Come and explore the benefits of automatic handwriting techniques and methods. Understanding the origins of automatic writing will help you appreciate this time-tested process. You’ll enjoy this journey. Mastering automatic writing is easy. It is an efficient way to explore our subconscious mind.
The method of writing without intent has a poor reputation. It’s often tied to witchcraft, Ouija boards, and fortune-telling. But this assessment is not true. Religious conservatives have branded it an evil means of divination. The reason for this is that it offers answers that belief in myths cannot provide. One thing is for sure: the origins of automatic writing pre-date Western theology.
This negative association is no accident. Anything that competes with Western organized religion is demonized. The same is true for the Shamanic Journey or journaling. So, don’t give up on this process before considering all the facts. Let’s look at its historical roots and various ways of using it. The automatic writing exercise goes by several names. Here are the most common:
— Stream-of-Consciousness Writing: Write without stopping or worrying about mistakes.
— The Morning Pages Process: Write first thing in the morning to set your intention.
— Timed Writing: Set a timer for 10-20 minutes and write non-stop until it goes off.
— Prompt Writing: Start with a question or idea to guide your writing.
— Meditative Writing: Meditate or do deep breathing before writing to calm your mind.
— Free Association: Write a word, write whatever comes to mind next, and keep going.
The Origins of Automatic Writing Methods
Automatic handwriting techniques and methods date back to ancient China in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). People thought spirits could write messages. They used a technique called “Fuji.” (1) In this, a medium held a stick or brush. The spirits guided their hand to create the messages. This practice was deeply rooted in the belief that the spiritual world could offer guidance and wisdom through written words.
Various other cultures have also used this method of handwriting. The ancient Egyptians used oracles and divination to talk to their gods. (2) They wrote messages as part of these practices. Druids in Europe practiced divination rituals. One method they used was the automatic writing exercise. No one knows for sure who first invented it. The historical origins of automatic writing are still a mystery.
Automatic Writing Methods and the Romani People
The Romani people’s 14th-century arrival in Europe began in northern India. They also embraced automatic handwriting, believing it was a way to contact spirits who could provide guidance. The Romani people are often given credit for the origins of automatic writing in Europe. As traveling gypsies, they spread this tool as a part of their sideshows.
The Modern Spiritualist Movement
The Modern Spiritualist Movement (19th Century) (3) popularized automatic handwriting techniques and methods. Mediums would enter a trance-like state and let spirits control their handwriting. People often used this practice to talk to the deceased and find spiritual insights. It captured the imagination of many who wanted to explore the unknown.
Spiritual Explorers and Artists
The Russian spiritual teacher G.I. Gurdjieff (1866-1949) also explored automatic writing. He believed that human consciousness could evolve. He used techniques like automatic writing to help his students reach higher awareness. Gurdjieff taught that intense inner work and self-awareness are crucial. He often used practices like automatic writing to reach deeper parts of the mind.
Artists and writers use automatic handwriting techniques to reach their subconscious. (4) This helps boost their creativity. The poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) and artist Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) used automatic writing in their work.
Modern Psychology and The Automatic Writing Exercise
The Romani people came from northern India (5) and moved to Europe in the 14th Century. They also embraced automatic handwriting, believing it was a way to contact spirits who could provide guidance. They are often given credit for the origins of automatic writing in Europe. As traveling gypsies, they spread this tool as a part of their sideshows.
The early pioneers of psychology sought ways to investigate the subconscious mind. This quest led Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) and Carl Jung (1875-1961) to explore the benefits of automatic handwriting. Freud used it as a tool for understanding repressed thoughts and desires. Jung used it to develop his theories on the collective unconscious and archetypes. Carl Jung talks about this handwriting process as a way to channel ancient personalities.
Active imagination and automatic writing, painting and carving pictures from the unconscious are all indirect methods of finding out what the unconscious means. — Carl Jung, Jung-Ostrowski PP 18 (6)
His comments gave fortunetellers credibility. Channeling is divination, a well-known con man tactic used in the Modern Spiritualism movement. Perhaps these comments contributed to his breakup of Carl Jung with Sigmund Freud and Friedrich Nietzsche.
Automatic Writing Methods and Mysticism
This practice is a standard tool used by mystics. Evelyn Underhill is a well-known Christian mystic who explores this idea in her writings. In her book Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Man’s Spiritual Consciousness, she describes it as a method to reach an altered state.
