The Loops We Are Thrown Into

The loop stroke in handwriting indicates the writer’s level of imagination, emotion, and feeling. So, by definition, loopy handwriting means that the writer is an imaginative, emotional, feeling person. Whether the writer wants to be kept in the loop, is loop-legged, or just plain fruit-loops depends on the length, width, and where the loop occurs in the handwriting. Marie-Louise Oosthuysen

Loops are pouches where emotions are stored. Extra loops such as those found within the ovals of the letters ‘a’, and ‘o’, mean that the emotion surrounding experiences or events in the past have not been released.

First we will look at what imagination is, then at the zones within the handwriting where the loops occur, and then at the loops themselves. So, locate a sample of your or a loved one’s handwriting and let’s get started.

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere. – Albert Einstein

What is Imagination?

Imagination is defined as the ability to conjure up novel ideas, sensations, objects, and even relationships between unrelated objects, sensations, or ideas in the mind without external input from the senses. Imagination is often used synonymously with the concept of creativity, as well as mental imagery.

Information obtained externally, such as light, shadow, sound, smell, texture, or any information obtained via perception, is compared to an existing memory so that meaning can be attached to it. In imagination this process is reversed. The memory is accessed first, and then imagery is created from the memory. Dreaming is a clear example of this. When we dream our minds conjure up a smorgasbord of images, creating our own virtual reality as it consolidates memories and experiences.

Imagination is applied to a variety of cognitive processes such as hypothetical reasoning, planning, and all creative processes such as designing or applying existing knowledge in new and different ways. Forming images in the mind when remembering past occurrences or objects seen in the past, or projecting something that could happen, or the way an object may look like in the future, is the imagination at work.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. – Albert Einstein

The Psychology of Imagination

Imagination does not just stop at cognitive processes. Imagination opens up realms far beyond knowledge, hence Albert Einstein’s insight. Imagination can not only create, but also manipulate things, concepts, beliefs, emotions, feelings in the abstract, the figurative, the hypothetical, or universal domains.

Belief and perception are grounded in reality, whereas desire’s aim is to alter reality. Emotion aims to be grounded in reality, but emotional perception is influenced heavily by imagination, mood, fears, and needs.

Toddlers start with “pretend” play between 18-24 months of age. This is how children practice their role in the world and how they also make sense of the world. Their imagination spurs creativity which is filled with emotion as they explore and interpret the world around them, filling in the missing parts as they grow from toddlers to children to adolescents and all the way into adulthood.

Autism spectrum disorder can be characterized as a disorder of the imagination. Autistics have difficulties with communication, social interaction, and understanding metaphors, humor, irony, or sarcasm. Their behaviors, activities, and interests are also very restrained due to their overly logical tendencies and lack of imagination. The handwriting of autistic individuals reflect this lack of imagination. The autistic writer will only make loops where they were taught to make loops such as the lower zone loops in the letters g, j, y in script writing.

Without imagination there would be no hypothesis, no metaphor, nor humor, irony, conditional, past, nor future. Imagination allows us to be, feel, or think what others do, put ourselves in their shoes, and therefore be empathetic, compassionate, and understanding. Imagination allows us to fill in the gaps so that the world makes sense to us. Imagination, therefore, is arguably the highest form of thought.

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity… and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself. – William Blake

The Three Zones in Handwriting

Certain letters are shaped in the forms of loops naturally. These include the lowercase letters e, f, l, h, k, b, y, j, g, z (in script writing). The stems on the letters h, t, d, are also sometimes looped. Oval shaped letters a, o, d, g, should be formed with clear ovals. Often there are loops within the ovals, and those loops are significant. The meaning of loops depend on the zone within the handwriting where the loop occurs. So, let’s look briefly at the zones within the handwriting.

Background: The Zones in Handwriting

The handwriting stroke is divided into three zones: the upper, middle, and lower zones.

The Upper Zone

The upper zone consists of the uppercase area of the writing and ends where the middle zone (lower case) begins. This is thee philosophical zone, Freud’s superego, the consciousness of the intellectual, spiritual, ethereal thoughts and feelings area, the psychic, emotional, or theory zone, ideas, religion, philosophy, knowledge, goals and plans, imagination.

