Reading With the Right Brain: Read Faster by Reading Ideas Instead of Just Words (5 page)

In the following demonstration, the meaningful phrases are indicated with black text. This example only shows one way this sentence could be divided; you could divide it differently as long as each phrase is meaningful to you on its own.

It was
a bright
cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
I
t was
a bright cold day
in
April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
It was a bright cold day
in April,
and the clocks
were striking thirteen.
It was a bright cold day in April,
and the clocks
were
striking thirteen.
It was a bright cold day in April, and the
clocks
were striking thirteen.

As shown in this example, the first phrase you might lock onto could be “
It was
.” These two words can be imagined as a complete idea—in this case, one that gives you a context of the time this sentence is describing. So although
“It was”
is not something physical that you can actually form a picture of, it can still be imagined as a conceptual idea.

The next meaningful phrase could be “
a bright cold day
;” This time, the words create an idea that might be imagined as an actual picture.

As you continued across the sentence, you would pick up each of the short, independent ideas, quickly imagining what it means.

You can’t know in advance which words will make up each thought-unit, but by looking for complete ideas, the meaningful portions will tend to jump out at you like friendly faces in a crowd. Also be aware that even though some word-groups may be more obvious than others, all these clumps of information will be easier to see when you are actively seeking ideas to visualize.

One other thing to consider is that this is not a conscious, mechanical process; you won’t be thinking, “Look at the next word-group—now imagine the information.” Instead, this will be an internalized, subconscious function that will take place automatically. You will concentrate only on looking for and imagining a flow of meaningful ideas, and your eyes and mind will automatically work together to discover them for you.

In short, the process of reading with the right brain consists of reading each sentence not as a list of individual words or as a string of sounds, but as a set of larger ideas which can then be linked together into the complete meaning of the entire sentence; this enables you to focus on the larger conceptual nature of what you are reading rather than the individual textual components.

More will be discussed later about reading word-groups and also about visualizing physical ideas versus conceptualizing abstract ideas, but for now just know that you will be focusing on larger, more meaningful pieces of information, and passing whole ideas to the conceptual right side of your brain for faster and more efficient processing.

As you practice with the specially formatted exercises in this book, you will experience what reading with the right brain feels like. You will experience reading and thinking in larger units of meaning and using the part of your brain which sees patterns and connections—the part which categorizes and understands larger concepts and connects them firmly with your existing knowledge.

Reading with the right brain will move you away from reading words and sounds, to reading
ideas
.

Practice Exercise #2

As you read the next exercise, look at each highlighted word-group all at once and not as a string of words. Look at each as a complete unit of meaning all its own. As you do, think of what it means or what it looks like. Take whatever quick mental snapshot that comes into your head for each phrase. As you focus on the whole meanings of entire thought-units, you should feel the conceptual ideas expand into your right brain and float up into your consciousness.

If something is not easy to imagine as an actual picture or scene, at least conceptualize it and think of what it means. But remember, this is a fast and fleeting process, not a ponderous one. Quickly imagine each phrase and move on.

But, do not rush your reading. You mostly want to concentrate on involving the powerfully equipped parallel-processing visual machinery of your right hemisphere, to transfer the reading data from the wordy left side, through the thick bundle of nerves of the corpus callosum, and over to the right side for visualizing and conceptualizing. You want to experience what it feels like to “see” the meaning of what you read.

At first this may feel like it’s causing your reading to slow down, but as your right brain starts to imagine what you are reading, your speed will increase on its own as the result of faster comprehension.

This next practice exercise will display phrases up to a maximum of four words long, but don’t worry about this increase in the number of words per thought-unit; the reading process is the same, just with some slightly longer phrases. The actual number of words will be almost irrelevant when you concentrate on each phrase as a complete idea.

Even though you should be concentrating more on pushing your comprehension than on pushing your speed, you will still find it helpful to keep track of your words per minute. You will be glad you have this record for future comparisons.

