How to do Automatic writing

April 23, 2014

I regularly receive the question of how people can practice automatic writing, or inspired writing, as I prefer to call it.

The concept is pretty simple. It’s a way to access your intuition and bypass your mind. For some people this is a really great way to receive intuitive insights. And the good news is: everyone can do it!

It does require some practice and it is good to know what not to do. So here are some practical tips on how you can start to learn automatic writing.

Preparation

Go sit somewhere where you will be undisturbed, switch of your email and your phone. This will allow you to focus on the process and not have to re-start the flow and the energy time and again.

Take out a large blank piece of paper, ideally without lines.

Use a pen (not a pencil) and choose a pen that writes effortlessly. With some pens you have to press quite a bit to be able to write with it and we want as little resistance as possible. I prefer fine liners for this.

Practical steps

Here’s what works well for me:

1. Ground yourself.

Once you have all your materials and found a quiet spot, I recommend you start by getting centered.

This really is key! When you’re not grounded there’s no point in trying this exercise. You will be too much in your head and therefore the quality of your insights will be low. (You can find more tips on what grounding is and how to do it here.)

2. Keep your pen on the paper at all time

As soon as you’re ready, put your pen on the paper—using your non-dominant hand—and just start moving it in circles. The important thing is to NOT remove your pen from the paper. So just keep drawing circles or anything else that comes up. Even when nothing seems to happen, just keep drawing.

Trust the process. As soon as words come, try to write them without removing your pen from the paper, You want to continue the flow and the easiest way is to not take your pen off the paper. This may mean that in the beginning it is hard to read what you are writing and that is OK. We’re practicing here. Not writing an essay 😉

3. Don’t think!

If you notice you’re writing down your grocery list, keep going. If you are suddenly jotting down your To Do list, don’t worry. We want to empty the brain of whatever is in the way. So see this as a great clearing of space.

Your job is to just keep the flow of energy going. Don’t try to understand what it is that you are writing. If you try to understand the meaning as you go, you will stop the flow because you are getting in your head. Just keep writing and read it after you’re done. The insights aren’t going anywhere 😉

4. Let it flow

Keep writing or doodling until the flow stops. Or if you’re just starting out and it doesn’t feel like much is happening yet, stay at it for at least 15 minutes. That’s generally long enough for your mind to get quieter. Just like with meditating this is a habit that you need to build.

I had a hard time deciphering the first things I wrote down but what helped was rereading what I wrote right after I was finished. Then I simply jotted down comments on what I was thinking or feeling next to it. Don’t feel bad if you can’t read it or if you feel ‘nothing’ cam through. Give yourself grace and be satisfied with your effort. It’s great that you’re doing this!

5. The more you do it, the better you’ll get

It’s my experience that the more often you do it, the easier it becomes. It really is like training a muscle. For some it may come naturally and for others it takes more practice. Everyone has the ability to do automatic writing. It’s just a matter of taking the time to learn the skill and practice your inspired writing regularly.

Once you get more experienced and you’re able to receive insights, words or drawings—you can start to ask specific questions.

If you want to learn more about listening to your intuition and learning how to trust what you are getting, then my online program ‘How to Listen to Your Intuition’ is for you.

It will teach you how to listen to your heart with ease.

Click here to read more about my online program How to Listen to Your Intuition

Iris van Ooyen guides people home to themselves. As a life transformation mentor with 20+ years of experience, she offers hope with a compass—helping you find your way back to who you truly are when life’s demands have made you lose touch with yourself. She’s the author of Radiant: How to Have All the Energy You Need to Live a Life You Love. Contact Iris to come home to yourself—and love your life again.