How to Do Automatic Writing
Maybe you’ve heard of automatic writing and you want to know how to do it. In this article, I will show you how. Automatic writing is a great, non-scary way of channelling your Higher Self or Spirit Guides through writing. It allows you to ‘download’ their perspective subconsciously using claircognizance and transcribe it as it comes in.
How To Do Automatic Writing
The basic recipe for automatic writing is that you open a word document (or get a pen and paper if you wish) and you type/write a question. But remember that you are not consulting your thinking mind. In order to do it successfully, you have to put your mind to one side.
In many ways, doing automatic writing is like being ‘in the flow’ while writing. If you’re a writer then you will know what I’m talking about when I say ‘in the flow’. It’s the state when you have many creative ideas and they all seem to fit together quite nicely, and you can transcribe them coherently and quickly – and often it feels quite exciting. Yet at the same time, your conscious mind is not labouring away – it feels effortless and light. You can also be in that state when you do automatic writing – not so much in a creative writing sense, but in an intuitive sense.
An Example of Automatic Writing
Perhaps you know the book Conversations with God
Why do Automatic Writing?
Here are some examples of when you could do it…
- When you have a fear of spirits and are too scared to contact your guides in any other way
- When you are not yet very clairvoyant or clairaudient (i.e. you can’t hear or see your spirit guides), so you want to try another way. Automatic writing is actually very easy if you manage to put your mind to one side, and I know lots of people who have trouble hearing their inner voice who have had success with automatic writing.
- When you want to get your Higher Self’s perspective on something that is bothering you – (I used to do automatic writing when I was upset about something and needed to raise my vibration. I’d tune into my higher self and start writing. She always had some very comforting and insightful things to say about any situation.)
- Or just when you have some questions that you want a spiritual perspective on.
Some tips for putting the mind aside and doing automatic writing successfully
1. Start each automatic writing session with ‘My Spirit Guides or My Higher Self’ or ‘My Angels’ as the first line.
You can call on all of them if you want. Be clear about whose input you want, as it sets an intention to hear from that being.
If you want, you can also see your guides as parts or extensions of you that you can access whenever you want, like your subconscious. (The more you see these entities as beings outside of you, the more channelling them may seem quite elusive.)
If you want, you can also raise your vibration and connect with your guides/higher self before you begin typing. For example, you can do some deep breathing, or visualize going up to a room to meet with your guides, so that you can get their input for the duration of the session.
2. Just start writing and don’t worry about what you’re writing at first.
For example, type your question and just see what comes out when you put your fingers on the keys. Just start writing about anything that comes into your head, just as you would if you were journaling about your day. The trick with this is to get used to writing (if you are not already). The more you’re used to writing, the easier it is to get into that ‘flow’ state when writing, where you can channel your inner sage.
3. Setting a timer while you do it can be helpful
This is so that you don’t have time to think about what you’re writing. That works particularly well when you have a set of questions you want to ask your guides. I do sometimes set a timer when I’m writing a blog article, especially when I’m being too much of a perfectionist or my mind is being very chatty and not saying very helpful things. Setting myself a time limit focuses my mind on the task at hand, and for automatic writing it can help to focus your energy.
4. Create the right conditions so that you can lose your inhibitions about what you’re writing
Sometimes while I’ve been doing automatic writing, my mind was judging the information I’m getting and wondering what people around me would think if they were reading it. If you do automatic writing on a shared or borrowed computer, you might feel inhibited. So, make sure you do it while alone and make sure you have privacy with your computer – one reason why I prefer a word document over pen and paper. To ensure absolute privacy with my automatic writing, I use a program called The Journal. The Journal allows you to set a password so that no-one but you can read your entries (and it automatically saves and dates everything). And it has a timer feature, which is helpful for automatic writing. They also do a free 45 day trial of it on their website, that you could use for the purposes of this exercise.
5. Don’t allow your mind to interpret the information while you’re getting it
You can interpret it afterwards. But know that it is totally normal for the mind to butt in and judge information in the process. When I started doing readings, occasionally I would be getting information and my mind butts in and freaks out: “what if this is all wrong” – especially if it’s highly specific information. However, experience has taught me that the mind’s fears are unwarranted in those situations. The mind can only react according to its previous experiences and its task of keeping you safe and secure. Intuition sees a lot further than that. So, know the role of the mind, acknowledge it for doing its job but don’t give it too much attention while you’re doing this exercise.
How do you know if you’re really channelling spiritual guidance?
In my experience, channelled information tends to be high vibrational in nature. It will often comfort you, provide clarity or will raise your mood in some way. If it feels negative or feels heavy, you’re probably not channelling a source that you want to tap into or you may just be channelling your own emotional body, if you are not feeling very good.
