Applied Kinesiology - Muscle Testing

If you have been around New Age folks for a few years, you have probably run into applied kinesiology (also known as muscle testing). The theory goes that the body's muscles will be strong or weak depending upon whether what you are testing is good or bad for the body.

One person holds her right arm out straight at about shoulder level, perhaps holding a toxic substance in a container in her right hand. The other person tries to push that arm down firmly. Because it is a toxic substance, her arm supposedly will be weak and be unable to resist the firm downward force. It seems to work. Instead, if some "good stuff" (organic broccoli, for example) is in her hand, that arm has great strength.

But, this all depends upon one of the two people (the one holding her arm up or the person pushing down on that arm) knowing what is being tested. Suppose they modify the test so that neither person involved knows what is in an opaque envelope. The results become quite random. The test does not work. Many know this, that double-blind experiments fail. One particularly unthinking devotee of the method exclaimed, "That is why we don't do double-blind experiments, because they fail." Talk about hiding one's head in the sand!