Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 405
Likes: 1
KWLee Offline OP
Member
OP Offline
Member

Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 405
Likes: 1
It has been many years since I have actively shared here, but my post today is on behalf of an 18-year-old PhotoReader who had Biology finals, and has recently informed me that in the toughest written examination of the Biology course, he scored perfect marks. That is a feat to be lauded, in my opinion, as it is something only the most diligent and knowledgeable of students can get in this particular type of examination.

I requested that he outline the steps he took to go from learning PhotoReading to applying it with such skill, in the hope that it will help those who are beginning the journey. Please note that I will not be answering any questions on this, as it was not I who took the examination. I paste his comments below:

=====================

The initial errors

At first I had done a long preview before the photo reading step. In that preview I did what I would do now in post view: survey the whole book, write lots of trigger words and review my purpose.

After photo reading I tried to activate the book all in one go (this was 3 massive chapters). I did this by reviewing my purpose and super reading and dipping. But I never wrote down any questions and I never asked more questions as I got into the book.

After 3 long super reading and dipping sessions, going through the whole book, I got tired and frustrated and that's when I contacted you.

The strategy that immediately worked for me was:

Purpose

- Refine my purpose so the emphasis is on RECALL rather than IDENTIFYING the information I need (p.s. by the end of May I could recall the textbook practically word-for-word with a detailed recall of nearly all diagrams and bullet-points)

Super read and dip

- Work chapter by chapter rather than through the whole book at a time

- Ask a baziliion (as many as possible) questions after EVERY super read and dip session and review last time's questions

Mind mapping

- Every 2 or 3 super read and dip sessions, each lasting about 10-20 minutes, I make a mind-map and continue to add ideas to it

- I ended up making about 18 mind maps where each mind map had a branch for each chapter. In each mind map I contributed something new I had gained from the process of asking curious questions and dipping to find the answers.

- I initially had a strong anxiety about my ability to recall but over time, as I asked the same questions I had trouble answering from memory then mind-mapped the answers from memory, everything came into my head with easy recall.*

Exam preparation

- Before the exam, I covered the smaller branches of each mind-map and attempted to recall as many details as possible. Fortunately for me this was relatively easy.

- I followed Paul Scheele's strategy of taking tests with your whole mind, for all my exams. It didn't make the exams easier but I'm sure it helped to incite my inner mind.

*There were some concepts which had a lot of details. At first I could remember only 1 or 2 details. As I continued to probe further into the concept, I began to recall more points on my mind-maps.

For instance, one concept was immobilised enzymes in industry. There was a table of advantages and disadvantages. At first I could only recall one advantage and no disadvantages. Over time, I began to have a subtle idea about what the other points were about so I asked questions based on my hunches and wrote them down. Over time, I came to the point of quickly recalling all advantages and disadvantages and my understanding of it felt instinctive.

=====================

I note in closing that the same themes of purpose, questions, and layering the activation in multiple sessions are all crucial parts to the system. Although everyone has slightly different methods of activation, my own experience of meeting many PhotoReaders over the years is that these themes are always present. In my own journey so many years ago, it wasn't until Alex finally shined a light on this that I ultimately found success in this endeavour.

KWLee

1 member likes this: tamlynn100
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,089
Likes: 1
Learning Strategies Admin
Member
Offline
Learning Strategies Admin
Member

Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,089
Likes: 1
Thanks for posting that Kaye.

Alex

Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 7
Junior Member
Offline
Junior Member

Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 7
If anyone, especially students, have any questions about this testimonial, please send me a private message.

-selfactualisation-

Joined: May 2018
Posts: 5
Junior Member
Offline
Junior Member

Joined: May 2018
Posts: 5
Hi Kaye, thanks for sharing this. A few questions:

1. Before your friend Super Read and Dip each chapter, did he also Photo Read each chapter first? Or he Photo Read the whole book once only and then did the Super Read and Dip chapter by chapter?

2. His initial error was to do a long preview before the Photo Reading step and come up a lot of questions. Does that mean it is not suggested to do a long preview and come up questions before Photo Reading step?

3. Following question #2, after his Photo Reading session, did he do the post review and come up some questions, or did he only do that after he Super Read and Dip each chapter?

Thanks!

Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 700
Member
Offline
Member

Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 700
Thanks for your post.

He would have PhotoRead the entire book and then Supre Reading & Dipping chapter by chapter.

Paul Scheele says, once you PhotoRead a book "it's in there"...meaning, that entire book has been absorbed by your inner mind. The next step is to "get active" with the material with the Activation techniques which turn on your inner mind to intuitively guide your conscious awareness to be attracted to Dip in to dozens of different places through the book.

If you have a highly detailed book, or textbook, you're best to begin activating by having a couple of (30) minute activation passes to get the structure of the whole book at a conscious level. Then, go back and fully activate each chapter one at a time. Treat each chapter as if it is a book in itself, and a Mind Map for each chapter.

Keep your Previewing time brief -- 1-2 minutes is sufficient.

Create and craft questions during Postviewing, as well as during your Activation passes.

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 21
Junior Member
Offline
Junior Member

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 21
Thank you KWLee! This is exactly what I have been looking for - experience of learning to PhotoRead. It would be great, ie. very helpful if more of proficient PhotoReaders share their initial experiences, traps, solutions, history of mastering PhotoReading.

I got discouraged awfully and for long. I had been sure there will be only one session of activation necessary. It is not mentioned well - neither in the book nor in the manual nor in the audio-course, that there must be numerous activations. I only read it here on the forum, after abandoning PhReading for many months. Also, the idea of dividing the book into chapters is not mentioned anywhere else than above! And it is so enormously helpful.

Please, if more PhReaders - including teachers - could share their experiences, all who do learn it on their own would be ever so grateful.
Kindest regards to everyone!

Joined: May 2002
Posts: 84
Likes: 4
Member
Offline
Member

Joined: May 2002
Posts: 84
Likes: 4
Be sure to check out the exercise "Take the 5-day test" on page 71 in the book.


Moderated by  Patrick O'Neil 

Link Copied to Clipboard
©, Learning Strategies Corporation, All Rights Reserved
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
(Release build 20201027)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 5.6.40 Page Time: 0.046s Queries: 29 (0.010s) Memory: 3.1798 MB (Peak: 3.5968 MB) Data Comp: Off Server Time: 2024-03-28 14:24:57 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS