Inspirational Writing: Attuning to the Divine*
By
Joanne DiMaggio, Atlantic University**
Edgar Cayce said it is our birthright to communicate with our Source and listen to that still small voice from within our souls -- a voice that guides and inspires us to find the answers that lie within. As a writer, my method of communication is the written word, so it seemed only natural that I explore inspirational writing as a transpersonal tool of attunement for my Culminating Project with Atlantic University.
Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated by what happens during the writing process. What is the source of our creativity? What happens to thoughts as they formulate in our mind and then expand into words on paper?
I had read the Cayce readings on automatic versus inspirational writing in the late 80s. Shortly thereafter I saw Henry Reed at an A.R.E. Conference in Chicago and he had a handout about inspirational writing. That piqued my interest in learning more about it, so in many ways I've come full circle in having Henry as my mentor for this project.
I began my Culminating Project on inspirational writing with two goals in mind -- one to make it a service project because of inspirational writing's proven ability to transform lives; and the other to expand it into a creative project and use my research findings as the basis of a book.
To get started, I developed a workshop with the information on inspirational writing I had accumulated from lectures, books, articles, videos, and the Cayce readings. Since I am the coordinator of the A.R.E. Charlottesville area, I had a ready-made audience and in March 2009, I presented a two-hour workshop to an audience of 35 members.
I began by defining inspirational writing as a method of communication that accesses information from a higher source. I discussed how a study of inspirational writing is really a study of the creative process, and that this process has been the source of inspiration for artists, composers and writers over centuries. I examined what creative people have said about the source of their creative genius, quoting such notables as Shelley, Kipling, Blake, Madame Blavatsky, Ruth Montgomery, Jess Stearn, Richard Bach, and Dr. Helen Schucman.
Next I shared some of my earlier experiences with inspirational writing, beginning at age nine when I developed what I thought was a secret code. Twenty-five or so years later, I took a calligraphy course, only to be astonished when the instructor showed us an early form of writing that looked suspiciously like my childhood secret code. It turned out my secret code was actually the Phoenician alphabet, which I had unknowingly "channeled" as a child.
This ability to channel through writing resurfaced when I was in college. As a history major, I normally had to study the materials diligently to get a passing grade. This wasn't the case with courses dealing with 18th century American history. That material came naturally to me, as if it were a life memory. When completing an essay exam on a topic covering that time period, my pen would literally fly across the page. One of my professors commented that I had the most "uncanny feel" for the 18th century of any student he had ever met. It would be years before I realized that what I was writing was based on memories from an 18th century past life.
After Shirley MacLaine's landmark miniseries, Out on a Limb, aired in January 1987, a friend of mine suggested we use the Ouija Board to uncover information about our past lives. Not knowing the A.R.E. had listed this as the number one no-no to develop psychic abilities, we ignorantly stumbled into dangerous territory. This is how I discovered firsthand why the A.R.E. had listed automatic writing as the number two no-no to develop psychic abilities, for the use of the Ouija Board gave some troublesome spirits an open invitation to move in. Shortly thereafter, we were advised to destroy the board and I did my homework on the dangers of using automatic writing.
This led to the next part of the workshop, which discussed the differences between automatic and inspirational writing at greater depth. Writers often came to ask Edgar Cayce how to improve their writing through automatic writing. Cayce made it clear that there was a difference between the two and said that difference was in its purpose. When asked what could be gained from doing inspirational writing, Cayce suggested writing, " . . . of things pertaining to mental and spiritual aspects of individuals grasping for attunement to the divine"(3653-1). His reference to "attunement to the divine" is where I got the title for my project. Cayce considered inspirational writing as coming from the Source within and as such is a means for soul development. Automatic writing, on the other hand, came from an outside source, which is sometimes comprised of low influences, like those who came through the Ouija Board.
In the 23+ years I have been doing inspirational writing, I have found it a useful tool in many ways. Since Cayce said: To know the truth is to make you free (323-2), I was especially intrigued at how inspirational writing could be a tool for uncovering that truth. In the workshop, I went into detail on how it could be used for past life exploration; in service to others by doing writings on their behalf; enhancing psychic abilities; in other art forms such as music composition or painting; for commercial use, such as the line of greeting cards I created using inspirational writing; exploring esoteric philosophies; psychoanalysis; dream analysis; obtaining information on specific topics such as karma or synchronicity; a tool for healing; and a means to acquire guidance for soul's growth.
