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I've had the Photoreading Personal Learning Course for about 4 years. I've never had success with it, and I've developed some questions.

In the course, there's an exercise where you basically superread a two page short story in 45 seconds. I honestly don't understand how this is different than speed reading. Because I've read a book about speed reading that encourages using peripheral vision to pick up words, besides relaxation, how is this different?
What is the point of the tangerine technique? Why above and behind the head? It seems as if it would distract me more than anything. I've followed all of the steps and have had no working of activation. Pretty much, I have to read the text, and I still don't get much from it because the information isn't arising to the conscious mind, it's just entering the conscious mind as I read through. Do you think it's possible that I should maybe work with the feelings I get a lot more? Because when it comes to that, I'm a pretty heartless read, it's all information bound. That's probably why I don't read novels, because the lack of practical information doesn't interest me. Also, it leads me to believe that I'm doing the Photoreading step incorrectly. About trigger words. It seems like the examples Paul Sheele was giving, was simply verbs, and I didn't understand how the individual words carry the meaning.
The other day, I Photoread the Photoreading book to see what I'm doing wrong, and of course I tried activating the material, and no matter what, it felt like I was limited to the information was only coming into my conscious mind. Because I didn't get any feelings, or impressions to look here or there, it just felt like the way I read normally. Also, if I have a bunch of questions, what happens if all of the questions are answered. How can I be sure that all of the information I Photoread will be brought to conscious awareness? This is important because often I'm reading textbooks, because I'm still in highschool, and it's possible that information may be skipped if just the questions are answered and that's all there is to it. Because I have answered the questions before, but it was only because I had to seek and discover the text for myself by reading through, or looking for the bold headings. I've worked with the dictionary thing, and I haven't had much success with it at all. Are there any suggestions anyone can give, or answers to my questions that may help? Thanks,
~Adam

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Originally posted by Adam16:
I've had the Photoreading Personal Learning Course for about 4 years. I've never had success with it, and I've developed some questions.

In the course, there's an exercise where you basically superread a two page short story in 45 seconds. I honestly don't understand how this is different than speed reading. Because I've read a book about speed reading that encourages using peripheral vision to pick up words, besides relaxation, how is this different? [quote]

It's a practice exercise that just demonstrates the difference the slight change in focus can make in your abilty to obtain information from a book.

[quote]What is the point of the tangerine technique? Why above and behind the head? It seems as if it would distract me more than anything.

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The Tangerine Technique has been found to help you have a fixed point of attention. Useful when you are distracted. The difference you notice when you are doing the exercise along with the course may not be very big or noticable. Paul asks you about those subtle shifts that you may have notice.

Reason why you may not notice it as being effective is you already have a fixed point of attention. Developed non-consciously and you are at that moment using it in the course.

A good time to try it is when you are normally disctracted by what is going on around you, lids yelling, TV or Music too loud for your liking, phones ringing and conversations carried on that don't include you but are too close. These things create distractions and have the same effect as creating dyslexia. That's when you call on the tangerine technique.

We encourage you to practice it consciously so when you find yourself in situations like that you will do it automatically and never even notice the distractions in the first place.

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I've followed all of the steps and have had no working of activation. Pretty much, I have to read the text,

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Check your purpose and activation questions.

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and I still don't get much from it because the information isn't arising to the conscious mind, it's just entering the conscious mind as I read through. Do you think it's possible that I should maybe work with the feelings I get a lot more? Because when it comes to that, I'm a pretty heartless read, it's all information bound. That's probably why I don't read novels, because the lack of practical information doesn't interest me.

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Anyway it comes to your conscious mind is the right way for you. If the text brings it up then that's right. The question is are you expecting a specific feeling?

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Also, it leads me to believe that I'm doing the Photoreading step incorrectly. About trigger words. It seems like the examples Paul Sheele was giving, was simply verbs, and I didn't understand how the individual words carry the meaning.

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Trigger words are any meaningful words. Usually verbs and nouns. Vision Focus, rhythmic, can opener, text hungry, are all pssible and valid words from the PhotoReading boook. Valid simply because they were in the book and are words that mean something. What exactly I'll learn with activation.

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The other day, I Photoread the Photoreading book to see what I'm doing wrong, and of course I tried activating the material, and no matter what, it felt like I was limited to the information was only coming into my conscious mind. Because I didn't get any feelings, or impressions to look here or there, it just felt like the way I read normally.

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Try it the other way around. Check the PhotoReading book for what you are doing right and continue from there.

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Also, if I have a bunch of questions, what happens if all of the questions are answered. How can I be sure that all of the information I Photoread will be brought to conscious awareness?

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That's why it's important to know your purpose. What do you need to know from the book and why?

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This is important because often I'm reading textbooks, because I'm still in highschool, and it's possible that information may be skipped if just the questions are answered and that's all there is to it. Because I have answered the questions before, but it was only because I had to seek and discover the text for myself by reading through, or looking for the bold headings.

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Textbooks are many books in one. Treat each chapter as a book alone. Mind map for studying that is a useful and important tool.

