Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer An important question

I'm having a problem which translates into an important question but is also embarassing because it lies at the heart of my personal failure.

I've tried the Photoreading system for the past year, and for the past year I haven't had the best of results. I try it for a while, then work begins to pile up and I concentrate on the work and neglect Photoreading until it's done, then I try again and still I get no real activation. It's bothersome.

The material I'm trying for my classes is a little advanced. Engineering courses. I can't activate this material when I try, and I feel bad because in the time I tried activation I could have just read the material.

I don't know if my problem is one of ambition, lack of a desirable goal or time-frame to do it in, or material which might be too advanced. What would be the best material to try Photoreading success on? What would you say to a person who honestly wants to have the ambition to do this, and seems to lack it?

You seem to be taking the all or nothing approach to activation.

The fear associated with activation failure is not uncommon yet totally unnecessary. Beginners will spend perhaps 20 minutes on one activation pass and say I didn't get anything out of that. All I can say is you ain't seen nothing yet, that's why.

As a traditional passive reader in 20 minutes you haven't got anything, if you an average reader you've covered the first ten pages of the book which is perhaps one chapter. Consider this, 'what do you really know about the book at this point when you apply your passive reading style?' Well you ain't seen nothng yet if you're lucky you've covered the author preamble.

As a PhotoReader one of the things that you are asked to do is become an active reader. State your purpose have mind probing questions. For the majority we were never taught how to get curious about a book, to ask inquiring questions what kind of questions you should ask and what to look for. Most people discover this skill after having read X number of books lets say 100. Like the 100th Monkey effect the neural pathways suddenly click and all the synapses know what to do once you hit the magic number.

Well the good news is that with PhotoReading if you activate say one book per week per month or two you are going to get that 100th book effect a whole lot sooner in between 5 to 8 books you'll notice that you're getting what you want from a book within the first 2 or 3 activation passes. However to get there, to get to that point, you need to apply as many activation passes as it takes. If you are an Okay passive reader then that's no less than 5 activation passes at 20 minutes each. If your reading skills are less than you desire then that might be 8 passes. The next book might take 5 and the one after might take 9 after 5 books of actively activating you'll see progress when you give them their full measure.

Notice that even from 6 to 8 20 minute activation passes you are spending about 1/3 the time of traditional passive reading. You're already ahead of the game when you start.

What it takes when it comes to activation is there is no failure only results. First 3 4 or 5 passes will feel like your not getting anything out of the book it's the pass (the last pass) that helps it all come together.

Activation is like looking for ones glasses. You're turning the pages over looking here, looking there sure that you left the answer(glasses) here somewhere. Finally the dust settles and someone says, 'Oh, I see you've found your glasses. Where were they?" Reply, "In the last place I looked and I'm sure I had looked there 3 times before I found them."

So set the timer for 20 minutes, you're just going to see how many answers to you mind probing questions you can find and if it feels like you're not done yet great, you want to know more, go for it.

Alex

What types of books should I practice on? Self-help books? Biographies? Romance Novels? Science Fiction? The Kama Sutra? What would be good beginners material?

-Eric D.

Self Motivation, Making things happen, How to learn, How to study, doing it now (overcome procastination) Unlimited. Non fiction is the best starting point.

Alex

I like the 20 min passing approach, and the more I practice PR-ing, I am noticing that it takes fewer and fewer passes to get what I want. Unfortunately, a 20 min pass might only cover 1/3 of a 200 page book for me, which means a whole book's pass is 60 mins. Does this mean I'm going too slow for the amount of pages, and should be speading up with more layers? Or does the number of pages in 20 mins not matter that much?

ked, yes you are going too slow. You should be finishing 200 pages in 20 minutes. As to whether you need more layers; who is to say. Try speeding up. It's those dips that get you for speed. Relax and pick-up your speed in the dips. With practice it will become easier. Sometimes these changes just kind of hit you, with "Hey I'm really zipping here". Unfortunately you often drop out of the zip when you notice it for the first time. Don't try and force it to happen again. Remember it happened before because you were relaxed and focused on the destination and not the method. It will happen again and again, and then you won't say wow anymore and you won't drop out of it anymore. It will just be what you do.

