Between all the responses, I think you've solved my dilemmas...
Margaret: pick up a book, put a smile on your face and turn the book upside down and turn the pages at a rate of 1 per second till you finish. Which should be about 5 minutes or so Choose a short 200 page book that you may have read before or one that was challenging but somewhat familiar.
I tried this yesterday in a synoptic read with 2 books, one an introduction to ethics and the other an introductory logic course. I read the logic course and the ethics course through normally, then turned them upside down and did the ethics course from back to front and the logic one from front to back. It works! For whatever reason, instead of saying 'Re-lax' when I turn the page, I kept saying 'bork, bork' (upside down English looks like Swedish to me) and my PR was fun for the first time in months. Thanx Margaret! 
you could use the NLP technique of interrupting that thought by jumping up and pointing at your chair & yelling: Do it in the public library a couple times & you'll probably not want to think that thought b/c it's too embarassing.
You should see the looks I got when I tried that... 
I think I'll start reading standing up from now on
I've only recently looked into swish techniques and I'd like to find out more about NLP behaviour mods. And the Tony Robbins book you refer to, is that Unlimited Power? That book has been calling to me for months...
Dana: Your concentration-keeper is the "4-3-2-1" chant. It does superbly well at keeping the conscious mind engaged while flipping through during "turbo-absorption" of all the printed text with the other-than-conscious processor.
If your awareness drifts during activation, stop where you're at, take a deep breath, spend a few moments becoming aware of your tangerine, and continue forward.
I tried this while reading the books I had, and it worked as well. My concentration was being very stubborn so I would count halfway out of my ALS and then back into it 1-2-3-2-3-2-1 and continue. It helped me keep my concentration, and though my mind still wants to wander, it's nice to have a leash to keep it from straying too far 
So, take a minute to thank your mind for those feelings, since they are simply your natural defense mechanisms and perceptual filters looking out for you.
Old habits sure do die hard..and they're cranky on their deathbed! I won't be attending the funeral...I'm not that grateful! 
Youngprer: Do you really need ALL of us to answer?
The more the merrier ! Someone else might come along with a similar problem and need answers from a different viewpoint than I do.
AlexK: If you notice yourself slowing down push up the speed again. You'll improve your comprehension again by going faster. Set time limits. If you say to yourself your are going to read for 30 minutes only read for 30 minutes as soon as the time is up stop whether you're finished or not.
As an idea during the 30 minutes if you only rapid read 30 pages then the next 30 minutes see if you can increase it to 40 pages... build up slowly at first.
You're right! I forgot to do timed readings since my metronome's battery died. Thanks for reminding me. Such a small thing makes a big difference.
If at all possible concentrate on activation using superreading and dipping and avoid rapid reading altogether. Remember rapid reading should only be used as a last resort.
BINGO! You hit the nail right on the head. I've switched over to rapidreading instead of skimming/dipping and skittering because I felt self-conscious about never doing an RR before May (previously I did only preview, PR, postview, and skim/dips) and wasn't sure if I had the whole PR system down pat or if I was fully able to recall all relevant information without doing a rapidread session. I think I'll save RR for when I read fiction to avoid overdipping (dipping is my weakness).
Thanx again everyone! I'll post back after I do my Activations this weekend.
