Automatic Writing

In that phase of mediumship known as "automatic or inspirational

writing," there is manifested two distinct forms of spirit control of

the organism of the medium. In cases of pure automatic writing the

spirit controls the arm and hand muscles of the medium, and uses them to

write out the message under the direct and absolute control of the mind

and will of the spirit. Cases have been known in which both hands of the

medium have been so used by the spirit control, each hand writing a

distinct and separate message, and both being performed without any

consciousness of the nature of the message on the part of the medium. In

some cases of automatic writing the medium was engaged in thought about

other subjects, or even in reading or study from a book. This is true

not only in cases of automatic writing in which the hand is directly

employed, but also in those in which some mechanical device such as the

planchette or the ouija board intervenes.