And once again, do not be concerned with exactly how you group the words in the unaided section of the text. Just focus on seeing the larger meaningful ideas, and see which word-groups appear to you.

When you’re ready, begin reading the first thousand words of

Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice

It is
a truth
universally
acknowledged
that
a single man
in possession
of a good
fortune,
must be
in want
of a wife.

However
little known
the feelings
or views
of such
a man
may be
on his first
entering
a neighborhood,
this truth is
so well fixed
in the minds
of the surrounding
families,
that he is
considered
the rightful
property
of someone
or other
of their
daughters.

“My dear
Mr. Bennet,”
said his lady
to him
one day,
“have you heard
that
Netherfield Park
is let
at last?”

Mr. Bennet replied
that he
had not.

“But it is,”
returned she;
“for Mrs. Long
has just
been here,
and she
told me
all about it.”

Mr. Bennet
made no answer.

“Do you not
want to know
who has
taken it?”
cried his wife
impatiently.

“You want
to tell me,
and I have
no objection
to hearing it.”

This was
invitation enough.

“Why, my dear,
you must know,
Mrs. Long says
that Netherfield
is taken by
a young man
of large fortune
from the north
of England;
that he
came down
on Monday
in a
chaise and four
to see
the place,
and was
so much delighted
with it,
that he agreed
with Mr. Morris
immediately;
that he is
to take possession
before Michaelmas,
and some
of his servants
are to be
in the house
by the end
of next week.”

“What is
his name?”

“Bingley.”

“Is he married
or single?”

“Oh!
Single,
my dear,
to be sure!
A single man
of large fortune;
four or five
thousand a year.
What a fine
thing
for our girls!”

“How so?
How can it
affect them?”

“My dear
Mr. Bennet,”
replied his wife,
“how can you
be so tiresome!
You must know
that
I am thinking
of his marrying
one of them.”

“Is that
his design
in settling here?”

“Design!
Nonsense,
how can you
talk so!
But it is
very likely
that he may
fall in love
with
one of them,
and therefore
you must visit him
as soon as
he comes.”

“I see no
occasion for that.
You
and the girls
may go,
or you may
send them
by themselves,
which perhaps
will be
still better,
for as
you are
as handsome
as any of them,
Mr. Bingley
may like you
the best
of the party.”

“My dear,
you flatter me.
I certainly have
had my share
of beauty,
but
I do not
pretend
to be anything
extraordinary now.
When a woman
has five
grown-up daughters,
she ought
to give over
thinking of
her own beauty.”

“In such cases,
a woman
has not often
much beauty
to think of.”

“But, my dear,
you must
indeed go
and see
Mr. Bingley
when he comes
into
the neighborhood.”

“It is more
than I
engage for,
I assure you.”

“But consider
your daughters.
Only think what
an establishment
it would be
for one
of them.
Sir William
and Lady Lucas
are determined
to go,
merely
on that account,
for in general,
you know,
they visit
no newcomers.
Indeed
you must go,
for it will
be impossible
for us
to visit him
if you
do not.”

“You are
over-scrupulous,
surely.
I dare say
Mr. Bingley
will be
very glad
to see you;
and I
will send
a few lines
by you
to assure him
of my hearty
consent
to his marrying
whichever
he chooses
of the girls;
though
I must
throw in
a good word
for my
little Lizzy.”

“I desire
you will do
no such thing.
Lizzy is not
a bit better
than the others;
and
I am sure
she is not
half so handsome
as Jane,
nor half
so good-humored
as Lydia.
But you are
always giving her
the preference.”

“They have
none of them
much to
recommend them,”
replied he;
“they are
all silly
and ignorant
like other girls;
but Lizzy
has something more
of quickness
than her sisters.”

“Mr. Bennet,
how can you
abuse
your own children
in such
a way?
You take delight
in vexing me.
You have
no compassion
for my
poor nerves.”

“You mistake me,
my dear.
I have
a high respect
for your nerves.
They are
my old friends.
I have heard
you mention them
with consideration
these last
twenty years
at least.”