Ms. Underhill describes it as a method to stimulate dormant intuition and show the connection between memory and emotion. Other writers and poets also use this practice to nurture their creative minds. Many writers and poets of this time were drawn to mysticism. For example, William Butler Yeats discusses using this process. American author Jack Kerouac explains his use of this technique in Essentials of Spontaneous Prose.
Automatic handwriting fascinates people today. It mixes history, culture, and the mysterious realm of spirits. The origins of automatic writing methods reveal its versatility. This ancient spiritual practice is as old as writing on paper itself. It’s a tool for creativity and psychological exploration, offering a unique window into the depths of the human mind. Before discussing the methods, let’s review the reasons for and benefits of using this process.
Mastering Automatic Writing Methods
Practice is the key to mastering this practice. Try different methods like stream-of-consciousness writing, morning pages, or timed writing. Practice regularly, and don’t worry about making mistakes. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at letting your thoughts flow freely onto the paper.
As you practice, you’ll notice patterns in your writing and better understand your thoughts and feelings. This will help you gain more control over the process and use it to explore your mind more deeply.
Remember, mastering automatic writing methods takes time and patience. Keep practicing, and you’ll become more skilled at using this powerful tool to understand yourself better.
Let’s Explore the Benefits of Automatic Handwriting
It’s essential to explore the benefits of automatic writing and understand how it can impact our lives. (7)
Relaxation and Stress Relief: Many find mastering automatic writing methods helps you relax. Allowing your hand to move freely on paper can ease tension and soothe your mind. This simple practice is great for anyone looking for peace and calm.
Increase Self-Awareness: Automatic handwriting techniques and methods expand self-awareness. They give us insight into the mind and reveal mechanisms of our Ego, personality, and instincts. You might notice patterns or themes that reveal how you see yourself and react to different situations as you write. This self-awareness is crucial for personal growth and spiritual development.
Overcome Roadblocks to Growth: Mastering automatic writing methods helps reveal roadblocks to growth. Sometimes, we have fears or doubts that hold us back. By writing without conscious intent, you bring these issues to the surface. Once you know what’s stopping you, you can work on overcoming these challenges and moving forward on your spiritual journey.
Understand Your Dreams and Emotions: Automatic writing can interpret dreams. Explore the benefits of automatic handwriting as a tool to open the symbolism of your dreams. This can help you make sense of your emotions and find deeper meaning in your experiences.
As a Counseling Tool: The automatic writing exercise can be valuable in counseling, alone or with a partner. They help you share thoughts and feelings that are hard to say. This can lead to more emotional clarity and healing. Counselors can guide people in mastering automatic writing methods. They explore deep issues that may be causing problems.
Find Hidden Gifts: When you explore the benefits of automatic handwriting, you will uncover any latent talents. By uncovering these hidden abilities, we increase our personal development.
Boost Brain Power: Writing by hand activates different parts of the brain. This helps with memory and problem-solving skills and benefits overall well-being.
Enhance Creativity: Mastering Automatic writing methods can enhance creativity. You can unlock new ideas and perspectives by tapping into your subconscious. These insights may be ones you haven’t thought of consciously. This can be particularly useful for artists, writers, and anyone looking to boost their creative output.
Automatic writing can help us grow, explore our spiritually, or serve as a counseling tool. It can change how we see ourselves and our potential. Now, let’s look at the various techniques and methods.
Automatic Handwriting Techniques and Methods
1. Preparation Phase
Solo or Group Format
Decide Whether to Do It on Your Own or with a Partner: This decision will influence your needed materials and space. This process can be used along with other spiritual exploration exercises. So, the exercise will dictate whether you do it alone or with others.
Many people use the automatic writing exercise alone for journaling or exploring. When used in the Enneagram group exercises, a leader oversees it.
If you choose to do automatic handwriting independently, there are several advantages. You have the privacy to explore your thoughts and feelings without worrying about judgment from others. This can be particularly freeing and allow for more honest self-expression. You can choose the time and place that works best for you. You can take as much time as you need without feeling rushed, making the experience more personal and tailored to your needs.
However, there are also some drawbacks to doing it on your own. Without external input, it’s easy to get off track. You might find interpreting your writing challenging. You may also miss deeper insights that an observer would spot. Staying motivated and disciplined can also be harder without someone to encourage you.
Working with a partner or counselor for automatic handwriting has its own benefits. A partner or counselor can help you understand your writing. They offer insights you may not have thought about before. Having someone to share the experience with can be comforting and motivating. They can help you stay on track and committed to the practice, making it easier to maintain a routine.
