Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Time to think

I am new to photoreading and the challenge I need to overcome doesn't seem to be described in the book:

When I read the "traditional" way, what slows me down is not the physical act of reading, but the time spent thinking. When an interesting new concept comes along I take a little bit of time to consider it, toy with it, synthesize it with other things I know, then move on.

In many of the phases of photoreading (not the photoreading step itself), I am confronted with too many ideas too quickly and get overwhelmed. There's no time to think through each idea. The challenge is exacerbated by the number of books which can be photoread in a short time. All of a sudden I am getting ideas from 10 books covering different subjects in the time it used to take to go through one-- and I am, at this point, simply unable to process the information effectively.

How should I deal with this issue? How do I get the benefits of good thinking time (which has served me well over the years-- I was valedictorian at a prestigious university) and also effectively photoread?

Thanks!

Photoread at a pace that is comfortable for you... there's no drive to suddenly replace 1 book with 10... try photoreading the books at a rate that suits you and gives you time to digest them.

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In many of the phases of photoreading (not the photoreading step itself), I am confronted with too many ideas too quickly and get overwhelmed. There's no time to think through each idea.

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Why should you?
May be you don't need to think through each idea.
I read many times in the past you got good results by processing each idea.
That gives you self-confidence, makes you feel comfortable.
But if you're applying to learn photoreading, I think you want something more, or -at least- you think that you could give even more.
Well...get out your comfort area.
Your Life quality is as big as the quantity of uncertainty you can live with.
And...if you do things you always did, you will get the results you always got.
I don't think the reason you're studying photoreading is to get the same results of before. I hope you want more.

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The challenge is exacerbated by the number of books which can be photoread in a short time. All of a sudden I am getting ideas from 10 books covering different subjects in the time it used to take to go through one-- and I am, at this point, simply unable to process the information effectively.

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May be it's a limiting convintion.
Just think as you are able to.

It may be a question of having more precise purposes. Perhaps you have many purposes per book. I think that the PR process enables you to achieve each purpose more rapidly. In a way, PR is a more organized and efficient form of reading. It is reading organized by purpose, using the OTC mind. I think that once we practice it, we will find a use for it. We don't have to set aside our old way of studying, however, if we don't want to.

Thank you for the responses.

I hadn't considered the idea of not thinking through the ideas I get from the book. I'd give it more thought, but then that would be thinking about the idea of not thinking, wouldn't it? Seriously, I'm skeptical that photoreading books without bothering to think about the content is the answer.

Too many purposes or too broad a purpose may be a culprit. I'll try with a laser-focused purpose and see what happens.

"I'm skeptical that photoreading books without bothering to think about the content is the answer."

I didn't say you don't have to think about the content.
I said you don't need to think about EACH idea.
The material you have to focus on is the material fitting to your purpose.
Anyway...I'm talking about the whole system.
During photoreading phase, just relax and .... feel your purpose.
Don't think at contents.

I suggest you activate by mind mapping. drop the book and just mind map until the flow is complete. Superreading and dipping or skittering isn't the only way to activate the book. When you get a lot of information coming up... especially if it relates to your purpose do a brain dump and put it on a large sheet of paper and connect the ideas.

Alex