Two Sylvias' Weekly Muse: March 30, 2025
Issue 152
Hello, Muse Readers!
As writers, most of us are aware of the psychological benefits of putting pen to paper and expressing our thoughts, emotions, conflicts, dreams, etc. Many studies have been conducted, especially in the area of trauma, showing that writing about the painful events we’ve experienced can lead to greater healing. Several years ago, psychologist Laura A. King (Southern Methodist University, Dallas) began to research what happens when our writing switches from focusing on past traumatic experiences to focusing on our best possible future selves—our dreams and goals.
King’s study examined whether writing about positive aspirations could provide psychological and health benefits similar to those found in earlier studies on writing about trauma. Participants were divided into four groups, each tasked with writing for 20 minutes over a number of consecutive days. Their writing assignments varied:
Group 1: Best Possible Future Self: Writing about an imagined future in which eve…