This approach has downsides. You may feel less comfortable sharing personal thoughts, which could limit your openness. Coordinating with another person can be challenging and may limit your flexibility. You might become reliant on the other person for guidance and support, making it harder to practice on your own. This could affect your ability to develop independence in your automatic handwriting practice.
Gather Your Materials
Choose what you will write on. It can be as simple as a lined or unlined pad of paper. Some people prefer larger paper sizes or even easels used in calligraphy. Some people keep a separate journal for their automatic writing exercise.
Ensure you have everything, like pens, pencils, or crayons. Some people like to use music or sound to guide the processes. For example, we use Indian pundits chanting Sama Veda on our weekend retreats to explore the benefits of automatic writing.
Use a Timer or Guided Timekeeper
If you do automatic handwriting by yourself, use a timer to keep track of time. This helps you stay focused and gives you a starting and ending point. If you are working with a counselor or partner, they can help you control your time.
Use Emotional Check-ins
Be sure to take regular breaks to assess your emotional equilibrium. We recommend taking breaks at least every 15 to 20 minutes. When starting this process, it’s a good idea to stop every 5 or 10 minutes.
Secure a Private Space
Choose a quiet and comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed. This helps you concentrate and get into the right mindset for automatic handwriting.
Gather Your Materials
Ensure you have all the materials, such as pens, pencils, crayons, or any other writing tools you prefer. Having everything ready will help you start smoothly.
By preparing, you’ll eliminate the most common issues associated with using this process. Now, let’s look at our options for executing the techniques and methods.
2. Conduct the Automatic Writing Exercise
Relax and Clear Your Mind
Take a few deep breaths to relax. Try to clear your mind of any distracting thoughts. This will help you focus on the writing process.
Options for Eye Control
Choose what feels best for your eyes when you start your automatic writing session. Experiment to find what works best for you. Here are some options to consider:
Use peripheral vision to unfocus the eyes. This allows you to control the parasympathetic nervous system so that you don’t engage in the fight, flight or freeze reaction. You can still watch what your hand is doing but allow the subconscious control of the writing.
Closing eyes can help you focus inward and connect with your subconscious mind. It can reduce distractions and help you relax. Once you feel ready, you can open your eyes and start writing.
Keeping your eyes open allows you to see what you’re writing. This can be helpful if you want to stay aware of the words or doodles that come out. You can glance at the paper occasionally or keep your gaze soft and unfocused.
Some people find it helpful to look away from the paper, either at a blank wall or a calming object. This can help them avoid overthinking and let their hands move more freely.
You can experiment with these approaches to see what works best for you. The goal is to find a method that helps you relax and let your thoughts flow naturally.
Hand Position Tips
When starting your automatic writing session, how you hold the writing instrument is essential for comfort and ease. Here are some tips:
Hold the pen, pencil, or crayon lightly between your thumb and index finger, with the middle finger supporting it from underneath. This is called the tripod grip. Rest the shaft of the writing instrument near the large knuckle of your index finger. This grip helps you write smoothly without putting too much strain on your hand.
Make sure your grip is relaxed. If you hold the pen too tightly, your hand might cramp, making it harder to keep writing. To keep your hand relaxed, tap your index finger on the pen every few minutes.
You can also experiment with different grips to see what feels most comfortable. Some people find it helpful to place the writing tool between the index and middle fingers, resting it by the large knuckles. This alternative grip can relieve pressure caused by tightly gripping the pen. Finding a comfy grip on your writing tool can make automatic writing sessions more fun and effective.
Additional Process Options
The key is not to worry about making sense or being neat. Just let your hand flow freely, and the words will flow naturally. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar.
Use Prompts and Affirmations
You can use prompts or affirmations if you’re unsure how to start. These could be questions, words, or phrases. For example, you might start with “What do I need to know right now?” or “I feel…” This can help get your thoughts flowing.
Keep Moving
Keep your hand moving without stopping. Even if you don’t know what to write, just keep going. You can write, “I don’t know what to write,” until something else comes to mind. The goal is to keep the flow going and not let your hand stop moving.
It’s crucial to avoid self-criticism during this process. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or making sense. The goal is to let your subconscious mind take over, so let go of any judgment or need for perfection. Just write whatever comes to mind.
