I want a name for this

I did find this paper where somebody used the term “mindless reading”

Smallwood, J. (2011). Mind‐wandering while reading: attentional decoupling, mindless reading and the cascade model of inattention. Language and Linguistics Compass, 5(2), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818x.2010.00263.x

Seems that is the term used for it such as this talk in 2006

https://ies.ed.gov/director/conferences/06ies_conference/posters/readingtq_reichle.asp

Abstract: "Mindless reading" occurs when, during reading, our eyes continue to move across the printed page in spite of the fact that we are busy thinking about things that are often completely unrelated to the text.

I can sometimes do this without my attention even shifting. I'll mentally read every word individually for a while, but forget to put them together to actually understand them.
- I do that stupidly often when reading stories.
I think we've got some drivers around here who drive like that.

This was a symptom of ADHD that I discussed with my doctor when I got diagnosed tbh

Is it an actual ADD symptom? I do this all the time.
- Yes, but many things are symptoms of ADHD, but no single symptom alone is a sign of ADHD.
- Yeap, one of the BIG ones according to multiple doctors I've seen
  Either that or dyslexia can apparently cause this too, according to my dyslexic friend in HS
- It was for me, I'm not sure if it's universal. Consider talking to a professional if you're concerned about it.
- Yep. It was actually one of my diagnostic questions.
I could do this, reading out loud even. And not know what the fuck I just read for the last 10 minutes.
And yes, I have ADHD.
Is this an indicator or straight up ADHD specific? Because this is me constantly
If it happens all the time I would say so. This happens to me when I'm tired so I just figured it's my brain lagging

Back when I came into the office every day, it was a 45-minute commute. At least one day every week, I had no active memory of getting from the north side of the beltway to my house (about 20-25 minutes). I'd reach this point, and it was like someone flipped a switch, and I became aware that I existed.

I've done this with Audio Books. I've listened to 2-3 chapters, and they'll mention an assassin; Brain goes, wait, assassin? WHAT ASSASSIN? I start rolling back find out I completely tuned out 20 minutes of the story.

This is why I can't listen to audio books. I just get lost in the soothing voice and my mind wonders. Paper books are where it's at.
- Podcasts and technology connections on YouTube. I totally enjoy them, but if I'm halfway tired and my mind doesn't want to focus and I put either on, I'm passing out after 10 minutes.
Yeah getting out of your car and realizing you have no idea how you got here is spooky.
Yea but then you realize that you have now made the audiobook last 30mins longer, so it's a win... especially if it's a good book.

~~Cruise control.~~
Autopilot, like Szeth said below.

I use the term Autopilot
- That's better. I think i mixed it up.
  My brain goes into cruisepilot a lot.

I call it “ADHD” because I damn sure was thinking about 3 other things while I was reading-notreading.

Surely there's a very long German word for it.

Attentiondefißithyperactivitydißorder
- While this is more common for people with ADHD, it can happen to anyone.
- More like Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/Hyperaktivitätsstörung.
  By the way, using the 'ß' as you did would force the preceding vowel to have a stretched pronunciation.
  And I don't know about you, but in my opinion defeeßit and deeßorder sounds awful.
It 's not that long, I think it is called "Leselücke" (reading gap).
If you want, you could call it "Lesegedankenwanderungsamnesie" (reading wandering thought amnesia) 🤔
at least 35 syllables long and you'll forget what your reading halfway through the word.
I'll bet there is - some of my friends call it "Leseschlaf" (reading sleep), which seems fitting.
- I like this one!
Aufmerksamkeitsdefizitsyndrom

Thank god this relatable to so many of us, I was wondering if this was a symptom of a larger disorder whenever this happens to me.

The worst is when I'm reciting word for word technical information about chemistry or physics, because I often like to explain how things work to friends and family while I work on stuff, and then I'll get interrupted or distracted and have no memory of wtf I was just saying for the last several minutes straight.

I think it could be argued for a state of hypnosis, like how people drive for miles but just don't remember how they did it entirely.

Difference is, you clearly drove and got there safely. You didn't read the words on the page, you just moved your eyes across ink blots.

I was a professional driver for 20 years. I can attest that autopilot is a real thing.
It’s easy to monitor traffic on either side but end up daydreaming and miss a turn.
I’ve been out of the transport industry for five years now and I still occasionally find myself auto-piloting to places I used to deliver to. It’s so weird.
- I drove black cars for a bit, I've definitely just taken the airport exit once when I was out of it. Glad I'm not alone.

Adhd

This ^^^

It’s called ADHD.

Sure. Or it's just tiredness and completely normal to happen.

I vary between spacing out, zoning out, or the already mentioned autopilot.

!nameit@sopuli.xyz

Linking an obscure community that I made. You're my favourite lemmite
- Wait? XD You did? I didn't realize it was you...
  I really love your concept by the way.

"School"

That's called "School".

Motor tasks like eye movement I think would fall under autopilot. I think it increases with age and adhd

This is why studying takes me 4 times longer than the average person. I have to reread so many things to make it sync in. It annoys me how somone can just look or read something once and they have it already

I've done this with audio books.

Ambien

Lucid Reading?

It's called "looking at memes".

I have to read out loud to myself to finish a book or an article.

It has made my reading comprehension go through the roof. And I didn't understand that about myself for my first 45 years.

I call it "five too many coffee cups today". When I cut off from coffee, I become able to follow a text much better.

I can drink as many tea cups that I can without throwing up and not get the same jitter-effect so it doesn't seem to be just caffeine.

Now I know that when people say read something they don't mean read the words but not the meaning. They mean read it and comprehend it.

Text-to-speech is your friend here.

I use a website called "speechify" but there are a lot of options.

Still helps to read along with it, but having that auditory input in tandem with visually reading will keep you on track like you've never experienced.

Or listening to an audio book and reading the book at the same time, but then often there's the case where one is a different version than the other.

Dissociation, of course.

It already has a name: ADHD

Edit: and the stigma against the disease continues. I thought you were better than this, Lemmy.

"someone isn't focused, they're surely suffering from a neurodevelopmental disease"
fuck this fucking pillpusher propaganda
- It's absolutely an ADHD symptom if it happens every time a person tries to read. Whether or not they need medication is a separate issue.
- Sure bud, tell me about the condition I’ve had all my life and how my life didn’t get immeasurably better when I finally got diagnosed and treated by a professional in my 4th decade of life.
  So ignorant and arrogant at the same time. Trump voter?

Disinterest

No I’ve done this when I was interested. This happens to me when I’m stressed about something and my brain goes off to think about it even though my eyes are going through the motions with the words on the page. Then I have to start again.

I call it "reading with my eyes but not my brain", but I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't think you need to turn every god damned niche thing into a new word or initialism just to gatekeep against those who didn't know the new word just made up.

It's not that deep bro relax
- how exactly do you think jargon happens "bro"?

Good news! It doesn't matter. Your brain read it anyways.

I would like to unread this, please