Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Beginner:)-Having some questions!

Hey guys,

I´ve just started photo reading and there are some questions I have but since I dont really now anyone you knows how to photo read I hope you can help me.

- well, while photo reading im having real problems with concentrating on what i am doing- you know im always chanting relaxe, relaxe ect. in my head but still there are just all kind of thoughts coming in my head (like what im gonna do after, or tomorrow, just random thoughts like that) without even me noticing those thoughts consciouslly. it seems as if those thoughts were just being in the background while im chanting- and it doesnt matter how much i concentrate i always get distracted. I assume that this is not really efficient for photo reading but i really dont know how to get rid of those thoughts! Maybe you have some tips-maybe a paraliminal cd.

- and while photo reading i keep on reading (maybe more noticing) single words on a page sometimes- i think i got the photo fokus right- im seeing all 4 corners of the book and im trying to imagine the X- but still when i look at a page of a book its very difficult for me to not like read consciously a word- it´s like i just see it and read it. And i tend to focus a little more on the right page of a book although im seeing all 4 corners. Is that bad? or worng? how could i change it? and where should my focus be? In the middle of the page?

-i ve tried activating books but ive not had that feeling of just knowledge coming to my mind without having seen the information before. What i mean is i feel as if i only knew the information that i have read (super read or skittered etc.) consciously- But if i understood that right- while activating there should come information into my mind which i have not read ( by reading i mean rythmic perusial) .-like information withou me knowing where it comes from. maybe i just need to spend more time- im very convinced that photo reading works but i just need to find the access- that aha effect. ive noticed some changes after photo reading for example relaxation after photo reading the natural brilliance book or thinking in English (im austrian) after photo reading the dictionary. But that has been it. id appreciate some activation tips for beginners a lot.

- I keep on photo reading an english dictionary every day and im just wondering if it is necessary to postview it- and if how. and how i am supposed to activate a dictionary-just super read it- but with wich purpose. my purpose of reading it is to improve my vocabulary. Do i even have to activate it?

-What about direct learning- do i have to postview the books after photo reading? because as i understood i dont need to activate them right?

-ive read so many times that it is very important that im having a strong purpose for what i read. So im wondering what purpose it could be for a text which has a very unclear title -i have to read a lot for university, texts with only 30 pages and sometimes by reading the title you have no idea what the text is about. no table of content. maybe not even paragraphs. so could a purpose for texts like that be:
Whats is the text about? What does the author want me to know? What are the main arguments/ points? What is important in this text? or for exams: What do i need to know for this exam? What do I need to know about this text to do a good presentation about it? What to I need to know to be prepared for the class discussion?

I know that purposes are very individual but im wondering if those purposes above are "stronge" purposes or if they are too unclear. Do i need a purpose which refers to the content of the book? and if how do i know what i want to know of the book if i havent read it! That idea is sometimes a little strange for me to understand- i always hear its good to ask specific questions and to know what I want out of a book- but how can i know if i dont know the content of a book?

Well then-i think thats it..for now!

Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it!

take care,

Julia

Hi,
Im a beginner too.I started way back in 2006.But im re- approaching photoreading with a beginners mind removing all inhibitions!!!

i will not speak on photo focus or other aspects.But i would like to share you some ideas on activation ,which is helping me a lot.

Now you have previewed or Post viewed a book.Lets say for example Natural Brilliance.Here is something i did with Natural brilliance.I picked up the name Peter Kline from the glossary when i had post viewed the book.
SO my mind probing question was:
What does Peter Kline have to do with Natural Brilliance?Why is he mentioned or why is he referred to?
So i super read the book and hit upon Peter Kline.i dipped around the paragraph and found out he has to do with an experiment on pronounciation.
So i mind probed further how is this information related to natural Brilliance.?
Why is Paul Scheele using this experience?
What message is he giving?
What aspect of the core idea is this example Linked to ?

Then i super read and dipped the book again.

So i built upon a structure of the concept by Starting off with Peter Kline ...a trigger word.

