Studies

From this work emerged an accelerated, whole-brain system of reading called PhotoReading. The PhotoReading technique of "mentally photographing" the printed page is the hallmark of the system.

The purpose of the system is to get your reading done in the time you have available at a level of comprehension you need. This is achieved by giving individuals the skills to approach any type of material and pull from it whatever is needed without tensions, stresses, or anxieties.

Essential criteria for the finished course were:

1. Second-order change. A person's current reading problem is maintained by how he or she copes with information overload. Rather than trying to read faster, the core problem itself should be addressed; i.e., dysfunctional coping strategies.
2. Change reading from a procedure into a set of options. Why start at the beginning and slog through to the end, when there are dozens of other ways to get the information you need?
3. Improvement occurs by means of the approach, not by practicing a technique. Most people quit using techniques. What is needed is a new psychological approach to gathering information from written pages--a new paradigm--not the repetitive practice of an unnatural technique. (I hated speed reading for that.)
4. Emphasize how to use the mind. Rather than dwelling on reading and reading speeds, focus on how to use the mind effectively, to learn about learning from written materials.

PhotoReading brings together three powerful technologies.

The PhotoReading course is 96% effective in teaching individuals these advanced strategies primarily because of an integration of NLP, accelerated learning, and pre-conscious processing.

• NLP can help access the brain's potential for perception, memory, and change. PhotoReading uses NLP to produce the ideal state of mind and body for the input, process and output of material that has been PhotoRead. In the classroom, NLP also provides a framework to help by-pass a person's internal blocks to learning.
• Accelerated learning is a set of principles for acquiring information and new skills in a fraction of the time normally required for learning. This technology was principally developed by Dr. Georgi Lozanov for the rapid acquisition of language. It has also been referred to as superlearning, integrative learning, and suggestive learning. These principles provide a framework for learning anything from written materials effectively and quickly.
• Research into pre-conscious processing supports that the brain has a pre-conscious processor capable of perceiving, discriminating, and responding to information in milliseconds (Perfetti, 1985) (Dixon, 1981). Additionally, we all possess an other-than-conscious memory store which outweighs the capacity of the conscious mind by 10 billion to 1 (Wenger, 1987). During the PhotoReading process, a reader uses phenomenal capacities of the inner mind to achieve new levels of success when reading.

There is a deep and meaningful kinship linking PhotoReading, NLP and suggestive-accelerated learning and teaching. This is demonstrated by the work of NLP trainers who are also PhotoReading instructors such as Dot Feldman, Kay Grask, Richard Clarke, Robert Siudzinski, Frances Wiggins, Deanna Sager and Michael Lofrano. Any of them can describe the effect the PhotoReading technology has had on the direction and structure of their work. In every case, there has been a strengthened commitment to transforming how we learn to learn.

PhotoReading employs a simple, easy to use process

There are two relatively simple, yet critical, steps in the PhotoReading technique: first, input information through the pre-conscious processor directly into the deeper memory bins of the other-than-conscious mind; and second, retrieve information out of the other-than-conscious mind into the working memory of the conscious mind.

To effectively input information through the pre-conscious processor, students of PhotoReading must develop a "second type of sight" (Zink, 1992) which is quite different from the hard focus normally used in reading. We call it Photofocus.

Photofocus is a way of gazing using the peripheral vision to permit the brain to absorb information. This not only facilitates PhotoReading, but has potent ramifications in other areas of life, such as enhancing intuition, creativity, perception, and strengthening of the visual system.

The most fascinating aspect of PhotoReading is learning to access information that has been pre-consciously processed. Aristotle first wrote about this type of access. Modern scientific studies began in the early 1900s (Poetzl, in Dixon, 1981). The process of accessing such information is subtle since recognizing signals from the other-than-conscious mind is much like studying your intuition or remembering a dream.

In the PhotoReading course, students learn a half-dozen ways to recognize and "activate" information stored within the other-than-conscious mind. Rather than trying to analytically recall information from the conscious mind, PhotoReaders learn to use the guidance of the other-than-conscious mind to quickly find the greatest meaning from printed materials. The mind can guide you to critical passages which allows fast comprehension. Consequently, one can learn to improve reading efficiency almost instantly (Smith, 1979).

