Our mind is an amazing thing. It may be, as our most faithful ally in the search for solutions to a multitude of problems, analysis of information, the birth of ideas, and to turn its forces against us. Together with brilliant thoughts, we are often visited by obsessive ideas, anxieties, which can confuse and become a real obstacle to the achievement of a goal.
I have often noticed, how people of nature genius missed the chance, because their mind gave rise to imaginary phobias, doubts, fears. This happens most often due to excessive (in a negative sense) mental alertness. The uncontrollable mind becomes a source of real anxiety.
Imagine situation, in which two mice are looking for a path in a maze. One of them is rushing about chaotically, embraced by fear from corner to corner, and the second freezes for a few seconds, before each turn, trying to focus on previous experience, and not on basic instincts. Which one will get to the finish line first?
The inability to control impulses leads to a state of chaos, uncertainty. If you don’t feed the mind, don’t learn to keep your own emotions and feelings in balance, the reverse process occurs – the mind becomes uncontrollable.
While reading, as I said above, it’s important to be able to focus on the process itself. If your thoughts are far away from the text, the point in getting information disappears – you don’t remember, understand, cannot analyze.
From these conclusions follows such a facet of our so amazing thinking, which is more often manifested in everyday life, like absent-mindedness.
In life, we are constantly found scattered people. Once I decided to calculate, how many times a day people around ask me, what time is it, and after hearing the answer, they again ask and clarify. As a rule, at that moment, when the interlocutor asks the question again, he already knows the answer. At least five times. Per day.
I’m once suffered a similar lack of coherence. I noticed how, reading a book or a newspaper, I was distracted only for a second and realized, that I had lost the place, where I stopped and didn’t even know, what I was reading about! I had to take up the text anew, and so on in a circle – until I realized the senselessness of the process.
The specificity of our attention resembles a spoon in which an egg lies. Remember such a competition from children's competitions – who will run to the finish with a whole egg? One wrong move – and valuable cargo is broken on the floor or the ground. In an outstretched hand, you constantly feel the tension, the egg balances and tries to slip. One has only to look away from the spoon, as the hand loses its balance. It is necessary to divert attention only for a split second, as the victory has already been lost.
The same thing happens while reading. Text is the egg, that you hold on a spoonful of concentration. If you are not focused on the object (book or article), you will never get to the finish line. Noticing, how the egg begins to slide off the spoon, you should immediately return it to its original position. I think, the metaphor is quite transparent.
The most difficult thing is to catch the slipping attention in time. As a rule, we notice the moment, when we have lost vigilance, just being distracted by our own thoughts. That is why it’s so important to warn this moment to prevent the loss of control over attention. Even before the second slipping, you should know, that the egg is about to be lost.
For training attention concentration a lot of techniques was created. Among them, I single out several directions, which I will discuss below. I consider meditation the most effective practice, since the peculiarities of the eastern mentality seem to me to be the best evidence of this.
I don’t pretend (in any way!) the role of a practicing yoga, who has attained enlightenment, I simply use those tools, that I find effective. Focusing on the moment “here and now”, the ability to control the flow of thoughts, to hold in attention many objects at once, the ability to separate the most important from the secondary is all hidden behind the cover of ancient practices.
Not only Oriental wise men used the lessons of meditation, one way or another the meditative state extends to any states, in which our brain abilities open up – the ability to turn to the subconscious, the ability to contemplate with a defocused view and much more.
Therefore, I want to make a separate emphasis on the fact, that by meditation in this book I mean entering into a certain state, I don’t advocate conversion to another faith.
All receptors concentrated in our head (as parts of the body) are interconnected – the optic nerves with the voice, the thinking nerves with the respiratory, etc. Connection of the last couple was the starting point for the development of a whole set of breathing exercises aimed at maintaining attention. By controlling each breath and exhale, it’s possible to significantly exacerbate the internal concentration, make it invulnerable to excess flows of thoughts.
