Two Depth Devices for Dimensionality in Journaling
- LYJ
- Aug 3
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 7
Context
Full transparency before you read this post.
What I'm good at is journaling, not "blogging".
I've rewritten this post a thousand times, trying to come up with the best way to present it —(with ''best" meaning most easy to swallow for what I imagine is the "typical" audience). Quickly, I snapped out of that state, realizing that approach would weaken the message.
So, this post will be written in the way that's most native to the thoughts I'm putting out: journal style.
I'm coming to you today to discuss an email (that's more like a journal entry) that I sent to a friend who is devout in the world of emotionality, self-comprehension, language, and the like.
She and I recently had a chat on the phone, and the conversation was full of resonance and reciprocity thereof.
We spent time discussing an email I sent to her several months back...
The email moved me.
And yes, I know what it looks like to be moved by your own writing.
Still, I forgot I'd written it so, it felt like someone else had, and they were someone I was very inspired by.
Contrary to what I assume is your guess, what moved wasn't the subject matter.
Unfortunately, most "deep" writings are granted that label based on what was said rather than how it was achieved.
But with this? In jouranling? It's the questions I asked and, more specifically, what the need to ask those questions revealed.
I was moved by the mediums, the depth devices. I wrote with them as if they were friends, helping me to carve out a path to clarity. It was organic, surprising, like realizing how important your fingers are. How would you know without looking at them from the outside in? Without really appreciating what they do?
I'm finding myself trying to find a container to fit the concept of "depth devices" , language, and writing tools to achieve dimensionality. The sort of dimensionality that would be recognized and be overstood in later reflections.
(I'll need to write a separate post on dimensionality in journaling later)
So, I'll first continue to identify these "depth devices," then I will give you the full email at the end of the post.
(And just like that, this blog post has a title and there's another entry for the lexicon....)
Oh, and fun fact about me.
I love color-coding, and color-coding is particularly beautiful in journaling. Coloring is an underlying language of its own, using visual signals that signify and highlight whatever meaning you assign.
Lately, I've been using purple text to signify meta-journaling, where I'm observing as I am journaling, making note of "outer layer" thoughts. I'll use brown to signify raw text from the original piece (yes, I consider the journal entries I share to be art and are therefore, they're referred to now as a "piece").
Thanks for reading this intro of context, now let's look at some depth devices using snippets from the email entry. The full thing is below.
Depth Device 1: Contextualization & Wonder
Entry Snippet: Random thought I'd like to discuss: Do you believe there is always a relationship between our feelings and who we are intuitively?
"Random Thought".
The choice to point out the thought as "random" is significant because I contextualized where the journal entry was coming from.
Why does this matter?
(I sense that question belongs here)
It matters because thoughts come from different places, and when we revisit our past entries, we reflect on them in the light of their origin. You'll judge a thought that was stimulated forward (triggered) by a negative interaction at work differently from a thought generated from the activation of a personal value.
Sidenote: Recognizing and contextualizing where your thoughts come from is an exercise of discernment. Recognizing a thought class gives you reason to choose which thoughts to mind. Was it fleeting? Recurrent? Reactive? Viscral? Spiritual? Intrusive? Inquisitive? Responsive?
Greater dimensionality is achieved when you understand the personal state and environment the entry was born.
(I suppose I should briefly discuss what I mean by "dimensionality".)
"Dimensionality" is...
The measurement of "sides" you can see in an experience you are describing in your journal. Consider the difference between 2D, flat animation and 3D animation, where you can notice curves, textures, and shadows in the characters. Please, be careful of misreading this as 'flatness ought to be avoided'. Flatness is a tool in itself, it is a part of "non-journaled communication" where the choice to reserve a detail is a message of its own....
Questions of Wonder
Questions are born from other questions. This one in particular, "Do you believe there is always a relationship between our feelings and who we are intuitively? " is not just a question; it's a wonder.
What's the difference?
(I can anticipate you asking)
The difference between a question and a wonder is that a question wants an answer. It seeks resolve. A wonder is a declaration of imagination, and it might be in the process of a resolve, or, it may choose to float...
This question is being asked to another person, hoping they wonder in the same way I do,
or,
that they can add a possible dimension, or give me their version of a resolve. Either way, it is a wonder standing independently, accepting of solution but more attracted to possibility.
