Automatic sketching during manic writing episodes elicited by moment‐to‐moment shifts in the level of conscious awareness (728.20)

Abstract

In this case study, subtle shifts in conscious awareness experienced by one of the authors (nlc) on the 5th day of a 29‐day manic episode were evaluated. While making handwritten stream‐of‐consciousness journal entries with a ballpoint pen, time (hr:min:sec) was recorded when conscious awareness shifted; subsequent arm movements not under conscious control were recorded by keeping the pen in hand and in contact with the journal page. Time (hr:min:sec) was again recorded when arm movements ceased. Tracings generated by arm movements were labeled autosketches and the duration of an autosketching session was the elapsed time between transitioning into and out of a given level of conscious awareness. Autosketches were assigned to one of 3 groups. Group 1 had light free‐form lines (low intensity); Group 2 had dark pleated lines (medium intensity); Group 3 had heavy superimposed lines constrained to a given area (high intensity). In the low, medium and high intensity groups, respectively, there were 142, 32 and 14 autosketching sessions with mean durations of 18, 30 and 38 seconds. Compared to groups of low or medium intensity, the high intensity group had the smallest number of autosketching sessions but those sessions had the highest mean duration. This case study documented that mania evokes moment‐to‐moment shifts in conscious awareness that vary in both duration and intensity.