Be Open to the Unexpected
Stay open to whatever comes up. You might write words, sentences, or even doodles. Trust the process and let your hand guide you. Sometimes, unexpected thoughts or emotions might come up. Embrace them and let them flow onto the paper. This can lead to valuable discoveries about yourself.
If you’re comfortable, you can try switching hands. Writing with your non-dominant hand can sometimes help access different parts of your brain and bring out new insights. This can be a fun way to see what else your mind has to offer. Following these steps will increase the effectiveness of your session.
3. Analysis of the Automatic Writing Exercise
You must collect all your materials, like papers, journals, and other notes, to analyze the data gathered from automatic writing. Find a quiet place to spread out your materials. Look at each piece of writing carefully. Pay attention to any symbols, drawings, or unusual handwriting patterns. These might give you clues about your subconscious thoughts and feelings.
During the process, we are likely to discover things about ourselves that we didn’t know before. It can show us our hidden fears, emotions, and memories. This can be helpful because it allows us to face and deal with these feelings.
Try to identify any recurring themes or ideas. Are there certain words or images that keep appearing? These could be important messages from your subconscious mind. You can also look at the style of your handwriting. Is it neat or messy? Does it change at different points? Changes in handwriting can show shifts in your emotions or state of mind while writing.
As you go through your materials, take notes on what you find. Write down any patterns or symbols that stand out to you. This will help you see the bigger picture and understand the messages from your subconscious mind.
Finally, reflect on what you’ve discovered. Think about how these insights relate to your current life and feelings. This analysis can help you better understand yourself and guide you in making positive changes. Often, several questions come up when talking about the origins of automatic writing and its uses, so let’s answer these questions.
FAQ
Are Automatic Writing Exercises Safe?
Writing without conscious intent is safe. It is like other “free association” methods used in psychoanalytic therapy. These methods encourage the expression of thoughts, feelings, and emotions without any filtering. This process helps uncover hidden memories, emotions, and patterns in thinking. However, these methods can bring up hidden memories and emotions, so it is essential to prepare for this possibility.
Is Automatic Writing a Form of Hypnosis?
It depends on how you define them. Some people think automatic writing and hypnosis are the same because they both create altered states of mind. But they are different.
In hypnosis, someone guides your attention and makes you open to suggestions. You might look awake but not be aware of your surroundings. It can help with therapy but also makes you open to unwanted suggestions.
Automatic writing is different. You let your mind wander while keeping your hand on the paper. You are aware of your surroundings and what you are writing, but you don’t control the content. This can give you insights into your mind and reveal hidden emotions and fears.
What Is Automatic Writing in the Abrahamic Religions?
It depends on what you believe. Many people believe in demons from Persian mythology and are part of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These religions have over 4 billion followers and influence our culture a lot. Demons are familiar in TV, movies, and religion, but that doesn’t make them real.
Automatic writing can trigger our basic protective instincts, like fight, flight, or freeze. If you have deep fears, they might show up during this process, even causing hallucinations. If you are prone to seeing aliens or demons, these might appear, too.
Are The Exercises for Automatic Writing Divination?
No, automatic writing exercises are not a form of divination. They are a tool for exploring your subconscious mind and understanding your thoughts and emotions. While they can bring up hidden memories and feelings, they do not predict the future or involve supernatural elements. It’s essential to use these exercises carefully and be prepared for any strong emotions that may arise.
Conclusion
Now, you have the answers to the most common questions and a detailed technique outline. You are ready to begin mastering automatic writing methods.
Automatic handwriting techniques are powerful tools that help us explore our subconscious mind. They reveal hidden thoughts and emotions, allowing us to face and deal with them. They also improve our self-awareness and problem-solving skills.
Remember to be prepared and take this process seriously. It’s important to analyze your writing. This is where you will find valuable insights into your mind that can be used to make positive changes. Automatic handwriting is a journey of self-discovery that can lead to a better understanding of yourself and your inner world.
(1) Fuji (planchette writing) – Wikipedia (Wikipedia)
(2) Science in the Study of Ancient Egypt – Academia.edu:
(3) The Automatic Hand: Spiritualism, Psychoanalysis, Surrealism – MIT
(4) The Science Behind Automatic Writing: What You Need to Know – Reality Pathing:
(5) The Romani People: A Historical Overview – University of Texas:
(6) Becoming Machine: Surrealist Automatism and Some Contemporary Instances – Tate:
(7) Automatic Writing: Unlocking the Subconscious Mind – NeuroLaunch: