Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer PhotoReading: Making it Easy, Relaxed, and Automatic

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however, I've directed my focus to where my curiosity takes me instead of intending to 'get through the whole book without worrying about comprehension.' In this case, however, I've gone chapter to chapter later on in the book (because previously I only activated the beginning few because I ran out of time -- again, obviously not going quickly enough). I'm going down the pages quickly -- I'd say about 3-18 seconds per page (depending on how much I'm dipping). However, I also spend some time going back to the table of contents to review what I've done and have to do so that I can form questions for SR/dipping.

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The approach is there but it sounds like you've forgotten the question/s that you were seeking the answers to.

You are correct in geting out of the linear mode of reading when it comes to activation. There is nothing wrong with going to the index or Table of Content to find which chapter is best to activate.

Go easy on yourself about overdipping. Just remember if it doesn't look like the answer ind the first phase or sentence at the most
move on. Don't worry about it that you might come back to find the answer there later. You're developing a recognition for a body mind connection that you didn't even know exisisted before PhotoReading.

Try not analysing whether it's taking too long. Let it take as long as it takes to gel. Unlike with traditional reading you will get more out of it and in 1/3 the time it takes you to read it the old fashioned way. But you need to get out of your own way. Judging it as taking too long is like looking at your untied shoe laces while you're running in a race. Focus on the finish line get there as fast as you can, buy just doing the best you can under the circumstances. That will get you there fastest.

Alex

I wanted to address your comment about the SAT test. I originally learned photoreading for the soul purpose of getting a Perfect on both tests so let me give you some advice for them.

1.) Like Alex has said many times you must train your skills in photoreading daily so that you can activate as quickly as possible during the ACT. I photoread 5 books from the school library and created wierd purposes that corrispond to reading questions such as "To learn of all the characters that existed in this book and their significance towards the grand story." Even though not activating for the story itself. Then I'd activate 1 for an hour after school.

Also something I've never seen anybody talk about is crossword puzzles. Crossword puzzles are perfect for helping you practice your photoreading skillz and pinpoint that paradoxial state of not caring yet caring at the same time. Photoread the puzzle and then photofocus on the page for each word and find it instantly.

It's still to this day that is part of my morning light mental exercises.

2.) Actively photoreading and activating EVERY peice of ACT material you can find regardless of how repetitive it is BUT NOT THE PRACTICE TESTS OR THE PRACTICE TEST ANSWER PAGES!!!!!!!!!!!

3.) Practice tests are your friends. If you can master using photoreading skills during practice tests then doing it on the actual day will be easier. But if you haven't taken the real ACT or SAT yet I should tell you that the real thing is more difficult than the practices.

4.) Get Memory Optimizer or at least train on some free site that teaches how to improve your memory. Also at least read one of Win Wenger's books.

I found that after moderate training of all three programs skillz, that I was more than ready to pull my perfect score.

Once you dedicate yourself towards perfection and use these techniques towards do so it all falls together like clockwork. The most important and maybe the most hardest thing is to stop caring. One thing that helped me do this besides all the normal meditating and breathing stuff is by reading Albert Camus's book "The Stranger" and imagining that I was an existentialist when it came to take tests.

That is absolutely bizarre! I went onto the forum explicitely for the purpose of asking for advice for preparing for the SAT using PhotoReading (or other ideas) and immediately saw that you've already answered the question I didn't even specifically ask yet. Nice synchronicity!

"that paradoxial state of not caring yet caring at the same time": That's exactly where I know I want to be :-) It definitely has taken some practice to get to where I am now which is much closer to that state than where I started out!

Now for a few clarifying questions:
1. Why did you concentrate so much on the ACT rather than the SAT?
2. You really got a perfect on every section of each of the tests?
3. I've read both Win Wenger's Einstein Factor and two of Harry Lorayne's books. I know how to do links and lists and if I devoted the time and energy, I could learn all the peg words and know how to use them. However, although his techniques sound wonderful and are ingeniously simple, my experience tells me that it would/will take a while of learning to visualize more clearly and vividly to have his techniques work reliably for me. At this point, my normal, untrained memory requires much less effort, works reliably, especially when I memorize in layers (3-4 quick passes). Actually, I found creating crazy images to remember things made remembering things too difficult and sometimes even inaccurate if I remembered a detail of an image wrong! (Again, visualization is something I'm working on, but it's not perfect yet.) Harry seems to think that everyone can learn to visualize effectively enough to have his techniques work reliably very quickly. Not true for me even though I practiced for several months.

What specifically do you suggest applying the memory techniques to? Memorizing vocabulary? I really have a good vocabulary already; it's not usually not knowing a word that trips me up on tests.

And what specifically of Win Wenger's ideas/techniques did you apply to your test-taking or preparation? You imagined yourself being someone else -- Win talks about this more or less via Borrowed Genius. Which, by the way, I tried, following the Genius Code course,and although I got lots and lots of interesting perceptions, the experience hasn't made a notable difference in my test-taking abilities. And I'm doing to much else to go back and concentrate on that technique and ImageStreaming.

4. Why do you say to not PR the practice tests or practice test answers? (I've done that already, so it's too late ;-))
5. Did you frequently PhotoRead College Board or Princeton Review-type test prep books, or did you deem it more important to just concentrate on improving activation?

Well, the meditation I'm doing to train myself for the Silva method is definitely a good thing, and I'll be especially glad to develop my visualization capabilities even more per Mr. Silva instructions.

The section I'm currently weakest on is math. I know how to do most of the problems, and really basically just need to develop the skill of reliably relaxing and seeing clearly the hold problem exactly as it's written and then finding the answer with a good measure of confidence as well :-)

I like your crossword puzzle idea :-) It's simple, and I'll try it.

CameronJ

P.S. What's your advice for SAT/ACT preparation, AlexK?

You've been given pretty good advise.

I don't agree with the term "aim for perfection". That stalls most people into procastination and during a test with the very first question they have difficulty with they will immediately have a sense of failure because getting one wrong is no longer perfection. This creates a shock to your system as early on in the test you already feel like you have failed so you do poorly on the rest.

When you consider that you only need the best passing grade, aim for that. Aim to do your best always. It may or may not be perfect today. Just remember you are human and you can make mistakes.

Also I personally think it's a great idea to PhotoRead both the questions and answers. If you have difficulty understanding them consciously it allows the non-conscious to look for and understand the pattern. Sometimes we need to learn by knowing the answer first so we can understand the question. To say it is cheating is redundant because one way or another you have been exposed to tha answers. Whether you have done practice test, done you homework or had the teacher show you, the answer is already in your head.

Since most of the answers do rely on memory PhotoRead old test as often and as much as you can and do as many practice test as you can. Playing with remembering is just plain good practice for a better memory.

Alex