I learned graphology on my own, just from books, when I was in my early twenties. I used it to make business decisions--for example, I might analyze a potential boss's handwriting upside down (while seated across from her in an interview) and make a decision to work or not work with this person.
Years went on and I continued to do analysis. People would bring me samples, usually related to business decisions, and I noticed I started getting a lot more from the handwriting than most graphologists would get. In fact what was happening was that I was picking up things about the person psychically. Pictures would appear and I would sometimes get a sense of the person's mindset, outlook, personality, etc., but particularly emotional disposition. I could drop right into how they were feeling emotionally.
I did not like this. The best way to describe it is that it is like putting on someone else's clothes after they'd worn them. Unwashed clothes. Yuck.
I would do handwriting analysis when I went to parties and there would always be a big crowd of people who wanted me to analyze their writing. I also started noticing that doing this would take a lot out of me because I wasn't just doing it on an analytical level, I was getting information psychically from it. People were amused and astounded at some of the things I said. For example, one time I looked at the handwriting from one person in a couple who attended a party and I said, "You didn't drive here. You walked part of the way because your car broke down, didn't you?" Their jaws dropped--they hadn't told anyone about this. To this day I can still see that couple wearing their ski caps and hiking through the snow to that party.
More years passed and I found myself in my early years of college teaching. At the beginnning of the semester, writing teachers give a writing sample. This tells where the student is with their writing and teachers sometimes ask the student to get regular help from a tutor based on the sample.
At first I couldn't figure out what was going on but as I read each student's initial essay, written by hand in class, I would hone right in on the student's life situation. I could tell if the student was from a dysfunctional home (a lot of them are), how serious they were about attending college, relationships with family, etc. This would come at me before I even read the essay. It was almost like it was energy rising up off the page.
I didn't like this, mostly because the pictures and feelings represented were too overwhelming for me. Most students' lives are not that great. I couldn't even find a way to come at the reading of such essays without getting this information. I started booking computer labs for such essays and I told students I would never, ever accept a handwritten essay.
So there you are--my experience with graphology.
I am getting information off the candidates' samples. If anyone's interested, I'll post it.
Cher