Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer reason for trying PR

I see many people who come here asking if they will be able to learn photoreading for an upcoming exam, expecting it to be some sort of magic bullet. To me that is disappointing, as it completely negates the playful style of learning the system. However these people can still be successful with it if they keep a positive and relaxed attitude.
In any case I'm curious as to everyone's different reasons for investing the time and money into photoreading. For me it was because my 11th grade english class required a lot more reading than I was used to and I wanted an easy way out, so I bought the PR book. The system helped remarkably when I chose to apply it. What about you guys?

I was busy watching the grass grow one day and I had a vision of myself reading by just glancing at pages for a second. Taking time out and then looking at the pages again knowing what is on them. Since I hadn't been browsing the web for some time (8 months by then) I thought I wonder if that is possible? Left the grass to grow on its own and logged back on, called up a search engine and typed in Photoreading (no idea where my mind got that from) was the top find. I read the sales pitch and thought 'WOW that sound like a great way to get through all those books of a similar subject faster'. Saw the price and thought "OUCH". Walked away from it for 3 days, couldn't get the idea out of my mind and thought to hell with it and bought it.

Alex

[This message has been edited by AlexK (edited December 18, 2002).]

I had one of those moments of enhanced neural activity in the place where many people have moments of enhanced neural activity - I was sitting on the toilet. As I usually do, I was reading. (I do not trust people who don't keep at least one book in the bathroom). I looked at the page and suddenly not only did every word become known at once, the information in the book also created a larger picture of what the author was getting at. I had heard of PhotoReading before, but I didn't really think it nessesary until I had that experience. Once I did, I waited a few months until I accepted a credit card offer. PhotoReading was the third thing I bought. I hope it pays for itself.

This comment is somewhat off-topic.

I frequently have moments of extreme enhanced neural activity in that tiny little room referred to as the bathroom. As a matter of fact, when I have a problem that has me stumped, usually a call of nature will result in the mental block disappearing, and rather quickly and easily. On the rare occassion that the problem isn't solved there, I go for lunch. Things simmer in the background, and my other than conscious provides me with the answer. This is part of what convinced me to give photoreading a go.

[This message has been edited by quidscribis (edited December 18, 2002).]

When I was 17 I was really bored while I was studying for a historytest.

So I floated around on a sofa while making a game out of learning all the 76 words written on the side of the text. I played around with them, seeing if I was able to remember them in order, no matter what word I started on.

fun! And after three hours I had them all.

Next day, I discovered to my dismay that I DID NOT know what they meant or what they were about!?!!

Luckily I had a few minutes before the test and so I read the 57 pages through once and took the test.

I aced it!! But I was sure the teacher had made a mistake because I had only had fun!! So I asked if the grade was correct! yup!

Ever since then I knew learning could be done easily and with fun!

I have had other challenges though, so I am learning PWMS because I liked the idea that it shows respect for our inner minds´ great capacity and for presenting an interesting formula to a scatterbrain like me ( wanting to think 100 thoughts&questionsat a time )
Structure.

Why do things the slow way when you can do it the efficient way and have plenty of time left to Live!

I don't know if the principle has any official name, but I have heard it mentioned before. Tight-rope walkers start learning about two feet off the ground. It's pretty easy, actually, to walk a tight-rope two feet off the ground. When this is raised to four feet, it becomes harder. It shouldn't be harder, but it is, because the stakes are higher. It is as if the mind triggers failure mechanisms in some perverse attempt to keep the body safe.

I remember sitting down with my mind-map sheet with a book on the American Revolution. Because I already have a B.A. in history and scored 100% on my High-School test on the subject over 10 years ago, I had a lot to prove to myself. I read the book in order to have a greater understanding of the American Revolution, the conditions that lead to it and the conditions it created. It took me a good Moment of Panic before I suddenly started making arches and branches. One word was all it took to trigger a flood of associations, but that first word was rather constipated.

Permission to fail is related to success.

I've always wanted to read faster, but not give up any comprehension. I've even had an experience that demonstrated to me that speed can enhance comprehension.

I'd taken a speed reading course, but not practiced enough to get real benefits.

Choosing to do PhotoReading was the result of a chain of events. Jumping into the second half of the chain, I set five goals, as per Anthony Robbins system, one of them was to develop a very fast reading ability. I started searching the web and checked out all the speed reading sites. I eventually came across PhotoReading. I thought about and read stacks of material off this forum, then after a couple of weeks I ordered the audio system. It took ages to arrive (something like 4 to 6 weeks). By which time my enthusiasm had deminished and my free time had all but evaporated. .... ooops getting beyond the why PR question.

I came across it last year or so during the summer. There was an advertisement on tv where a guy did PR, and then his comprehension was tested and he answered all the questions correctly, then he performed it on a comp. and held the space bar down and my brother and I were watching it and we were laughing in amazement when he was doing it and we were like "alien reading". I guess we thought of alien reading because we thought of ET only being able to read that fast. It was quite amusing. Since I didn't have any money, and my brother did, I convinced him to get it . Since then I haven't had much success but recently, I've been working with it and I'm following people's advice of 'just do all the steps' and it's starting to work. This morning I had a little activation when I woke up but I didn't have any time to do anymore. I'm straying a little from the subject. I was/am a pretty heavy reader and I thought what if I could read 'that' fast? How many books would I be reading then? Cause I bring home piles of books from the library and simply never finish them. But here's my chance!:P

Adam

I used to have a terrible problem with insomnia, and I was up at 3:00AM one night on a school night, and saw the informercial. I was curious, asking my brother, "Do you think this is for real?"

That Christmas, I got the book, talked to Dana and was off!

[This message has been edited by youngprer (edited December 19, 2002).]

Oh good, I had been eagerly awaiting your story, youngprer. Did talking to Dana teach you anything that wasn't in the book?