The Healing Power of the Written Word

It is not always possible to get insight into a writer’s mind and identify the urge that makes them express the deepest feelings through the words they put on paper. There is an emotional connection between the writer and his work that goes beyond the need to share ideas and stimulate the readers to think about things greater than life. Some people write out of pure egoism: they know their way around words and use that talent to become famous and remembered. Nevertheless, true writers know that their practices clarify their thinking patterns, help them reflect on their actions and inspire them to perceive the world with greater consciousness.

Even people who don’t consider themselves to be writers like to write every day. A personal diary, which holds the person’s thoughts, feelings and perceptions of the outside world, is one of the best ways of calming the hectic mind. The oldest diaries that come from East Asian and Middle Eastern cultures show that people have discovered the therapeutic power of the written word a long time ago. Nebulous occurrences, feelings, thoughts, conversations and connections create strong impressions that go deeper than our conscious level and manifest themselves as habits, new thoughts, actions and character. The daily practice of writing enables us to get those impressions out on the surface, clarify and write them in the form of connected thoughts, and deal with them in the most painless manner.

When our thinking patterns are clarified, we become more aware of the inner and outer world. We are able to make conscious decisions and take responsibility for the way we think and behave. Our alertness is sometimes dormant; we say things we didn’t mean to say and don’t remember what we did throughout the day. When people develop the daily practice of reconsidering the events, thoughts and feelings they went through, they reflect on their entire lives and realize the need for meaningful changes.

As a result of expressing the perceptions of the outside world and our inner experiences through logically connected words, we start seeing things from a new angle. Suddenly, we become aware of each sound, scent, thought, and moment that should not be missed. We are trying to present things from an aesthetic point of view, which makes us notice the beautiful things that we were missing before. In addition, we are more conscious about the things that are wrong and have an urge to present the reality as it is.

The impulses that inspire us to write can be different and they often oppose one another, but one thing is certain: the practice leads to personal transformation and better understanding of our actions and other people’s behavior, as well as the entire world that surrounds us. The practice of expressing the ideas, thoughts and impressions that were hidden in our subconscious levels enables us to progress and experience an internal transformation. The process is never easy because we have to face the bitter burden we carry, but the wisdom and knowledge we gain along the way enables us to deal with all problems with improved consciousness.