Ming the Mechanic:
PhotoReading
The NewsLog of Flemming Funch
 PhotoReading2002-11-06 21:15
42 comments
pictureby Flemming Funch

Many years ago I took a class in speed reading. I could read a 150 page novel in about 20 minutes or so, and retain the content better than with normal reading. That was pretty cool, and would have been great if I had had a job of reviewing fiction books. For non-fiction I found that the technique screwed up my ability to actually understand and apply what I was reading. So I gave it up.

But today I could really use some kind of technique for digesting large amounts of information. I have stacks of books I haven't read, because there aren't enough hours in the day. I'm considering PhotoReading. I've read the book, but it seems like I probably need to take a seminar to really get it. Anyway, it is different from the traditional speed reading approach, where one forces one's eyes over the text in a certain rhythm. In speed reading one reads a line at a time. In photo reading one does a page at a time, and the point is apparently to just be very relaxed and quickly glance at each page. And then using certain techniques for being prepared to take in the content, and for retrieving it from one's subconscious mind afterwards.


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42 comments

21 Jul 2003 @ 01:47 by repsyche : photoreading
and did you take the course?

comments?

I read the site info and if true its amazing, however I would like to chat to a user prior to paying!  

10 Mar 2006 @ 17:03 by John @80.3.64.9 : PhotoReading
I read some research which seemed to show that the users perception of how much they understood increased but the amount they actually did was not much better. So that would be why it sells so well! I believe that NASA were condiering it at one point but dropped the idea because of this. A bit like stress does increase performance for a little but after a while your perceived performance and actual performance starts to go in opposite directions.  

15 Mar 2006 @ 22:48 by Len @66.189.7.21 : Photoreading
Photoreading is a scam. The multi-step photoreading process includes familiar steps to good reading like previewing what you're about to read, deciding on your purpose for reading, and a few others. It's these steps that will give you the comprehension you seek, and at a fairly normal reading pace. The mysterious "photoreading" step, in which you flip through the pages rapidly while maintaining a soft gaze that takes in two pages at once, is useless, and adds nothing to your comprehension. For some reason, many people are easily seduced by the promise of reading at 25,000 words per minute; I was one of them. Please take my advice, and get as far away from photoreading as you possibly can.  

15 Mar 2006 @ 23:52 by ming : PhotoReading
I haven't taken the seminar myself. I found it very intriguing from the book, but it didn't seem enough to actually be able to do it.

Does anybody have contrasting experiences? Somebody who's done it and it works great?  

16 Mar 2006 @ 08:36 by Ge Zi @24.126.93.187 : done without knowing
I learned about photo reading a while back and then realized that I had done something similar during my prefessional career.
I was one of those who read manual, particular computer manuals. I remember the big unix manuals and I also remember that I flipped though then - the whole thing - don't ask me why, did not know about photo reading then. But it worked, I was always able to find the right info rather quickly - no I did not have answers to all unix questions right away ;-)  

21 Jul 2006 @ 00:11 by Ralph Winestock @71.109.218.92 : Did you do the required study practice
Hi Len,

I took Evelyn Wood twice, and it did work because I put a lot of time into it (about 1 1/2 hrs per day 6/7 days for 7 weeks = 10x speed and 20% increase in comprehension).

Because I was interested, but hesitated with this course, my question to you is: Did you put the time that they said into it?

Thank you,  

2 Jun 2007 @ 23:01 by Joe @209.89.232.108 : photoreading reviews
I am convinced that the Learing Strategy company has someone on their payroll to spend 8 hours a day, browsing the internet to find sites to write positive Photoreading comments.

I know a friend who was paid by a hostel to go online to right great reviews of the place.  

2 Jul 2007 @ 12:35 by david @83.151.240.54 : Photoreading Scam
Don't waste your money on this nonsense. I paid for the Personal Learning Course. It does not work. The Photoreading part adds nothing to your reading speed of comprehension. Trying to get any assistance from Learning Strategies is impossible - if you ask them for help because it doesn't work, they just say "It does work, but not for everyone, maybe you're one of the 3% of people for whom it doesn't work" This is a stock answer, I know because I've asked the same question using 5 differeent aliases.  

9 Jul 2007 @ 09:38 by Antony @172.203.141.121 : Photoreading
Iv'e tried it and it dosen't work - where is the hard scientfic evidence and if it is so good why isn't it more widely used in industry and education - yet another money making scam - save your money!!  

