Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer getting into photofocus

Hi youngprer! You are right, I should have persisted, and I did. From November till now, how many months has it been? 6 months-half a year. I'm just being realistic. And it's not really the matter of getting into photofocus actually (I should have used another topic title). Rather, it's about overcoming this terrible anxiety of mine's. After "playing" with the system and pretending the anxiety isn't there, I have failed to make any progress. And no, I won't regret anything, because I know I've given this system a fair try, and it just doesn't work for anxious people like me. And again, I don't feel it's a great loss because I won't need to read that much anyway. People in careers such as business will need to, and that, I understand they'll need to keep on top of the books. But me? I need to worry about training my voice and eating the right foods as to not irritate/bother my vocal cords. If I ever later enter a career field that requires extensive reading and somehow learn to stay relaxed, then I will perhaps pick up the system again; but for now I feel I'm doing the right thing by quitting. Will persisting any further make a difference? No. I won't be doing justice to myself or Learning Strategies, since I would be wasting my efforts on a program that I could instead return to the company to be recycled. It didn't work for me, but I'm sure it'll work for someone else. So there's really nothing to lose by returning the program. And I'll have to do it quick cause my warranty's soon coming to an end hehehe. Again, I thank everyone who has tried to help me. God bless!

Servant... you wear your anxiety like a badge of honour, so naturally you are going to block your chances of being successful as a photoreader. I can see from your post that you've made the decision you prefer to be anxious rather than succeed. (This is the message I am understanding from your post- I could be wrong.) I trust that you've mastered your anxiety in other areas of your life though.

Good luck with your career as a Tenor. Sorry to see you miss out on the skills of a photoreader.

Alex

Okay, Alex, how much more effort do you think I ought to put into this? Oh, right I've only been doing this for 6 months. Maybe because you've heard of my dilemma for only the past few days (and thus have been in your conscious memory for only that short period of time), you think I haven't put much effort into this. Well, 6 months to me is a long time to work with, and after all this, if I still can't work it out, I conclude it's time to put it to rest. It's not like I don't want to be successful, I'm just being realistic. After such a long time and still nothing happening, I don't think there's anything more I can do. Right? Please give me your opinion =) Believe me, I've tried ALL your suggestions, and much of the advice given was nothing new to me. Of course, I'd appreciate any more fresh ideas =)

The ideas given here in the post are all good ideas but you need to give them more than just one or 2 tries in 3 days.

Patience... be kind to yourself. You want to prove yourself overnight but the greatest achievements may have taken 1001 nights. You've spent a considerable amount of time on it so it must be hard to give up... perhaps like the greatest classical guitarist you need to find the right mentor.

On the whole I think you are taking the right course of action for you. Not everything comes easy and you would know yourself best. Perhaps right now it is a good idea for you to shelve the idea of being able to photoread, because perhaps, as you say, there are other priorities in your life right now.

You said yourself that your problem is "performance anxiety" related, well I don't think that learning to photoread is going to help you overcome that. You've got too much at stake and since you are in training to become a Operatic Tenor you must be working with professionals that can help you overcome this anxiety. Once you've learnt the skills there you'll be able to come back to Photoreading if you so desire.

LSC have a paraliminal tape called Anxiety Free, the Self-Esteem Supercharger and the deep relaxation tape are good also. You have to make up your mind that they will work... if your mind is made up they won't then they won't.
Cause "Whether you think you can or think you can't,- you are right."

Yes, let yourself of the hook. You must be true to yourself. You are not the first to have shelved the course and there are others who have have come back later to succeed.

You've identified the problem yourself and we have given you a number of suggestions that can empower you to overcome this problem. Relisticly though we know that anxiety does not disappear overnight. Be patient with yourself, detach and ask yourself is your anxiety really warrented?

Honour thyself,
Alex

Servant,

How do you know nothing has happened? Just nothing? ...???

It took years before the whole system worked for me. It has only been within the last 12 months that I have been able to achieve the Photo-focus state. I could not see stereograms or Magic Eye pictures.
I used the imaginary "X" for the photoreading step.

My breakthrough came after doing one of Win Wenger's exercises ... and for the life of me I cannot remember what it is called. Perhaps someone can help? I have seen it described on one of LS's forums before. It is where you lay on your back and have your feet in the air. The position is much like you are seated in a chair but your back is on the floor. Then, I go thru the "sip breathing" exercise. After doing this exercise (I have no idea why), I was able to diverge my eyes and enter the Photofocus state. I can now diverge my eyes any time I need.

Wishing you the best.

[This message has been edited by dc21 (edited May 14, 2002).]

That sounds similar to the technique referred to as the gravity position... sleep need saver in the forum forum Polyphasic Sleep.
http://www.learningstrategies.com/forum/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000476.html

I admit I didn't follow that forum much since I get by on 4 hours sleep a night and once every month or so go 54 to 72 hours without sleep. Don't know why just do. By the same token when I want to sleep I can - the topic wasn't important to me. So can't be sure if that is the same technique.

Alex

Yes, that's it. The gravity position.
Thanks.

quote:

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Originally posted by dc21:
Yes, that's it, the gravity position.
Thanks.

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I would like to make just one comment. You stated that you get that way when you anticipate photoreading. Perhaps if you don't Photoread, but just learn to relax first and then maybe a couple of weeks later come back to trying to photoread. That way you become an expert at relaxing and then the photoreading part should be a brease.

Sorry for butting in, but if you have a problem with something, remove it.

Hope that helps.