Dr Paul R. Scheele is an American author and educator, co-founder of Learning Strategies Corporation and creator of the PhotoReading whole mind system. [1] His message, in his own words: “You are brilliant beyond your imagination!” [1]
Who is Paul Scheele?
Paul studied biological sciences at the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1977. [2] He went on to earn degrees in Biology, Learning and Human Development, and Leadership and Change, and built a background in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), accelerated learning and preconscious processing. [1]
He co-founded Learning Strategies Corporation in Wayzata, Minnesota, which has been helping people “maximize your potential since 1981.” [3] [2] With his business partner Pete Bissonette, he developed a course around his book The PhotoReading Whole Mind System. “I wrote the book with the intent that anyone could learn to do this,” he told the Star Tribune. [2]
Over the years Paul has designed more than fifty programmes on personal and professional development, and he is the author of two bestselling books, PhotoReading and Natural Brilliance. His work has been translated into more than fifteen languages and used in 155 countries. [1] He is also a founding member of the Transformational Leadership Council. [1]
Learning Strategies has also worked with well-known teachers such as Jack Canfield, Marie Diamond and Hale Dwoskin. [3] Throughout, Paul’s passion has been helping people “activate these rich resources within the mind” and connect them with “spiritual wisdom.” [1]
His approach in brief
- Start with the whole. See the big picture first.
- Be a beginner. It’s fine not to know.
- Learn in chunks. 20 minutes, then a break.
- Release and notice. Then respond and witness.
At a glance
Known for: PhotoReading
Topics: Accelerated learning, NLP, problem solving
Format: Books, courses, audio sessions
Books: PhotoReading, Natural Brilliance
YouTube: Learning Strategies
Good fit if
You’re studying, returning to learning or facing a pile of reading, or you like NLP-based tools for getting unstuck.
Our take
A warm, practical teacher on learning how to learn. Start with his short video on learning whole to parts.
Paul Scheele’s key methods
These come from his books, programmes and videos, explained in his own words. Tap a card to read more.
Learn whole to parts
Paul recalls the way most of us were taught at school: sitting in rows while “the teacher would put something meaningless on the board and force us to make sense out of” it. That creates what he calls “cognitive stress,” and under stress, he says, attention narrows and memory suffers. [4]
His alternative is to start with the big picture: “where are we going here, why are we going there, what is it that I’m supposed to be learning.” Once you have it, you can move to the details. [4]
He describes a forehead-straining state he calls “bark mark,” when you’re so close to the tree you can’t see the forest. His advice: “sit back, stand back, understand why you’re doing it.” Good learning, he says, balances the decoding of parts with the big picture so “you’re actually using your whole brain.” [4]
Beginner’s mind
As a child, Paul says, he believed school was about proving he already knew things. Not knowing made him feel “embarrassed, ashamed,” and he avoided asking questions. [4]
He now sees that as backwards. “You have to be willing to go into a learning activity and not know,” he explains. “It’s what they called in the Zen tradition the beginner’s mind.” [4]
He tells of a colleague from the Transformational Leadership Council who, when she started, openly admitted she didn’t know what she was doing and asked everyone for help. “Now she’s one of the best,” he says. His closing advice: “Go into the beginner’s mind, go whole to parts, enjoy. You can learn anything you set your mind to.” [4]
Study in 20-minute chunks
Paul describes two kinds of learning. Knowledge acquisition builds quickly: “the more you learn the more you’ve got.” Skills acquisition has “long plateaus of practice and small blips up” on the road to mastery. [5]
Either way, you’re building “neural highways,” like a path worn across a field of grass. His routine for each session: [5]
- Lay out your materials and decide what you want to achieve.
- Close your eyes, take a deep breath and tell yourself that for the next 20 minutes you’ll learn “in a relaxed state of alertness.”
- Learn for 20 minutes, then keep your promise and take a break, even if you’re in the flow.
- Pause, consolidate what you learned, then stand up, stretch, drink water and move.