Practitioners advise with each breath to “check” their concentration, sharpen it as soon as you feel that it “slips off”.
That’s, it turns out, that you don’t follow the breath in fragments and only when it’s distracted, but continuously and permanently check it, warning you of attempts to distract.
This is one of the best ways to strengthen concentration during practice, which helps me a lot, and I highly recommend it to you.
If you feel, that this process causes too much stress, relax with each breath, let go of this state, and with each breath, continue to resume a moment of concentration.
A more simplified approach, like training to the one described above, is to check attention not with every breath, but only from time to time. This approach is practiced by the teacher of meditation in the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Gen Lamrimpa, saying, that concentration can be “tired”, if you test it with each breath. Therefore, he proposes to do this, when you consider it necessary (for example, while reading) to inspect your attention while inhaling and “correct” it, if necessary.
Conduct experiments – try to go from a temporary concentration to a constant, and vice versa. The main thing is to feel the result, but not to get an overwork situation. Smooth, quiet breathing will help to keep attention under control, therefore, it’s better to practice this method in a relaxed state, which is the basis for all meditation techniques.
The process of thinking creates a picture of our world throughout life, not stopping for a minute. In addition to the picture of the world, human thoughts create an image of himself in his own consciousness, based not only on the unconscious and subconscious levels, but also involving the consciousness in the process, which transforms the information flows received from outside. The background thinking process takes place in the form of a mental dialogue and at times fetters us, holding us within the framework of the formed ideas.
Constant, continuous streams of consciousness resembling water, that flows smoothly from a tap if it is faulty. Even if you substitute the palm of your hand, it isn’t possible to restrain this flow, as it’s impossible to imagine, that all the water on earth suddenly ends at once.
An adult is trying to influence his surroundings, change his life and other people, but he doesn’t succeed. “Why?” – the question arises – “what am I doing wrong?”. Constantly poured by streams of mental water, objects slip into the sewer, but we can do nothing about it. And the blame for the installation, created and fixed by our internal dialogue.
Internal dialogue is a concept from psychology, that describes the process of continuous internal communication of a person with himself. One of the elements, that provides the dialogues of consciousness inside the head is reflection – a continuous assessment of the subject's own state and experience, both the past and the present, and the future. The internal dialogue is the result of the presence of several subjects of communication within the consciousness – the person and his second self. The internal dialogue is explained as the interaction of different ego states, for example, a free man and a busy man, a lazy man and a responsible person. Roles are distributed in such a way, that exciting problems and momentary situations are constantly scrolling in your head.
Remember, that only the fear of failure is on your way to fulfilling a dream.
This term is often found and used in esoteric teachings. I didn’t find much of this information in the speed reading works, although I consider it very important to learn how to “block” the tap – an internal dialogue.
I first encountered this definition in the books of Carlos Castaneda. According to the teachings of Castaneda, the internal dialogue is a tool with which a person creates and fixes his own picture of the world, which makes him immune or weakly receptive to new information. Stopping the internal dialogue is one of the main tasks, the achievement of which is necessary for changing the picture of the world and gaining knowledge.
“When a warrior learns to stop the internal dialogue, everything becomes possible; the most far-fetched schemes become attainable. Whenever the internal dialogue stops, the world collapses, and extraordinary facets of ourselves surface, as though they had been kept heavily guarded by our words. You are like you are, because you tell yourself that you are that way. You are too heavy and self-important. Let go! Turn off your internal dialogue and let something in you flow out and expand. That something is your perception, but don’t try to figure out what I mean. Just let the whispering of the nagual guide you. The way to stop talking to ourselves is to use exactly the same method used to teach us to talk to ourselves; we were taught compulsively and unwaveringly, and this is the way we must stop it: compulsively and unwaveringly. Once inner silence is attained, everything is possible. Silent knowledge is nothing but direct contact with intent”.