Use the whole system. Use if regularly. Have confidence that your are essentially the same as all the other people that use the system. Most of whom had to stay with the system before really getting it.

Those are the three key elements that address your question. Others are also in the PRWMS, including: relaxation, releasing expectations, powerful visualization (purpose setting), and maintaining a comfortable focus.

Look at your practice or PRing and see which of these elements you may not be fully implementing. There are many techniques in the book and course material to help you develop these elements.

I know it can and is working for you. Just be open to noticing the small steps to your destination, and celebrate those successes instead of looking at the distance left to cover.

You are perfection.
Iam2

30 minutes for a once through, first pass, of the book is a good target. Thing to do is, notice the time and if you slow down get going again. Initally that might mean the last pages are going to be PhotoRead again rather than superread and dipped if you loiter too much near the mid sections. So it also helps to check your purpose and mind probing questions to stay on track for your goal.

Alex

That is definitely different than what I have been doing. Although I usually plan to get through a whole book in 20/30 mins, I rarely do. I usally keep reading for 45-60 mins because it "isn't that much longer" when it really is.

I started resorting to longer layers and fewer of them, and thought I was getting somewhere, but I'm glad you both pointed out that it is important to pace yourself and finish the book in 20 mins.

Before I started doing longer layers, I would do layers a bit faster, but would get frustrated by the little comprehension.

So I thought I was improving by getting more comprehension in each layer, but now I just realized through this post that I was slowing down - not getting more comprehension (in the same time).

Which leaves me to my next problem: practicing the system enough to where it becomes natural for me to use it. I think this has been the hardest part for me. I feel like I have a good grasp on many the system methods, but have yet to truly implement it into my life.

I plan to read a lot over the next couple of weeks, but I am getting nervous because school is approaching again (year 2). While I used some form of PRing at school last year, I know I can be more successful with it and use it more properly.

I guess there aren't many new questions in this post, just a search for understanding: how can I make this system real to me? I hear these stories about people who come back from the seminar changed and really into photoreading, but I have not had that particular reaction after learning through the home system. (tapes)

Although this might sound slightly negative, I'm actually very positive about the system and truly believe it will work for me. I have just had trouble implementing it - and don't know if a last push to practice the system frequently before school will work.

I think if I make reading a higher priority over the next month, I will succeed - it's just enjoyable to hear from other people who photoread on this forum.

[This message has been edited by ked (edited August 27, 2004).]

Start by rehearsing the PhotoReading step, PhotoRead 3 to 10 books a day. Then in your imagination activate a book, and imagine that activation to have been successful. You can do that daily even if you cannot access the books.

If you fully activate one book per week you will be on the right track. Consider applying the 5 day test. However for making the target of discovering how to make PhotoReading work for you, do the five day test over 5 days. that means the activation is not going to be longer than 30 minutes. I personally recommend 20 minutes and mind map for 10 minutes. Then do a bit more the next day. Aim for the 21 to 30 days that it takes to create a habit to.

Doing it this way has a two fold benefit. It's easier to follow your intention of reading more, and at the same time keeping it manageable for greatest results in the shortest time. One does not become a marathon runner practicing like crazy for one day, One becomes a marathon runner by making it a daily habit building up gradually from from where they are now.

Alex

Thanks Alex, that was very inspiring. I know Paul wrote in the book "don't practice photoreading, use it" - and so I think I have gotten stuck on using photoreading, because I'm not really an avid reader outside of the school year. Besides fictional novels (which are more difficult to learn the system with), my reading is sparse. Any suggestions to get inspired to read more books? Or suggestions for books to read that are non-fiction (I'd like to go to the library today). Thanks again for your dedication Alex.