Preface To Automatic: Automatic Writing

The Skeptic's Dictionary defines automatic writing as:

"writing allegedly directed by a spirit or by the unconscious mind. It is sometimes called 'trance' writing because it is done quickly & without judgment, writing whatever comes to mind, 'without consciousness,' as if in a trance. It is believed that this allows one to tap into the subconscious mind, where 'the true self' dwells. Uninhibited by the conscious mind, deep & mystical thoughts can be accessed. Trance writing is also used by some psychotherapists who think it is a quick way to release repressed memories. There is no scientific evidence that trance writing has any unique therapeutic value."

Spoilsports!  (You can read more here.)

You should read about Hélène Smith, who invented (I mean channeled) an entire Martian language through automatic writing.  It looked like this:

Courtesy Wikipedia.

Despite automatic writing being kinda kooky - or maybe because of it - you can find web pages that tell you how to do it.  (You'll note that that website is called "psychic but sane dot com.")  I like how it describes automatic writing as a "great, non-scary way of channelling your Higher Self or Spirit Guides through writing."  It kinda makes me want to know what the scary ways are!

How will you know you're channeling a spirit?  One word: vibrations.

I am disappointed that there's no crossover between the Brion Gyson/William S. Burroughs cut-up stuff & automatic writing.  Someone smarter than I am probably has an anecdote where one of those guys - or Bowie, perhaps - tried it, then got a whiff of the sorts of folks who use it.  Perhaps the words "non-scary" & "spirit guides" were used, & Mr. Bowie said, "For fuck's sake, I do a lot of drugs & sing about dystopian futures but writing 'My Angels' as the first line?  Sod off!"

For the record, my spirit guides are still too bummed out about Lou Reed's death to help me write anything.  Thus, this dumb ramble.