What you channel via writing will usually not sound like your voice. Mine speaks with authority and sounds completely different from the voice that I ‘think’ in.
Another feature of intuitive guidance is that it tends to be very clear, usually feels light and is often simply expressed. Having said that, I have read automatic writing that is poetic and metaphorical in nature. But don’t be hung up on how yours should sound or be. If you do it often enough, you will soon get a sense for what your automatic writing ‘feels’ like.
Please leave a comment if you want to recommend any more channelled works or if you have something to say about your experiences with automatic writing.
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Interesting timing with this article ..my house mates and I actually tried this a couple of days ago and it was amazing what came out of it. We found that the first time we did it was the “best” – we figured it was because we had no expectations. All of us really felt like we were writing from a higher place.
However, some of the stuff we wrote was really crazy so we got to have a good laugh!! And we also had a lot of doubt, I guess you can never really be sure if it’s just your own mind writing it …
But it was still a beautiful exercise and I agree with what you’re saying about being comforted. The answers I received were definitely comforting and it certainly did raise my vibration at the time. Thanks for the article
.-= Fran´s last blog ..An Evening With Food Matters & Don Tolman =-.
Anna, one more thing I forgot to add – what exactly is your higher self?
.-= Fran´s last blog ..An Evening With Food Matters & Don Tolman =-.
Hey Fran!
That was brave of you to share your automatic writing with one another! No-one gets to see mine
Maybe you got some crazy stuff as well so that you would feel playful and raise your vibration? I thought of that because my guides keep telling me that the state of playfulness and fun is the best state to access intuitive guidance.
Btw, I wrote a definition of the Higher Self here: http://www.psychicbutsane.com/intuition/whos-my-higher-self
Hey Anna,
Great post. What ways or methods do you prepare yourself to do a session like this.
I would have thought grounding yourself to be a good idea. I read the book Trust Your Vibes by Sonia Choquette yesterday and she was talking about how doing something physical resets your system and clears accumulated stuff in your aura. I think that’s a good idea even if you don’t do automatic writing.
Anyway I’d like to hear how you ease yourself into one of these.
Yang
Hi there, Yang!
To answer your question – when I do automatic writing, I don’t actually do any preparation. I just put my hands on the keyboard and type. But that’s just me…if you feel like you want to prepare in some way, then go for it! And I think you’re right, grounding yourself before connecting to the higher realms is always a good idea.
Btw, did you read my article on my process for doing a reading? http://www.psychicbutsane.com/developing-psychic-abilities-spirit-world/how-to-tune-into-your-spirit-guides – if you want some steps for preparation, you may find some of the steps in there helpful.
your information really helped, whatever you are, it is surely good that you share your knowledge, i hope whatever you are, you get better and get guided towards good.
i really do.
i want to do this yet i cant. im trying to contact my deceased uncle. any tips from anyone would be greatly appreciated
I have had very clear, specific thoughts of suicide recently – that I am socially very isolated and pretty much unemployed has led to this very negative, “I can’t, I have no courage, I don’t respect myself” place. (I have seen a doctor and will start looking for a therapist to help me.) Last night I did Automatic Writing for the first time. oh. my. god. It’s most certainly something to be experienced; my mind switched off (extremely unusual) and i wrote with great clarity, wisdom, quietness… I had all the answers. I repeat – i had all the answers there. …
sorry if this is a bit long, but the following particularly struck me somehow; while writing i visualised little balls of light moving around..
“There are many energies, some meld together, some clash and jar, others are harmonious, some are attracted to each other, other energies shy away, some are bombastic and knock energies out of the way like skittles; there are small quiet energies, those which race around, those which are alone doing their own thing, energies that huddle together, some are on the look out for energies to connect with, who are seeking, seeking, some of these seekers are constantly moving around, looking; others are more steadfast, still, solid, and observing what’s around them.”
Automatic writing is defintely something I will use to ground me, stop the negative racing repetitive thoughts and to inspire me. Fabulous.
Hi Katharine – really glad you found this useful, thanks for leaving your experiences here for others to read! Hope you feel better soon. Anna
Thank you for this article. I was just given a link to your work and I find it perfectly timed, like an answer to a question I have been asking…Especially with the article on “Light Worker”. This article was also very helpful because it confirmed the experience that I have practiced for years, with “Automatic Writing” (as you call it). You referenced Walsch’s work, which I also love. I’m not sure if you’ve seen the movie “conversations with God” or not, but if you allow it to play past the credits, there is an amazing clip that follows, which in my opinion, makes the movie! The scene is where a lady comes into a book signing, and she thanked him for the confirmation – not that HE heard from God, but that she also did too.
