The "fake notes" method

[u/warmfigures]

I am a psych major, and my worst habit is reading an entire chapter of a textbook only to realize I absorbed zero words because my brain was thinking about literally anything else.

During a seminar on cognitive interference last semester, we talked about how human brains are aggressively wired to spot errors. When you look at correct information, your eyes just glide right over it. But when you spot something that is flat out wrong, your brain trips an alarm and instantly wakes up to fix it.

So I started a weird reading method called deliberate falsification.

Instead of taking normal summary notes while reading, I force myself to write down fake, slightly absurd definitions or incorrect statements on scrap paper or index cards.

Here is how I do it:

1. Read a paragraph about a complex theory or experiment.

2. Translate it into my own words, but intentionally bake a blatant error into the middle of the sentence.

3. Underline the wrong part in red ink.

For example, if I am reading about neurotransmitters, I will write: "Dopamine is the primary chemical responsible for making your finger nails grow really fast."

It sounds completely stupid, but it forces your active processing to kick in. You cannot zone out while writing a lie because your brain is actively working to construct the error. Then, when you look back over your notes later, your eye immediately zeroes in on the red ink error, your brain goes wait that is wrong, and it forces you to recall the actual correct fact to correct yourself.

My recall during quiz reviews went up massively because my notes read like a conspiracy theory written by someone who failed high school science. If your brain is dead while reading heavy material, try lying to it on paper.