The Beauty of Mindless Reading 

Mindless reading is a form of reading that allows the mind to relax and unwind, providing a mental break from intensive activities. It involves engaging with reading in a way that doesn't require hard concentration or critical thinking, allowing the reader to enjoy the flow of words and ideas without analysis or in-depth comprehension. It can have many benefits. We’ll be talking about three things that make reading wondrous; the reason I read, the benefits of reading, and finally the impacts of mindless reading. Hopefully, by the end of this essay, I can help you embark on the magical journey of reading. 

For all the reasons that I read, the primary reason is that while my current life is my own, I’d rather experience others, with a more in-depth understanding and emotions. As Anne Bogel says in her book, I’d Rather Be Reading, “People read for a multiplicity of reasons. Nearly forty years in, I can tell you why I inhale books like oxygen: I'm grateful for my one life, but I'd prefer to live a thousand --and my favorite books allow me to experience more on the page than I ever could in my actual life”. Reading epic-length novels and fanfictions is an easy way to relax and “mindlessly” consume knowledge. For example, I’ve been reading a story called Peerless Martial God, by Jing Wu Hen. It’s a Chinese novel of epic proportions. It totals up to 2.5 million words after being translated into English. This would be the 20th book of this size that I’ve read, and while reading, I can recall almost anything that I have read in any of those books, and yet, the entire time reading was a relaxing and mindless experience. Placing myself into the position of the main character, I can imagine myself in a new world, experiencing the emotions the MC does, and living a new life, I can let the stress of my real life fade. The knowledge that the story continues for so long means that any anger or sadness I experience during the novel, I know there is an end, I know that the feelings are only temporary and can continue to read with pleasure. 

Another reason to read such long and detailed stories is that it gives a couple of benefits; for example, for young adolescents who are in school, learning reading comprehension isn’t an exact science. Only by reading something for long periods of time can you increase comprehension. Luckily, you do not have to read anything in particular, whether it’s science fiction, autobiography, or nonfiction. I recommend reading fanfiction, most liked fanfiction uses commonly known works of literature and makes them alternate universes, while still remaining in the same plot lines. If you like Harry Potter, there are thousands of stories out there, and most of them are about 100,000 words. It’s the average length of a Harry Potter book, and all customized to what you want to read about, not a set storyline. Reading all this fanfiction can increase your reading speed and comprehension manifold. Additionally, reading books and online fiction before bed can be a great way to unwind from the stresses of daily life. Unlike reading complex materials and concepts that require active thinking, reading a mindless story makes it easier to go to sleep.

Another benefit of mindless reading is the improvement of one's mood. By immersing myself in a book like I do, I feel all the happiness the main character experiences. This is something that can’t be done easily when reading something like nonfiction. When all that is being said is facts and reasoning, you can’t immerse yourself in a detailed world. The emotions experienced are not limited to just happiness and joy; things like sadness, anger, and pleasure are all feelings that can be experienced during reading. Whether you are angry at life, or depressed from the weight of the world on your shoulders, reading can help uplift or enhance your reading experiences. 

Some people will argue that reading mindlessly can negatively affect an individual's mind, such that reading comprehension actually decreases, things like that are thoroughly calculated. Just like Ben Feller says in his online article “Mindless Reading Can Leave You Zoned Out” Ben Feller notes, “The readers who zoned out most tended to do the worst on tests of reading comprehension - a significant, if not surprising, result. The study also suggested that zoning out caused poor test results, as opposed to other possible factors, such as the complexity of the text or the task.” The main thing in the article was that they were reading a fictional book, War and Peace on a computer, and noticed that some students zoned out quite a bit. I find that the study should be taken with a grain of salt, as there are thousands of factors that devolve reading speed. Lack of sleep, mood, and general mindset can all affect your comprehension of topics. Unless you choose to put yourself in that situation where you don’t want to be there, your reading comprehension will be damaged. That is why I recommend reading as a hobby, not as required for work or school. Additionally, mindless reading can be seen as a form of escapism and avoidance, in which someone attempts to escape from problems and tasks by using reading. This form of consumption of books is indeed harmful, especially for long periods of time, which is why it’s important to pace yourself. There are thousands of chapters in the epic-length books that I read; there is no expectation that I can reasonably consume all of that in one night. So, while there are some negative impacts, all of them can be neutralized by pacing yourself and knowing that not everything needs to be read in one sitting. 

In conclusion, reading can be a relaxing, pleasurable activity, which comes with many benefits: like enhancing your mood, enabling better sleep, and increasing reading comprehension. Just like every dessert you have, it’s important to pace yourself. At the end of the day, what I want you to take away from this is that there is no limit to what you can consume; just take your time, and enjoy the experience, the journey, and don’t pay attention to the end. Don’t count the steps; lose yourself in the world.

Works Cited

Bogel, Anne. I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life. 4 Sept. 2018, www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/60141215-i-d-rather-be-reading-the-delights-and-dilemmas-of-the-reading-life.

Chatgpt.com, 2024, chatgpt.com/share/52695a95-534b-416e-94d3-beb46187cead.

Feller, Ben. “Mindless Reading Can Leave You Zoned Out.” Ocala, 4 July 2006, www.ocala.com/story/news/2006/07/04/mindless-reading-can-leave-you-zoned-out/31163626007/.

Wu Hen, Jing. Peerless Martial God. 2012. translated by Babel Novel, babelnovel.com/books/peerless-martial-god.