly sign up for the live seminar, too. I am deeply grateful for the support on this forum, both for me and for others like me.

I apologize if these thoughts seem negative. Actually, my intent is to remain objective and to document my experience, not to challenge anyone's individual claims or their experiences.

quote:

---

Originally posted by GeorgeA:
[These comments are a continuation of the thread entitled, "Still Skeptical."]

The PR step fosters expectations of drastic changes, but the advertising only suggests "3 times faster," something any rapid reading course or study improvement guide could easily claim. It goes without saying, however, that I'd love to be able to read the way Pete claims he can.

I'M USING CAPS TO DISTINGUISH B/T YOUR WRITING & MINE. I'M NOT HOLLERING I CAN'T SPEED READ BUT I CAN PHR. THERE IS NO COMPARISON IMHO. PHRING IS SO MUCH FASTER.

The weakness of the course, in my opinion, is in identifying the factors that block progress toward the PR skill. In hindsight, I'm sorry that I took the dictionary challenge up front. I should have waited until I understood what I should expect. The main thrust of the course is learning to read with your peripheral vision--something I've not seen spelled out anywhere but in the archives. Instead, there's the quasi-religious tone of the course that requires you to "believe" that the system works.

WHAT YOU CALL A WEAKNESS IS FROM YOUR PRESENT UNDERSTANDING. HOW COULD ANY COURSE EVER ADDRESS ALL THE FACTORS THAT BLOCK PROGRESS? IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. RATHER, YOU MUST IDENTIFY YOUR OWN BLOCKS & THEN ADDRESS THEM IN A MANNER THAT WORKS FOR YOU. DANA HANSON HELPED ME A LOT. BUT, WHEN I REALIZED THAT TRUST IN MY INTUITION WAS SEVERELY LACKING, I BECAME RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT. HOW COULD I EVER EXPECT LS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY LACK OF TRUST IN MY INTUITIVE ABILITIES? RATHER, I AM SO GRATEFUL TO LS FOR ENABLING ME TO SEE THIS AREA OF PERSONAL GROWTH I NEED TO WORK ON. THIS COMING WEEKEND I'M GOING TO ATTEND A SILVA BLS WORKSHOP BY A MAN WHO HAS PSYCHIC TRAINING AS HIS SPECIALITY. BUT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON INTUITION EVER SINCE I REALIZED THAT I NEEDED TO. W/O THE PHRING COURSE, I DOUBT THAT I WOULD HAVE EVER FOUND THIS OUT.

AFTER WORKING ON PHRING FOR 4 YRS. NOW, I REALLY DO NOT SEE ANY "ART" TO IT AT ALL. IT'S JUST A TECHNIQUE. THE STEPS ARE VERY CLEAR. HOWEVER THOSE STEPS CAN SEEM SUBTLE TO THOSE WHO MAY LACK SOME SELF CONFIDENCE OR FOR THOSE WHO ARE JUST TOO LEFT BRAIN ORIENTED. ACCELERATED LEARNING INVOLVES WHOLE BRAIN ACTIVITY AND MANY OF US ARE NOT. HOWEVER, BRAIN GYM STUFF IS MENTIONED. USEING A WRITER'S BIBLIOGRAPHY IS IMPORTANT. THEY DON'T INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR FUN. I HAVE TRACKED DOWN ALMOST ALL OF THE PAUL'S BIBLIOGRAPHY. BRAIN GYM, USING AN 800 NUMBER BRINGS GREAT RESULTS. THERE'S NO ART INVOLVED IN REPATTERING.

Apparently Paul hasn't discovered techniques for directly addressing the peripheral reading issue. Instead, he depends on the skill to "kick in" with practice and, I suppose, confidence. I'm hoping that by applying the steps as outlined in the course and PR-ing at least 7 or 8 books a day, that this will happen for me.

YES, HE HAS ADDRESSED PERIPHERAL READING. THE BACK OF THE PHRING COURSE BOOK HAS MANY EXERCISES TO DO. AND NOW THAT NATURAL BRILLIANCE IS INCLUDED IN THE PHRING COURSE, YOU HAVE IT ALL. EVERYTHING FROM CROSS-CRAWLING TO SOFT GAZING IS COVERED.

I suppose I should request a tutor. I haven't done that yet.

YES, YOU SHOULD JUST CALL. DANA IS EXCELLENT. I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHERS, BUT DANA TOOK MY FIRST CALL & AGREED TO HELP ME FROM THE BEGINNING. I MUST POINT OUT: NOT TO SEEK HELP OR GUIDANCE IS TANTAMOUNT TO SAYING YOU JUST DON'T REALLY WANT TO LEARN IT. IT IS BEING SAID UNCONSCIOUSLY. YOU WANT TO LEARN SOMETHING W/ ALL YOUR HEART & MIND..........HEY, YOU'LL STAND ON THE STREET CORNERS TRYING TO GET HELP FROM ANYONE!

.

---

With regard to this thread, and particularly in response to Margaret's comments, allow me to clarify with a couple of statements. My purpose is to document my experience--my journey, if you will--with PhotoReading. I am assuming that, with time and practice, I'll eventually "get it." The opinions, thoughts, even the somewhat negative comments, all represent (fairly, I hope) my state of mind at this point. If my experience coincides with yours at some point, even if my statements may eventually sound naive, that's okay. If you "got it" right away and don't know what I'm blathering about, that's okay, too.

