Diary of an Uncertain Psychic

In Diary of an Uncertain Psychic, artist-anthropologist Deena I.J. Newman explores the life and lessons of Elizabeth, a California psychic and radio talk show host. Through vivid graphic narrative, this detailed account tells a story about images through images.

Elizabeth experienced a continuous flow of inner images, In Western culture, the phenomenon of spontaneous inner imagery is often considered unusual or abnormal. Newman challenges this perspective by suggesting that many people experience spontaneous visual, auditory, and kinesthetic imagery and contends that such imagery may be a potential key to understanding psychic and mental processes. These images are interpreted differently across different cultures - as spiritual messages, omens, sources of scientific and artistic inspiration, psychological insights, symptoms of mental illness, or simply nonsensical productions of the mind.

In visualizing these images on the page, this book invites readers to delve deeper into the complexities of inner imagery - both within psychics and within themselves. This graphic work captures the film-like inner images commonly experienced yet frequently overlooked, revealing the uncertainty involved in translating between images and words. Newman reflexively explores Elizabeth’s and her own experiences to understand this process of translation.

Deena I.J. Newman is an Alexander Technique teacher and anthropologist who has taught at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and received Fulbright and Wenner-Gren grants for her work in Ethiopia.