The superego emerges around the age of five and it envelopes the moral standards and ideals we learn from our parents and society, the sense of right and wrong, also known as our conscience. The superego contains the ego ideal, those rules and standards for behaviors that the ego itself desires. The unacceptable urges from the id are suppressed by the superego as it strives to influence the ego to maintain idealistic standards as opposed to acting on realistic principles.

The Middle Zone

The middle zone is the middle section of the writing where lower case letters are written. It begins in the middle section of the writing and ends at the baseline, also known as the line of reality. This is the mundane or today zone, the equivalent of Freud’s ego. It translates to individual consciousness or the daily routine, also known as the ego zone, where communication abilities, digestion, heartbeat, and everyday things live in the moment. Traits such as secretiveness, talkativeness, thinking processes, argumentativeness, and other traits that relate to a person’s daily environment and interaction with other people are found in the middle zone. A small middle zone with relation to the other zones, indicates a writer who does not relate well to people, is socially introverted, may have an inability to communicate, and in the extreme, has a fear of people. It will intensify all other traits. A bigger middle zone with relation to the other two zones indicates that the writer lives in the present moment with little regard to the consequences tomorrow will bring.

The ego develops from the id, but it is the master that ensures that the impulses of the id are expressed within the confounds of the acceptable realistic and socially appropriate reality principle. The ego applies delayed gratification to the id’s impulses depending on the appropriate time and place.

The Lower Zone

The lower zone begins below the baseline of the writing. The materialistic zone or Freud’s id, materialistic impulses, exotic and sexual urges, the source of energy and drive, the instinct zone, the unconscious, the physical experiences zone, exercise, and travel. A loop of any kind signifies imagination in the physical realm. The same part of the brain that creates energy, drive, and ambition, also creates sexual adventurism, the need to travel, the desire to exercise, restlessness, boredom, and the drive to achieve.

The id is the keeper of secrets, that unconscious, impulsive part of the psyche that responds to basic urges, needs and desires. Freud said that the id operates on the pleasure principle where immediate gratification, regardless of the consequences, is the name of the game. The presence, lack of, or structure of loops in the lower zone gives the graphologist insight into the id of the writer.

The Future/Other

A stroke that ends to the right symbolizes an effort to go forward to the future and outward towards other people, or the environment. Strokes to the right pertain to the future and others in the upper zone, outward from self in the middle zone, and to material drives in the lower zone.

The Past/Self

A stroke that ends to the left symbolizes a retreat to the past and/or into one’s self. Strokes to the left also pertain back to the past and the self in the upper zone, inward into self in the middle zone, and to physical action in the lower zone.

Where Do the Loops Appear?

Now that you know what the different zones in handwriting mean, start looking for looped strokes within the handwriting. If the loop appears in the upper zone of the handwriting, the loop should be analyzed against the backdrop of the meaning of the upper zone, etc.

General Rules About Loops

Loops in handwriting indicate that the writer has the ability of imagination.
Loops also indicate that the writer has a specific need and that need depends on where in the writing the loop occurs.
Loopy writers are more emotional and feel an experience more than they can conceptualize it. This makes this writer more impulsive. The bigger the loops, the more emotion.
If the loop is exaggerated, it serves as a trait intensifier. This means that whatever trait the loop signifies, the wider and/or bigger the loop, the more the trait is intensified. Exaggerated loops mean that emotional needs are not being met and the writer fears disapproval.
Stunted loops mean that the ability to express emotion is impaired.
Retraced loops point to fears about emotional involvement and inhibition.
Distortions in the loops indicate possible neurosis and a warped emotional response.
Reversed loops point to rebelliousness and anti-social tendencies.
Broken loops could mean anxiety over certain actions or health problems.
Loops in the upper zone of the handwriting mean that the writer is open, searching, looking at the philosophical or religious areas of thinking.
Loops in the middle zone of the handwriting indicate imagination in communication, the mundane, things we do daily.
Loops in the lower zone of the handwriting pertain to imagination in the physical zone, the physical aspect of our being, instincts, and our body.

