Definition of AUTOMATIC WRITING: writing produced without conscious intention as if of telepathic or spiritualistic origin.
-Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Example 5 above
Automatic writing has long been believed to be a direct line of communication from the dead, in the same category as Ouija boards and tarot cards. Performed while in an altered state of consciousness, the hand holding the pen is manipulated by the spirit entity. The writer is often unaware of what is being written, while the hand moves independently.
I don’t know about you, but this is scary as hell to me! The thought of some entity controlling my hand while I am in an altered state sounds downright creepy- and dangerous! What if it’s true that this demonic entity is taking over your body to write this weird stuff? Isn’t it possible that this “spirit” might decide to stick around for awhile and take control of other things- your mind- and your life?
There is some controversy as to the origin of automatic writing. Is it a direct communication with demonic spirits that can take over your mind and body or a straight line from the unconscious mind to the hand holding the pencil, the writing spewing forth words and sentences which originate in the unconscious mind of the individual writer? Although there is some evidence supporting both sides of this argument, I prefer to err on the side of caution. It would be inadvisable to take the chance of allowing a spirit of any kind into your mind and body. Even if it is purely a connection with your own unconscious mind, why take the risk? There are too many other methods of achieving that kind of connection, such as hypnosis and meditation, which are considerably more safe.
But what about the handwriting itself? The ebb and flow of the writing, the slant, pressure, tension, spacing. Does automatic writing display different characteristics than the penman’s regular handwriting, and if so, what are the differences? If the handwriting is different, does it mean the person holding the pen is not the one doing the writing? Is it a demonic entity or the deep recesses of the individuals subconscious mind controlling the wandering pen? As a graphologist and hypnotist, I have a personal interest in this issue. I know that the subconscious mind has tremendous powers, and it can trick us sometimes. Not because it’s deceptive. It really does try to get the message across to our limited conscious mind, but sometimes we just don’t get it and start to embellish. We really do think we know what’s up, and we get confused. Maybe we think it’s an entity because we can’t believe our thought processes can go that deep. Or maybe it is an entity taking advantage of the limited conscious mind.
I was able to obtain copies via the internet of some samples of automatic writing by James Padgett, a psychic medium who in the late 1800’s received and wrote messages that were assumed to be sent from Jesus and his disciples. These writings formed the basis of teaching for The Foundation Church of the New Birth. Click on the following link to observe these samples:
http://www.truths.com/sample.htm
While looking at these samples the first thing that I noticed are the similarities throughout the first three. The legibility is questionable as it is difficult to read. Without getting into too much detail, the rhythm is good, the line spacing is consistent and the words run together. It’s hard to distinguish between the end of one word and the start of the next one. I assume the flow from one word into the next is a characteristic of automatic writing that is usually present. However, if you look at sample four, this is not the case. I believe this is a sample of his normal writing style, although they do not specify this clearly. It appears to be significantly different than the automatic writing in almost every discernable way. However, analyzing more closely you will notice many similarities. Although the automatic writing has more of a flow, many characteristics and letters are consistently the same. For instance in almost every case the lower case letters y and t are the same in both samples.
Example 5, which was apparently written by Amada Reza is remarkable because of the distinct change in handwriting style halfway through the page. In the first half the author was said to be Mary, mother of Jesus, while the second half was supposedly written by John the Apostle. Although the writing changes dramatically I would not say it was written by another person. The capital I, and small letters y, h, w, m, and t are the same in both samples, along with the letter and word connections in the upper zone. It is really almost the same writing in both samples, only the second one is smaller and written in a less haphazard way.
This is my conclusion from these samples alone. There is no real difference between the normal handwriting and the automatic handwriting of the person doing the writing. Neither is there a difference between the automatic writing that presumably changes in authorship in the middle of the page. Therefore it is my opinion that this writing derives from the unconscious mind and not from a possessing spirit.
Having drawn this conclusion, am I willing to take a leap of faith and submit myself to trying this? The answer is unequivocally “Hell no!” Even though I believe in this particular case it is probably not Mother Mary or Jesus, or any of the Apostles, in another case it could be an entity, and it probably isn‘t a good one. There are demonic entities, spirits and who knows what else out there probably just waiting for somebody to pick up that pen and go into an altered state. I will not be a guinea pig in this little experiment, and neither should you. Keep informed, stay safe, and remain aware.
Happy writing!
