Let's consider intuition for a minute.
Unless I'm misunderstanding a key facet of the program, the PR step is designed to (among other things) enhance the reader's intuition about the text at hand. Is that correct? Okay, but what do we mean by "intuition?"
A quick dictionary check offers: "insight; grasping the inward or hidden nature of things;" "direct apprehension or cognition; immediate knowledge, as in perception or consciousness;" and "instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes); an impression that something might be the case."
Zounds! Even in science, we discuss a particular scientist as having extraordinary insight, or intuition, with regard to a major discovery. Does this mean, even in the pristine bastions of science, that intuition is somehow **shudder** paranormal?
Of course not! Intuition is a normal and very common human occurrence. We've all had the experience (I hope) of a flash of insight that bails us out on a final exam, gets us out of a tough social spot, or leads us to a hard sought answer at an unexpected moment. Hey, guess what? That's what Scheele calls the "other than conscious" mind coming through for us! Our brain can maintain state, process amazing quantities of data, react to the unexpected--even help us catch a line drive or dodge an unwary pedestrian--without stepping through a stodgy syllogism first.
But can intuition be taught? Can it be learned? Isn't intuition by nature unexpected and unpredictable?
Nope, I don't think so. I think intuition comes through participation and practice. At my age, if I'm covering third base and a line drive comes my way, I'm more likely to get beaned than to make the out. But a professional ballplayer who practices that play over and over still looks brilliant when he makes that split-second play. His reaction becomes a reflex. Why? Many reasons, I'm sure, not the least of which is inate talent. But for two main reasons, I suggest: practice and confidence.
Why does a batter hit a mid-season slump? Unless it's because of an injury or a change in training, the most often given reason is, "it's psychological." What does a good coach do? (Don't say "send him to the minors;" the owners have too much invested.) A good coach tells the batter to take extra practice, to focus, and to relax and keep his eye on the ball. A superior coach may just tell the pro to shake it off and remember all those fans back at home that idolize him--remind him that he's a winner, a future "Hall of Famer." Build up his confidence again.
[BTW, can you tell I'm ready for Opening Day?]
But maybe being a brilliant ballplayer doesn't involve intuition at all--perhaps it's all practice, preparation, and talent. Fair enough, but what's the batter's goal? Performance--pure and simple. Execution. Points on the board, runs batted in, getting on base, hitting a dinger.
So, maybe we don't need any stinkin' intuition for photoreading. What do we need? Practice? Sure. Preparation? It's one of Paul's steps! A little talent? Yep, maybe a bit. Confidence? Undoubtedly? And what do all these qualities lead us to?
The bottom line: performance.
But, in reading or anything else, can performance be enhanced by "immediate knowledge," that is, intuition? You bet! So is intuition about the materials at hand worth developing? Duh! No question.
And how do we develop intuition? Confidence and practice. Practice and confidence. Participation. A good, positive attitude. By keeping our eye on the ball--even if it's seeing out of the corner of our eye. By controlling our responses to and developing a mastery of the materials we're studying.
If this metaphor works for you, fine. If it doesn't--well, it's just a couple more weeks until Opening Day. Cheers!
--George
