Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Questions about PRing and activation

I just got started with the photoreading course, and I have few questions:

1. What is the significance of the actual photoreading step if you can super read, dip, and skitter and get the main points out?

2. When you photoread a novel, don't you lose the essence of reading a novel? We don't read a novel to retrieve specific information, so how does photoreading work on a novel? How do you preview a novel? And how do you get the story line and feelings out? I can see how well photoreading and activation works on the first book I photoread (PhotoReading by Paul Scheele), but I don't see how it works on a novel.

Thank you for your help.

Congrats on getting the course =).

Without photoreading, the superread+dip and skitter steps becomes "skimming". With PR, they are activation. THe difference is in a level of comprehension, and sometimes speed.

When I sucessfully activated my first novel, it didn't ruin it for me, you just "get it" faster. You get the story line and feelings faster.

To preview a novel, names and places are usually my trigger words. (of course you don't write either twice).

You can't really super read and dip, since you're not really "retrieving" bits of information, since you don't know what's in there...instead I use rapid reading, but it goes really really fast after I photoread...probably about a couple pages a minute; and yes, I do get comprehension, and the feelings and everything else. I was surprised, because I remember thinking something about a character, was sure of it, but didn't quite remember reading it, so I pictured it, and started turning pages, and it was on the exact spot on the page I thought it would be (I was also right about what I thought of the character).

-Ramon http://razor.ramon.com

Thank you for your help. Now I understand how to photoread a novel and thoroughly enjoy it. But I need help activating what I photoread...After photoreading and incubating the material, I still feel like I'm skimming when I activate. Do you have any suggestions?

If you feel like you're skimming, it could be one or a combination of a couple problems:

1) Problems with the PR step itself (sometimes if I'm in the wrong state will I PR it just won't work until I PR it again under better circumstances).
2) You need to slow your rapid reading down (if I'm in the middle of a bad novel, this is a big problem)
3) Try using skittering (I've decided against it, but maybe it'll work for you).

I'm not sure if I should tell you this, but if you promise not to rely on it heavily, then I'll tell you. Sometimes I use the Evelyn Woods Speedreading technique to activate (described as Andy as the Super Duper Ultra Fast Megazord Lightning Speed Hand of Death, or something to that extent). In this technique you place your middle finger under the word you are reading, then move it quickly, forcing yourself to read the word above it. I use this when I realize I'm going too slow or when I'm drifting to get my consciousness back, but to be honest, if you get dependent on it, you'll limit yourself, since your eyes can actually move faster than your hand.

-Ramon

Thank you for your help. Now another problem... I think my PR step is fine, but I feel like super reading and dipping (or sometimes I skitter) makes me go too fast and not understand what I'm reading. I think I'm concentrating on actually moving fast than what I'm reading. Maybe I'm still a beginner and I need to explore more...

I am REALLY eager to make this work. I'm hoping one day this system becomes a second nature to me... But it's not quite yet...

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that when you superread, you shouldn't be able to really *read* anything until you dip...and that you'll know when to dip when your subconscious gives you an instinctual clue to do that.

Go through the book a couple times doing that...thought I haven't done it this way, apparently you'll understand the book after a couple passes. Don't forget to tell yourself what your looking for before you superread. It could be something along the lines of "I want to see where the plot is advanced" if you don't know what to look for.

-Ramon

You're correct Ramon. With super reading, you are sliding your eyes down the center of the page. Instead of focusing on words, you're focusing on yourself, looking for whatever signals your inner mind chooses to give you to attract you to portions of the text. If you are reading the words, you are rapid reading.

Thank you all for your help. Now, when I rapid read, I'm having trouble comprehending what I'm reading. Any tips? I tried going slower, but it wasn't dramatically better.

i am not too sure, but i believe that in rapid reading u are just getting the "gist" of the material (Main points), which allows for u to easily attain info in dipping- where u "normal" read. But dont quote me on it!