Next we explored how to establish a writing ritual in which to do inspirational writing.
Using the Cayce readings as a guide, we discussed the importance of finding a sacred place; how to set the stage; the value of writing at the same time and in the same place; the difference in the feel of writing by pen versus keyboard; the importance of focusing on an Ideal; how meditation and relaxation are key to the process; the essential need to say a Prayer of Protection before writing; tips on getting ready to write and allowing the message to proceed; and Cayce's advice on waiting before reading the message, as it often takes on a new meaning with time.
After a question and answer session, we took a break. Afterwards, I led the group in a 10- minute meditation and then gave them about 15 minutes to explore the writing on their own. At the end of the session, I invited members of the group to share what they received.
Before we dismissed, I announced that I was forming a research group for my Culminating Project and eight willing participants volunteered to take the journey with me.
To start, I developed a questionnaire to determine the group demographic and their level of experience with meditation. The eight women who made up my research group ranged in age from 50 to 77, with the majority (six) in their 50s. Five of the eight stated they did not feel proficient in entering or exiting a meditative state.
Of the eight, three had never heard of inspirational writing before, but all were familiar with the term automatic writing. One had been writing since 1992, but the majority did it for the first time at my workshop.
I put together a workbook and recorded a tape that included an explanation of the goals of the study, followed by a guided meditation. I developed a series of exercises that consisted of four monthly segments, followed by a month where they reviewed the experience and wrote a final essay. The project ran from August to December 2009.
In the first session, my goal was to establish a routine for writing, to have the participants get a sense of what inspirational writing feels like, and to know the Source of their writing. I asked them to focus on a generic question -- "What is the one major lesson the United States still must learn in order to fulfill its destiny?"
About half received long, eloquent answers with complete sentences in paragraph form. Two received disjointed phrases. Another wrote in run-on sentences consisting of disconnected words.
I compiled their messages and sent them to the group to review, along with a questionnaire asking if they learned anything new, if what they wrote impacted them in any way, and did it trigger any specific feelings, thoughts, and ideas.
Most participants said this was their first serious attempt at inspirational writing. The majority used the meditation tape I provided, saying they found my voice reassuring and the music was helpful in their relaxation process.
The bedroom was the most popular place to write, although one sat in her family room and another wrote at the kitchen table. Seven of the eight participants used a pen; one used a soft-leaded pencil.
Nearly everyone said the message came quickly, with words coming into their head that turned into sentences. One described the process as letting her mind listen "and the words flow out."
As to the origin of the messages, one said she felt in touch with her guardian angel; another called her Source, "a Spirit Being or Eternal Consciousness." One did not believe they were "emanating from my natural thought processes, but from either somewhere deeper inside of myself or from an external, but connected Source." Three said the messages came from their spirit guides. One said "it is my Higher Power speaking," and another stated she recognized the "voice" as her inner counsel.
Each participant said their handwriting was "pretty much the same" but added that the letters were either "smaller" or "looser" or "not as precise or as neat" as their normal handwriting. The group was split in terms of whether they were surprised by their message. Those who were not surprised seemed disappointed. Interestingly, one called this first venture into inspirational writing as feeling like "an ice breaker, a reassuring exercise," as if the Source of the writing knew this was the first of several exercises and wanted to establish a presence that felt safe and encouraging.
Most said they learned something they did not know before. Others said that this first stab at inspirational writing increased their confidence in the process, especially for one who previously considered inspirational writing "the product of daydreaming or letting my imagination run free without consequence or validity."
When asked if this session brought about a different perspective -- one they would not normally have attained in conscious thought -- six of the eight said yes.
Participants were instructed to put their writings aside and re-read them at a later time and then report on whether or not their message took on a different meaning. A few were surprised at how the message changed. "It was as if I were reading it for the first time and I had forgotten what I wrote," said one.
Participants felt the experience of doing inspirational writing for the first time was valuable for them, both personally and spiritually. One called it, "personally uplifting." Another added, "It makes me realize how important it is to meditate and get in touch with my higher self, and how much it could potentially help me."
When asked if this first writing session caused a shift in their thinking, seven of the eight said yes. Many expressed feeling a sense of hope. One said it reinforced her belief that, "we are all connected to each other and to everything in the Universe."