Nearly 95% of the time we spend reading involves the conscious mind laboriously processing what the eyes have seen (Stauffer, 1969). PhotoReading produces dramatic time-saving results because it bypasses conscious mind processing which can attend to only seven pieces of information at a time. Instead, it relies on the powerful processing capabilities of the pre-conscious processor which can attend to thousands of bits of information at a time.

PhotoReading produces real results in real life

PhotoReading is about busting old paradigms which limit our choices in learning and reading. It is about being open to the greater possibilities of the other-than-conscious mind. In effect, PhotoReading can be a new, refreshing philosophy of life.

A beauty of PhotoReading is that it is a leading edge human performance technology that can be easily applied to real life. It is as natural a process as riding a bicycle. It is flexible enough to be effective for high technical reports and texts as well as pleasure reading.

Here are examples on how people use PhotoReading:
Business People: with 38% of an executive's day spent reading (Investor's Daily, 1991), there is a huge payoff for any company with employees trained to PhotoRead. Business reading can be handled quickly, helping a person to stay informed and make more effective decisions.

• Using this whole mind reading system, some people read daily newspapers thoroughly in 15-30 minutes. Professional journals and industry magazines can be finished completely in the time it used to take to read one article.
• It is a joy to keep up with the latest business books. PhotoReaders like Dr. *, DDS from Florida, will finish an entire book in one evening; in the time it takes most people to read a few chapters.
• Engineers, data processing managers and project managers, can quickly gather essential information to grasp meaning and begin effective problem solving. Managers at IDS and 3M corporation applied the techniques to lighten their workload. They were able to read reports in 11-14 minutes that used to require hours.
• A common complaint of business people is having to bring work related reading home. Using PhotoReading, project teams at Dupont spent a few minutes going through important reports the night before they met. Then, the team members activated the materials for 7 minutes before discussing. Their time is focused on solving problems rather than laboriously reading with low comprehension.
• Service technicians are delighted that they reduce their classroom study time to a fraction of the usual time. Todd Lorang, a technician at Honeywell, discovered that he could breeze through materials in a relaxed manner. Most exciting were his reports that when on the job, he could turn to key information in reference manuals instantly.
• For those professionals who are required by their state to attend Continuing Professional Education, PhotoReading has been a blessing. In the fields of law, dentistry, nursing and real estate, professionals are getting through classes comfortably and completing their reading in a fraction of the time with higher comprehension.

Students: some of the best stories about PhotoReading come from students because they have so many opportunities to prove its effectiveness. Here are some examples.

• Imagine spending 1 hour instead of 6-10 hours studying by reducing the reading time alone. Students will PhotoRead an entire semester of college texts the first night they purchase the books. Then, during the semester, they'll spend only minutes per chapter to prepare for class assignments. When they attend class, the lectures trigger recognition of the information. Competence and confidence pervades the student's work as he or she studies in a relaxed and efficient way.
• When reading for the purpose of writing a college paper, Sue Boehlke spent a mere 30 minutes to study a 600 page book. Another PhotoReader reported reading hundreds of photocopies plus a book in 70 minutes to write a master's level paper. In both cases the students received an "A" for their work.
• Personally, I attended a 5 week summer school Educational Psychology course in which we studied one text. During those weeks I invested 18 minutes PhotoReading, and 60 minutes with the whole system. According to the national expert professor teaching the course, I performed well enough to receive an "A" on the 2 hour essay exam final. My experience was wonderful while many students in the class complained of having to read for 9 hours in one weekend to prepare just 2 chapters for class.

Law: lawyers working with case books find that they review enormous volumes in minutes. It becomes a much simpler task to pull key points from reference materials.

• One attorney, Charles Faulkner, took three minutes to PhotoRead a three hundred page legal specifications manual from the Department of Transportation. Then, he instantly turned to the one paragraph in the text which contained the information necessary to win the case. When the state's expert witness who had been unable to find the paragraph saw Charles perform this feat, he was stunned.

Medicine: medical doctors keep up with the latest research without giving up so much of their valuable time. There are few professions that change quite so rapidly as medicine and staying on top of innovative approaches is not nearly as time consuming with PhotoReading.

