Ideomotor phenomenon Ouija Knee-jerk reactions Commentary

William Benjamin Carpenter, Michael Faraday, James Braid, Michel Eugène Chevreul behavioral science

Ideomotor phenomenon

• William Benjamin Carpenter debunked psychics and spiritualists,
• claiming they were responsible
• for any paranormal manifestations they claimed
• even if they were not conscious of their role.
• James Braid related this to hypnosis,
• in which instruction may be given to muscles
• without conscious awareness or agreement.
• Michael Faraday showed that subconscious pressures
• exerted by the people who were touching the table,
• not paranormal phenomena, caused table-turning.
• Michel Eugène Chevreul explained
• involuntary and subconscious muscular reactions
• are responsible for the movements
• of magic pendulums, divining rods, and table-turning.

Ouija

• Who is it?
• I . . . T . . . S
• O . . . N . . . L . . . Y
• U . . . S

Knee-jerk reactions

• I know evidence of past performance
• doesn’t support my hopes
• for the team, political candidate, negotiator;
• however, I’m willing to give them a chance.
• I personally saw a man find water for a well
• using a forked wand of willow.
• It doesn’t matter to me
• if scientists say there’s nothing to it.
• I agree it’s not probable
• anyone can channel an entity living out of time,
• but she believes she’s not just making it up,
• so I listen to what she says.
• When we asked, the Ouija board
• pointed to the right answers.
• Yes, it rained yesterday;
• yes, there’s an afterworld.
• OK, let’s accept for now
• you don’t believe in UFOs,
• but just you wait until you see one,
• then you’ll believe.