Loops in the Upper Zone of the Handwriting

The upper zone of the handwriting relates to conscious thought. This zone reflects the thinking habits of the writer. Loops in the upper zone of the handwriting mean that the writer is open and searching mentally for ideas and philosophies.

Loops that stretch up very high into the upper zone indicate that the writer has high idealistic goals that he cannot reach, causing intellectual frustration, vanity, and mysticism.

Inflated, wide loops in the upper zone tell us that the writer expresses himself more emotionally than intellectually. This writer is therefore, very sensitive and imagines criticisms where there are none. So much emotion coupled with imagination is usually not a good thing.

Angular loops in the upper zone signify apprehension. The writer feels dread that he cannot verbalize, and therefore, cannot control his response to it. This apprehension is chronic and illogical. The writer has trouble making decisions, and his enthusiasm and optimism are both low.

Upper zone looped lowercase letter ‘f’ (no bottom loop) means that the writer is a good planner (the boss), but not bothered with the implementation of the plans.

The letter ‘h’ tells us about the writer’s spirituality. Does the writer go to church just to be seen or is he a true believer who lives his life according to the golden rule. When the lowercase letter ‘h’ is looped, the writer has some religious guilt. The bigger the loop, the more the guilt/paranoia about religion/philosophy. When the lowercase letter ‘h’ is looped, the writer is searching for new philosophies or religions which can cause inner conflict. This writer is always explaining why he did what he did; always justifying his actions.

No loops in the upper zone mean that the writer has locked down his philosophical/religious beliefs. This writer has learned to eliminate unnecessary details, focus on the bare essentials, and overall has a developed intellect. Occasional loops in the upper zone mean that the writer is still developing mentally.

Loops in the Middle Zone of the Handwriting

All parts of the handwriting pass through the middle zone, making it arguably the most important zone in the handwriting. This is the every day place where the writer lives and how he feels.

Loops in the middle zone indicate imagination in communication, e.g. in the letter ‘o’ loops indicate self deceit, secretiveness, and/or prevarication/lying.

Self deceit is a fear that causes the writer to withhold information from himself (loop on the left side of the oval which pertains to the self). This writer puts his head in the sand like an ostrich and thinks because he cannot see the problem, it does not exist, and consequently deceives himself.

Secrecy is shown by loops formed on the righthand side of oval letters. The larger the inner loop, the more secrets this person will withhold from others. If the inner loop is huge, this person will try to avoid giving you a complete answer. Being secretive can be a protective shield (a fear): If you don’t tell them, they can’t use it against you!

Prevarication or lying is shown by a combination of loops on the left and right sides of the lower case letters ‘a’ and ‘o’. Huge inner loops that cross signify a person that lies pathologically. This writer is not trustworthy. The bigger the loops, the more imagination and secrets that are being kept: the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. If the two loops touch or intersect, the writer is keeping secrets from others and deceiving the self.

Amoure Kleu Author, Graphology, Graphology Loops, Handwriting analysis

Loops in the Lower Zone of the Handwriting

The lower zone of the handwriting is representative of the unconscious mind. This zone of the handwriting tells us how the writer acts. The lower zone is the portal to the psyche, the unconscious. Loops in the lower zone indicate physical energy. It also indicates the sex drive, because energy is located at the same part of the brain as sex drive. Lower zone loops also refer to a sense of trust. If the loops are exaggerated, it indicates an excess of imagination. Moderate loops that are balanced with the other zones indicate that the writer is balanced in sexual and physical urges. Good pressure on the downstroke of the loop indicates good vitality.

Large loops in the lower zone mean that the writer exaggerates things physically, e.g. gullible, easily talked into things; makes big deals of little things; likes variety; has big sex/physical drives.

The width of the loop in the lower zone indicates the writer’s acceptance of friends:

The narrower the loop, the less acceptance (less trust).

