The human pendulum
This weekend just passed, I was lucky enough to attend an investigation hosted by Australian Paranormal Society at Aradale Lunatic Asylum. What made this different from the other investigations I have attended there in the past was that this time there was a special guest. Chris Morris from Paranormal Friends in the UK. I first met Chris around 3 years ago when he was last in Australia when we did a joint investigation with Australian Paranormal Society, Chris and his son Sam at Altona homestead. We have kept in contact over the years so I was thrilled when I heard he would be gracing our shores again. We even asked if he would also come out to Black Rock House and impart us with some of his wisdom which he happily agreed and that is happening next weekend. What intrigues me about Chris and his methods is that while he does use the equipment, he focuses mainly on old-school spiritual methods from the Victorian Era such as table tipping and of course the human pendulum. I myself have never had the privilege to witness these methods in use by someone that I trust so when I arrived at Aradale and heard he would be doing the human pendulum I was a tad excited.
We gathered in the bottom floor of the men’s ward. The group was asked to stand and hold hands in a circle. Chris introduced himself and very politely invited anyone from the spirit world to come forward. He asked them to walk around the circle and make themselves known by gently touching someone or making them sway. This went on for several minutes. The reason for this as Chris explained to me later is that obviously, it is not something that works every time. He doesn't believe in just jumping in and putting someone in the middle of the circle. He believes for it to work someone must be 'chosen' and he gauges during each session if he thinks it is worth pursuing or not as again obviously it is not going to work every time. One of the guests Jess said that she felt like she was swaying. So, he asked if they wanted to speak to Jess could they affect her in some way. She immediately said that she felt sick so she was 'chosen' to be the human pendulum. She was asked to stand in the middle of the circle with a person standing in front and another behind her to catch her in case she fell. Chris asked if the spirit could give a sign for a 'yes' answer. She leaned forward as if she was pushed yet her feet remained firmly on the ground. He then asked for a sign for 'no'. She leaned backwards again as if she was being pushed and again her feet were firmly on the ground. It was very interesting to watch. The group then began to ask different questions that only had a yes or no answer. Again, she either leaned forward or backward with a yes or no answer. This went on for around 10 minutes when suddenly every answer became no regardless of what the question was and it seemed that whoever was communicating didn't want to do so anymore. We thanked the spirit and moved on to the next area.
It was quite an interesting experiment to watch. Obviously, the skeptical side of me can say that the power of suggestion could potentially cause a person to sway or lean forward or backward. I even found myself swaying at times in the circle. Taken for what it is, however, it was a very different form of communication and one worth trying if you trust the individuals within your circles. Like anything that involves a human element, there is always a chance for manipulation. I however found myself asking questions and getting involved and taking it for what it was. A form of experimentation.
Later in the evening, we tried the experiment again, this time in the men's hospital which is an area I had never been before. We held hands in a circle and again Chris asked spirit to come forward. Nothing seemed to be happening at this point - well so we thought. My brother Glenn was outside the circle observing. We kept hearing bangs and he kept falling into the window. It was a little strange so we asked what was going on and he claimed he was being pushed. He eventually felt like he was pinned in the corner of the room and could not move. Anyone that has seen my brother will know that he is a large guy who is a bodybuilder and not easily pinned. He is also one of the most rational and skeptical investigators I know who does not exaggerate things and honestly if he saw this happening to someone else, he would probably turn around and question it. It ended with him having to be dragged out of the room as he could not move. It wasn't until he was out of the room that he was able to start using his feet. Once we were fully outside, he was perfectly fine again. Depending on your beliefs, it is recommended to do spiritual protection or grounding before and after doing this experiment. I personally do not do spiritual protection but that is just me.
Overall it was a really interesting experiment to watch and we were reminded that it doesn't always work in the way it did on our first try. I always recommend trying new things. There is absolutely not one way to investigate and seeing how others do things can be beneficial to everyone. While a lot of the investigations I attend seem to be more tech-focused, it was quite interesting to see a spiritual approach. We can pick apart any style of investigating be it using equipment or using our bodies, but if we just embrace it and take it as it is, we can have a great experience. No, the human pendulum is not going to prove you are communicating with a spirit but neither does using a spirit box or a K2 meter. Sometimes we need to stop worrying about what people think and just enjoy what is happening what is in front of us. That is exactly what this experiment allows us to do. I am excited to see what Chris has in store for us at Black Rock House next weekend as we are going to attempt our hand at table tipping. Again, I have never seen it done in person by someone that I trust so I am interested to see it in person and there is no better setting than my beloved Black Rock House. Stay tuned for another recap ....
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Comments
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Jenny 6 years ago
I do it quite a lot, I also don’t use protection but I just ask spirit to step back and they usually do
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Living Life In Full Spectrum 6 years ago
I have seen some people become quite affected but I think it is more they were freaking out because it is not something they were used to experiencing. Especially giving up the self control
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