6 Oct 2007 @ 18:52 by Douhg @24.127.28.38 : Photoreading
As I read through these comments I only see one person that actually put in considerable time and work to properly test the coarse. It is so easy to get a self help coarse and let it sit without putting in the the time. Less than 5% of the population has the disipline to do the work to be highly successful at anything. Need a self-help coarse? I have several sitting around.  

8 Oct 2007 @ 23:04 by yves @83.249.111.120 : photoreading
All i can say is that,if it sounds to good to be true, getaway from it because it is not true.  

25 Oct 2007 @ 10:11 by googley @196.35.158.180 : photoreading
Well, just download the book. There are some generous people out there who put it out for others. Then you can try it and see if it works for you. If so, repay them by recommending to your friends, if not, then only your time has been wasted, no money involved there. =)  

25 Oct 2007 @ 10:22 by googley @196.35.158.180 : photoreading
I must say though that after reading the book, I still dont get the point. Yes, it is easier to find info after skimming books but most of us do that anyways. Most of us know about mindmapping and the "correct" way of doing them and maybe people remember facts that they needed supposedly from photoreading but those are prob random facts - if you're reading manuals and textbooks, you not going to retain all the required info from photoreading. I think the people who claim it just put more effort since they thought that they learnt something new and wanted to try it. It's like getting something new and in the beginning you might delude yourself into believing that its good and is better than what you had even if its not.

The way I see it, you paying a hell of a lot to learn to relax (by breathing which you know how to anyways) and skim reading materials which you also know how to except they telling you to use it together lol.

Oh well, whatever, download the book and whatever else you can get your hands on and see what happens, cuz it being a waste of time is just my opinion lol.  

1 Nov 2007 @ 08:47 by PR sucks @76.175.21.247 : fuck PR bitch!
photoreading is bullshit, I hate these scam artists, so called psychologists that took weekend courses or online degree programs, and create this junk to scam people out of their money. Fuck these bastards, may you burn in hell eternally motherfuckers!  

2 Nov 2007 @ 12:01 by PR is FRAUD! @76.175.21.247 : Do NOT buy this crap
hey, guys, it took me overnight to download this bullshit, and guess what??? It is the biggest load of bull I have ever heard. First of all, the main speaker looks like a fucking dweeb, and looked to me like he casted his whole family to help him with the seminar, and have them comment on how great this system is. The video offers absolutly NOTHING of value, because it doesn't teach you the techniques. All it talks about is how great this system is, when it works, and what you'd be able to accomplish when it works, but not the actual techniques. Most of the contents in the video are relaxing techniques and at one point the speaker talks about qi gong (chinese breathing exercise-chi manipulations) and tai chi and shit. What da fuck does chi and energy have anything to do with reading and comprehension?

basically they give you a book and make you relax, open the minds eye, and have you flip through the page 1 sec per page. and then you ask your self a bunch of questions based on the topic of the book. And you try to answer all the things you know about the topic. This is called "activation". Here is what I think. You are not really recalling what you read from flipping those pages one sec per page. what you are doing is just gathering all the information that you already have gathered in the past, and just trying to assimilate them and make hypothesis (educated guess) about the contents of the book. And most of the time, I guess, since human knowledge does not deviate much from one to the next, a general topic would always yield similar principles. And therefore, your hypothetical assumptions will come close to the idea that is portrayed in the book. And you'll convince yourself that you have just photoread. WHAT A FUCKING BULLSHIT!!!!

You know I thought this was a technique that teaches you how to develop photographic memory so you can recall the exact page of the specific sentence without looking at the book. But it's NOT. it has NOTHING to do with recalling what you read, you know why? B/C you never read the book. YOU DON"T READ THE BOOK IN PHOTOREAD. YOU JUST FLIP THE FUCKING PAGES. I was laughing so hard when this guy was reading the book upside down and backwards. LOL... this is a joke... don't get scammed. And Paul Scheele (you fucking nazi german motherfucker) if you are reading this, fuck you and your bullshit system. shove it up your ass bitch!  

