Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer I am getting little if any results.

I have read the book, The PhotoReading Whole Mind System, by Paul Scheele. (and I give credit for the examples of affirmations to him. I get them from his book.) I know the steps (well...the ones described in that book). But I must be doing something wrong. I am not getting any results. Here is what I have been doing:

1) I tell myself why I was reading it:
-to be ready for discussion next day
-to learn how to program in, say, Java
-etc

2) I place the imaginary tangerine on
my head. My mind seems more focused
while my range of vision seems to open
up.

3) I look at the table of contents and
notice the chapter names, or if it is
only an assigned chapter in, say, a
history book, I look at the subtitles.

4) I usually look through for trigger
words, but sometimes I don't because
they don't really seem to jump out at
me, and it takes too long to do so.

5) I then affirm my purpose: merely
restate it in my mind.

6) I enter the accelerative learning
state. When I open my eyes, the room
kind of feels more in focus, but
dimmer. My eyes feel really relaxed.

7) I then tell myself stuff like "When
PhotoReading, my concentration is
absolute," and "It makes a lasting im-
pression on my mind." I again mentally
restate my purpose.

8) Then, I open the book to the first page
I will read and enter PhotoFocus. In
that state the words on the page are
blurry and stay that way until I
refocus on the page (exit the
PhotoFocus state). I dont understand
how my subconscious can interpret the
words if my conscious mind can't even
pick out the letters and read them.

9) I then begin flipping through the pages
at aproximately 1-2 seconds per page.
I see the blip page and the blurred
words on the page. One time to keep
my conscious mind focused on keeping
the state, I tried to imagine the
words of the chant described in the
book appear behind the book (this was
just an experiment).

10)I then say what the book told me to
say: "I now release this information
for my body and mind to process"
though I don't quite understand why.
I never consciously had this
information to release. My
subconscious was the only thing that
had it. It wasn't "mine" to release.

11)If I am reading for fun, I usually let
the information incubate for at least
a day or so, but if I am in a hurry
(i.e. for school), I just go do
something for 20-30 minutes.

12)I then sit down and put the tangerine
on my head entering the state of
relaxed alertness.

13)I quickly mind-probe (according to the
instructions in this book) by asking
these questions: "What is important to
me in this book," "What are the main
points," and "What do I need to know
for tomorrow's discussion, quiz, test,
etc?"

14)I then go to the book, flip to the
first page, and decide to start super-
reading and dipping. I begin moving
my eyes down each column, and, since
no sentences seem to stand out to me
(if I try to follow hunches, I end up
reading nothing or everything), I read
random sentences, usually the first
sentence in each paragraph and some
others. This step always ends up
seeming to take forever. And I
usually DO end up reading everything.
If I try not to read everything, I
dont comprehend consciously anything
that I read.

15)I dont want to Rapid Read (and even
the book says it is optional) because I
dont see any difference between that
and regular reading. If I were to
rapid read, I might as well just skip
all other steps.

Thanks for reading all that, but, hey, you ARE PhotoReaders. My main problem is that even after trying to super-read and dip (which end up turning out to be a wierd combo of skimming and regular reading for me) I end up with a very vague concept. Where do these other people get the ability directly quote a page of a book that they photoread or maybe tell exactly where a word is on a page in a dictionary? I am barely getting a concept of the book (but I dont think that even comes from the photoreading...it comes from doing it wrong: something like regular reading). That is nowhere near the recall most photoreaders get. I did these steps on a chapter in my history book and turned out basically clueless the next day at school. What am I doing wrong exactly and how do I correct it? I know I am not super-reading and dipping right, but I have no clue how to do it right. I tried to do it just like the book said to, but no sentences stood out or appeared more important in any way. Please help if you can.

Thanks for your patience.

I'm having a problem getting anything to activate and getting to understand a book in less time than I can just slow read it. When I PR spiritual books (like on meditation and things like that) I do feel different for a while but just like watching a movie that moves you, it wears off.

The ONLY thing I've been able to do so far is read for specific information and get it in minutes. I also think that this type of reading is great for getting ready for multiple choice tests because the questions activate the material. But if someone were to ask me what a book were about I would not be able to describe it. But if they say "who was the murderer?" that type of question will help me get that one peice of info.

