The Transformative Nature of Deep Reading
Mechanical perception of a text means reading words without active engagement of the mind, that is, without constructing vivid semantic images and deep understanding. In this case, words remain merely a set of printed symbols devoid of emotional and sensory coloring, which does not contribute to forming strong associative links in memory. One source emphasizes: "Therefore, if you read a book only with your eyes, without engaging your mind, if you perceive only the words, you will not remember them at all. Memorizing printed words is the weakest ability! (Although there are people with a highly developed ability: a book page seems to be imprinted in their memory.) It is much easier for an ordinary person to remember what has been seen and heard rather than what has been read." (source: link txt)Another author explains that during meaningful reading we "invest" meaning into the text, thereby creating a mental image that allows us to assimilate information much more effectively: "Everyone, even first graders, has heard that you should not learn without meaning, that is, by rote memorization. But people usually think that you need to extract meaning from the words written on paper. However, meaning should not be extracted, but invested! ... This is exactly what it means to imbue a text with meaning, to give it significance, to understand it." (source: link txt)Thus, when a reader mechanically processes a text, there is a lack of active mental work—the process of breaking down information into meaningful elements, creating vivid images, and establishing logical relationships between concepts. It is precisely this thoughtful, creative approach that allows the material to be unconsciously remembered, because the information is processed more deeply, revealing interconnections, and the memory “activates” on its own. "To study a lesson means to fill every word with precise meaning, to create rich and vivid mental pictures, to understand the concepts. All this mental work will lead to the material being unconsciously remembered." (source: link txt)In summary, without active, meaningful engagement, the brain operates superficially, and memorization turns into the collection of primitive images, resulting in weak assimilation of the material.Supporting citation(s): "Therefore, if you read a book only with your eyes, without engaging your mind, if you perceive only the words, you will not remember them at all. Memorizing printed words is the weakest ability! ..." (source: link txt) "Everyone, even first graders, has heard that you should not learn without meaning, that is, by rote memorization. But people usually think that you need to extract meaning from the words written on paper. However, meaning should not be extracted, but invested! ..." (source: link txt) "To study a lesson means to fill every word with precise meaning, to create rich and vivid mental pictures, to understand the concepts..." (source: link txt)