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?