This is a technique that is more difficult and takes longer to learn than the others I describe in this book. Still, for those of you who pick it up quickly, or for those who are willing to work at it for some time, it will give fascinating results.
Take a pen or a soft lead pencil in your hand and put your hand on a large piece of blank paper on a desk or table. Put the point on the paper so the pen is straight up. Your hand must be relaxed. Put yourself into a state of hypnosis, and tell your subconscious you would like it to write something for you. Let it choose.
Start it out with a few circles or scribbles, then relax. You can just sit there and wait for your hand to start writing, or you can dwell on a subject or question, but ignore your hand. If your hand starts to write on its own, it will be writing from the subconscious.
If you are good at this, you can automatically write while you are concentrating on something else. Fewer people are able to write this way when fully aware or when doing something else than can do it under hypnosis.
Automatic writing is similar to a Ouija board, according to Leslie M. LeCron, in his book Self-Hypnotism. He also points out that people who doodle a lot pick up automatic writing more easily than others.
Give yourself 15 or 20 minutes for this to work. If it doesn't, don't be frustrated. This is not an easy skill to learn, and most people will probably never be good at it. Still, if you feel that it is there for you, go ahead and try again at another time. If not, you can go to an easier skill like the pendulum or the finger tapping I describe next. The best technique is the one that works best for you.