• Bernard Marichal, a medical doctor in Brussels, PhotoRead and activated several texts in his field of homeopathy. Three months later he prepared a presentation to his professional association. The brilliance of his insights inspired seven other doctors to enroll in the next PhotoReading course in Belgium.

Personal Development: think of the impact of getting through all the unread piles of books for self-improvement.

• Before sleeping at night, you can PhotoRead positive and uplifting books. The material makes deep impressions on the inner mind and will have beneficial influences on your life the next day. PhotoReading can also influence the dream state in positive ways.
• PhotoReading skill-based "how-to" books has proven to make a difference. Two friends played tennis for years. One of them took the PhotoReading course and PhotoRead five books on tennis. His game immediately improved so significantly that the other man was stunned. When he inquired about how the miraculous improvement occurred, he signed up for the next PhotoReading class. The end result was the same improvement in his own tennis game.

Busting the paradigm of PhotoReading

Who knows what the future will bring? Someday there may even be techniques that go beyond PhotoReading.

Until then, PhotoReaders will continue to absorb information from books, laserdisks, and computers. PhotoReaders will continue to employ vast quantities of information to shape their worlds and the world around them.

The potentials of PhotoReading are limited only by one's imagination. Remember, what the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

REFERENCES:
Dixon, N. F. Preconscious Processing. NY: Wiley, 1981.
Investor's Daily, "A Typical Executive Spends 38% of the Day Reading", by The Associated Press. August 16, 1991, Education section.
Perfetti, Charles A. Reading Ability. NY: Oxford University Press, 1985.
Smith, Frank. Reading Without Nonsense. Columbia University, NY: Teachers College Press, 1979.
Stauffer, Russell. Teaching Reading As A Thinking Process. NY: Harper & Row, 1969.
Wenger, Win. A Method for Personal Growth & Development. Gaithersburg, MD: Project Rennaisance, 1987.
Zink, Nelson, "Nightwalking". Anchor Point, Vol. 6, No. 7, July 1992.

The PhotoReading course was originally developed for Peter Kline, author of The Everyday Genius, and his client IDS/American Express. Learning Strategies Corporation began offering the course to the general public in January, 1986. In May of that year, the curriculum was approved by the Minnesota Department of Education. The program is now taught throughout the world in several languages by instructors trained through Learning Strategies Corporation which is licensed as a private school.

The PhotoReading Whole Mind System: Accelerated Learning from Written Materials
by Paul R. Scheele, MA

The PhotoReading whole mind system effectively shifts your approach to reading, primarily because it integrates accelerated learning, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and pre-conscious processing.

• Accelerated learning (AL) is a set of techniques for acquiring information and new skills in a fraction of the time normally required for learning. Decades ago, Dr. Georgi Lozanov pioneered new methods for the rapid acquisition of language (Suggestopedia). AL principles, evolved from Lozanov's work, provide a framework for learning from written materials effectively and quickly.
• NLP can help access the brain's potential for perception, memory, and change. PhotoReading uses NLP to produce the ideal state of mind and body for the input, process and output of material that has been PhotoRead. In the classroom NLP also provides a way to by-pass a person's internal blocks to learning (see the 1995 SEAL proceedings titled, "Shadows in the Classroom").
• Research into pre-conscious processing supports that the brain has a pre-conscious processor capable of perceiving, discriminating, and responding to information in milliseconds (Perfetti, 1985) (Dixon, 1981). Additionally, we all possess an other-than-conscious memory store that outweighs the capacity of the conscious mind by 10 billion to 1 (Wenger, 1987). While PhotoReading, we use the phenomenal capacities of the inner mind to achieve new levels of success in reading.

PhotoReading employs a simple, easy to use process

There are two relatively simple, yet critical, steps in the PhotoReading technique: first, input information through the pre-conscious processor directly into memory of the other-than-conscious mind; and second, retrieve information out of the other-than-conscious mind into the working memory of the conscious mind.

To effectively input information through the pre-conscious processor, students of PhotoReading must develop a "second type of sight" (Zink, 1992) which is quite different from the hard focus normally used in reading. We call it PhotoFocus.

PhotoFocus is a way of gazing using the peripheral vision to permit the brain to absorb information. This not only facilitates PhotoReading, but has potent ramifications in other areas of life, such as enhancing intuition, creativity, perception, and strengthening of the visual system. The popular 3-D posters or random-dot stereograms demonstrate the PhotoFocus effect .