Continuous dialogue in consciousness leads to many problems, encountered during the study of speed reading – articulation, poor attention and concentration, inability to analyze the material. I put together all the negative consequences of the flow of thoughts, the elimination of which should be directed by the attention of the person, who decided to take control of his own thoughts:
Sometimes it seems, that thoughts overwhelm us, they are uncontrollable – but far from it! You can stop the internal dialogue by engaging in relevant practices, that are suitable for those, who have a developed imagination, visualization ability, and seeks to control their own thoughts. Control thoughts so, that they couldn’t control us.
Recreation of thoughts. To practice this method is necessary in solitude and tranquility. Perfect time is the evening before bedtime. Try to relax the body as much as possible, from the tips of the toes to the nape. Visualize any shape – it can be a rotating cube, a pyramid, a water ball, a glowing box, a red cone, etc. Focus fully on this imagination, hold it in your mind, don’t allow the focus on internal dialogue.
Score. The easiest way to practice at any time, only on the condition, that nothing distracts you and does not interfere. Start counting from one to a thousand in the reverse order. Count as much as you can, focusing only on numbers.
Tracking. Watch your own thoughts, feelings, reactions of sensations to the surrounding reality in order to take complete control over yourself and your mind.
Contemplation. Recreation of mental images of imaginary or real cities, countries, natural phenomena, animals or plants in their minds with the help of imagination, their thoughtful gazing and focus on them.
I have placed separate techniques on internal dialogue in the “Exercises” section. I consider constant and persistent training to be the most important condition for getting rid of internal dialogue. Many of the practices can be trained outside the home, some under full control.
Having gained control of your own thoughts, you will feel incredible relief. You will hear and see the world in a completely new way, reveal its full potential. As soon as you turn off the tap with an endless stream of thoughts, you will feel control over your own life, which you can control yourself, rather than a reflexively recurring and renewing argument within you.
As I said earlier, this book was created not only as a textbook on speed reading, but also as an opportunity to improve the quality of the brain, which will allow us to develop the ability to process information coming to us from various fields. As part of the course, I propose to master meditative techniques related to visualization and concentration.
Attention concentration is closely related to willpower, which, according to Buddhists, is concentrated in the eyebrow (Ajna). By concentration means “long focusing”. Many yoga textbooks focus on long-term visualization.
Researches have shown, that focusing one unit of attention on the initial question favorably affects the effective use of the remaining units during the reading. In other words, by concentrating on the beginning of the process, it’s possible to improve both the ability to analyze and to memorize, and then apply the information obtained. Focus is key.
For example, when you drive a car, you are fully focused on the road, so as not to get into an accident. You don’t look at the hood or pedals, you are constantly watching the roadway, signs and traffic lights. By the same analogy you should read, fully immersed in the process itself.
For effective reading, the ideal subject for focusing is the space behind and above the crown. I'll tell you about this technique in more detail.
It’s difficult for many people to achieve an ideal attitude for reading, especially, when they are at work or thinking of disturbing things. While reading in the office, phone calls are constantly distracting, you have to hurry with the delivery of projects and reports, so as not to be late for the deadline, and a headache arises from thoughts about home problems and a broken car. What attention will be directed if the brain turned into a continuous tangled tangle? On third-party thoughts. On a little rubbish and fuss about. Reading will be a truly painful exercise.
The ideal state for reading is the opposite of the above. It is a state of flux, when you are completely absorbed by the book or article before you.
For highly intelligent readers, the point of attention is clearly defined and located just behind and above the crown. It is possible to achieve such a position of a concentrated area, even without having the skills of fast reading or quick concentration. Using exercises for concentration, you will significantly advance in mastering this skill.
Using simulators for concentration, you will significantly advance in mastering this skill.
One of the most effective techniques for training concentrated attention and control over it is the “Apple” technique. The technique allows you to enter two states at once – a relaxed and simultaneously concentrated state of the body and mind.