Wonder stimulates, energizes, and motivates your mechanism for depth because possibility is ever-abundant.
Where does your rabbit hole take you when you follow it a bit?
Depth Device 2: Analogicals
Entry Snippet: Do you believe there are "steps" or "tiers" or chain links in these processes? For example, first comes the egg, then caterpillar, chrysalis, then butterfly....... I see my emotions from a perspective similar to coughs or sneezes.
Analogies, mental visuals, examples, etc.
These are assistive devices that paint pictures, drawing parallels to comparable things with the mission to fill the gap between knowing the concept and having the words.
In this way, language — and your confidence in your use of it — cannot limit you because you have your imagination and your creativity.
)I worry that creativity and imagination might feel like a challenge to some. )
I promise you, creativity is easy.
First, know that your journal is yours. What's "artful" is very subjective and personal, and you're the only one who has to "get it". Whatever it is you need to do do express what you feel is true, is perfection, and that is being creative. If you're making a way to express yourself where none is immediately in reach, congrats, you've created.
Expand to read the full original email I sent (unedited)
Mar 22, 2025, 11:53 AM
Random thought I'd like to discuss: Do you believe there is always a relationship between our feelings and who we are intuitively?
Do you believe there are "steps" or "tiers" or chain links in these processes? For example, first comes the egg, then caterpillar, chrysalis, then butterfly. Do our spiritual selves generate feelings, that generate feelings, that generate emotions?
I see my emotions from a perspective similar to coughs or sneezes. I see my feelings are potentially being linked to myself on a spiritual level. Now, I'm curious about the relationship between feelings and who we really are. I consider "spiritual self" to be my values and the inherent, immovable traits that manifests (such as my consistent attraction to creativity, connecting, and outreach). - not my emotions or feelings.
I feel all sorts of things and I emote all sorts of ways but my values never flinch.
Sat, Mar 22, 12:23 PM
For added context, the course I'm taking right now is called "integrated sciences" so naturally there will be somewhat of a crash course on statistics. The section on correlation and causation made me think about journaling, feelings, emotions, and spirituality and the relationship between them. I can't describe what exactly that relationship is or identify any patterns between them. I feel they're all separate entities and they don't have a predictability to them or a sort of relationship that I can strategically manipulate for my good - I don't think a person can understand emotions,feelings, and spirituality so deeply that they can write it into a sort of formula for getting what they want.
What I do believe, though, is that they ALL are working for us. One thing journaling does for me is color-code each of these entities. When I reflect on my entries, I can tell the difference between visceral reactions and spiritual expressions. I believe the "cringe" experience when we go back and read embarrassing entries is dissonance between our spirit and the rest of us. We can tell that that entry and whatever it represents is not a part of the real "us" and we feel ashamed. Or, maybe it isn't a part of the person we want to be and we feel insecure. Either way, the cringe is a call to explore the dissonance and question where the various parts of you disagree. At times, relief accompanies that cringe. I feel grateful that some thoughts, perspectives, and feelings no longer resonate with me. Or, I'm just grateful for the diversity within that allows disagreement - my mind, body, spirit, emotions, and feelings are not in an echo-chamber co-signing with one another, there's checks-and balances that I have profound respect for.
Maybe I clarified my own curiosity here: The relationship between these things is one of checks and balances. Everything I experience within is for my benefit. I believe in being a lifelong student studying the art of sitting in the board meeting with all these different parts of me and being able to understand their complex vocabulary. Maybe I'll act as a mediator between them.
I've spent a lot of time leaning toward the way of my emotions - reaching to every visceral reaction as if my emotions were the god [I] should listen to religiously; if something felt bad, it was bad - no question. Nowadays, I hear out all the parts of myself and decide that all of them are right. I'm the compromiser and the choices I make are informed by my values.
I'll stop the endless analogies here lol. My brain was churning as I wrote this. I'll explore this on my blog since I'm feeling so inspired.
I appreciate having you in my life as someone I can discuss these topics with. I don't know a single soul who connects with me as heavily on inner-world topics as you.
I'll leave the post here with these two depth devices. I'll return with more as I continue to reflect and share.
Thank you.