This week's experiment comes from
our dog, Calley. While visiting some
friends, she got a couple of flea bites. She is very allergic to fleas,
and she has been scratching, in spite of medications. I noticed that
the more she scratched, the more I scratched. No, I did not get fleas
too. Instead, the culprit was suggestion. For this experiment, you will
need:
* yourself * a clock
This is a very simple experiment,
which can show you how much impact
your thoughts have on your body. Find a nice, comfortable place to sit,
where you can see the clock. Now, all you have to do is sit for five
minutes without scratching your nose. That is all. Just don't scratch
your nose. Easy, right? You go for hours without scratching your nose.
How are you doing? Has your nose
started to itch yet? No, in spite off
all the rumors about computer bugs in e-mails, I did not send you any
cyber-fleas. The itch is the result of your brain. First, we start with
the suggestion that you not scratch your nose. That implies that your
nose will itch. Sitting there, watching the clock keeps your attention
focused on your nose. Any small sensation becomes the focus of your
attention and quickly builds until you feel that you just have to
scratch it.
Some people are more suggestible
than others. While some people may be
able to resist scratching for the five minutes, most people will feel
the itching sensation in much less than the time limit. As we have just
seen, suggestion can be a powerful thing. It is used in advertising all
the time. Just be glad that I picked an easy to scratch spot like your
nose. Just imagine if I had told you to think about that spot between
your shoulders that is so hard to reach. Just don't think about it too
long.........
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to Krampf Index Including permission to post
these
experiments on my web site.
