Dot the i’s and cross the t’s

Archita Wagle discovers the logic and rationale behind graphology as Dr Sheela Bennathan explains the fascinating science

What would you do when you retire at the age of 60 and have a lot of time on hand?

You would probably sit at home, go for walks, visit temple and satsangs, or play with your grandchildren. Or you would go for a second career — and that’s exactly what Dr Sheela Bennathan did.

A practising general practitioner with a diploma in gynaecology, Bennathan gave up her dream of opening a gynaecology clinic as further training required being away from her home and small children. After a post graduate degree in Pharmacology in 1975, Bennathan shifted careers and served as a medical director in several MNCs such as Boehringer and Johnson & Johnson till 1990. After retirement she freelanced as a consultant to a few Indian pharma companies.

It was after retirement in 2001 that graphology happened. “After retirement, while I was with my son in the US, I saw an ad for a 3-month-long course in graphology (the science of handwriting) and joined it to utilise the time on hand." She had no intention of turning it into a career. It was only after practicing it on family and friends for two years  and gaining precision, that Bennathan decided to turn her hobby into a profession. But not many were convinced about graphology which they believed was similar to branches like astrology and palmistry. “It was quite a task to convince people that graphology was a science like any other,” she says.

However, things changed for Bennathan when she was featured in the Marathi daily, Saamna. She relates how she was initially slotted for a women’s page but ended up being written about in the youth page and received tremendous feedback. “The funny part was, not many women seemed to be inspired but a lot of men came to have their handwritings analysed," she relates.

Bennathan has had many memorable experiences in the past five years. She recollects a case where a lady requested her to analyse her daughter’s handwriting. Bennathan asked the lady to bring her daughter so that she could have a one-on-one session (Bennathan prefers this as she believes that she can learn much more about the person through personal interaction).

The lady said that her daughter refused to listen to her and would never agree to meet Bennathan. “I agreed and analysed the daughter’s handwriting and found that she had extreme tendencies, like running away from home. I gently told the mother to not be so strict with her daughter."

Yet, after six months, the mother came and told Bennathan that the girl had run away with her boyfriend. Bennathan still believes that she could have helped the girl had she met her personally.

“Graphology is not only helpful while analysing other people’s handwriting - you can use it for your gain, too. For instance, it has helped me avoid many dubious individuals,” she says. Bennathan also teaches graphology to students.

“It requires seven to ten classes to grasp the technique of reading handwriting but it takes a lot more time to be able to read handwritings and be able to analyse what it is telling you”. Apart from being trained in graphology, Bennathan also offers corrective therapy, i.e suggesting changes in one’s handwriting to alter the negative aspects.

Having just celebrated her birthday early this week, Bennathan is looking forward to a fulfilling second innings in graphology. “It’s just the beginning and I am enjoying it” she signs off with a smile.      

w_archita@dnaindia.net