The process of cognition is quite slow when compared to current technology. For instance, a loud sound takes a good fraction of a second before we are aware of it.
Of course what is almost certainly meant by the author is that we could be in a place as soon as we think of it. That would be a neat trick, especially of we are thinking of some place on the other side of the Universe.
"what is almost certainly meant by the author is that we could be in a place as soon as we think of it."
Yep. And it would be a neat trick.