Long post so Photoread then SR & dip or skitter read what is relevant to you
Cironick
Well whatever you're doing during the photoreading stage is working so you can let yourself calm down. 
Being able to grab the book and open the page you want quickly is a sure sign that it went in.
Most apprehension comes when we are worried about doing something exactly right according to some rules and if we break those rules we get hurt or punished (same difference, I know).
This is where you need to fall back on the beginner mind. The childlike curiosity you had when you were between 2 and 6 years old you learnt to walk, talk, run and clout your siblings. Trying to walk you fell more than you could count, right you couldn't count to 1 so it didn't matter, it was always oops I did't make it (that time) yet got up and tried again (you only did it once). There was no such thing as failure or getting it wrong. You just did it.
When it comes to photoreading. Let me play out the mind set that plagues beginning photoreaders and allow me a bit of exaggeration. If you see yourself in this mind set be cool I'll explain how to handle it later in the post.
Okay... into the world of the photoreaders mind.
Prepare, seems easy enough, got a book here seems cool. Okay next step, No I must be doing something wrong it seems to easy = anxiety factor 4 (after having photoread a few books notice that purpose and tangerine technique are mentioned and you're sure you forgot them) here anxiety factor = 6 to avoiding photoreading now.
Entering the accelerated learning state... the are we there yet? feeling, questions am I doing it right or worse what if I'm totally stuffing up? = 6 anxiety points I don't feel any different it isn't working anxiety factor = 8
Photofocus; I keep losing it, if I don't see the blip page I'm not photoreading, I keep fogetting to notice the 4 corners of the book oh no, I'm not getting this book... = 8 anxiety points
Pages sticking together, not keeping the steady pace, forgot the chant only saying relax relax over and over... This is soooo wrong, I know I'm not getting it... anxiety factor = 12
Closing affirmations, after saying them the cool calm and collected anxiety free self just lets go right? ha! more likely it says, 'yeah righ like that affirmation is going to help I know I blotched that.' Anxiety factor =7 Total them up and you got over 50 anxiety points and wonder why you're afraid to activate?
Okay I promised to suggest ways to deal with that mindset.
Prepare - the secret here is have a purpose for reading. If you're holding a book and don't know why you would want to read it can't for the life of you imagine how you can use the information in the book - for goodness sake dump it! It's not worth the time, effort or anxiety that you're going to attach to it. Find a book that interests. At least your purpose then is to "find out what else I can learn about..." Now I hear, "but Alex, I have to read these books for school."
No, you don't have to read them in actual fact I know more is required of you than merely reading them, you need to obtain information from them to achieve something (your purpose) through school learning. If you have difficulty setting a purpose or recognising your purpose on school textbooks learn the photoreading system on books that interests you first. Not knowing how to establish a purpose simply means you have not "yet" been taught how to be an active reader and reading on purpose. You will discover the means by learning on books that interests you when you apply the photoreading steps.
Entering the Accelerated Learning State.
Close your eyes take a breath in and exhale you can imagine your body relaxing. Trick keep it simple clench your toes and relax, make a fist and relax and that's enough. Say the number 3, Breathe in and slowly exhale think of a quiet scene, again keep it simple just an idea, you "don't" have to "see" it, just remember, lazing in the pool, watching a sunset or lying in bed (people forget about that relaxing place) say the number 2. Again inhale, slowly exhale, your relaxation signal, Paul suggest a plant or flower, mine is a candle, I just get the idea of it.. not trying to actually see it and say 1, now you say the affirmations.
Can't remember the affrmations? Think about the intention that the affirmations contained, concentation, absolute, taking it in, focusing on photoreading... cool, affirmation done, it's just setting the intention for what you're about to so keep it simple. Time taken 1 to 5 minutes and if you can do it in 1 to 2 minutes, Great.
The biggest mistake with the ASL is taking too long about it. If it takes you 30 seconds or less to enter the ASL after say 15 to 30 books... excellent. I just breathe out(not even a deep breath, mentally relax and note my intention (affirmaton, purpose are nicely capsuled in my intentions) yours will be too so keep the process simple. Feel different? Your breathing might be slower, your body might be heavier or lighter or just a tiny bit of tension left the momment you closed your eyes. You've felt that way before and you're the same you, so you may not notice any great difference, that can be a good sign in itself.
Photofocus.
I sill have my days, times when I'm not fully there and the blip page goes funny and I don't care. I just keep turning the pages while looking in the direction of the book. Have to check from time to time if I'm noticing the 4 corners... no biggie because they are still in my line of view so even though I wasn't thinking about it they were still in view. There are times I can't be bothered with photorfocus. I will photoread books just in soft gaze from time to time simply because I know the eyes take in the information anyway, it's only our conscious mind that interfers.
It's a bit like having a conversation with next to you and there 25 people around the table, you call out to your brother to pass a breat roll and naturally to stop talking for a momment to catch it (yes, you do have to catch your dinner on the way past in our gathering). When you don't think about it the mind-eye connection works perfectly. It's only our self talk that interfers. The eye will have taken it in perfectly only our negative self talk will prevent it from surfacing.
If you can't find the blip and can't get this soft gaze thing... just look at the pages as you turn them, don't worry about the focus. The beginner mind immitates what it sees and discovers by doing. If you happen to "look' at 10 books a day for a month or 2 you're going to have photofocus anyway.
During the photoreading stage... Don't care, it doesn't matter if it went in the right way or the wrong way. It goes in by default. You have the skill naturally otherwise you wouldn't find your way home everynight. So just saying relax over and over is cool. It's just to keep that conscious censor quiet. It doesn't matter if you recite hey diddle diddle. The chant in the book just helps you turn the page every 2 seconds and if you find one that works for you use it.
Pages getting stuck together. - considering how many pages you've read without actually reading them you never really missed much have you? Anyway, superreading is similar to photoreading, you're looking at the pages too fast to actually read all the words on a page so when you activate any pages you've missed will probably be pulled in during a superread. Given the 4 to 11 percent rule on the pages you missed are 12 to 33 words that have meaning. You'll definately cover them during activation. Also it's no big deal to photoread the book again just prior to actual activation in fact it can be quite helpful to activation and you're missing a lot less than by regular reading.
Closing affirmation, yes it does pay to close your eyes for a momment and consider the impact that the book is going to have and affirm the body mind connection taking place when you activate. Again think of the intention if you cannot think of the words.
Activation... since it's impossible to tell how much time you would have to put into a book with regular reading when you come across difficult text and lets face it when it comes to textbooks many have given up long before they "read and understand" everything in the book. Play with it. Just see how many activation passes you need for that book/chapter. In the beginning it might seem like you're taking too long at it. Then again regular reading takes even longer. Be fair on yourself. If you have never finished reading a book, expect to put 5 hours using the photoreading system and if you get all you want from it in 3, celebrate. Same for textbooks; 25 to 75 hours is quite normal for working through textbooks so if you say 18 hours and finish it in 12 or, far out, 3 hours celebrate, set yourself a reasonable target. 1/3 the times it normally takes you to complete a book of equal complexity is a reasonable target.
Remember also if you finish the book in 1/3 the average time it takes to finish a book you'll be able to work through 3 books in the time it take that average reader to complete one.
If you know you're purpose you'll finish books faster and to get to the point where you are clear on your purpose... you work through a few books that interest you.
Hope did you photoread this post first folks
Alex
