I have written before of my practice of "journaling", which goes back more than forty years. For a long time now, this has consisted of the (almost) daily, early morning (before 11.00 am) practice of writing in a notebook for an hour or more.
But this is not at all like writing a normal journal or diary - it is not-at-all meant to form a record of my doings, nor even a record of my thoughts (such as a "commonplace book") - because the notes are ephemeral.
I do not look at my writings again after they are written, except during the actual process, and sometimes to jog my memory to write a blog post on the themes that arise.
Indeed, I invariably destroy everything I have written during this process!
Evidently; my writing of this kind is not for other-people, nor is it for my future self.
So what is my "journaling" for?
I have realized that my journaling can be conceptualized as a magical process - directed at what Dion Fortune called (in a much and variously quoted definition) the purposive activity of using techniques of changing human consciousness in accordance with will...
The way I do journaling is self-directed and consumed by itself; it forms a synergy between the processes of writing and thinking: in general terms it is a means to an end.
The intent is to discover, induce, and sustain; a particular and focused frame of mind directed towards my current concerns.
In specific terms, this magical-self-journaling can have many purposes related to changed consciousness.
At the most general, it could relate to changing my own emotional state. This could be therapeutic - to improve how I feel when I am in an aversive frame of mind. Or it could be to enhance a mundane habit of thinking into an enchanted mood.
Or magical self-journaling could be directed at fairly specific problem solving, relating to some dominating concern; such as when I am doing theoretical science, philosophy, or theology.
Or, it could be about actually finding and clarifying some vague or nagging problem about which I am unclear.
It could also be about developing an inner "contact"; a direct relationship, with some other person or Being.
In principle (but I do not do this) this might at one extreme be "automatic writing" when the writer passively channels further writing.
Or (and I don't do this either) it might be to try and develop some kind of alliance with a contacted Being, to attain some this-worldly goal.
In my case; this could be to make an inner contact with some (usually deceased) person or Being for friendship's sake, getting to know another; ultimately from a motivation of love.
In a nutshell; I think of this magical self-journaling is a fairly stereotyped activity that can be directed at many possible ends.
In principle the aims might be passive and contemplative - a matter of dreamlike attunement to reality, the stimulation of inner imaginings; or might be almost the opposite: active and purposive, including creative.
And, as with all magic, the method is not intrinsically Good, because magical self-journaling can be directed at either good aims - i.e. in-alignment-with God and creation ("White magic"); or evil ends such as selfish self-gratification working against the divine (that is to say Black magic).
Which, of these; and whether an episode of magical self-journaling serves the broad intentions of Christian faith, or else opposes this; is a product of my choice, my freedom.
As C.S. Lewis wrote, every road into Jerusalem is also a road out of Jersualem.
ReplyDeleteI knew someone who use to write ephemeral journal entries and then just leave them lying around and forget about them. This drove me crazy. Not because of the mess or anything like that-- it seemed such a waste! not to collect and keep them! But maybe he was doing what you are doing!
you cannot know just how timely this post is for me. it is almost too on the nose and i am a bit perplexed. anyway, i won't explain it, but i will say, very heartily, Thank You for sharing these thoughts.
ReplyDeleteInteresting synchronicity: I recently finished attending an Intensive Journaling workshop, and this method, developed by Ira Progoff, functions very similarly to your own. It involves dialogues (with works, people, wisdom figures, etc.) as well as other sections and techniques that correspond to almost all of the purposes for your own journaling that you listed above. It is absolutely ephemeral and 'magical.' I am very curious if you have encountered it because the similarities to what you describe here are striking.
ReplyDelete@Honk I - Yes, I have come across it in reference to Jungian/ Post-Jungian psychology - for example in the work of Daniel C Noel. I would regard the Jung/ Progoff idea as a sub-type of the broader category of what I mean here by magical self-journaling.
ReplyDelete@Laeth - I had an idea that you might find this formulation interesting.
ReplyDelete@Mal - Well, I don't think we can kill the two birds of magical self-transformation and creating public "art" with exactly the same stone.
ReplyDeleteMagical self-journaling can be, and is for me, a quarry for secondary blogging and other public and publishing activities; but the primary activity is much more effectively pursued on the assumption that it will be private and ephemeral.
Bruce, very nice breakdown of the magical self-journal. My own experience is that when the "spirit is on me" I just sit and write it out . The flow is spontaneous and fairly brief, a paragraph at most, and does not occur daily. It has a mind of its' own which I never try to figure out because I know it is all true
ReplyDeleteand only applies to me, something I would never reveal to another. When I transfer it to my computer I use Papyrus font which seems to be appropriate for this journal.
Timely for me as well.
ReplyDelete@William. Good to hear.
ReplyDeleteSeems like this was "one of those posts"; and, as usual, it did seem so even at the time of conception and writing.