Applied Kinesiology–What Is Muscle Testing

What Is Muscle Testing?
By Genelle Pepple

Before we look at what muscle testing is and how it works, please do not be confused between Muscle Testing (aka Applied Kinesiology) and plain Kinesiology since they sound similar, yet are very different.

Plain “Kinesiology” is:

ki·ne·si·ol·o·gy
The study of the anatomy, physiology, and mechanics of body movement, especially in humans.

Medicine. The study of the motions of the human body, especially as they apply to therapy through corrective exercise. Also called kinestherapy. — kinesiologic, kinesiological, adj.

However, “Applied Kinesiology” is defined as:

Applied Kinesiology is a complementary therapy, which uses various forms of muscle testing to identify imbalances in the body’s structural, chemical, emotional and spiritual energies. By using these tests, the therapist can establish the body’s priority healing needs, and go on to evaluate the changes in energy flows that result from any therapeutic procedures applied.

The basic assumption behind (Applied) Kinesiology is that the body has a natural innate capacity to heal itself, but that sometimes the assistance of the therapist is needed to bring this care into the body’s reality. It follows that one of the principles of (Applied) Kinesiology is that there are energy flows within the body at every level – cellular, tissue and organ level – as well as within the body as a whole organism. And while you’re not consciously aware of these energy flows, the vast repository of knowledge in the subconscious mind contains information about every aspect of them. This is where muscle testing allows the therapist to diagnose imbalances in energy flow and then intervene with an appropriate remedial action.

Does Applied Kinesiology (AK) work? Yes, for many, it does. But how does it work? The answer to this question is most important for Christians to ascertain. When I want to know whether something is safe from a Christian perspective, I always look at its roots and origins and then I test it against biblical principles and teachings.

In looking at the roots and origins of muscle testing, I found that it was initiated in 1964 by George J. Goodheart, Jr., D.C. He is credited with being the father of Applied Kinesiology. Unfortunately, in looking at his roots, he was involved with the occult. He is reported to have developed his elaborate charts showing relationship of specific organs and acupuncture meridians to certain nutrients and herbs (at least in part) through psychic powers.

In essence, Goodheart combined the eastern philosophy of early chiropractic theory concerning the body’s supposed Innate Intelligence with ancient Eastern practices designed to regulate supposed mystical life energies within the body. The concept of “the Innate” is at the foundation of chiropractic. It shares common ground with many other healing arts that work off the assumption that your body has an innate intelligence or higher intelligence within that knows what the body needs and what is best for it.

Therefore, you simply need to connect with the Innate and it will direct you as to what your body needs; it will also self-correct problems within the body. According to “A Job Analysis of Chiropractic: A Project Report, Survey Analysis, and Summary of the Practice of Chiropractic Within the United States,” approximately 43% of all chiropractors use muscle testing in their practice. https://www.healthline.com/health/muscle-testing#applied-kinesiology

Many other holistic health practitioners also use muscle testing as an assessment tool. “It is used to assess many different things – as broad as general health status and as refined as specific supplement dosage, and almost everything in between.” http://theconversation.com/muscle-testing-kinesiology-panaceaor-placebo-11075

Muscle testing can be used to answer all kinds of questions using the process of divination to accomplish the task. Divination you say? Really? I know this may sound shocking at first, but it’s true. Muscle testing, pendulum, and sway testing are all are methods of divination used to connect with the innate intelligence or higher self within to obtain answers. There is a mystical component that cannot be fully explained as to how and why they work – yet they do.

How can I label these therapies as divination so quickly? Because “I” didn’t do the labeling, the people who practice it did. Below are some examples.

Example #1: Wicca (witches) openly identify muscle testing as divination. Of course, being openly involved in the occult, they have no concern with practicing divination, but shouldn’t a Christian be concerned? Here is what they published on “Wicca Spirituality” http://www.wicca-spirituality.com/applied-kinesiology. html:

Applied Kinesiology: Your Body As A Divination Tool Applied Kinesiology (AK) is usually listed among divination methods. But human bodies are very effective divination tools, and this technique allows us to access deep wisdom that the mind cannot attain.

How Applied Kinesiology Works The muscles remain strong in the presence of a “yes” answer, and collapse without strength in the presence of a “no” answer.

The same is true in the presence of something healthful and something not good for the body. You can use this to as a divination tool to test for yes-or-no answers, just as you would use a pendulum.

Advantages

There are three major advantages of using muscle testing over other divination methods…

• Your body is always with you.
• Unlike pendulums, tarot cards, etc, muscle testing can be as subtle and as quick as a flick of the fingers beneath a table.
• You can easily determine which foods, supplements, or treatments your body needs… even while standing in the grocery store!

I’m not sure if reading that caused you to pause in thought or not, but I was initially taken aback to see muscle testing lumped-in with pendulums and tarot cards not to mention it was a witch advocating for how to use it.

Example #2: Another website identifies muscle testing as essentially, a way to ask your higher self questions – and get answers.

Here is what “the crystal child at wordpress.com” http://crystalchild.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/ muscle_testing/ says:

Now, what is muscle testing?

Muscle testing is essentially a way to ask your Highest Self / the Universe / God / Source whether something is for your highest good. It’s very simple to do and to learn and you can do it on yourself.

You can ask yes/no questions like:

• • “Is it in my highest good to_[fill in the blank]__?”
  • “Is it in my son’s highest good for him to eat this food?”
  • “Is it in my daughter highest good to try this treatment?”

Then trust the response and take action based on that response.

Do you see how this is divination? Does a person have to be a self-proclaimed psychic in order to make spiritual inquiries? Does one even need to know, be aware, or intellectually recognize they’re working with occult power in order for it to work? No! That’s why it is so dangerous! It will work whether you are aware of the fact that you’re tapping into it, or not.