The ideomotor effect is a psychological phenomenon wherein a subject makes motions unconsciously (i.e., without conscious awareness). As in reflexive responses to pain, the body sometimes reacts reflexively to ideas alone without the person consciously deciding to take action. For instance, tears are produced by the body unconsciously in reaction to the emotion of sadness, usually without any intervention of conscious will. Psychology (ancient Greek: psyche = soul and logos = word) is the study of mind, thought, and behaviour. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Stage hypnotists exploit the ideomotor effect for entertainment value, convincing volunteers to perform some action without consciously deciding to do so. The volunteers usually have no memory of their performance, much like sleepwalkers who are unaware that they are acting on stimulus existing almost entirely in their own minds. More subtle unconscious physical reactions are often used by magicians and illusionists to perform "mind-reading" tricks.

Automatic writing, dowsing, facilitated communication, and Ouija boards have also been attributed to the effect of this phenomena. Mystics have often attributed this motion to paranormal or supernatural force. Many subjects are unconvinced that their actions are originating solely from within themselves. For the article about the album by Ataxia, see Automatic Writing (album). ... For the English iconoclast, see William Dowsing. ... Facilitated communication (FC) is an augmentative communication strategy, that is, a communication strategy used by people without functional speech. ... For the photographer, see Weegee. ... Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ... Look up Supernatural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The term was first used in a paper discussing the means through which the Ouija board produced its results, by William Benjamin Carpenter in 1852. In the paper, Carpenter explained his theory that muscular movement can be independent of conscious desires or emotions. William Benjamin Carpenter (October 29, 1813 - November 10, 1885) was an English physiologist and naturalist. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Structure of a skeletal muscle Muscle is one of the four tissue types. ... Consciousness is a quality of the mind generally regarded to comprise qualities such as subjectivity, self-awareness, sentience, sapience, and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and ones environment. ...

Scientific tests by the English scientist Michael Faraday, the French chemist Michel Chevreul, and the American psychologists William James and Ray Hyman have demonstrated that many phenomena attributed to spiritual or paranormal forces, or to mysterious "energies," are actually due to ideomotor action. Furthermore, these tests demonstrate that "honest, intelligent people can unconsciously engage in muscular activity that is consistent with their expectations" (Hyman 1999).^[1] They also show that suggestions that can guide behavior can be given by subtle clues (Hyman 1977) [1]. Michael Faraday, FRS (September 22, 1791 – August 25, 1867) was an English chemist and physicist (or natural philosopher, in the terminology of that time) who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. ... Michel Eugène Chevreul (August 31, 1786 - April 9, 1889) was an important French chemist whose work with fatty acids led to early applications in the fields of art and science. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Ray Hyman (b. ...

Some alternative medicine practitioners claim they can use the ideomotor effect to communicate with a patient's unconsciousness using a system of physical signals (such as finger movements) for the unconscious mind to indicate "yes", "no" or "I'm not ready to know that consciously". Scientific studies have not been conducted to support this method.^[2]

See also

• Pendulum use by dowsers
• Pendulum use by mystics
• Automatic writing
• Automatism
• Hypnosis
• Applied kinesiology

It has been suggested that Ideo motor response be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

For the English iconoclast, see William Dowsing. ... Nazi mysticism is a quasi-religious undercurrent of Nazism; it denotes the mixture of Nazism with occultism, esotericism, cryptohistory, and/or the paranormal — especially in the traditions of Germanic mysticism. ... For the article about the album by Ataxia, see Automatic Writing (album). ... Automatism is the practice or theory of the spontaneous production of words (speech or writing), drawing, painting or other creative production, or behavior in general, without conscious self-control or self-censorship. ... For the novel by Lucas Hyde, see Hypnosis (novel). ... See also: Kinesiology (academic) Applied kinesiology (AK) is related to diagnostic kinesiology. ... Image File history File links Mergefrom. ... Ideo motor response is a concept in hypnosis and paranormal research. ...

Notes

1. ^ Ray Hyman, Ph.D. (1999). "The Mischief-Making of Ideomotor Action" (reproduced on web as How People Are Fooled by Ideomotor Action). The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine (Fall-Winter). Retrieved on 2006-09-07. 
2. ^ Ruth, Dianne. Using Signals to "Talk" with the Unconscious Mind. Retrieved on 2007-07-28.

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Anderson, J.W., "Defensive Maneuvers In Two Incidents Involving The Chevreul Pendulum: A Clinical Note", International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Vol.XXV, No.1, (1977), pp.4-6.
• Carpenter, W.B., "On the Influence of Suggestion in Modifying and directing Muscular Movement, independently of Volition", [2]Royal Institution of Great Britain, (Proceedings), 1852, (12 March 1852), pp.147-153.
• Carroll, R.T., "Ideomotor effect". The Skeptic's Dictionary. 2003. ISBN 0-471-27242-6
• Cheek, D.B., "Some Applications of Hypnosis and Ideomotor Questioning Methods for Analysis and Therapy in Medicine", American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, Vol.5, No.2, (October 1962), pp.92-104.
• Cheuvrel. Michel E., De la Baguette Divinatoire et du Pendule Dit Explorateur (On the Divining Rod and the So-called Exploratory Pendulum), Maillet-Bachelier, Paris, 1854.
• Easton, R.D. & Shor, R.E., "An Experimental Analysis of the Chevreul Pendulum Illusion", The Journal of General Psychology, Vol.95, (July 1976), pp.111-125.
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• Erickson, M.H., "Historical Note on the Hand Levitation and Other Ideomotor Techniques", The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, Vol.3, January 1961, pp.196–199.
• Faraday, M., "Experimental Investigation of Table-Moving", Athenaeum, No.1340, (July 1853), pp.801-803.
• Faraday, M., "Table-Turning", The Times, No.21468, (30 June 1853), p.8.
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• Randi, J., "Ideomotor effect". An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural. 1995. ISBN 0-312-15119-5
• Reed, H.B., "Ideo-Motor Action", The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods, Vol.11, No.18, (27 August 1914), pp.477-491.
• Spitz, H.H. & Marcuard, Y., "Chevreul's Report on the Mysterious Oscillations of the Hand-Held Pendulum: A French Chemist's 1833 Open Letter to Ampère", The Skeptical Inquirer, (July/August 2001) Vol.25, No.4, pp.35-39.
• Stock, A. & Stock, C., "A Short History of Ideo-Motor Action", Psychological Research, Vol.68, Nos.2-3, (April 2004), pp.176-188.
• Sudduth, W.X., "Suggestion as an Ideo-Dynamic Force", pp.255-262 in Anon, Bulletin of the Medico-Legal Congress: Held at the Federal Building in the City of New York, September 4, 5th, and 6th, 1895, Medico-Legal Journal for Medico-Legal Society, (New York), 1895.