Automatic Writing

Don't be afraid of this dissonant sound, it is only the noise of fissures in the brain, gaping at the wide open world.  Dreaming, in the quarter of sleep, all drawn up like bundled package, there came eager visions.  Today, they've bleed out into the morning, like wet ink paintings seeping across the canvas, dribbling down the easel, onto the floor.  Whatever they meant, I've lost that direct sense, but something of the direction they attempted to instill in me is left and I can guide myself at least by that.  So we'll see where this sends me.  Hopefully, over some vast precipice, never to be seen again.

--Stop-- 

I've heard several theories--really, less than theories and more opinions--on the nature of automatic writing.  It used to be a central concept of my work and since I've stopped using it I've found myself drifting away from the voice I used to have, into something more populist.  This is not necessarily a good thing.  I consider a populist style to be dry, simple, readable prose.  You can find it anywhere on the best seller list, if you care to take a look.  I certainly don't champion the idea--though, I don't dismiss it either--and I'm considering scraping the whole experiment and returning to the old practices.  I think, by admission, and by opening this blog, I already have.

What is automatic writing?  Its nothing more than the process of shutting down conscious intention, and distancing any rational thought from the act of writing, or for that matter, anything else.  It has been used in other art forms, drawing, painting, musical composition, you name it, and sure, some crazy hipsters probably given it a shot.  Surrealists were the first to really pick up on the idea, believing it instrumental in the exploration of the unconscious mind.  Even early psychotherapy incorporated the idea.  I don't know if its still used today, but I'm doubtful it is.  Does it tap into the wellspring of the mind, that deep-seat realm of the unconscious.  Is it the substance of dreams that pours out onto the page during the practice. Hell if I know, folks.  But is sure is a lot of fun and I recommend you give it try at least once in your life.  

Once, come to think of it, is probably not enough.  Doing it once, you might notice some differences in content, but I doubt it would be anything to truly interest you.  Get into the concept and practice it several times a week, or more, and with regularity, and you, if you're anything like me, just mind find things coming out of your brain that you would have never expected otherwise.  I will admit, to the credit of the lunatic fringe who believe automatic writing to be more than just a tap into the unconscious, that it does feel at times like something else has taken a grip of your mind, in some weak connection, and is using it to communicate.  Its very peculiar and in some cases, very overwhelming in the sensation of it.

I won't speculate what it means or even the validity of it.  I'll leave it to you to make up your own mind once you give it a little whirl.  Unless, you're just completely chicken now.  I won't hold that against you either, particularly if you're one of those fundamentalist types who now think I should be burned or stuck on a rack for even bringing up the subject.  --And before you ask, yes, it has been featured in occult practices and rituals.  But so have knives and you still eat steak, don't you?

In any case, expect to see more and more of free or automatic babbling around here now that I've decided to come back to it has a method of warming up.  Just look for the italics.