The wider the loop, the more acceptance and trust (of which the extreme would be gullibility). The wider the loop the more imagination and fantasy regarding physical aspects. Writers with very wide loops fantasize about sex to cover their feelings of insecurity and inadequacy regarding sex. With so much imagination ruling their drives, they are wide open to believe anything, resulting in gullibility.

The length of the loop in the lower zone indicates the desire for change. The longer the loop, the stronger the desire for variety, travel, moving about and not staying in one place too long (does not like to be tied down). If the loop is so long that it runs into the writing below, it illustrates confusion, as the writer has too many interests; scattered energies; is constantly on the go; and is always looking for something new.

If the loop falls weakly into the lower zone with little pressure, physical drives are curbed. Short loops tell us that the writer spends little time in the past and may have difficulty learning lessons from the past. This writer does not emphasize material things. He prefers to hang out in the present. He may lack physical vitality.

Angular loops in the lower zone indicate that the writer can be aggressive and obstinate, and finds his partner sexually unsuitable or unsatisfactory. When the sex life is blocked, the writer tends to become irritable, quarrelsome or contentious. The writer feels anxiety in intimate relationships, and tends to be impatient, nagging, and aggressive.

Hook-shaped lower zone loops indicate feelings of guilt. This writer will unconsciously create circumstances where others will punish him to satisfy his feelings of guilt.

Triangular shaped lower zone loops usually point towards the left (past/self/mother) and are considered strokes of aggression and obstinacy. This writer harbors a hidden aggression or hostility towards the self or to accumulated things that happened in the past. This aggression/hostility is hidden because it is below the baseline (the line of reality) and is in the unconscious. It plays out as constant criticism or nagging.

If the loop in the lower zone does not close, it indicates physical frustration. Incomplete loops that do not return to the baseline (the point of reality) look like a cradle that keeps the writer stuck in the past, and indicates that the writer tends to repeat the same life mistakes/lessons over and over. This applies to relationship patterns, weight patterns, money issues, etc. This writer is stuck in the past because the stroke curls towards the left (past/self/mother figure). This writer may need nurturing or a loving connection that he will seek even in adulthood.

If the upstroke of the lower zone loop crosses the downstroke below the baseline, the writer may be frustrated causing him to finish projects too soon. He may hold himself back during sexual or physical exploits resulting in a lack of emotional release, hence the frustration.

The lowercase ‘f’ with only a loop in the lower zone (no upper zone loop) means that the writer is a ‘doer’, an action oriented person, but usually not good at planning things. This is the team player, the assistant.

Unusual loops in the lower zone indicate that something out of the ordinary happened in the writer’s life (usually early life or childhood) which affected his view on the physical aspect of life, including sex. Loops within loops indicate persistence which amounts to compulsiveness. This writer will not know when to stop, resulting in overdoing physical pursuits.

Conclusion

Loops in the handwriting tell us how imagination, emotion, and feeling influence the writer in his mental, communicative, and physical capacities. The proverbial “too” applies here, because whether it’s “too much” or “too little”, the “too” takes away from the balance needed. Some letters should be looped, whereas others are better not looped. I would like the recommend that the following letters be looped or not in the following manner:

The lowercase letter ‘f’ is the only letter that has both an upper zone loop and a lower zone loop that meets in the middle zone. When the letter ‘f’ is double looped with loops in the upper and lower zones, the writer is well organized, with the ability to plan ahead (upper zone loop), as well as taking the action necessary to execute what has been planned (lower zone loop).

The lowercase letter ‘h’ is the philosophical/religious letter. When the lowercase letter ‘h’ is not looped, but closed, the writer has established his philosophies and code of ethics.

The lowercase letter “l” with a spacious loop, indicates that the writer has big dreams, big visions, and can see and visualize things for the future. These dreams and visions are continuously kept in sight.

Dreams should come in a size that are too big, but you have the responsibility to grow into them. Keep the balance of imagining big things while still being grounded. If you want to be more imaginative during a brainstorming session, draw continuous loops on a piece of paper, or with your finger on a surface. Breathe deeply while you do this and your nervous system will calm down also. Be imaginative, dream big, and reach for the stars, because that way you will at least reach the top of the mountain.