By Lucy Lambert
For years, spiritual teachers have been writing down their thoughts, not only for personal reflection, but also so that they can share with others and have a positive impact on the world. While mindfulness and internal meditation are vital, meditating using a pen and paper should not be overlooked. This particular form of thoughtfulness can be tremendous for formulating your ideas and pushing through ego barriers so that you can access your consciousness.
*The Importance of Writing*
The difference between written meditation and more traditional forms is that writing is active while the other is passive. What this means is that when you are inside your head, you are thinking nothing but thoughts, while when you are writing, you are subconsciously thinking about how to write each letter and form a legible sentence.
Some believe that this active process can remove an ego barrier which would otherwise prevent people from thinking what they feel and accessing deeper levels of consciousness. Writing or journaling can be an excellent tool in your arsenal for expanding your spirituality and meditating on larger more complex ideas or constructs.
But what separates writing from other tools is that it leaves you with a detailed account of what you were thinking at a given time. It’s not uncommon for us to forget some of the more profound ideas that we have and writing allows us to preserve them either for ourselves or to share.
Many choose to write blogs instead of using a pen and paper because this allows them to share them online more easily. Through these websites, it’s possible for you to interact with other spiritual people and expand your thoughts. Excellent writing has the potential to last for centuries and affect not only yourself but others around the globe.
Improved Mental Health
Outside of spirituality, writing and particularly journaling has repeatedly been shown by researchers to have a positive impact on the mental health of the writers. This effect is particularly profound among those who suffer from depression.
As with all forms of meditation, journaling allows you to stop and think, which many of us don’t do often enough in today’s society. By journaling, these people can articulate their inner thoughts. Through this process, they can confront their fears, challenge their preconceptions and learn more about their true desires.
Journaling is also incredibly easy and requires very little time or energy. According to Vin D’Eletto and his WordAgents Review, “most choose to do it either late at night or first thing in the morning, which can allow you to start the day mindfully.†Whether you are writing for spiritual discovery or mental clarity, it appears to be a powerful tool that humans have used for thousands of years for self-exploration and improvement.