Soulbonding - Channeling in Fiction

I receive a lot of questions from creative writers of fiction (as well as actors) who would like to know my thoughts on the difference between channeling spirit guides and channeling character voices.

What is Soulbonding?
It’s probably not what you think. (It’s not what it sounds like it should be, anyway. Sounds like some kind of romantic phenomenon…) I’d never heard this word before, but I am familiar with the concept.

Laura writes to me:

I have a friend who recently introduced me to the concept of “soulbonding.” I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, and in fact I would be a little surprised if you had. You may be familiar with the concept, though, if not the term.

Souldbonding is a sort of link between an author and his or her characters. Like when you start writing a novel, or even a short story, and the characters start to take on a life of their own. You are no longer the one writing the story, you are just transcribing it. Soulbonding goes a bit deeper than that, though. Many soulbonders have conversations with their ‘bonds, even going so far as to…I guess “channel” would be a good word, though I don’t think it’s quite accurate. ‘Bonders sometimes take on certain personality traits or behavioral quirks that are typical of their ‘bonds (but not of the ‘bonder), usually for only a short time.

I have experienced this connection myself (though not the “channeling”, at least not to my knowledge and not intentionally), and I find that I can connect with my ‘bonds in the same way that I connect with my spirit guides. I wonder sometimes if there’s not some deeper connection there between my ‘bonds and my Guides and I’m just not seeing it. Or perhaps the ‘bonds are just another way of my Guides contacting me, in a way that is easier for me to understand and accept because my ‘bonds, being characters that I’ve written about for years now, are more familiar to me and I’m more likely to listen to them. (I’ve only been talking to my Spirit Guides for a relatively short time, and I find it is easier for me to talk to my ‘bonds than to my Guides for some reason.)

I am interested in your views on the subject of soulbonding.

I’ve decided to prioritize writing fiction again. It seems that part of my shifting path, part of my life purpose, has required that I take a detour of several years — stepping beyond just a veiled and decorated kind of storytelling to publicly sharing, in a non-fiction format, my own personal experiences. I was originally motivated to learn all this code and blogging and marketing by the intentions to experiment with self-publishing hyperfiction. And, I’ve recently attempted to “bridge” some of these different creative writing assignments (stretch my muscles in a different direction) with a few series of memoirs.

(Parenthetical aside: the memoirs were probably the most difficult type of writing I’ve ever attempted. Instructional tutorials are by far the easiest.)

I’ve had this topic on a back burner for quite a while, but as I’ve recently shifted my writing focus to working on stories and novels again, I’ve been able to observe my processes with an external, intellectual detachment. In the past I was not necessarily conscious of when I was relaying information from a spirit entity versus a character of my own willful creation, so perhaps doing both has allowed me to learn and grow in both pursuits.

Why do people speak of discovering your authentic voice in the singular? Is there just one? (Hey, if my ego seems big sometimes, it’s just trying to accommodate a highly-trafficked, over-active, very crowded Fifth Chakra…)

Think about it — how many authentic voices do you employ?

I’m working with (to list a few):

Self-talk
Private Journals
Conversation (personal)
Conversation (professional)
Correspondence (personal)
Correspondence (professional)
Teaching (non-fiction, instruction, tutorials)
Motivational
Coaching | Mirroring
Channeling My Guides
Channeling Other People’s Guides
Spoken Word | Guided Narration
Neurolinguistic Programming | Hypnosis
Third-person and Omniscient Fictional Narration
First-person Fictional Characters (unlimited)
Fictional Dialoguing
Divine Dialoguing
Shining Sentences
Titling | Naming
Memoirs
Marketing

Hey, does code count? Formatting and rich text styling? (Those of us who write enough — or edit enough, especially in different formats from digital to print — reveal uniquely personal qualities…)

I’m trying really hard to organize, to simplify, here — there are so many subsets, blendings, overlaps, and filters that can come into play… From my perspective, these are all identifiable as technically different; from where you’re sitting, listening to it come out of my mouth or with my signature on a page, it may all seem to be Just Me. But it doesn’t really feel like I’m creating anything so much as allowing a bit of everything (yet nowhere close to Prolific).

If you’re scanning your own interior satellite radio dial, you may start to feel schizophrenic — don’t worry. The voices of those who suffer from multiple personality disorders are generally not consciously aware of the others. My last therapist assured me that a high-functioning self-awareness of how you manage all your voices would seem to be the exact opposite of a “disorder.”

Wow — stop and ponder with me for a moment how amazing our minds are, how powerful language is…

Image - Old Typewriter Keyboard

Other than the Intended Purpose…
I feel that Creativity and Divinity are so closely related as to be nearly identical. I also feel that intuition and imagination are relatively intertwined, like different fingers on the same metaphorical hand.