Now im getting better with other books.
I preview the Table of Contents
So i frame questions against the main ideas listed in the table of contents .
Once i do the first 3 steps of the photoreading and after incubation.i start activating the book using my questions.

THe whole idea of Activation,you have to believe that the entire text is already absorbed then re read to find answer to your questions.So with many activations one can get to be an active reader.

Photo reading may be cumber some in the beginning,but it gets u the best of the book very very fast as you get better and better.
The whole spirit of Photo reading is given by Paul Scheele in the classic course manual called "Active Reading"
It speaks of Insightful reading and Analytical reading to become an enlightened reader.Photo reading helps one to become an enlightened reader.

Now who is an enlightened reader ?...Thats your mind probing question!!!

I will not comment on anything more as I told you i'm no expert.

But try some of my ideas .

And remember Purpose is the Motive.Without Purpose you will not be an active motivated reader.Keep refining your purpose if you dont get one try again or else may be the book itself is boring for you,feel free to drop it off!!!

Hope this helps

Have a great day!!!

Noticing words and getting distracted - solution PhotoRead the book upside down. Change the chant to be your purpose statement. That tells the mind that this is important and while it may wander off it has a job to do.

Focus on both pages by looking through the middle of the book.

The human flaw is we don't like not knowing where information comes from so unless we can point to it we tend to block it. So tapping information without knowing where it comes from isn't going to happen. It comes from the book you PhotoRead anyway. Activation brings it up to the small portion of conscious comprehension.

Activation builds conscious comprehension that one is usually accustomed to from traditional reading. It's important to have a clear purpose and ask the author questions. If you're waiting for magic you'll be waiting a long time. Until you get down and train the body mind connection with activation you're going to continue to block any information that comes from the "unknown".



That depends on your purpose.

Direct Learning - see the Natural Brilliance book for the how to.

You do not open the books again after PhotoReading them. You do the first three steps only on at least 5 books on the subject you are expecting to acquire the skills of.

No text is unclear if you have a purpose. Why are you spending time studying the subjects you are studying.

On another note. I recommend first honing your PhotoReading skills on material not relating to university material that you are studying. Learn the system then apply it to your course work.



You don't have a purpose --- those are questions, questions are not a purpose.



That's why you need to know your purpose. If you know your purpose your questions have direction and reason.

Purpose explains why you are doing something... in effect... "I am doing this so that I can [expected outcome stated]

Remember activation is done in layers. Better 3 short ones of 10 minutes each than one long one of 60 minutes. You'll cover much more in multiple passes.

Alex

I agree with Alex, it's best to play at Photoreading with books that you're really excited and curious about.

There is "magic" when you're really passionate about the subject of a book and the book just clicks with you. It's like falling in love, except you're falling in love with a book, a concept, a big picture, and Idea.... a life purpose.

I didn't have such a clear purpose when starting photoreading, so I just chose books that I was very interested in and curious about..you know those books where you just can't wait to dig it and you have to hold yourself back from reading word for word because now you're going to assimilate this book in a whole new way that involves your Whole mind?

It's the kind of book that just by touching it you know this is one that you'll want to keep near you for a long time. You know you're going to be spending a lot of time with this book, because you just click with the author and the information.

In my case it was a book I had already read halfway through, but because it was such a meaty book filled with so much information and about 400 pages, I never got done with it before. I started photoreading it at least 2 or 3 times a week and began to notice some really cool changes and naturally getting better at the exercises in the book. Also, I began to remember the information better when I would go back and just skip around in the book. The information just stuck and I could recall easier.

(incidentally, I also started to remember people's names quicker and easier, with no conscious effort for that skill on my part)

Photoreading is really meditating with books, in my opinion. It's a form of highly, focused trance that brings the subconscious to the surface for direct learning. We used to do this as children naturally.

Also, I have found what Alex has said about doing activation in layers and doing them in short 10 minute spurts as opposed to 60 minutes is true.

Taking frequent breaks is vital in building up your skill, endurance, retention and practical implementation of material photoread.