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The problem i am having with the process is that internally , i feel like i am cheating. If this actually works to help me understand and commit to memory all of this work then, would i be cheating?? Mnay others before me have done this work without using PR.
How is learning to do something better cheating? 
Photoreading is a whole mind system using more of your brains to complete the task at hand and available to anyone who wants to learn it. Some people are blessed with good learning skills and it seems to come naturally for them all you are doing is putting yourself on even footing with those natural learners who use techniques similar to photoreading because they stumbled across them somewhere along the line in their career as students.
Mind mapping is the 'record' of your activation, a way of seeing the information you have learnt/gained from the text. It is useful in that you can later look at it and remember what you learnt, along with stuff you didn't record on the mind map being triggered in your memory.
Since mind mapping requires logical, creative thinking and hands on approach to create it uses more of your mind/memory banks which aid recall. For some things mind maps go only so far. For formulars etc you may need to devise some additional memory technique to aid recall. Mind maps are a starting point for memorising/learning. Start with a central theme topic or idea you want to remember and create your own method. What you devise yourself is better than anything that adheres to rules that make no sense to you. Remember 'your' mind maps are 'your' notes to aid 'your' recall. It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not to anyone else. So you take the concept of mind mapping and make it your own.
One thing that is very useful with mind mapping (or any note taking system) is humour. If you get some goofy idea while making notes/mind maps record it. That little joke or doodle will trigger a lot of information in the conscious mind.
There are alternate notemaking techniques you might like to try. Check out this link for some ideas.
http://www.learnline.ntu.edu.au/studyskills/nm/nm_nl.html
This next site will help you to understand the basic principles of mind mapping for studying. Remember they are a starting point, you can do it anyway you want. You might even find yourself combining other notetaking techniques . There is nothing right or wrong about it it's your method of learning memorising
http://www.jcu.edu.au/studying/services/studyskills/mindmap/index.html
Alex
