Observations placeholder
An experiment in catatonia
Identifier
010737
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Colin Wilson - Mysteries
A dowser friend showed me [this] experiment, which he claimed depended on 'earth forces'.
He held out his right arm parallel to his body, and told me to try to pull it down, using both hands; I succeeded without too much difficulty.
He then began to shake his arm to remove all its muscular tensions, beginning by shaking the hand until it moved loosely on the wrist, then the forearm, then the whole arm.
Again he raised the arm, and told me to try to pull it down. This time, it was impossible; the arm seemed to be made of rock.
He explained that as he stretched the arm, pointing at the horizon, he tried to imagine that earth forces were moving up through the soles of his feet, and out along the arm, like a ray of light. Whatever the explanation, it produced an extraordinary rigidity.