In the beginning was the Word: the therapeutic power of the words

As the words “In the beginning was the Word” fell from my religion teachers’ rosy red lips, I felt time freeze for a long instant.

It was like everyone stopped breathing, as the sound of those words began vibrating with life itself and the infinite potential of their meaning filled the room, and my own head.

The Latin “Verbum” means “word”, but it conveys a sense of action, movement, or doing; like in English a verb is an action word, a word capable of creating, that moves between sender and receiver and vice versa. The Word, both in its metaphysical and more basic sense, as a part of our daily language, has always fascinated me inescapably.

In Esisto’s November edition, I discussed the notion of design as “design”: how the word, whether spoken, heard or written, activates a particular association in the cortex of our marvellous brain, which absorbs the sound, triggers our cognitive function, decodes its meaning and translates it into electrical impulses that set off chemical processes, which in turn regulate and alter our emotive state, and therefore our actual wellbeing and health.

The word, then, even with a small “w”, can potentially exert an enormous impact on our sense of self awareness, and our consciousness.

This is the quality that language has of moving between different, adjacent dimensions in our organism – it can be both transformative and transactional:

- Language tra-verses, or passes through the different layers of our being; it acts on our physical, mental, e-motional and spiritual dimensions

- Language trans-fuses our consciousness, between old and new content, depending on the words we choose to employ

- Language trans-figures, or changes the form of our perception of self, and our surrounding reality.

So what happens when we start to use words in a more conscious manner? That’s when words activate their fuller potential, to become instruments of healing, and where healing isn’t needed, then to become instruments that can lead us to a deeper consciousness, and awareness of self.

How does this work in practice? It’s actually pretty simple. You need a notebook, a pen, and a great willingness to just listen. Writing exercises can help you relax, and lift the tension that builds up during the day. Other exercises can help us connect with our emotions, or gain perspective on our hidden assumptions and patterns of thinking, on how we think, how we react.

They can help to show the filters we see the world through, and which colour our way of interpreting, absorbing and expressing our reality. Other exercises still can take us right to the depths of our consciousness, where we may encounter the answers to questions so deep we haven’t even the courage to ask ourselves.

There are writing exercises that work for when we’ve just woken up, and our brains are at Alpha wave frequency (8hz – 12hz), different from when we’re up and about, and which allow us to access those parts we just can’t otherwise reach.

The power of words and language that we normally just take for granted, can literally re-set our lives, alter the meaning of our past experiences (especially traumatic ones), refresh our internal resources, and lead us into a freer, healthier and happier future.

Therapeutic creative writing can open up a whole new world. Its particular power can help us to look inside and get to know ourselves better. It can help us address changes at work, in our family lives, in ourselves. It can help us find peace if we’re stuck with a heavy past, or if we’re simply curious to discover the messages that underpin our current reality, or the beliefs and limiting words that may be holding us back from accessing our own unique, sacred, most intimate internal world.

Caterina’s foundation course in Creative Therapeutic Writing takes place over eight sessions. You need absolutely zero prior experience, either in writing, or in creativity. The course is open to everyone, of all ages and cultural backgrounds, the richer the mix, the more stimulating the group experience.

Each session can be run individually, or in a group, online or in-person.

If something here has sparked a feeling, even just a sense of curiosity, you’re warmly welcome to reach out.

No pressure, no expectations, no strings.

Just an open, gentle space to explore whether this is the right path for you.

You can message me anytime on WhatsApp on +44 7969347351 or +39 3331624218.

I look forward to sharing with you the magic of our words!

Caterina Monaco

This article was first published by Esistomagazine.it