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automatic writing

American  

noun

  1. writing performed without apparent intent or conscious control, especially to achieve spontaneity or uncensored expression.


Etymology

Origin of automatic writing

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

But if I just want to get started without any aids, the best way is to use the method of automatic writing.

From Scientific American Oct. 6, 2023

Her golden square from 1916 is placed alongside a similar image by Josef Albers from 1971; her automatic writing doodles from 1896 are pitted against Cy Twombly’s 1967 squiggles.

From The Guardian Oct. 6, 2020

Because I began writing from this distorted place, the first 5,000 words kind of gushed out; it was almost like automatic writing.

From New York Times Dec. 2, 2018

I couldn’t change my lens, so I started writing my understanding of these gifts, which included automatic writing.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 25, 2017

Stowe later claimed to have written as if in a trance, similar to the Spiritualists’ automatic writing: “I did not write it … God wrote it … I merely did his dictation.”

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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