Again, thank you for your work… I look forward to reading more from your site and newsletter.
Hi Dave, You’re welcome – No, I haven’t seen that movie yet!
Hi Anna,
Thank you for sharing these four steps to communicate with spirits. I used to communicate with spirits when I was very young but I wasn’t scared at all. I used to tell my sisters and my mom who would dies and within a week time, my statements would come true. Then I kind of lost this gift during my preteen years.
About thirteen years ago, I started to sense spirits presence again. Even though I seldom experience clairvoyance, I developed a intense fear because every time I sense the spirits presence I strongly feel that clairvoyance is just one step ahead of what I’m actually feeling and I am really scared. Anna, I have experienced for years…to be exact, 13 yrs, no matter where I live. I used to study in Tokyo, California, and Hawaii for this past thirteen years and every place is the same. December 30, 2008, I saw a man in my living room and I thought it was my husband because he looked definitely a human being but as I turned directly to talk to him but he disappeared instantly. Since then, I have not been able to sleep alone unless my husband is with me in our room because I still feel a strong spirit aura in our house, not negative, but its surely is there. Beginning of November 2010, I decided to communicate with the spirit to see if would communicate back, and so I began to use dictionary as a communicating device to give me some words after I have aksed a question outloud or have written it down by just close my eyes and open a dictionary and point to a direction which my intuition directs me to. Anna, it is working great! Although, I am still not ready yet to experience clairvoyance, communicating through dictionary is less scary and it has given me a sense of connection and understanding with spirits!
hey anna
i wanna do some automatic writing but i dont think i have a spirit guide. How can i find out if i have one?
Hey
I’ve tried automatic writing (pen and paper) a few times, and each time I’ve tried it, I feel like it hasn’t really worked. The first time I tried was probably my most successful, as I got a fraction of information, althought I always feel like it’s not my higher self I’m interacting with – it’s just myself. It’d be great if you could help at all 
Thank you (:
Hi Fran,
i have been trying automatic writing for over 20 days now… & i just get straight or zigzag lines… two days back even that slowed down… they say it takes time for automatic writing… does it usually take that long??
is there anything in particular that i need to do or change??
oops sorry wrong name there… I meant ‘Anna’
Hello,, I believe I have done automatic writing off and on over the last few years, and i describe almost like someone else takes over the pen and writes beautiful thoughs, insights down on paper usually in the form of a poem, Often I go back to what I have written down, and scratch my head wondering what it is about lol…. these writings are never my conscience choice ie) I don’t choose a specific topic to write about… only open to writing down…
is this what automatic writing is?
2 nights ago I felt someone behind me whilst on my pc. I picked up a pencil without thinking, and suddenly I started to write. I asked who was there and wrote Sam, where he was from and he said Zimbabwe. Asked what he wanted and he said he wanted help to go home.
Have tried automatic writing before with no success. I wasn’t even trying it just happened. I do often see spirits around me and have called them up a few times using other methods. This was definately the quickest way and straight to the point. Loved it, will definately be trying this again. Think the secret is to not ‘try’ too hard.
Hi Anna – I just found your website an hour ago, subscribed, then tried automatic writing for the first time. I have never before left a comment on any site but feel compelled to share the result! FYI – I recently met and had a relationship with a man in Africa and was vaguely contemplating meeting him in India because he cannot get a visa to Australia. I asked my higher self and my spirit guides. ‘Should I go to India? What will I learn there?’
I wrote (sorry for the length): I will be transformed by a higher being that is not myself. There will be much love in this place and you will find what you are seeking. You should go with this man for he is a good soul and you are connected to one another in another lifetime. There is a lesson you will learn together but it will be from a small man of short stature who comes to you in the night. He will have a message for you. Heed his message and turn out the lights. Fortune bestows those who are coming in need of assistance to the light in gold. You are one of those people. Music is important to your higher intuition you must listen more for the sea waves, they heal your soul. The relationship you seek is fulfillment but you must trust him to deliver. He and you have much energy to share in this lifetime so acute is your understanding of one another. Heed not warning from others or what they may think. There is a sea place. There is a teacher who lives by the sea who will guide you. You must let go of the fear of youself it is holding you back from him. He is thyself reincarnated he will show you courage and green, green pastures for you to delve with flowers and mystical beings.
For real!!??? I’ll be doing this frequently from now on! I too am interested in any ‘preparation’ advice you can give for getting the most out of this. Great website. Thank You!!!
Hello
If a person did not know how to read or write could this still work?
How would I contact a single person, such as a relative ?