31 Mar 2008 @ 21:13 by max @89.152.220.62 : 350 000 wpm
before you could read 350 000 wpm on a screen refreshing slower than the letter go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5VZa4USCTs
now it is only 25 000 wpm :'(  

5 Apr 2008 @ 07:05 by mortimer : yup , max they just upgraded
Photo Reading Infomercial - "Computer Speed"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5VZa4USCTs
now its 693,000 words per minute :-)  

3 Sep 2008 @ 12:58 by itisfake @70.94.225.154 : test for photoreading
ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20000011599_2000009345.pdf  

25 Oct 2008 @ 03:05 by nini @71.62.59.168 : good way to find out if it's bull
sounds too good to be true, I came up with this way to see if it's bullshit.if I have a chance to meet with the speaker, I will bring a book with me. if he can photoread it right in front of me and answer my questions correctly, I will buy it  

3 Nov 2008 @ 10:48 by jack @130.104.61.1 : have u met a photoreader ?
NINI ave u met the speaker ???? your the best man that is a hell of an idea . keep us informed.  

2 Dec 2008 @ 15:49 by Pavn @122.167.217.209 : PR
hello guys , photoreading is NOT a gimmic , this technique is there since past 100 years , swami vivekananda (INDIA) ,OSHO RAJANISH were photoreaders , OSHO used to read 2000 pages a day and retain them all!and Vivekananda cud tell u wat line of the page and pg no. ur referring to if u askd abt wat he read! ve u heard u use < 10% of ur brain? well the rest is using ur sub conscious mind , i am a Phto reader and i can read upto 8000 wpm , and i think this is not far from great to have learnt , it is a metaskill with few equals, once learnt properly ur perspective will surely refine!All the best , if u do not want to invest hundreds of dollars in PRWMS , buy the book " the einstein factor" in which u can get hell lot of info and PR technique for $ 3 ! Bye!  

3 Dec 2008 @ 23:47 by Righty @216.106.109.92 : PR
Pavn^ I would be more inclined to believe you if you COULD WRITE ENGLISH! With so many pages read, you think your linguistic repertoire would be improved. Also I do the PR technique and I really do notice a difference, not huge but there a difference. I don't do it as a be all end all. I notice that I do sift through information faster, but I don't retain it the same way as they claim. I figure I will give it time before I abandon it completely because I believe reading is a skill and when you introduce a new skill into your life, you should give it time to get better and see if it really does benefit you. I don't think a person should say it doesn't work after a week of practice. But a lot of you know what your talking about so I think you can get where I'm coming from.  

19 Dec 2008 @ 00:40 by James @79.65.9.147 : PR
Yeah, I read the book and pretty much seems like just a bunch of good reviewing tips with the PR crap thrown in... plus there's a hell of a lot of NLP style language throughout which just pisses me off - positive reinforcement to make you think it works, pah. IF it is possible with lots and lots of time put in then surely that's not that great anyway... you could have just been reading the books! Personally I can't find it in me to trust away hours of sitting goggle-eyed in front of an upside-down book. I reckon the small amount of information that is generally useful for improving reading could be condensed into one page with ease.

I'd just like to clarify that the 'fact' Pavn presented above about using  

19 Dec 2008 @ 00:42 by James @79.65.9.147 : 10% myth
Apparently I was cutoff for using the less-than sign, I was going to say...

I'd just like to clarify that the 'fact' Pavn presented above about using less than 10% of your brain is an urban myth - actually you use MOST of your brain MOST of the time. For some reason people like this myth, personally I can't see why they're impressed with the concept that we evolved a largely useless organ. If you don't believe me it's widely documented so look it up, there's a bunch of people who have already explained why this is a fallacy - I'm not looking for an argument.

Peace.  

29 Dec 2008 @ 15:01 by TomHex @79.64.28.40 : PRMyth
I actually tried out the PR personal learning course when the idea of remembering all that i had photoread could help me with countless tests etc.
When you have finished photoreading a book you activate it by skimming down the pages with your purpose in mind. You are 'guided' by you unconcious mind to the answer you are looking for. I'm afraid Mr Paul Scheele clearly didn't know that this is called LOOKING SOMETHING UP IN A BOOK. Don't be fooled into thinking that you gain some sort of 'super memory' of a book by photoreading it.
In the PR course there is a dictionary exorcise where you photoread a dictionary, then choose a random word and imagine where it is on a page. I found afterwards that even though i got about 90% wrong i felt like i had achieved something. Hmmmm.
What he is telling you is just a load of bollocks to make you spend £500 on something you knew how to do anyway.

Another thing about the 10% brain power. We use different parts of the brain to do different things so its not really something you can measure. Also there is no clear definition of what brain power actually means!  

