From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxt!mhuxa!mhuxh!bwkna!ljs
Newsgroups: net.misc
Title: Mystics, weights, strings and coat hangers
Article-I.D.: bwkna.147
Posted: Fri Feb 18 09:40:59 1983
Received: Tue Feb 22 07:11:12 1983

The pendulum described in Jeff Mayhew's contribution (a small weight 
attached to a 10" string) is a common device which is often
used to quickly develop or achieve a hypnotic state.  Almost any
book on hypnotism or auto-suggestion describes it and often other
experiments are discussed.

Try this one:  Holding the string between thumb and forefinger, so that
the weight acts as a pendulum, place your elbow on the table.  Try to
keep the weight still.  Now, don't look at the pendulum, but concentrate
on "yes."  After a while, you will find that the pendulum is moving in
some pattern: circular or back-and-forth.  Do the same thing again, but
this time concentrate on "no."  The pendulum will move in another pattern.
Most people doing this little experiment generate consistent patterns
for "no" and "yes."  These patterns may be different for different people.

This is a variation of the "finger signal" technique of the hypnotist.