From all we've seen over the years, PhotoReading uses the neural pathways that make eidetic (true photographic) memory possible. Researchers believe that we are all born using eidetic memory strategies as our primary means of memory...a hold-over from caveman days when we needed to retrace our steps from the food to the cave.
We learned to substitute eidetic memory for other strategies when we developed the use of symbolic language (numbers and letters). There is evidence that only 1% of adults retain functional eidetic memory.
My belief is that the neural pathways for eidetic memory are dormant and we use them to PhotoRead. (Too many examples to share here.) BUT, we don't need eidetic memory to accomplish our reading goals. It remains a fanciful goal to bring photographic memory on line for full time use. And it may be a mistake to try to.
The hypermnesia studies of Lozanov showed that people with super-memory of an eidetic nature have a LOT of associated problems, especially in the area of repression. Seems they can't supress what they don't want to remember. In other words, the gift comes with some penalties attached.
I have seen many instances where we can have the goodies when we need them, without the penalty of having it as our predominant memory system. A great example was in my last course. An insurance agency owner took her Financial Planning certification exam having only PhotoRead the materials (10 days before the exam). During the test she looked up to see 18 steps in a formula sequence to solve a problem. She only saw one step at a time, each time she looked up, the next step was there for her until she finished the problem. Out of the 25 people who took the exam (all of whom worked hard at studying, except for her) only two passed. She was one of the two.
Now is that eidetic memory? Yes, but only as required. Interesting, no?
My recommendation is to let your mind serve you to accomplish your goals rather than force the mind to accomplish your goals in a way that you dictate it should. Big difference.