Author: Ed Strachar • Published on April 24, 2025
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Have books you want to read but can’t get around to them? Or does it simply take too long? You’re not alone. It’s an open secret in publishing that up to 90% of books never get read beyond the first chapter. One of the biggest obstacles to reading faster and understanding more is distraction. Your eyes may be on the page, but your mind is thinking of five or ten other things. This cognitive split makes traditional reading both slow and ineffective.
Most people believe that in order to improve reading comprehension, they must slow down. This assumption is outdated. The truth is, slowing down often results in boredom and diminished focus. Active reading strategies—especially those that train the brain to stay engaged—are essential if you want to read faster and retain more.
Mental distractions, passive reading habits, and a lack of technique all contribute to sluggish reading speed. In today’s information-rich world, relying on slow reading is not just inefficient; it’s a liability.
Contrary to popular belief, the brain doesn’t thrive on slow input. It thrives on rapid, engaged processing. This is a critical paradigm shift for anyone serious about learning. Cognitive learning strategies show that comprehension doesn’t have to suffer at higher speeds. In fact, the more actively the brain is engaged, the better it learns.
Speed reading techniques help synchronize visual input with cognitive processing, enhancing focus, reducing regression, and increasing retention. The result? You read faster and understand more.
At a private school session with Reading Genius®, students who previously took two to three weeks to finish a book read an 80 to 100-page volume in under 20 minutes. More importantly, they passed comprehension exams immediately afterward.
The secret? Rewiring the brain to link learning with excitement and motion. Students stood up, did jumping jacks, listened to music, and visualized the entire page at once. This multisensory approach increased engagement and anchored the experience in positive energy, which is essential in brain-based learning.
Elite athletes like Bjorn Borg have described seeing the tennis ball as “the size of a grapefruit” during peak performance. This inner vision is not a metaphor. It’s a cognitive shift that enhances reaction time, precision, and performance.
The same principle applies to reading. Visualization learning techniques allow readers to imagine entire paragraphs as cohesive images. Before reading a page, students in the Reading Genius course mentally project what it might contain. This primes the brain for rapid intake and better comprehension.
In Reading Genius, students visualize not just words but meaning—before they begin reading. They imagine colors changing on the page, see sentences come alive, and use body movement to boost neural activation. This isn’t passive learning. It’s immersive, intentional, and powerful.
By replacing subvocalization with visual imagery, learners can process information at a much faster rate. Combined with rhythm, music, and movement, this method trains the brain to read faster and comprehend on a deeper level.
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, author of Psycho-Cybernetics, discovered that the brain acts on whatever dominant inner image it holds. This forms the cornerstone of mental imagery in learning. When learners intentionally create vivid, clear images of what they want to understand, the brain aligns with that picture and facilitates faster, more accurate recall.
This aligns with recent studies in cognitive neuroscience that support the role of imagery, movement, and emotion in learning. The dominant mental picture becomes a guide for comprehension, retention, and performance.
The techniques shared here aren’t theoretical. They’re tested, replicable, and transformative. To read faster, you must first shift your internal model of how reading works. Use visualization, movement, and focus-enhancing environments to unlock your brain’s natural potential.
Explore more through the Reading Genius® course—and witness your own shift in learning capacity.
Q1: Can anyone really learn to read faster without losing comprehension?
Yes. With brain-based methods like visualization and pre-reading imagery, most people improve both speed and retention.
Q2: What technique helps most to read faster?
Eliminating subvocalization and visualizing entire paragraphs are key. Both train your brain to process larger chunks of information quickly.
Q3: How do movement and music help?
They stimulate the brain’s sensory centers and help anchor focus. This creates a more energetic and alert state for learning.
Q4: What reading speed is achievable with training?
Many achieve 500 to 1,000 words per minute with full comprehension using techniques taught in the Reading Genius® system.
Q5: Is this method backed by science?
Absolutely. The approach draws from well-documented research in Psycho-Cybernetics and cognitive science on the role of imagery in learning.
Want to transform your reading experience and cognitive performance? Discover the Reading Genius® course and learn how to read faster and understand more—naturally, efficiently, and powerfully.
Discover how Ed Strachar’s breakthrough method helps you read faster, focus deeper, and retain more — even if you’ve struggled for years.
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