Clinical Psychology Science and Practice · 2004 · 31 citations · 24 references
HumanitiesPsychologySocial PsychologyNarrative StudiesNarrative TheoryNarratologyAutobiographical NarrativeAutobiographical WritingNarrative AnalysisNarrative DevelopmentNarrative IdentityNarrative WritingAutobiographical Self-awarenessImplicit AudienceNarrative AwarenessNarrative CognitionNarrative ConsciousnessNarrative EmotionNarrative Self-consciousnessSelf-focused Attention
The authors argue that narrative writing’s self‑directed attention can heighten awareness similarly to mindfulness and propose future research to explore this idea. Narrative writing facilitates this heightened awareness by integrating language with experience and linking different aspects of experience and identity. Narrative writing may transform implicit, unconscious thoughts, memories, perceptions, and emotions into explicit conscious processes, and the implicit audience may influence its effectiveness.
We argue that the self-directed attention involved in narrative writing may heighten awareness in a manner similar to other mindfulness methods. Further, narrative writing may help to transform implicit, unconscious thoughts, memories, perceptions, and emotions into more explicit and conscious processes. This transformation is facilitated by the integration of language with experience and by the connections made between different aspects of experience and identity. We also note that the question of for whom one is writing—in other words, the implicit audience—may play a contributing role in the effectiveness of the narrative task. We offer suggestions for future research to explore our ideas.
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