Session 5 - Speed Reading Workout

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Andrew asked him for an appointment. The psychologist didn’t mind, specially because from previous discussions he realized that there are some issues. He was somehow prepared for this solicitation, which otherwise didn’t surprise him. However, he found himself in front of a slightly difficult situation, morally, taking in consideration that Andrew was also one of his Speed Reading students. He had to delimitate very clearly Speed Reading from the problems that Andrew wanted to discuss with him. He was almost sure that it had nothing to do with Speed Reading, because then it could have been discussed during the course hours. Three weeks went by and he noticed how Andrew’s face got sadder and sadder, his eyes being covered by a veil of sadness. He knew that he has gone through a divorce and that he was fighting for his son’s custody, but he didn’t think that this affects him so deeply and for such a long time. He was worried about Andrew. He was worried that he could get into a depression, from which it would be harder for him to get out. He had to help him somehow, outside of the Speed Reading course. The psychologist decided that this is the best way. The man needed help and he was going to offer it to him.

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They met in the same bar in which they met for the first time, so they felt quite familiar with each other. Naturally, they made some small-talk, ordered some drinks and decided to get to the serious part. Surprisingly, Andrew started to remind him about his workplace, respectively one of the most important redactions in the country, which he already knew. But he let Andrew continue, he didn’t interrupt. For Andrew, this was his dream job, having the opportunity to meet brilliant people, people whose ideas might bring change to the whole world. And he was there, an interface between the author and the world. But he had a lot to read. Finally, this was the reason he decided to join the Speed Reading course, about which he mentioned that it motivated him very much, and that it offered him a new perspective on the possibilities the human body has. The psychologist interrupted him, reminding him, that reading speeds can only be achieved by work and training. “You can’t go to reading one thousand words per minute from one day to another, especially if you started from 350 words per minute, like you!”, the psychologist mentioned. Andrew nodded, as a sign of approval, smiling because he remembered the last test’s results where he managed to read at a speed over 500 words per minute. For him, this was a big improvement and he was satisfied with it. He felt that if he worked a little more, he could get to the speed of 700 words per minute, almost double the speed he had when he started the Speed Reading course. A speed of 700 words per minute would mean that he could read the manuscripts on his desk twice as fast. This would allow him to spend more time with his son.

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Getting over these thoughts, he got back to the discussion with the psychologist, telling him that he would like a special class, with all the redaction’s employees, involved in the reading of manuscripts. For the psychologist, this was good news, that he didn’t expect. He smiled timidly when Andrew didn’t look and he told him that they should all meet one day, to explain what the Speed Reading tool is. He wanted to tell them about the eye muscles’ training capacity, about the reading speeds, about the word groups. He would teach them the difference between Speed Reading and Scanning, how in the second one you are searching for a certain information in a text, while in the first one you read the whole text with the goal of being understood. He wouldn’t miss the information regarding how children learn to read aloud. He would tell them about the vocal chords and about the fact that even though we read in our mind, they still work continuously. On Andrew’s face there was a smile, seeing how excited the psychologist got. He was somehow happy and he tried keeping up with him. The psychologist was happy because he felt that things are starting to work. He was in a moment where he had to sell, to do presentations, to advertise himself. The world had to hear about him and to understand from the first words what Speed Reading means. Being a new concept for society, Speed Reading must be perceived correctly. An important national daily newspaper wrote an article about him and Speed Reading. Sadly, the sales didn’t increase at all, even though he thought that a publicity like this would bring him a lot of new clients. Then, an appearance at a television show followed, at the local tv post. This didn’t have the expected results either. Participating at that show didn’t bring him any new clients. He was starting to ask himself whether this was something normal or he did something wrong. But shortly, these remained on the second plan, as the courses started and he was kind of busy. He promised himself that after he finishes the first course, he will make time to work on promoting. Andrew’s apparition showed him that publicity works differently. People’s satisfaction is reflecting in his sales. A satisfied student can bring at certain moment another two students. The Speed Reading tool was going to get on the future students’ desks with the help of the current students, the growth being exponential.