While the actions or state of mind often feel very similar, if I had to succinctly identify the differences between these modes of divinely inspired information gathering — beyond the obvious intentions — I would say they are the following:

Channeling Spirit Voices vs. Channeling Fictional Characters

Fictional characters speak the truth about their lives (Life, in general); spirit guides speak the truth about your life.
Editing, rewriting, and intellectual decision-making nearly always improve the end product of fiction; editing and intellectual analysis nearly always detract from (and sometimes destroy) the important details of a reading.

Just your imagination?
The word “just” always kills me here in the context of intuition. Are they separate? Is one less powerful than the other? Should we even attempt to separate them?

The last person I did a reading for emailed me later and wrote:

“I’m still flabbergasted that you could know those details about me and my life. I mean, I’m half-way across the world, on another continent, a virtual stranger… How do you do that?”

You know what? I don’t know how I do that. I know how to do it — how to access it, plug into it, tap in — but I don’t understand how it happens or how it works or why. You can do it too, if you want to. It is a Mystery. I’m not sure if I believe it’s magic or the most common thing in the world that we have the ability to channel. Is it coming from the Collective Unconscious? The Akashic Records? I’ve often wondered if all character voices (even when we think we’re writing a fictional story) aren’t actually always the spirits of “real” people.

When I was pursuing my undergraduate degree twenty years ago, my creative writing professor Coleman Barks (arguably the most successful contemporary translator of the Sufi mystic and poet Rumi) told us that the goal of the novelist or fictional storyteller is to

“Lie the Truth.”

The concept has stuck with me — that the truth exists in stories as well as in data (and that they are not necessarily the same thing). You need only consider the difference between the way you process news versus the way you experience the same basic information conveyed in a true dramatic story (a novel or film) based on those facts.

In my humble observations, factual information — data — is processed through the mind, while the truth of a fictional story is processed through the heart. Maybe this explains why, in this Age of Information, dramatic movies and books still have such power and impact — often in a way that just the facts can never infiltrate our wisdom. I have to be honest with you, I read very little non-fiction (and when I do, I study it, which is a slightly different form of consumption), while reading novels remains my greatest consistent life-long passion.

This post (yes, an indulgent navel-gazing experience that probably only other writers can appreciate contemplating with me) is really intended to answer to questions about the role of the writer/ the channel, not the role of the audience. In my classes on Automatic Writing and Dialoguing, I point out that the techniques I use for retrieving intuitive information are literally based on — were discovered during — the practice of specific exercises designed to enhance the productivity of creative writers.

One of the interesting intersections between performing readings and (other forms of writing) is that the Automatic Intuitive Response techniques produce results in any kind of practice.

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May 16, 2010 | by Slade Roberson | Filed Under Writing

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Comments

6 Responses to “Soulbonding - Channeling in Fiction”

Katie on May 16th, 2010 12:18 pm

Thank you so much Slade. I ended up recording an audio introduction for a novel I wrote and it turned into more of an explanation of my creative process. At one point I said “I’m going to go out on a limb here, I’m going to call it a channeling experience.” I felt silly saying it but it was true and I’ve felt that way for a long time. I have no specific religion or faith but when I left Catholicism in early adolescence, shortly after as an unrelated thing I began focusing on learning creative writing. I can produce extremely long works in short periods of time because I’ve practiced techniques of speed writing that pushes the editor out of the way and allows what wants to come through. I also drink a lot of water when I write, which I found out later can go along with channeling. In the end, creativity became my spiritual practice and I enjoyed reading your take on that.
Katey on May 17th, 2010 4:25 am

I’m going to second the thanks; this was a very interesting read and something I’ve also been personally involved with for years now without being able to put a name to it until recently. Calling my writing process “channelling” is probably the most accurate term I can find, and like Katie (Woo! Name props!) says, I too can write a lot in a short period of time just by handing over the reins, so to speak. I rarely know what I’m going to type before it comes out - I just get general feelings and let it come through naturally. When I look back on it, it’s often in a completely different voice from my own, and I definitely ‘talk’ with one certain character I’ve had with me for years. He’s so much a part of me now that I’ve long passed the point of wondering or even caring if it was ‘normal’; it just feels right to me, and expressing myself creatively as a writer is truly a fulfilling thing for me. Thanks for your thoughts on this
Jody on May 17th, 2010 7:07 am

I think every writer works differently. Perhaps the real growth in anyone’s creativity occurs when you’ve figured out your own method. Mine doesn’t involve direct channeling, but it mostly definitely has my guides dropping me hints, which — if I catch them — can have incredible potential for story-telling. I also recognize how particular plots have personal resonance for me, AFTER THE FACT, but I can’t get there if I think about it consciously.

