I wrote a longer reply earlier but I made a mistake and the server did not accept -- so I'll make this one short.
I've made a few small experiments to test the validity of learning, recalling, and accessing non consciense or barely consciense stimuli. I've no professional qualifications to do this.
The experiment involved scrolling random numbers across the screen at a rate of 655,000wpm, using a divergent focus, and then having the subject (myself) guess the number that scrolled across the screen.
I ran a 100 test trial and did not guess any of the random numbers correctly.
This suggest that all claims regarding non consciense, barely consciense, or altered perception learning strategies should be evaluated closely.
However, my results are not (at all) conclusive. Running the test software required a high level of beta activity, the rate may have been too fast for the brain to decode, or some other unknown quality of the testing environment could have produced the poor results.
I did manage 1 of 10 right on the first trial run (which is stastically unlikely) but when I ran a larger test -- the results were more in line with random guessing.
I also ran a short test of scrolling random numbers across the screen at 25,000wpm using a normal focused vision and managed to get 5 of 10 right. I suspect this rate would go up to a near 100% ratio with practice.
This seems to suggest (to me) that the brain can decode symbolic graphic information (letters/numbers) at a rate at or above 25,000wpm. I will run more experiments to see if one can actually "read" at this rate.
I'm undecided on if the photofocus state benefits reading. There are several possibilities of how it could increase ones reading/learning ability.
It may help to induce an alpha brainwave pattern, it may provide clues to the peripheral vision when a person later rereads a text normally, and (of course) what one hopes ( and the most questionable) that it actually allows one to 'download' information directly into the brain.