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Now, Andrew asked him to hold a course for at least twenty people, people who read and whose job was reading. But Andrew didn’t stop here. He was also interested in the effects that Speed Reading would have on his son, who was in the fourth grade. This also made the psychologist happy. Until now, he didn’t work with children and he couldn’t express himself regarding them, only theoretically. He knew that in the case of children, if they got used to reading word groups close to the age they learned to read, they could reach fantastic reading speeds. They could easily reach 1000 words per minute and to not use their vocal chords anymore when reading. What is more, he could determine who had concentration power and those who didn’t do well in this aspect, could be taught to concentrate. They would be taught to do the trainings in silence, in perfect conditions, without disturbing factors, with eyeglasses if it was the case, and without thinking that they have to understand from the beginning what they are reading during the trainings. The strategy of Speed Reading, in adjoined word groups, with a meaning, is understood gradually and helps a lot at memorising and understanding the texts. The psychologist was thrilled about this new experience, and due to the fact that he wanted to try a way of communication at distance, online, without having to meet the client every time. The food stopped the conversation for a while, both of them enjoying the stake’s aroma and wonderful flavour. After all, even if they met to talk about business, a full stomach could bring to surface new ideas and new approaches to the situation. They didn’t even finish to eat, when Andrew started to talk about his wife and the reasons why they divorced. After almost five minutes did he realise that he didn’t even ask the psychologist if it was ok for him to talk. He considered, that him being a psychologist is his obligation to listen to him. He apologised timidly, realising that he made a mistake. But soon he got assured that it was alright and if he wished he could pour out his soul without a problem. Then Andrew took a deep breath and he told him the whole situation he was going through. The divorce was going on for more than a year now, time which was hard for him to get over. The reasons mentioned for the divorce were quite puerile, the monotony, lack of initiative, of gifts, of interest and lots of others. Andrew couldn’t understand where he went wrong and why she couldn’t accept him the way he was.

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The psychologist listened to him until the end, calmly, almost an hour long. Finally, Andrew thanked him for the simple fact that he stood there beside him and listened to him. He confessed that none of his friends had the necessary patience to listen to him, without interrupting him with their own similar experiences. When he finished talking, Andrew had tears in his eyes, and to get him out of this state, the psychologist brought up a new topic, familiar for both of them. They decided to debate a little the way how the courses looked like. Andrew seemed pleased again, saying that he liked his colleagues and that it isn’t one of those courses where you have to wait after someone who is slightly slower than you. He liked the discussions after which he was left with some interesting information, for example, the focalising speed of the eye muscles, the intermittent reading, the way the trainings helped to increase the reading speed. He talked about these aspects with more people and he came to the conclusion that he made a good decision. For Andrew, the trainings were going on exactly how the psychologist’s instructions said. He closed himself in his office, announcing everyone not to disturb him. He even turned his phone off. He said it was a way too important thing for it not to be respected. Like a day of fasting, in which he had to respect those secular rules imposed by the church, as well as here, he tried to closely respect the instructions given by the psychologist. He sat down to his desk and started reading. He didn’t have reading glasses, so he wouldn’t get tired in case he would have forgot them. From the course discussions, he understood how important it is to wear glasses and to have correct lighting. The contrast between the computer and ambient light was another aspect he paid attention to. He knew he had to follow that cursor, to try and read the whole word group and to try to understand it. It wasn’t obligatory to understand the whole text at the beginning, but he had to understand the meaning of the word group that he was reading. The strategy of reading groups of adjoined words, in a variable size, but with a meaning, helped him to fully understand the text later on.

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The psychologist was happy that he had such a student, who truly used Speed Reading and who saw and understood its use. He wanted to make him the ambassador of the Speed Reading tool, but he knew this would have been an inappropriate gesture. He thanked Andrew for his help and honest feedback he offered. He needed support in the beginning and he hoped that by his students’ results he will get known worldwide. He told Andrew how he was planning on expanding outside of the country’s borders with the Speed Reading tool, and translating it to different languages, so that people from different countries can use it. Speed Reading is applicable to any language, reason why he had to promote it as well as possible. Andrew promised to tell everyone he knew what Speed Reading means to him. And he assured him, that he knows a lot of people. Both of them got up from the table, satisfied, one because Speed Reading was gaining publicity, and the other one because he managed to pour out his soul, full of burdens that he had to endure for such a long time.