The most fascinating aspect of PhotoReading is learning to access information that has been pre-consciously processed. Aristotle first wrote about this type of access. Modern scientific studies began in the early 1900s (Poetzl, in Dixon, 1981). The process of accessing such information has always been considered subtle, like studying your intuition or remembering a dream. Activation techniques--common to accelerated learning--make it easier to bring information into conscious awareness.

In the PhotoReading course, students learn a many ways to recognize and "activate" information stored within the other-than-conscious mind. PhotoReaders learn to use the guidance of the other-than-conscious mind to quickly find the greatest meaning from printed materials. When we bypass the limitations of the analytical mind, we can improve reading efficiency almost instantly (Smith, 1979).

Nearly 95% of the time spent reading normally involves the conscious mind laboriously processing what the eyes have seen (Stauffer, 1969). PhotoReading produces dramatic time-saving results, because it bypasses conscious mind processing which can attend to only seven pieces of information at a time. Instead, it relies on the pre-conscious processor which can attend to thousands of bits of information at a time.

PhotoReading and Data Compression

Pre-conscious processing delivers information to the brain the way a computer transmits information over the Internet. It eliminates redundant information, compresses the data, then transmits it. Once we get information to the brain, it naturally and quickly recognizes the essential pattern of meaningful information from a background of irrelevant or redundant information (Wolff, 1993).

I can illustrate this in another way. If you tell a friend about a book you have recently read, think of how you transmit the information. You take 200 pages and compress it into a paragraph or two. Similarly, an author has taken thousands of pages from other authors and compressed it into a single book. PhotoReading uses the pre-conscious processor to take in the entire printed "transmission" at once, then taps into the brain's natural ability to sort for meaning.

A recent documentary on British television featured Paul McKenna PhotoReading a computer screen at supercomputer manufacturer Cray Research in Minnesota. His brain took in over 250,000 words per minute when PhotoReading an entire novel in less than one minute.

PhotoReading produces real results in real life

PhotoReading breaks old paradigms that limit our choices in learning and reading. It opens the greater possibilities of the other-than-conscious mind. In effect, PhotoReading can be a new, refreshing philosophy of life.

PhotoReading is a leading edge human performance technology that can be easily applied to real life. It is as natural a process as riding a bicycle. It is flexible enough for highly technical material as well as pleasure reading.

Many examples of how people use PhotoReading are featured in my book, The PhotoReading Whole Mind System (1993). Business people, students, lawyers, medical doctors, and individuals interested in personal development have benefited from the use of the principles. Anyone interested in learning the PhotoReading whole mind system now has a choice of learning from the book, the new PhotoReading Personal Learning Course (home study program), and the seminar offered internationally.

Beyond the Paradigm of PhotoReading

Who knows what the future will bring? Someday there may even be techniques that go beyond PhotoReading. Until then, PhotoReaders will continue to absorb useful information from all forms of written materials and actively shape the world around them. The potentials of PhotoReading are limited only by one's imagination.

REFERENCES:
Dixon, N. F. Preconscious Processing. NY: Wiley, 1981.
Investor's Daily, "A Typical Executive Spends 38% of the Day Reading", by The Associated Press. August 16, 1991, Education section.
Perfetti, Charles A. Reading Ability. NY: Oxford University Press, 1985.
Scheele, Paul R. The PhotoReading Whole Mind System. Minneapolis, MN: Learning Strategies Corporation, 1993.
Scheele, Paul R. PhotoReading Personal Learning Course. Minneapolis, MN: Learning Strategies Corporation, 1995.
Smith, Frank. Reading Without Nonsense. Columbia University, NY: Teachers College Press, 1979.
Stauffer, Russell. Teaching Reading As A Thinking Process. NY: Harper & Row, 1969.
Wenger, Win. A Method for Personal Growth & Development. Gaithersburg, MD: Project Renaissance, 1987.
Wolff, J. Gerard. "Computing, Cognition and Information Compression." AI Communications 6(2), 107-127, 1993.
Zink, Nelson, "Nightwalking". Anchor Point, Vol. 6, No. 7, July 1992.