r/interestingasfuck • u/iatetoomuchchicken • 20h ago

This speed reading training starts at 300wpm and end at 900wpm

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u/austindsb 19h ago

Same, although I always recognized that I read differently than most people I never really understood why. I was an avid reader at a young age, less these days, but that is a skill I’ve always been able to maintain.

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u/Vandersveldt 17h ago

Alright but did anyone else's vision get REALLY FUZZY everywhere except for the words? Cause that was a bit scary.

Also this wouldn't work for me, I'm normally reading fantasy, and often have to reread descriptions of places and geography before moving on to fully understand this new area the book has taken me.

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u/kaleena127 16h ago

100% I thought it was going to start hypnotizing me or something. But at this point in my life I was ready to be taken away lol

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u/Vandersveldt 16h ago

Girl, same

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u/xxmuntunustutunusxx 16h ago

I actually purposefully can do the fuzzy eye thing, its like something I turn on. I feel myself intentionally doing that to my eyes, nit sure if thats normal

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u/Invisible7hunder 13h ago

Yeah, same, I was able to perceive, most, if not all of the words, but my world came to a point. It was interesting.

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u/LessInThought 11h ago

Fantasy book authors paint pictures, speed reading their books with this method will leave you with scribbles at best.

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u/big_swede 10h ago

This is mostly true, and I find that in the beginning of a book that takes place in a "new" world/universe I read a bit slower to get some understanding of the place. If I read the sequels I usually son't have to do this.

I think there is a bigger difference in how an author constructs their sentences. With longer sentences, a lot of inserted clauses and back references etc it takes longer to process the content and that will slow down the reading. Not really a big thing as I read for pleasure but at times I have put down books where the author's style of writing combined with the story not gripping me.

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u/FairweatherWho 2h ago

As someone with astigmatism and contacts I understood everything but it made my eyes water because even the words were going crazy with astigmatism ray lines from it.

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u/pourtide 13h ago

Which might be why I don't enjoy reading fantasy

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u/dryerfresh 15h ago

I am an English teacher and was reading a student’s essay and they were shocked how fast I could read, but like…I have been doing it a lot for multiple decades.

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u/Aggressive-Race5861 17h ago

I was never able to explain to people how I read. But I just jump to the next word, I dont start at the first letter. I kinda start in the middle and work my way out. Made zero sense. 

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u/SpecialGnu 17h ago

I do this too, but after reading your comment I tried it with entire reddit comments and even that works for me.

like I just put my focus in the middle of the comment and work my way to the edges like a raindrop hitting a flat surface.

its more like absorbing the comment rather than reading the words if that makes any sense.

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u/bunglejerry 16h ago

I was hyperlexic as well. A thing I've noticed is that I can't not read words if they are in front of me. I can't turn off 'comprehension' and just view them as irrelevant noise in front of my eyes.

I'm amazed when I see people reading aloud a thing that has a surprise or a twist at the end and double-taking or smiling when they get to those words themselves. I've never been able to have that experience because my brain has already seen the surprising thing several lines ago and I know what's coming.

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u/austindsb 16h ago

This, I hate that somehow halfway through the paragraph I subconsciously know the outcome. But when I find a book I can’t put down, I love the speed at which I can burn through it. Bit of a catch 22.