Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer No wonder I've been failing!

I am going to give you a lead that might help you if you are trying to PR.

I went to the library yesterday, I was actually looking for another book and I found this book called: " Concentration: How to Focus for success" by Sam Horn. It is a rather small book and very simple to read, I started perusing it (no I did not PR it) but anyway, I read the first few pages and I got so excited on what I read no wonder I have been failing miserably.

I am not going into what the book says, it would take too long, but the only thing I can tell you is that it really opened my eyes regarding what " Concentration" really means and how to achieve it, As I was reading it I remember Paul saying: "your concentration is absolute" when you are in the prepare mode. But what "Concentration" really meant or "Fully Engaged" like Paul says, what that really means I didn't know until I read that book.

Take the advise any way you want it but if you are having problems PRing you should take a look at this book or any other on that subject, it's helping me a lot.

Example exercise. Try thinking about a word, like RELAX or I AM A GOOD PHOTOREADER, set the timer for 5 minutes and tell your mind to ONLY think about this for the next five minutes. Every time your mind starts to wonder, say to yourself STOP!! and try again. Do this for 5 minutes and in a piece of paper count how many times you stopped (you can do it as you go).

Anyway, I tried that exercise, I STOPPED 39 times in 5 minutes that's 8 times per minutes my mind started to wander into something else, No wonder I have been failing! I will never be able to photoread correctly if first I don't learn to concentrate correctly.

Lots of exercise in this book to help you get better at concentrating, I hope this helps all of you, the ones that don't give up, the ones that will succeed.

Hrm...that's interesting. I think one thing you should consider when talking about absolute concentration, though, is that sometimes the mind wandering is a way of itself trying to tell you something about the subject matter, not just something that's off topic. You'll find that even things that seem to make no sense logically can sometimes be completely related to a particular topic.

Human nature to keep jumping from one thought to another is one of the reasons that photoreading is so effective. You go in with a question and look for that answer. Thats why it is stressed to have a purpose for reading and knowing what you want from the text. If you don't know what you want how can you concentrate with focus?

It is also the reason it is strongly advised to stick to time frames when activating. It disciplines your concentration and focus. If you habitually go over the time you set for yourself your mind will go back droping concentration. Also remember to take breaks every 30 minutes definately after 50 minutes of studying and reading this allows your mind to intergrate what you have collected. Pointless having focus to the exclusion of the intergration process.

Alex

Your comments are well taken, but I am not refering about your mind wandering into another areas of photoreading the book, but instead like you are trying to Photoread and your inner mind goes like: "hey I forgot to wet the plants" or " Gee I wonder what my cousin's neighbor is doing right now".

I mean off subject thinking that is not related to PRing.

For example what good is to say "Relax" and "see the page" etc. if your concentration is one that one phone call you forgot to do, or the task you need to do tomorrow, if you cannot concentrate in what you are doing RIGHT NOW, then you wont be efficient.

That the one point I agree with the web-site Reading Genious when he says one of the major problems is that people don't concentrate in what they are doing RIGHT NOW but let the mind wander.

Like I said, take it as you will.

When you are activating, you should be able to know that the world can TAKE CARE OF ITSELF for A FEW MINUTES. When you have a pattern like people nagging you to get things done, and if you don't - the consequences are horribly negative, then that's a pattern you've got to break, get rid of, and learn to focus on one thing you need to do at a time, getting each thing done, one by one.

Some people might call being in this state the 'flow state.' It's where you're constantly moving relaxed, and effeciently toward the next goal you need to meet.

During the day, try relaxing and using the 'accelerative learning state' during your everyday activities. You'll find that you'll be able to be free of a lot more stress than you maybe used to be. Myself, I've learned how to carry on tons of things at once by just being in a particular state.

Not quite sure what else to tell ya, but...that's my 2 cents, I suppose...

-youngprer

To youngprer.

You are full of wisdom! when I grow up I want to be like you! ;-)

Thanks for all your advise and comments specially on my other postings.

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Originally posted by solarus:
To youngprer.

You are full of wisdom! when I grow up I want to be like you! ;-)

Thanks for all your advise and comments specially on my other postings.

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Well, thanks, and your welcome.

But, it's not great. Most of these nights and days, I've got SO much mind clutter from all these things I read and think about that sometimes I wonder if I'm going insane!!

-youngprer

believe me you are not alone, what have I told you all these time, my major problem, my mind cannot stop working (as if you could ever "stop" thinking) but what I mean is my days are terrible, my 2 inner voices constantly talking to me sometimes about important things sometimes worthless things, is the "mind-clutter" like you say.

Sometimes I think the only way I could relax is going into a coma!

But think about it this way, you are the super-thinking machine.

Talking about playing with your mind. I have a game, I instructed one of my inner voice that every morning as soon as I wake up to remember a song, a different song every day, so far I have been able to remember about 90 songs, since I have kept doing this for about 3 months now, the funny thing is I even remembered some songs I used to sing in elementary school that I thought I had forgotten!

So the question is, do we ever forget something we learned? or we just misplaced it in our mind?

That's for your to find out ;-)

Regards.

quote:

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Originally posted by solarus:
Your comments are well taken, but I am not refering about your mind wandering into another areas of photoreading the book, but instead like you are trying to Photoread and your inner mind goes like: "hey I forgot to wet the plants" or " Gee I wonder what my cousin's neighbor is doing right now".

I mean off subject thinking that is not related to PRing.

For example what good is to say "Relax" and "see the page" etc. if your concentration is one that one phone call you forgot to do, or the task you need to do tomorrow, if you cannot concentrate in what you are doing RIGHT NOW, then you wont be efficient.

That the one point I agree with the web-site Reading Genious when he says one of the major problems is that people don't concentrate in what they are doing RIGHT NOW but let the mind wander.

Like I said, take it as you will.

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The mind tends to wonder more when it is not interested in what it is doing. People have more focus on certain activities than others. Some can become totally absorbed in stamp collecting, others in gardening, some in painting or building. This is more due to their natual intelligences. The school system concentrates on the linguistic and logical mathematical Intelligences. These ironically, are not everyones dominant capabilities. There are 6 others often overlooked (for the list see page 129 of the 3rd edition of the PhotoReading book by Paul R Scheele).

One of the reason why the mind will wonder during the 'Photoreading' stage of the process is because it isn't required. We don't want the conscious mind to be active or take an active role during the photoreading stage. Since the conscious mind doesn't switch off easily during our waking states we need to give it something to do.

What can we give it do do? Something that will help us to keep the appropriate photoreading state, see the page in photofocus and maintain the steady page turning rhythm. Hence the chant. To keep the conscious mind occupied. Thinking about 'other stuff' during the photoreading phase really only has the danger of pulling you out of the photoreading state without you noticing that you've allowed beta brainwave activity to overtake the photoreading brainwave activity. So we keep returning to the chant.

The priority of the photoreading is to maintain photofocus and turn the pages at a steady rhythm so that our brains are in the most productive state. To help maintain the state we say the chant.

Alex

Thanks Alex, that's good advise about the chant and all. I keep PRing, in a playful way, right :-)