Day Five -Transformation

"In the face of all this global chaos, the only possible hope is self-transformation. Unless we, as individuals, find new ways of understanding between people--ways that can touch and transform heart and soul deeply--both indigenous cultures and those in the west will continue to fade away, dismayed that all the wonders of technology, all the many philosophical ‘isms’, and all the planning of global corporations, will be helpless to reverse this trend.”

                                                            ——"Of Water & the Spirit" Malidoma Somé

How does writing transform? Writing is like a laser that reaches inside you and systematically rearranges the material stored there. We humans mess up this natural healing process through our teaching of the rules. Don't get me wrong, I totally believe in rules for writing, but if you want to be healed through writing, you will have to let those rules go.

I had to let go of all I had learned about writing to even begin my healing process. But I wasn't the one who actually designed this process. This process was designed by a force outside of myself. I now understand this force to be God, but, at the time, I had no conception of what it was. I simply followed its directions, and I began to heal.

So what is the right way to use writing to heal? I believe that each person's innate wisdom and intuition will tell them the correct way to use writing for their healing. I have no corner on the market. I simply followed my own internal (and external) guidance.

The word transform means: to "alter or change the form of supernaturally", "to change the nature, character, or disposition of". Trans = across/beyond. Formare = to form. So what we're looking for is to change the present form of our selves into another form. At least that is what I had in mind. Writing just happens to be expert at exactly that.

Let's say I write about a certain harrowing episode from my childhood. (In my experience, this is the kind of thing writers are naturally drawn to write about.) I write from this memory, doing my best to let go of all control. I write quickly, without worrying about spelling, grammar or punctuation. I follow where the writing leads me. As I write over a sustained period of time, this memory will eventually be transformed, and a new version of the memory will be stored inside me, alongside the original. This is important because my body can now react differently to the trauma that is stored.

Writing in community is also an essential part of this transformative process. My writing must be witnessed if I am to fully heal. Others must hear my new version of the episode as I read it aloud. Then they reflect my writing back to me through their comments. Essentially, this puts up a mirror so that I can see a new version of myself. Then my brain and body will permanently store this new version inside.

Feedback from other writers has to be carefully monitored, though. The feedback method we all learned in school is not at all effective for healing. In fact, giving feedback in a scholarly way can actually do great damage to a writer. So I have been trained to guide people in how to give positive feedback to a writer. I teach people to focus on their authentic reaction to the writing, and then to comment on what they will take with them from the author's work.

Through this process of writing and reading in a group, we build authentic community with others. We achieve what Malidoma Somé described: We "find new ways of understanding between people--ways that can touch and transform heart and soul deeply". 

All the education, technology, etc of our society will not produce the kind of healing that happens in community through telling stories. Humans were designed to tell stories around a campfire. We need to express ourselves, and we need an audience. In writing and reading our work aloud, we have both.

More to come....