What is automatic writing?

Automatic writing is a form of writing that is done without conscious thought or effort. In spiritualism, automatic writing is writing generated instinctively when the subject’s attention is seemingly directed elsewhere. The event can occur while the patient is awake or in a hypnotic trance, or most commonly during a séance.

Many people believe that automatic writing is a form of divination that can be used to communicate with spirits or other supernatural beings or to access hidden knowledge or insight. Some people also use automatic writing as a form of self-expression or therapy.

While the practice of automatic writing can be traced back to the 18th century, it gained popularity in the early 20th century thanks to psychoanalysts such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Freud believed that automatic writing could be used to access the subconscious mind, while Jung saw it as a way to obtain information from the collective unconscious.

Today, there is still much debate about the validity of automatic writing. Some people believe that it is a real form of communication with spirits or other supernatural beings, contemporary psychodynamic theories of personality claim that qualities, emotions, intentions, urges and experiences that are inconsistent with a person’s consciousness may be detached from awareness and rarely displayed overtly during normal waking behavior. These characteristics, however, may be disclosed in the content of automatic writing.

Whether or not you believe in its powers, automatic writing can be a fun and interesting way to explore your creativity and innermost thoughts.