I am useless in reconising complex patterns. I tried to get into an elctronics course in the early 1990's and I passed all the tests (ie maths. english, etc) very well until the very last one. It was the Raven's spatial reconisition test. To get into the course, you needed to get 80% or more. I got just 20% and I did not get in. In 2006, I discovered that a low score in this test did strongly suggest I had an undiscovered learning disability to patten reconising.
By cubing, I am very slowly teaching by brain to do complex pattern reconisition. This of course means my 4x4x4 or higher PB's will be very slow (6m10s 4x4, 10m30s 5x5, 36m 7x7, I do not own a real 6x6 yet) but the fact I can even solve big cubes at all is a real achivement.
I am working towards a 4m30s for 4x4, 8m for 5x5 and 28m for 7x7. If I can achive these, I'll be delighted with joy.
For 3x3 and lower, this skill is not so important and I have got my times down pretty well (80s 3x3, 20s 2x2, 0.13s 1x1) and I use cold algorithms for the middle layer to replace patten reconisition draining F2L and solving the whole bottom layer first by using the R D R' D' alg and obtaining the cross by intitutive methods. For the top layer, I use mainly 2-look OLL/PLL with some beginner algs in particular cases (ie twirl 2 corner pieces into solved state and twirl 2 edges both 90 degrees apart into the solved state).
And 2-look OLL/PLL is great. I reccomend that you upgrade from the true beginner method for the top layer to this. You will notice the difference.