The obstacle that we try to surmount as we learn to speed read does not dwell on how the material is presented. Rather, it is our ability to recognize a complex or unfamiliar set of symbols and the concepts associated with them. When we encounter an unfamiliar word, we often pause or slow down to process it better.
But then, such an obstacle is surmountable due to familiarization as our reading experience progresses. The more you handle complex symbols and materials, the more that your vocabulary grows. The vault of symbols and concepts that you learned is enriched as well as your capacity to understand easily what has been so difficult to grasp before.
Like anything else that can be learned out of habit, reading at such a tremendous speed is really quite possible as long as you get used to it. But if the goal of speed reading is to fully comprehend a text or even enjoy the associated concepts at a faster rate, there must be some compromises to make along the way.
As you learn to speed read, allow your eyes to scan back the text that you don’t understand and mull over the concepts. Don’t finish the text just for the sake of finishing it quickly. This way, it will be easier for you to move forward when you encounter the same words, sentences and concepts in the future.
There’s no better way to be a fast reader other than the tired-old cliché: Practice makes perfect. Just as choreographic dancers learned to soften and attune their bodies gracefully to the music by constant practice, then you will also have to mold your brain with active neural response and new connections as you learn more words, phrases and concepts.