Automatism

Automatism is the practice or theory of the spontaneous production of words (speech or writing), drawing, painting or other creative production, or behavior in general, without conscious self-control or self-censorship.

There are two types of automatism: mediumistic automatism, in which the speech, writing or behaviour produced is purported to be communicated from ghosts, spirits or the like, channelling[?] through a psychic or medium, and surrealist automatism.

See also: surautomatism

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Automatism is also a legal term for the state of acting involuntarily, as in sleepwalking.

External links:

• http://www.murdoch.edu.au/elaw/issues/v3n1/ridgway
• http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v287n5/ffull/jjy20049-1