Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Post Modern Trance Writing


image credit

The Surrealists called the art of writing in a trance," automatic writing" and revered their Diva of the Seance, Helene Smith.

They were presumed to have discovered or invented the art form. But in truth History tells us that Spirit or Incense Writing was known to the Chinese as Fuji or (planchette writing).

As I am a ghost, I simply call it ghostwriting. And not the prosaic kind at all. if you prefer a contemporary definitions, how about, Post Modern Trance Writing.



When was the last time that you wrote in a trance, asked Princess Haiku?

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3 comments:

goatman said...

I have not but a friend of ours has:
Late on a friday night susie comes over and wants to go to Chesterfield, Indiana home of spiritualists at the time -- maybe still now. Since I had the only car in the group, its my trip and I agree. From Oxford, Ohio we drive east at 8 in the evening because susie had gotten a message through her automatic writing that she is to go to the spiritualists camp for a special message.
Some 200 miles later (?? I don't remember how far) we arrive in early morning and she begins knocking on doors in the little cottage-enclave of the spirits. Finally getting someone out of bed susie is told that it was just a "test" of her beliefs and to return home with the knowledge that she had passed the test.
Much automatic writing ensues and she is told to spend the night and try communicating again in the morning.
We drop susie off at the bus station at her behest and bid the whole setup a hearty goodbye before the trip back to Oxford.
Susie still lives in Ohio but I think has progressed to a less friend-dependent form of religious belief. At least she hasn't called in the last 20 years for a midnight trip to nowhere!!

Anonymous said...

I'm by no means a poet, but once in a great while, verse just kinda ...comes out of me, seeming to bypass conscious evaluation. It's always better that way, than if I "try" to compose a poem. "I" can't write a poem, but the so-called 'sub-conscious' - and this also seems true of my best prose expressions - can. I'm reminded of the "about me" section in the sidebar of my blog, to wit: Maybe the mind works better if you don't try.
This seems to me to be somewhat akin to what the Surrealists were after with 'automatic writing.'
Ain't it? Or have I totally missed the point? Uhhh...some of this comment came that way, so I guess if I'm just crazy or deluded, it's here for all to see. Oh well...hee,hee...!

Also, quite a good image for a lead-in to this subject.

goatman said...

Just looked up the distance. Was only about 100 miles NNW of Oxford. Odd, I usually underestimate!