One piece of study that many people are not aware of. There is a decline in memory of what you have studied. The next day you will have forgotten as much as 40% of what you learned from the book. By the end of the week you'll probably only remember 20%. Making it seem like you learned noting at all.

To prevent the loss you need to do reviews and the easiest thing to review is a mind map. Review of them takes 3 minutes and you will retain most of what you learned.

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I've worked with the dictionary thing, and I haven't had much success with it at all. Are there any suggestions anyone can give, or answers to my questions that may help? Thanks,
~Adam

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My suggestion is the dictionary "thing" is just a game and we have better things to do than play games. Instead learn to PhotoRead first on stuff that isn't school work related or school textbooks. 2 or 3 books on subjects that interest you personally for the sake of enjoyment and use the 5 day test model for activating them. When you've done that you will understand the model better for your studies.

Further questions?

Alex

[This message has been edited by Alex K. Viefhaus (edited January 11, 2005).]

Yes, a few more questions. Thank you for all of your help so far, Alex.

Somewhere in the middle, there, I was talking about how the information was coming into the conscious mind. I meant that it wasn't coming up as a memory or anything, it was just coming up because I have to literally read the text. It's not being retrieved from the subconscious, it's being perceived in the process of regular reading. And I kind of do expect the "aha" feeling. Just to clear all of that up.

I don't understand the superreading step. There's the 2 page exercise, but there's another one, I can't remember exactly how long, I think it was 3 pages, and everything is divided into columns. But I simply don't understand how to absorb the information that fast. I can hit it with my peripheral vision, but it just doesn't register. When Sheele says, "notice how you can go down the page"[when you're relaxed and have the imaginary tangerine on your head]. I can't. I can see the words, I just can't make sense of it. Do you think this is a habit caused by slow and deliberate reading with a lot of subvocalization?

Thanks again, Alex.

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Originally posted by Adam16:
Yes, a few more questions. Thank you for all of your help so far, Alex.

Somewhere in the middle, there, I was talking about how the information was coming into the conscious mind. I meant that it wasn't coming up as a memory or anything, it was just coming up because I have to literally read the text.

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You cannot recall something that you have not consciously called on in the first place. It isn't a memory until you activated it.

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It's not being retrieved from the subconscious, it's being perceived in the process of regular reading. And I kind of do expect the "aha" feeling. Just to clear all of that up.

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That's exactly what it feels like in the beginning. A vague sense of familarity is nice but one that may not show up in the early stages of activation. It comes with using the steps more and having mind probing questions.

The mind probing questions you seem to be by passing which makes me wonder if you have clarified your purpose too.

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I don't understand the superreading step. There's the 2 page exercise, but there's another one, I can't remember exactly how long, I think it was 3 pages, and everything is divided into columns. But I simply don't understand how to absorb the information that fast.

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This is done before PhotoReading. You're not going to get everything.

As you proceed through the course you learn about skittering. Both require mind probing questions something you are not asked to do in the exercise at that point in time. Don't over analyse move on.

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I can hit it with my peripheral vision, but it just doesn't register. When Sheele says, "notice how you can go down the page"[when you're relaxed and have the imaginary tangerine on your head]. I can't. I can see the words, I just can't make sense of it. Do you think this is a habit caused by slow and deliberate reading with a lot of subvocalization?

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Nope it's like that because you're doing it exactly right. You're not reading you're only noticing your eyes moving down the page you will pick up words here and there. When you have mind probing questions those words that your eyes register mean dip.

When you dip you read a phrase or two, perhaps a sentence, check if it relates to your question if it does you might read more if it doesn't move on.

You can move your eye down the pages in rapid succession in answer to one question then go back and gow doen the page again when answering another. it's allowed.

A beginner will over dip the lesson is to move on quickly if it does not relate to the question. You know when you're getting an answer to your question.
Alex

[This message has been edited by Alex K. Viefhaus (edited January 11, 2005).]

Alex, I think I've got it! Well my main question was, "What can I do to improve my photoreading?". When I was activating it wasn't like I thought it was going to be. Like I thought I was going to get the "aha" experience. It wasn't like that. It felt like when I study something and know it really well, and after awhile I know the information, it's just deeper. Like for example if I was filling out a review sheet before a test, and suppose I knew the chapter really well, but just couldn't get the answers to come to mind. And then I look for it in the text and find it, and the memory gets stimulated more than usual, because you have already had a previous familiarity with the text. I realize that everyone probably has different feelings, but how does it feel for you, Alex?
What I realized that I did differently is focus more on my inner feelings and thoughts than the text of the book itself. When I would have a slight hunch, I would pick it apart more and more, and then I would superread to where I thought it might be, and I would hit it somewhere. I'm taking psychology now, and I understand why most of the steps are the way they are, now. So I might be putting a little more heart into everything than I was before. But part of this was that I was expecting a feeling too. So, anyway, I'm happy. Thank you Alex, you've been a tremendous help.

Way to go.

Yes you're right it is a personal experience. That's why I can never telly you what or how yuo should feel. The fastest way seems like the longest way, do all the steps with the attitude of play and noticing what happens.

Alex