There’s something that happens to me with an alarming frequency, something that I almost never (or don’t remember) see being referenced (and thus I don’t know the proper name). I’m talking about that effect when I’m reading a text (any kind of text, textbook, blog, forum text) and suddenly I discover that two minutes passed and I advanced six lines in the text, but I just have no idea of what I read. It’s like a time blackhole, and now I have to re-read it.
Sometimes it also happens in a less alarming way, but still bad: for instance, when I’m reading something that is deliberately teaching me an important piece of knowledge (as in, I already know whathever is in this text IS important) I happen to go through it without questioning anything, just “accepting” it and a few moments later it suddenly comes down on me when I’m ahead: “Wait… what, did he just say 2 pages ago that thermal radiation does NOT need matter to propagate?” and I have again to go back and check that I was not crazy.
While I don’t know the name of this effect, I have asked some acquantainces of mine about that, while some agreed that they have it others didn’t. I would like very much to eliminate this flaw, anybody knows what I could do to train myself not to do it or at least the correct name so I can research more about it?
I’m talking about that effect when I’m reading a text (any kind of text, textbook, blog, forum text) and suddenly I discover that two minutes passed and I advanced six lines in the text, but I just have no idea of what I read. It’s like a time blackhole, and now I have to re-read it.
I do this all the time. I have seen it referred to in literature (a character reading a page three times before realising he can’t take it in, as a way to show that he’s extremely distracted), but that’s not quite the same as just zoning out.
If it’s material you want to/are required to learn from try taking notes as you read the material, to force yourself to recall it in your own terms/language.
If it’s just recreational/online reading try increasing the font size/spacing or decreasing the browser width, or using a browser extension like readability. Don’t scroll with the scroll bar or the mouse wheel—use pg up/pg down to make it easier to keep your position.
In the same vein, I get easily distracted when reading text and the ability to click around, select and deselect text that I’m reading helps me to stay engaged.
Writing that out it sounds like it would be super distracting but its not (for me). Possibly related to the phenomenon where some people work better with noise in the background rather than in silence. Clicking around might help maintain a minimum level of stimulation while reading.
There was a couple university classes where I found that playing Sudoku in class actually helped me learn the material, because I gained more in alertness than I lost in distraction.
When I was in school I couldn’t take notes. I couldn’t write fast enough, and trying to write things down occupied so much of my attention I couldn’t follow what the teacher was saying next. I should have learned shorthand; but instead I doodled. Somehow, keeping my hands busy kept my ears open.
I don’t have any stats, but wouldn’t be surprised if the majority of people (sometimes) read on a computer like that, by highlighting various bits as they go.
I understand the “recall in your own terms”, that sounds like very practical advice, even more in my case since english isn’t my mother language and thus I could try translating it, which would ensure a deeper understanding. Thanks.
I don’t see how the way that information is displayed (font size/spacing and using the scroll bar) could impact in the way I’m reading, could you explain that a little more?
Probably automaticity is what you are looking for. I am not sure how to force one’s mind to attend to a repetitive task. One trick for avoiding reading automaticity is to paraphrase and check for potential BS every paragraph or so.
Indeed it’s something along those lines, however, in the article it’s represented in a positive light, where
a skilled reader, multiple tasks are being performed at the same time such as decoding the words, comprehending the information, relating the information to prior knowledge of the subject matter, making inferences, and evaluating the information’s usefulness to a report he or she is writing
My problem is that, somehow, I do that, but without comprehending anything. The article linked to an interesting program in Australia, though, QuickSmart. It’s aimed at middle students, but I think I could perhaps benefinit from it.
I can’t remember where I read it, but I remember hearing that in order to really understand an argument, you have to take a leap of faith & accept all of the propositions & conclusions in that argument. If you don’t, you will be automatically & subconsciously strawmanning it. After you’ve exposed yourself to the whole idea, you can go back & look at it critically. I have no idea if this is BS & wish I could track down where I came across it. Cheers to any help.
Trying to read Neuromancer when I was 11, after a local computer magazine had written about how it’s basically the best book ever, was basically this all the time. I knew very few English cultural idioms back then, and Gibson really likes his cultural idioms, like “You ever the heat?” for “Did you use to be a cop?” I could read Stephen King novels in English fine at that point, but Neuromancer was just pages and pages of me having no idea what’s going on, and I eventually gave up about a third in.
I also get the thing where I stop understanding text just from not paying attention, and as far as I remember, the experience of reading that was the same. I don’t remember ever being actively aware that I couldn’t understand the text, just having the constant weird situation of reading sentences I seemed to be able to read just fine, but still ending with very little idea of what the narrative was.
I picked up the book again a couple of years ago and read it through without problem. That was also when I got a clearer idea of how the book was full of tricky narrative beats I’d have had no hope of understanding properly the first time around.
I don’t remember ever being actively aware that I couldn’t understand the text, just having the constant weird situation of reading sentences I seemed to be able to read just fine, but still ending with very little idea of what the narrative was.
To be honest, I got that from Gibson first time through the trilogy and I’m a native speaker ;-) They made more sense on rereading.