I won't go into details about Session II & III other than to say that in Session II, the group was instructed to meditate on, "What is my soul's purpose?" They were to report whether they felt the guidance was in line with their soul's path or whether it provided a new direction for them to consider. If the latter, how did they feel about it? What new information did they receive? Did it change their perspective?
We followed the same procedure of Session I in which I compiled their messages and sent them around for review, along with a questionnaire with basically the same questions as Session I.
The same for Session III, except here I instructed the group to open themselves to the fullness of spirit and allow their Source to provide whatever information it deemed important for their spiritual growth at that moment in time. I was looking to see whether this information came in the form of a personal message intended only for the writer, a generic message pertaining to humanity, or a combination of the two.
The thing I noticed about Session III was a shift in the tone of the messages. The writing appeared softer, more loving and personal and the middle of the messages was very empowering. That shift in tone seemed to enable the writers to feel more connected to their Source.
In the final session, I asked the group to meditate on a specific question of their choosing. For this session, I incorporated the research methods of Sharon Van Taalte who introduced the idea of distant participation in the experience of the group.
After the participants sent me their writing, I meditated on what they received and attempted to obtain additional information from my Source on their behalf. I shared what I received with each member of the group, noted their reaction and discussed how the information either confirmed what they already knew or provided new insights. This type of "companion mode of healing" was a fascinating process -- one that added depth and value to my research.
Of course, I had no idea how my responses would be received. Would they be totally off base, or would they add insight to the message the participants received? This especially concerned me when my answers seemed to go off on a tangent. However, I think we were all astounded at how transformational this final experiment in companion writing was in comparison to previous sessions.
One participant felt my Source took her message to a higher level, gave her clarification and guidance, and addressed the broader issues she had not thought about. She admitted my input gave her, "a wonderful feeling of hope that my goals are possible, and a great feeling of validation -- that I had truly received information rather than having just made it up in my head."
Another who was facing knee replacement surgery said my message "helped her prepare for the surgery and proceed with less anxiety and fear." Another said after reading my response, that it gave her new insight. She was encouraged that she was making a difference and that people appreciated what she did. In discussing this companion mode of healing, another wrote: "The mutual correspondence, or getting another 'take' on my message, provided me additional spiritual 'experience' and perspective and allowed me to extract more meaning from my message."
At the conclusion of Session IV, participants were asked to write an overview of how the process of inspirational writing impacted their lives. This included accounts of the process they used; the challenges they encountered and what could have been done to make the experience more applicable; what they accomplished; how their lives have changed; and whether they intend to continue the practice.
In conclusion, this project solidified my belief that inspirational writing as a process of communicating with a Higher Source is not reserved for a handful of select souls, but is something that everyone can learn and successfully accomplish. It is a means to attain a keen level of awareness and tap into the collective consciousness.
During this five-month research project, a group of eight women fine-tuned their meditation techniques. They learned to identify and connect with their Source, and develop a loving relationship in which guidance was provided through the written word. They were given the opportunity to explore how this method enriched their lives by asking for guidance on both generic and personal issues. Everyone agreed that inspirational writing resulted in a personal and spiritual transformation.
One wrote: "Over the past months, through the use of inspirational writing, I believe that my self-imposed intellectual and spiritual boundaries have expanded significantly. I don't doubt that this expansion overflows into my physical realm also."
Each participant overcame their doubts and gained confidence in their ability to do inspirational writing as the sessions progressed because, as one put it, "I recognized the commonality of the experience expressed in the others' writings." Despite the fact that none of the participants met during the course of the project, they nonetheless developed a spiritual camaraderie based only on reading each other's messages. One wrote: "I would read the compiled participant writings with relish because there would invariably be some insight or perspective that would trigger a new thought process or attitude in me."
An undeniable connection developed during the course of the five months, with more than one participant expressing the hope that a "network of inspirational writers" could form to continue the process and I'm actually working on that right now. It has played a significant role in each participant's life. One said that the comfort she gets from the writings "helps me to stay upbeat and be able to better live my purpose of love." For another, it meant giving, "more serious thought to different healing modalities to see which one suits me best." As a result of this project she set up a Healing Intentions page on Facebook in which she encourages everyone to do intentional healing on themselves and loved ones.
Perhaps one summed up the group experience best when she wrote, "This experience is a door opener -- that is extraordinary in its potential. I think as a group, we just inched the door open a little. As a group we may be able to open it completely."
*For more information on what Cayce said about the difference between automatic and inspirational writing, contact me at are.cville@gmail.com.