For longer study, he suggests a 15-minute break after each 90 minutes. [5]
PhotoReading
Paul’s best-known work is The PhotoReading Whole Mind System, an approach to working through large amounts of written material. [2] Learning Strategies stresses that it is not speed reading: you take in pages first, then “activate” the material “through a series of steps” to build understanding. [6]
The Star Tribune explained that, in Paul’s system, you let the material rest for “at least 20 minutes, but preferably overnight,” and then, “through activation techniques, you gain the level of comprehension you need.” [2]
His book is available in many languages, including Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Chinese. If you’d like a step-by-step look at the method, see our PhotoReading guide.
Natural Brilliance
Paul used his NLP training to study how some people seem to handle challenges with ease. He turned what he found into the Natural Brilliance process, which has four steps: [7]
- Release. “The first thing you must do when you are faced with a challenge is to let go” of your mental and emotional attachment.
- Notice. Look at the circumstances without judgement, and “you’ll begin to notice new choices.”
- Respond. “Take action. Do something about the challenge.”
- Witness. See what happened as a result. If it didn’t work, “simply begin the process all over with Release.”
“Not every action you take will result in success,” the programme notes. “But you’ll never know until you try it.” [7]
Paraliminal sessions
Paul also created the Paraliminal recordings, described as “a unique dual-voice audio technology.” [3] The sessions draw on NLP and whole-brain learning, and Learning Strategies says they “are not magical or mystical.” [8]
There are nearly four dozen sessions, on everyday themes such as active listening, deep relaxation, gratitude, focus and creativity. [1] [8] Many are introduced by Paul on the Learning Strategies YouTube channel.
His colleague Win Wenger, whose work also appears through Learning Strategies, shares a similar interest in creativity and learning; see our Win Wenger profile.
Videos with Paul Scheele
Hand-picked from the official Learning Strategies channel and checked one by one: learning how to learn, reading and focus.
Start here
Learning how to learn
Reading and note-taking
Paraliminal sessions
Articles about Paul Scheele
Paul Scheele’s books
Paul is the author of two bestselling books, both still in print.
Find his books in your country: US · UK · Canada · Australia · India.
Where to learn from him
Learning Strategies offers Paul’s programmes as self-study courses and live seminars, and shares many free videos on its YouTube channel. [3]
His work has been used in 155 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Europe and India. [1]
What the Research Shows
Two ideas in Paul’s teaching, steady practice on the road to mastery and setting a clear intention before you start, have been studied by psychologists.
- Deliberate practice. Focused, structured practice is a key driver of expert performance. [9]
- Simple if-then plans. Deciding in advance exactly when and where you will act makes people much more likely to follow through. [10]
Frequently asked questions
Who is Paul Scheele?
An American author and educator, co-founder of Learning Strategies Corporation and creator of PhotoReading.
What is PhotoReading?
His whole-mind system for working through written material; Learning Strategies says it is not speed reading.
What is Natural Brilliance?
His four-step process for challenges: Release, Notice, Respond and Witness.
What does whole to parts mean?
Getting the big picture of a subject first, then learning the details.
How long should I study at once?
Paul suggests 20-minute chunks, each followed by a short break.
What are Paraliminals?
Dual-voice audio sessions he created, drawing on NLP and whole-brain learning.
Where should I start?
His short video on learning whole to parts, then his 20-minute study routine.
Sources
- Learning Strategies: Paul R. Scheele, PhD
- Learning Strategies: Articles on PhotoReading (Star Tribune, A Fast Read)
- Learning Strategies: About Us
- Learning Strategies on YouTube: Best Way to Learn: Whole to Parts
- Learning Strategies on YouTube: Study in 20-minute Chunks
- Learning Strategies: PhotoReading Works on All Material
- Learning Strategies: Natural Brilliance by Paul R. Scheele
- Learning Strategies: Paraliminals by Paul R. Scheele
- Ericsson, Krampe and Tesch-Römer, The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance, Psychological Review 1993
- Gollwitzer, Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans, American Psychologist 1999
By Saj Ali. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it.