11 Jan 2009 @ 01:24 by Cris @76.106.203.91 : PhotoReading
I bought the one book for less than ten bux when i started college two years ago. more recently, i went to limewire and downloaded all the audio and books in a zip file for free. as i went through with all the color coded mapping and skimming (dipping) i found it very similar to STUDYING. Every book i ever photoread, I ended up reading in full the way i normally do. it never helped at all with math. try photoreading a trig book before a test... anyway. don't spend 500 bux ... spend 18 on limewire pro and download it free. it doesn't seem to show up in the regular limewire.  

28 Mar 2009 @ 23:51 by normfromga @68.105.203.58 : NASA results
Thanks for the link, "itsfake."

For those of us who can't "photoread", pages 11-13 says it all.  

15 Apr 2009 @ 16:43 by JeffersonBriggs @128.125.179.129 : Does photoreading work?
It works for those willing to put in the work. I do not gain ANY benefit by posting this comment. I do gain benefit from putting the work into learning how to photoread which is what I did.

It has changed my life - but I had specific goals and that goal was to read more books with better comprehension and read them quickly. It did not come easy. But when it kicked in, it kicked in and it truly has changed my life!  

21 Feb 2010 @ 02:26 by ORV NJ @74.105.11.209 : I bought the Photoreading course 5 years
Hi. I bought the photoreading personal course, in 2005.

As a regular guy, I never did all of it until 2008, can You believe it?
In november 2008 I decided I would take the time to follow everything the course said and it was a bit stressful. Since we are not used to this. We 're tought to read since we're 6 years old. And then if you take speed-reading or photoreading You have to break all the rules You were tought for years..
I never did it 100% , and still can't photoread.
But my purpose now is spending more than a month without reading the regular way, just using photofocus and after a month I 'll let you know if it worked for me.
Just be respectful and don 't attack other people's opinions.
I also think it would be helpful if somebody could photoread a book around a bunch of us, so we could know for sure it works. the rule would be, "no pressure", since pressure makes you nervous and you won't be able to use it all.  

1 Mar 2010 @ 12:04 by brenda @58.173.227.96 : the emporer's new clothes
If you\'ve forked out $500 for the course, you\'re going to WANT to believe it works. \r\nThat Paul Sheele has the fervor of an evangelist.  

11 Mar 2010 @ 15:30 by TyAnne @68.50.114.240 : PhotoReading
I bought Sheele's course quite a few years ago, misplaced it when I moved a few times. I think it is in storage now...somewhere lol I used what I learn to help me learn things in a new job etc. I do read faster than most, but I also have a memory challenges and ADD. Soft focus and relaxing are key. There lies the crux of my problem...relaxing and calming my brain. I believe in it so much and I am disappointed I have not used it properly. I plan to go back to it and try again.

My mom took speed reading at an older age, Evelyn Wood's course, went to college, got her RN degree at 5o+ and she graduated 4.0. She tutored others at her school. Granted she is and was already pretty intelligent, but she did this all raising children, working her business. She still takes various courses, computer science, etc. She's 80 and still going. Speed reading still helps her. She believes in this. My Mom doesn't have ADD and she is able to relax and focus. I really think that is important. I am working on relaxing techniques and focusing better.

One thing I tire of is having people call things a scam that they simply do not understand or trust. I also think that everyone may not be able to get it for a variety of reasons.  

14 Mar 2010 @ 13:57 by Maxum @196.215.6.92 : Fake Like Ass
This course is fake period!!!  

26 Jun 2010 @ 08:16 by NatureZlover @188.48.125.8 : PR
Well I bought the book and downloaded the video and 8 cassesttes. Tried to do everythin Paul Scheele said but nothin happened. I dont know if its possible. I am beginning to doubt about Mr. Paul. I hope if it is real.  

1 Nov 2010 @ 14:32 by PhReadingScam @74.245.234.118 : BY NO MEANS BY IT
Very unprofessional company, they continue to charge you, the program offers nothing for the price. Don't waste your time nor money.  

17 Dec 2010 @ 13:14 by Paul Scheele @165.155.192.80 : Yes It works
Hello. I have read your blog and I am glad that you are willing to give the photoreading course a try.If you pay for the seminar, you will be able to get a discount on the course.

I think most of the people here have not really given photreading a chance. Most of the people who I speak with who are dissatisfied with the course, do not put in the required effort, or expect to achieve subponeous activation on every book they read.

To increase your chances of remembering everything you read in a book, Image stream. Image streaming will bring you closer to your subconcious and allow you to accessed that hidden information within. Forceful activation works but is one of the least efficient methods.

