Have you ever found yourself blankly reading for a while?

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j_brower
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Have you ever found yourself blankly reading for a while?

Post by j_brower »

There has been numerous times where I would sit down to read and as I start reading I begin to think of something else, and instead of actual reading I began to just blankly stare at the words as my eyes scan by them. So tell me how often does this happen to you, and for how long, before you are able to stop it.
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Post by Hollow[Slayer]101 »

Yes. This does happen to me sometimes. It's usually a couple paragraphs before I notice what I'm doing and stop.
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Post by Tanaya »

I do this all the time! I read without processing what I'm reading for a few paragraphs or even a few pages before realizing it. Then I'll either go back to the last place I remember reading from or continue on from the spot where I am now. If this keeps occurring in the same book, it may be a sign that the book just isn't for you or now isn't the right time to read it (maybe you're too tired or otherwise distracted). It happens.
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Post by Jolyon Trevelyan »

Yes that does happen to me sometimes.
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Post by bluemel4 »

It used to happen to me a lot with textbooks. I either would lose interest or have a brain overload. It hasn't really happened recently. I read a lot of fiction. If I read non-fiction it is something I am interested in not being forced to read.
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Post by ReadandRoll[ »

Yes, sometimes my mind wanders off and I will go back and re-read it again.
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Post by Zoe303 »

It mostly happens when I'm distracted, especially by people talking, or the book is too boring that my mind would just drift off somewhere else.
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Post by ena »

Yes. It attacks me when I am bored with what I am currently doing, or just simply tired :D
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Post by kswiek »

I do this more than I would like to admit. It's always when I'm on the subway coming home from work and am tired. I want to read but my mind doesn't really take anything in. When I'm doing it it seems like I'm not retaining anything but after the fact I'll remember details that I never thought I would.
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Post by RuthRoseRed »

I know. It happens to me all the time, especially when I have been reading for a while. I just be sitting there sometimes not even thinking at all, and realize I haven't taken in a word of anything I have been reading.
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Post by agoodread+ »

Yes, I have had that experience! It most often happens when there is too much noise or activity going on around me. Also, when I am in a rush to get through with what I am reading, or anxious about something. Finding a quieter area is most helpful for the background noise of course, but using earplugs also helps significantly. When I find myself rushing due to anxiety, I deliberately make myself take a few deep breaths, then focus on each word and read slowly for a few sentences. This usually works. If not, I get up and move around awhile to break the pattern of thought. Doing something that gives me a sense of accomplishment really relieves my mind and puts me in a better state of mind so I can focus better. Hope this helps you!
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Post by moderntimes »

Yes it happens to me, usually when I'm reading at bedtime and I'm sleepy. Having "read" a page without realizing the content is a signal it's lights out time.

And just recently, more personally embarrassing, I'm reviewing and making teeny tweeks to my 3 novels before sending to edit and review via my publisher, and I found that I'd read maybe two chapters and had zero idea whether I'd made any changes or spotted anything that needed a fix. So I closed the file and drank a big gulp of water and started those chapters over again. And yeah, I found places I'd meant to change and hadn't. Duh.
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

This happens to me when I am very tired or when I am trying to read in a loud environment, such as a packed waiting room.
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein
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Post by YoungersX2 »

Yes! I'll be halfway through the page before I realize that I haven't been paying attention to the words so I have to start over again.
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Post by moderntimes »

Same here, Livre. But if I'm going to sleep, that's okay.

However if I'm reading to review and edit my novel prior to submission to the publsher? Bad news. I need to pay attention to my own writing, hey?
"Ineluctable modality of the visible..."
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