Keeping to the topic, I do have some minor progress to report: I worked with a book I hadn't looked at for over a decade using all the steps up through activation and found it a very useful and rich experience--in a fraction of the time it would have taken to reread the book. I've also noticed the dream effects some people have reported--even though I tend to read non-fiction for this program. Rich, lucid dreams are quite rare for me, or at least they have been up to this point in my life.

Finally, I've found that by listening to music I know quite well--even popular songs--while I PR, a very strange thing occurs: I hear the music more deeply while photoreading. Even though I'm concentrating on the mechanics of PR, harmonies and multiple parts are clearer than usual. Isn't that odd?

George,
No, it's not odd when you delve deeper into what's going on.

If you listen to alpha sounds or baroque, you would even get greater results.

The accelerated books i've gotten also seem to think Halpern's music & Deep Breakfast are also very helpful for maintaining the alpha brain wave. I know Quietude definitely does entrain you w/ alpha. Also the Sliva people have a straight alpha tape. But i think you can down load alpha sounds easily.

Good luck

quote:

---

Originally posted by GeorgeA:
Isn't that odd?

---

One of the most valuable thing in life is figureing things out for yourself. If people hand holds you evey single minute step of the way, you wouldn't feel too much success form it. Over coming challenges/obstacles is what its really all about

Im estimating that if Paul Scheele has to address every single possible blockage, it would take a LOT more than 8 tapes to put together the course; more like 80 tapes would be required

[This message has been edited by Elmo9 (edited March 19, 2001).]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Margaret:
George,
No, it's not odd when you delve deeper into what's going on.

If you listen to alpha sounds or baroque, you would even get greater results.

The accelerated books i've gotten also seem to think Halpern's music & Deep Breakfast are also very helpful for maintaining the alpha brain wave. I know Quietude definitely does entrain you w/ alpha. Also the Sliva people have a straight alpha tape. But i think you can down load alpha sounds easily.

Good luck

---

Here goes Margaret again.. Margaret, please find a book on discrete structures and read it - there's a simple technique which doesn't require god knows what kind of intelligence to master, just a bit of analytical skills - it is called proof by induction - read it, master it for me, and try to prove to me why is

2^x > x^2

If you do that, you will have made absolute progress over your NT Server 4.0 book. In case you are wondering what ^ means, it is 'raised to the power of' operator.

Do it, you are quite enlightened by PhR!

Sincerely,

Martin

Martin:

Are you trying to be sardonic, or just obnoxious?

Since you've already decided that the program is a scam, what are you trying to prove by sticking around? Perhaps you're not as convinced as you proclaim. Still curious? Or are you just taking delight at being sophomoric?

I appreciate Margaret's comments, and I think she's read these postings a bit more carefully than you have. Your personal attacks on her in particular are unwarranted and unwelcome.

PhotoReading can't possibly work--you've proven that to your satisfaction. It's a scam and a waste of time and everyone here is deluded, on drugs, or a shill. If that's so, why do you persist with your childish postings?

I've given you my home phone number in a private message. If you wish to discuss (rather than debate) the merits of the program, call me. But please, as I've suggested elsewhere, stop peeing in the pool.

--George

<<
But please, as I've suggested elsewhere, stop peeing in the pool.
--George
>>

George, I think your wrong, the pool is already full of **** (and god knows what) and balkanboy is only trying to help pull you out!

Here are some things you as an openminded person should read (notice not phantomread, you need the details):
http://www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/staff/Andrew.Derrington/FT_Stories/reading.html

NASA! Study, turn to page 170, lower part here: http://www.sti.nasa.gov/Pubs/star/star0003.pdf

and finally: http://www.skepdic.com/neurolin.html

skepdic.com and randi.org are both good informative sites.

Rolf

chaosadelt:

In case you missed it, I'm the one who opened the thread entitled "Still Skeptical." Martin posted these "references" previously. The first is from a fatuous academician who admits to never even trying the system. He just "knows" it won't work. How many times has that attitude interrupted human progress?

The third is above my pay grade, as they say. I don't profess to know anything about NLP and don't want to head down that road right now, even if it does pertain to photoreading. I did note a few lines at the end of the article:

"This is not to say that the techniques won't work. They may work and work quite well, but there is no way to know whether or not the claims behind their origin are valid. Perhaps it doesn't matter. NLP itself proclaims that it is pragmatic in its approach: what matters is whether or not it works."

The only standard for me is whether or not photoreading works. Pragmatic? You betcha!

Now the NASA report: "PhotoReading is a technique developed by Paul Scheele that claims to increase reading rate to 25,000 words per minute." That's not my reading of the claims at all. I believe the statement was to "get through your reading in 1/3 the time." That's an easier claim to defend.

PhotoReading is a skill that takes practice. Do you play piano? Do you think you could teach someone to play competently in a brief live seminar? Just the basics would be a reasonable goal, but what about practice? Skills take time. This study should have been structured over a reasonable time frame. That doesn't seem to be the case.

I don't intend to be an apologist for PhotoReading or Learning Strategies. My suggestion is to let me try this program for myself over a reasonable period of time (I've only been at it for 10 days or so) and I'll be happy to report back my results. It won't cost you a dime.

What's wrong with that?

Nothing. Good answer, GeorgeA.

Please keep on documenting, at least I am very interested in reading this "Journey into PhotoReading".

Regards,

Jens