Many people note a fair amount of benefits obtained after using the “Apple” technique. First of all, they learned to achieve a state of rest, without losing focus on the moment. In addition, the technique helps to calm the brain and automatically focus attention on the desired subject. The result is instant improvement in both acquired and acquired skills.
Perform the exercise as follows:
Experimenting with this technique, you can more easily perceive and assimilate the readable material, and you will do it at the highest possible speed. You will develop the ability to focus on textual information, while the process of reading itself will take place in a relaxed state.
At first, before each reading session, you will consciously place the apple on your head. Then it will start to happen automatically, and as soon as you take the reading material in hand, some of the attention will automatically take its place.
Such a state of physical relaxation and mental concentration is also useful for more everyday forms of activity. At its core, it’s similar to meditative practices, when a person is immersed in self-awareness "here and now." Such a state is the most productive for the work of any kind of activity – work, leisure, learning.
Don’t confuse a relaxed state with elementary drowsiness. Relaxation is purely external. In fact, you are focusing the brain on a specific object with a sense of inner peace. You have access to all the internal resources of the body. You fully feel yourself in space.
Technique "Apple" manifested in various forms throughout the history of mankind, ranging from Buddhist practice and ending with the teachings of the ancient Indians. Each of them contributes to fixing attention in place just above and behind the head.
Experiment with this technique. If the image of an apple doesn’t inspire you, try focusing your attention on the right place with the help of other objects. You can put on the top of the bird, a cap of snow, a funny hat. For greater persuasiveness, look in the mirror and mentally draw the desired object, make sure that it is in the right place.
There is another way, very similar to the previous one. Imagine, that while reading you are standing outside the body and looking at your nape. During this process, notice the change in your feelings.
The occipital region has been considered a sacred place on the body in many cultures. So, the inhabitants of Bali believe, that through this place the energy of the Universe and the cosmos comes to us. Quite possibly, this is due to the fact that when a child is born, its spring is open – hence the mythical assumptions about the openness of our crown to higher forces.
Watching yourself, you’ll find an interesting thing. Having fixed your attention with one of these techniques, you open your eyes and suddenly the material becomes controllable. The look will defocus itself. The field of view expands. In this state, you are able to perceive visually much more information, cover large fragments of text.
Achieving this state of the brain is the goal of this practice. You aren’t trying to keep the mandarin on the back of your head throughout the entire reading.
Fixing a point of attention is like putting a key peg at the base of an entire wooden structure. One small element holds all other parts in unity. By analogy with this comparison, one focused point of attention collects and directs all other threads to the reading task. Fixing it only once, you can no longer worry. When you pass through the door, don’t take it with you. Then comes the moment of moving forward, which is carried out with full awareness of the activity.
The “Apple” technique consists of two stages: setting a goal and moving to a perfect state with a fixed point of attention located at the back of the head. Also during the exercise, you need to remember, that purposeful reading is effective reading. Having defined the purpose of the process, you’ll gain control over the meaning of what is happening.
During training, be sure to note all the changes, that occur in your physical and mental states. Full absorption of the book in a relaxed state – this is the effect, that you should get.
Open any page of any book, you have not had time to read. Read two or three paragraphs without putting the apple in the right place. After that, evaluate the reading. Then put the apple on top again, using the method described above, and read a few more paragraphs. Compare the new result with the previous one.
During the experiment, you may be squeezed by the feeling, that you are doing something unusual, which is strange and somewhat frightening. Without seeing the result, it’s very difficult to carry out the process. If you feel this fear, the effect may not be achieved as a whole. Try to do the exercise, trusting this technique. Many of those, who have mastered this practice, show an expansion of the field of vision, that the eyes began to move smoothly, the ability to read phrases or whole sentences and even paragraphs at a glance appeared.
Similar in performance is the exercise “Green Dot”. Contemplation of the green dot is one of the main exercises for learning fast reading techniques. The perception of the green dot occurs through immersion in a special state. The method of observation develops concentration of attention, trains willpower by obtaining the necessary installations. With this training you will learn to better focus on any process.