Look at Peter's video on youtube. He photoreads a random book at 693,000 words per minute and answers complex questions about a book. Given, this is a book that Peter never read, and was randomly pulled off the internet using specialized computer software made just for him.  

20 Mar 2011 @ 05:13 by Jose Carlos @173.55.251.8 : photoreading does not work
I took the course and was so disappointed I asked for a refund which I DID NOT get; They do not teach you anything actually, one spends a lot of time flipping pages trying to recall and not succeeding; at one point we even turn the dictionary upside down and we are supposed to read and retain that way. Infinitely better to take a speed reading course where one learns to not subvocalize, and to move the eyes without stopping on the page. I am attempting this on my own and have made some improvements. Save your hard earned $, do not buy this junk (zoxpro sounds like a photoreading ripoff and I will not risk 197$ on this marketing ploy).  

22 Jul 2011 @ 13:49 by Mr Speaker @122.106.153.41 : Scamming Science Institute
I highly recommend buying this course. Mainly so that after you have learnt to photoread, you can photoread Nigerian emails and increase your efficiency of forwarding large deposits to the Prince of Nigeria in-liu of a large inheritance.  

22 Dec 2011 @ 20:00 by thunderman2121@aol.com @24.103.221.130 : Photoreading
I took this course I can read 700,000 words a second with 99% comprehension. I can even read minds now (my wife is cheating on me!) and successfully decoded the dead sea scrolls on my lunch hour (it's a lunch menu).
Actually, no, joking, I tried it and you know what, I don't think it works. I did photo read all these comments and all I remember is the liberal use of some saucy words. So, you read faster maybe but your comprehension is shit. And so you retain all this info on the off chance someone asks you a question that will activate the memory? What are the odds? Bunch of bullshit. For a real explanation of how memory works read "Moonwalking With Einstein" by Joshua Foer. He's a journalist who first researched and then actually trained and competed in the US Memory Championships (yes, there is such a thing), and he actually won!). Not a paid plug. Just stumbled on to it on Amazon for my Kindle.
I'm putting my Photoreading course up on ebay. Reading upside down, haha, who ever heard of such a thing. I suppose the Photo Reading guy can take a piss upside down too.  

9 Mar 2012 @ 01:47 by guadalupe @69.171.164.99 : Phtot Reading
I've just read all of these comments and I seriously doubt that many of you have even done the course and those of you who have didn't really put in much effort. Many of the comments are extremely negative. If you haven't done the course or you have but didn't really apply yourself you should just be honest. I notice that many people go on Amazon and post "reviews" when they obviously haven't even read the book. Don't you have anything better to do???  

4 Apr 2012 @ 08:49 by didaman @196.12.15.104 : photoreading
photoreading really works. the only problem is that it is not subject to scrutiny. its not something you can do right or wrong you just do it. the fact is that it works and if you want it to work for your face it with an open mind and forget about all that you head about it.  

6 Jun 2013 @ 09:38 by Johnny @92.9.156.9 : photoreading
Well I use photoreading. The course was expensive. Maybe u can get by with a book.
Basically, you have to work on each individual aspect to it.

What do u want from a book?
The "dipping" stage is important.
etc etc
Are you "tuned in" to the purpose.

It helped my reading at speed skills massively.
Sorry but the NASA experiemtn was fatally flawed.
I do highly recommend it.m  

6 Sep 2015 @ 10:21 by Ali Ismail @123.231.122.168 : Photo reading
I have read the mostly negative comments about this being a scam. Well, my conclusion after reading the book and reading upside down is that Mr Scheele exaggerates most of the time to get money from the customers. I have been photo reading Lonely Planet: Sri Lanka and find that the photo reading softens the contents to make it easier to assimilate when one really needs to know something specific. It is useful for students, for example, during the first part of the long summer vacations. So softening is all that photo reading does in practice. It's a hard world.  

Other stories in
2012-05-03 00:04: An evolving path
2012-01-02 13:52: 2011 Accomplishments and 2012 Aims
2011-11-17 02:20: Your inner piece
2011-02-01 00:05: Slow Mo Flow
2011-01-22 18:40: Recognition
2010-08-23 00:36: Where's Ming?
2010-07-20 14:24: Getting other people to do stuff
2010-06-22 00:27: Inventory
2010-06-19 23:10: Conversations
2009-10-28 12:31: Then a miracle occurs


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