SDstudent,
I do ask my mind questions and then sit back for a few minutes to let the questions percolate through the layers of my consciousness. I also ask for my inner mind to organize the information for me in the best manner for me to become aware of. Concerning visualizing a specific object - after PhotoReading, while performing the closing affirmations, I many times get an image of a vast network with lines of energy/information criss-crossing through my brain and in the space around me, weaving into my consciousness. I also, many times, get a shudder that runs from the base of my skull and down my spine, along with a tingling sensation - I don't know if that is something objective or subjective, but it seems to occur frequently when I've finished PhotoReading, especially if I have really hit the "state" correctly.
Concerning methods of activation that I use - it really depends, for me, on the material that I am working with, the time I have, and the amount of consious awareness that I need at that time. I will play with Image Streaming in order to get the channels opened to my inner mind with respect to the book that I am activating. I will play around with mind maps and may even super read the entire book (for full conscious understanding of the material). In the case of rapid reading, I bring myself close to an alpha state by using my breathing and relaxing my muscles. I then race through the book at a rate of about 5 seconds per page, using a relaxed (but clear) widened gaze - I don't know how to explain it, but it's like I look at the page and just understand what's on it. I used this approach of activating physics and mathematics texts when I was in graduate school, where I needed full comprehension for the problem sets that followed each chapter. For less difficult material, I might only Image Stream and mind probe (especially if I have somebody available to discuss the book - they act like an external focus to trigger recall).
Another technique I played with, with some success, is a spinoff from the Silva Method. Using the "mental laboratory" idea, I create a "mental classroom" with an expert on the material I just PhotoRead - perhaps the author of the book, or somebody versed in the subject matter. In this "mental classroom" I have them lecture me on the material in the book, and have a question and answer session with them to clarify points I don't (consciously) understand.
Does this help?
