quote:
Originally posted by Deadlife:
Hermionics: consider yourself lucky. I, too, am still a student and ever since I discovered PhotoReading, things have changed - negatively!
Consider yourself lucky because meanwhile I have fallen from A+ to an average of C in most subjects, which, in addition to the resulting confusion and stress, becomes a sort of hell.
In any case, I perfectly understand your agony: it's not nice to go A- instead of A+. Many people seem not to care about the + or -, but, in my personal view at least, it is relevant, especially when in past you have always had that average.

Before Photoreading, I had automatically read much faster than the average students - what later I discovered is called "speedreading".
This was probably due to the fact that since childhood I used to read a lot and developed imagery.

I generally needed to read the books once one or two days before examination and make notes in form of rethorically correct sentences
(- The strength of an acid is measured by its K value.
- Strong acids have large K values.
- etc.).
Then, I calmfully read the notes a few times before going to bed and during the next day, and I generally always got A+.
Especially in chemistry, which had been my best subject.

I guess that Photoreading, which I used for a few months - until I noticed the huge drop of my marks! - is not appropriate when you already have good techniques. And maybe it's not appropriate for reading difficult analytical stuff that requires constant attention. I would not PhotoRead Blaise Pascal's "Pensees". But maybe that's just a personal judgement.

All I managed to PhotoRead effectively was the driving license guide. It had easy contents.

But I stopped PhotoReading because of the strange symptoms that occured in my mind:
1) When I wanted to read "normally" (that means, in my natural "speedreading" way), I started having difficulties in understanding and imagining, ENTERING and feeling the contents of the text, whatever it was, literature, guide, newspaper, etc.
2) even now, and that really adds a bit of bittersweet anger: I often misread words. Just a few seconds ago I gave a quick glance to my bookshelf and instantly read PHILARMONICA. When I focused 2 seconds later it was SHAKESPEARE. And that's just an example of what occurs daily whenever I give "quick glances". Sort of corrupted subconscious?
3) I used to speak and read fluently 7 languages, even the most "difficult" texts with the most diverse grammatical forms. The corruption of my former mind configuration has led me to write poor texts (just take this text I'm posting on the forum to get an idea of how my grammatical power has dissolved). I confuse between the different languages and often fall into false friends.
4) My ideas in general are since lately considered weird and of poor intellect.

I stopped PhotoReading together with several other self-improvement methods (mindmaps,etc.) hoping that one day I may find the way back to my previous mental conditions.
Doctors, friends and teachers (who have noticed my great fall) don't believe in what I tell them on [what] these techniques [have done to me] and all they can advise me is: "Maybe you're simply not working at all for school" - which is really bitter to hear, I assure you!

Hence, I, too, would like to hear the experts opinion on my condition.


Excellent to see a polyglot linguist here at a modest discussion board such as this one. I confirm you that there are ways to fix your mental condition.

First, I'd like to tell you my progress at school recently without using PRing at all. I've gotten excellent grades, including a 100% on the latest chemistry test and a 99% on a history in-class essay which I wrote yesterday.

Second, I've concluded that PhotoReading is an innate ability, which cannot be learned. Individuals are either born with this ability or not. It is similar to photographic memory. Every single mnemonics books I've read (I'm very interested in neurology) offer no satisfactory methods to improve, or "boost", as they say, your memory. There is no way for a genetically forgetful person to take photographs of what they see and read.

Now let me come back to your mental condition. The more you try to use other systems of studying, the more damage you will cause to yourself, because of your current condition. Make attempts to calm yourself and concentrate on the "classical" learning method. Find a method that works for you.