There’s something that happens to me with an alarming frequency, something that I almost never (or don’t remember) see being referenced (and thus I don’t know the proper name). I’m talking about that effect when I’m reading a text (any kind of text, textbook, blog, forum text) and suddenly I discover that two minutes passed and I advanced six lines in the text, but I just have no idea of what I read. It’s like a time blackhole, and now I have to re-read it.
Sometimes it also happens in a less alarming way, but still bad: for instance, when I’m reading something that is deliberately teaching me an important piece of knowledge (as in, I already know whathever is in this text IS important) I happen to go through it without questioning anything, just “accepting” it and a few moments later it suddenly comes down on me when I’m ahead: “Wait… what, did he just say 2 pages ago that thermal radiation does NOT need matter to propagate?” and I have again to go back and check that I was not crazy.
While I don’t know the name of this effect, I have asked some acquantainces of mine about that, while some agreed that they have it others didn’t. I would like very much to eliminate this flaw, anybody knows what I could do to train myself not to do it or at least the correct name so I can research more about it?
I give you credit for noticing you’re running on automatic in as little as five minutes.
This is a guess, but meditation might help since it’s a way of training the ability to focus.
Are you sleep deprived? This kind of attention lapse sounds like the calling card of a microsleep.
I do this all the time. I have seen it referred to in literature (a character reading a page three times before realising he can’t take it in, as a way to show that he’s extremely distracted), but that’s not quite the same as just zoning out.
If it’s material you want to/are required to learn from try taking notes as you read the material, to force yourself to recall it in your own terms/language.
If it’s just recreational/online reading try increasing the font size/spacing or decreasing the browser width, or using a browser extension like readability. Don’t scroll with the scroll bar or the mouse wheel—use pg up/pg down to make it easier to keep your position.
I don’t know if I deliberately developed a habit of highlighting the current paragraph when reading long articles, but it has become extremely useful.
In the same vein, I get easily distracted when reading text and the ability to click around, select and deselect text that I’m reading helps me to stay engaged.
Writing that out it sounds like it would be super distracting but its not (for me). Possibly related to the phenomenon where some people work better with noise in the background rather than in silence. Clicking around might help maintain a minimum level of stimulation while reading.
Chewing gum does this for me. It’s the perfect level of low-level background stimulation to focus on important things.
There was a couple university classes where I found that playing Sudoku in class actually helped me learn the material, because I gained more in alertness than I lost in distraction.
When I was in school I couldn’t take notes. I couldn’t write fast enough, and trying to write things down occupied so much of my attention I couldn’t follow what the teacher was saying next. I should have learned shorthand; but instead I doodled. Somehow, keeping my hands busy kept my ears open.
I don’t have any stats, but wouldn’t be surprised if the majority of people (sometimes) read on a computer like that, by highlighting various bits as they go.
I understand the “recall in your own terms”, that sounds like very practical advice, even more in my case since english isn’t my mother language and thus I could try translating it, which would ensure a deeper understanding. Thanks.
I don’t see how the way that information is displayed (font size/spacing and using the scroll bar) could impact in the way I’m reading, could you explain that a little more?
Probably automaticity is what you are looking for. I am not sure how to force one’s mind to attend to a repetitive task. One trick for avoiding reading automaticity is to paraphrase and check for potential BS every paragraph or so.
Indeed it’s something along those lines, however, in the article it’s represented in a positive light, where
My problem is that, somehow, I do that, but without comprehending anything. The article linked to an interesting program in Australia, though, QuickSmart. It’s aimed at middle students, but I think I could perhaps benefinit from it.
I have this happen sometimes—usually it’s because I let my mind wander to something unrelated but I kept my eyes moving out of habit.
I can’t remember where I read it, but I remember hearing that in order to really understand an argument, you have to take a leap of faith & accept all of the propositions & conclusions in that argument. If you don’t, you will be automatically & subconsciously strawmanning it. After you’ve exposed yourself to the whole idea, you can go back & look at it critically. I have no idea if this is BS & wish I could track down where I came across it. Cheers to any help.
Aha, It happens to Redditors too! Rage comic, thread.
Trying to read Neuromancer when I was 11, after a local computer magazine had written about how it’s basically the best book ever, was basically this all the time. I knew very few English cultural idioms back then, and Gibson really likes his cultural idioms, like “You ever the heat?” for “Did you use to be a cop?” I could read Stephen King novels in English fine at that point, but Neuromancer was just pages and pages of me having no idea what’s going on, and I eventually gave up about a third in.
Not quite—this is talking about words you could understand but your attention wanders.
Did you ever come back to it, or try a translation?
I also get the thing where I stop understanding text just from not paying attention, and as far as I remember, the experience of reading that was the same. I don’t remember ever being actively aware that I couldn’t understand the text, just having the constant weird situation of reading sentences I seemed to be able to read just fine, but still ending with very little idea of what the narrative was.
I picked up the book again a couple of years ago and read it through without problem. That was also when I got a clearer idea of how the book was full of tricky narrative beats I’d have had no hope of understanding properly the first time around.
To be honest, I got that from Gibson first time through the trilogy and I’m a native speaker ;-) They made more sense on rereading.
I’m sorry to drop references without a summary, but this will have to do at the moment: “Lost thoughts: Implicit semantic interference impairs reflective access to currently active information”
.....Slicereader which breaks text into paragraphs that are displayed one-per-page. To advance to the next paragraph, you press the spacebar.