Voice is any piece of fiction is profoundly important. Finding your own voice, IN ANOTHER’S (ie. your characters) is a way to explore your High Self, I suspect. It’s a huge subject

Anyway, I wish you inspiration, Slade. I do feel that fewer and fewer people are reading fiction — other than you and me and a handful of others — and this is making the “job” harder. Here’s a funny thought: what about a first-person novel masquerading as memoir, since memoir remains so popular?
Slade Roberson on May 21st, 2010 3:14 pm

Katie,

A few things about your comment are great affirmations to me personally — the Automatic Writing (channeling) techniques that I use and teach others are very much based on the concept of Speed (time constraint) as the most effective means of isolating the intuitive voice. I’ve also told many of my students (who are developing professional intuitive practices) that channeling dehydrates me! I wasn’t sure if there was a “reason” behind that, or if it was common to anyone else, but the dehydration is significant enough that I always point out. Thanks for sharing your experience here.

Katey,

You are very welcome — thanks for weighing in — and what are the odds with the name similarity, huh? Interesting little sign of something there… Speed + Allowing — a better way to produce writing than “trying” and “struggling.” When it flows, it can be truly effortless. I’m glad the post resonates with you.

Jody,

I’m surprised to learn that fewer people read fiction (is that a statistical fact?) I guess it would be discouraging if we really have a “choice” in whether or not we have characters knocking on our doors begging for a microphone.

You know what’s the most fascinating thing about this topic of Process and Channeling are ALL the writers who have a single work that comes through completely outside their normal process… I’ve heard so many, who don’t normally consider their processes a form of channeling, who nevertheless have That Book that comes through in a way that they are quick to call channeling. Even those who aren’t particularly “mystical.” Alice Walker’s The Color Purple would be one example; I just heard Isabel Allende talking to Bob Edwards about her latest historical novel about Haiti and how the main character visited her in ghost format.

The Higher Self is that connection to the Divine that can’t help but be authentic.

Anyway… Love to talk about Creative Process; glad you guys are interested in going there with me.

Thank you!
Christiaan on May 23rd, 2010 12:37 pm

Hey there, Slade!

What synchronicity! I had been thinking about this very subject for the past few weeks. About a year ago, I began writing a novel. The story idea came to me YEARS ago, while I would be out jogging (my favorite form of meditation). I finally decided to bite the bullet and take on the task of telling the tale, despite my not knowing anything about where to begin with such an undertaking as novel writing. I had only been a painter until this point, with no real previous writing background (aside from a ‘zine I did back in my early twenties). Heck, I could barely type.

As soon as I made the decision to write my novel, a friend contacted me and let me know she was teaching a workshop for first time novel writers. It was being held in my neighborhood (a plus for Angelenos, believe me!), and it was very affordable. I signed up immediately and have been fortunate to get her guidance, as well as the support from the others in the workshop.

This doesn’t seem to be the only source of guidance, however. During times of creative blockage, I will toy with automatic writing. It helps get me into a zone where I can open up my mind and allow language to flow through me. I have found that the experience of creative writing is very similar to the sensations of automatic writing. At times, I will find the characters in my novel saying and doing things that cause me to burst out laughing as I type on my laptop. Sometimes I cannot believe what is coming through, and am certain that it isn’t entirely me. When I really am engrossed in a flow with my writing, things come through me. I can feel an opening, and energy surges through me. I feel that any person who has a creative outlet that they pursue on a regular basis can agree to this idea; that we are all conduits for some kind of creative light energy. (I saw this awesome documentary about fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, and he claims that most of what he designs comes to him through dreams or other forms of divine connection. He takes little credit for the work that he does. J’adore Karl,).

Another fun note is that in the past week and a half, I have actually stepped into physical spaces and SEEN the very people I have been writing about! Talk about an other worldly experience! One of the people caught me staring at them in disbelief, but I couldn’t look away. It was just too amazing to spare either of us the embarrassment of my gawking. Another sign I am being supported by something/someone other than my writing workshop cohorts… Or something even more immensely profound? Who knows, but it’s been a trip, that’s for sure.

I’m convinced that the ideas for this story came not just from me, but from Spirit, and together we are assisting one another in the creation of this piece. I say this without wanting to sound like I’m taking myself/my work too seriously. I am not going to claim that this work, which is at this point only half way done, is set to become another Great American Novel (though I wouldn’t be opposed to that happening!), but rather, it is a fantastic experience that has reminded me that I am - we all are - connected to some immense energy. The process of writing has been a total blast, and wherever it guides me next, I’m buckled in for the ride.

Thanks for your posts, they always inspire and intrigue.

Christiaan
Slade Roberson on May 24th, 2010 3:54 pm

Christiaan,

Thank you for leaving such a thoughtful, in depth, and well articulated comment. Your story (and the story within your story) are an excellent personal example of the intersection of so many of the themes that I observe and choose to write about here — Creativity as Divinity; the Universality of our ability to Channel Source; the Signs and Serendipities that happen as a result of our following intuitive/creative impulses — a lot of head nodding, here, on my end.

I’m sure that you speak for many.