You know what I've noticed? Take the PR book as an example. I've slow read it 4 times and have taken notes and photoread it several times and everything. When I like a book I DO THAT TO it. That's how I learn stuff, slowly. If I want just surface knowledge or answers to a couple of questions then yes, I can and have gotten that from PRing but I just can't break the speed barrier when it comes to something I want to understand.

I think that for now (I have the course comming) I'll have to use PR just for info I don't enjoy but MUST read because I have to get something from it and with info I want to read and understand I'll do the PR on it first and then regular read it. When and if I start noticing that my understanding isn't increased much by slow reading and I basically knew it all from PRing it, then I'll know I've "gotten there." I know it has to happen.

There was a time when I was learning to play the guitar that I would struggle over every chord and scale but then one day (I think after playing for 8 months) for some reason it all hit me all at once - I finally understood the "relationship" of one note to every other note and instantly everything I struggled trying to do just came to me then without having to think. I hope the same thing happens with PRing. If it takes 8 months or more, I don't care.

My advice to you regarding PRing is this. You're trying to play a whole song all at once. Run thru all the PR steps and then take one step and do it over and over and over until you can't stand it. Then do it with another. If this is anything like learning music- once it does "hit" you you'll want to do it more and more. We just ain't there yet.

I am still making attempts to successfully PR an entire book. 1 thing I do know is that it takes time and that you shouldn't expect to instantly get results or expect to ever
able to get 90 - 100% comprehension of the book.

BTW from what I heard using the book alone is much harder than using the audio-tapes and the book together.

Oh yea another thing....

If you don't know anything on the subject it will be much harder and if you need to remember exact lines of code and such you may want to 'normal read' those parts.

Hello Taile,
I would suggest to you that if you are having problems super reading and dipping as a form of activation, then you try skittering instead. After you get used to activating with skittering, then I believe that your brain will be better trained to pick up on the intuitive signals that let you know when to dip while super reading. I believe that sometimes skittering is more suited to activating some types of materials than is super reading, and vice versa.

Well, actually, I am better at skittering. I basically waste my time will trying to super-read and dip (I virtually get no recall whatsoever). Even with skittering I still get just a vague concept of what I read.

I saw on another post on this discussion board something about if you PhotoRead 5-10 books a day, then after about 300 books you will start to recall easily or without manual activation or something. Is this true, or what was meant?

I have photoread a few books as well using the steps listed in the course but without noticing any immediate satisfactory results. I should mention up front that I have become quite skeptical of the program as of late. From my experiences so far, I compare the whole photoreading process similar to outlining and skimming a book with the benefit for organizing materials more effiently but as for the ability to recall and understand at least 70% of the information photoread, I have yet to achieve the knowledge/understanding, which I think the system claims can be obtained. How does one photoread a novel and not miss the many intricate details and plots within the book?
Other questions I've had are.... What prevents an individual or individuals of higher education from creating, endorsing and marketing a technique or concept (in this case photoreading) which at first glance appears beyond ones reasonable rationale and even beyond average imagination (perhaps supernatural) especially to those of us in the general public who are naive and lack any knowledge to the complexities of the brain?. What potential revenue can be gained from such ignorance (about the brain) of which I and others possess? Personally, I believe "photoreading" with high retention and recall abilities should work for anybody and everybody, no strings attached. The idea would be nationwide and seen on every channel carrying news as the top story of the decade. The entire educational system would endorse it immediately because of its profoundly amazing results. "Photoreading" as I've seen and heared described in the infomercials and on radio commercials would be taking the world (or at least the US) by storm. In fact, commercials/infomercials would not even be necessary since the concept appears to be so fantastic. Until then, I'll keep at it for a few more weeks (perhaps even months) in the hope to prove myself wrong about all this.

I personally am beginning to wonder if PhotoReading only works for people who have natural photographic memories.

I don't have anywhere near a photographic memory (my grades in school would attest to that fact) and PRing works for me. Stick with the system and keep playing with it.

Good luck,
Gregory

I've always remembered stuff easily and read fast and I struggled with PR for 2 months before seeing any "manual" results. The funny thing is the results I wanted came after alot of "working for nothing." It's the "spontaneous" activation that kept me on track. I think it's mostly a placebo effect or a self fulfilling prophecy but I don't care. "You'll see it when you believe it" by Wayne Dyer is a cool book.