1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: My name is Robert lamp and I'm Julie Douglas. In 4 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: today's episode, we would like you to take you to 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: a slumber party. All right, So go back to your roots, 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: go back to your your childhood memories if you have them, 7 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: of a slumber party, you know, dressing your long pajamas, 8 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: huddle around the floor and and start thinking long and 9 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: hard about the occult in the supernatural world and who 10 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: you are going to pick to put their hand in 11 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: a bowl of water when they fall asleep. Oh yeah, yeah, 12 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: that old trick. I have heard that one. Or there's 13 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: the putting the food cream in the hand or the 14 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: shaving cream in the hand, and then tickle the nose 15 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: and then and then want wont even cream on the head? 16 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: The the amusing thing. When we were talking about this 17 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: episode and getting things together for you have some legitimate 18 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: slumber party memories and some anecdotes about horsing grounds with 19 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: a lot of this stuff. But I don't think I 20 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: ever did any of this stuff. I can only think 21 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: of a like a few like a handful of slumber 22 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: party type things that I went to. And I don't 23 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: even think we call it. You call them slumber parties 24 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: necessarily if it's little boys, I feel like they were 25 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 1: just like sleepovers or something. And and I think we 26 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: just basically played a lot of video games. And I 27 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: remember once, uh, the kid whose house it was, he 28 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: was grounded because he ran through the house naked, and 29 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 1: like that was the extent of the excitement. All right, Well, 30 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: I don't want to get off on a tangent already 31 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: before we've started the podcast, because obviously we're gonna cover 32 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: some of these slumber party hijinks of our youth and 33 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: talk about the science behind them of what seemed like 34 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: it could be possible or not possible. But I wanted 35 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: to point that out, the gender difference. I wonder if 36 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: the obsession with the occult has something to do with UM. Well, 37 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: not I'm not saying all kids girls are witches the 38 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: inherent evil of of the male set exactly, That's what 39 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: I meant to say. But I wonder if that has 40 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: some sort of root in um interest in this, because 41 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: there was a sort of, if you look at it, 42 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:14,799 Speaker 1: at least historically, a power in invocating things and looking 43 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: towards the dark arts well for power as opposed to 44 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: actually having a lot of power in your life, and 45 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: I'm thinking's sixteen hundred years. Yeah. Well, one thing that 46 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:24,839 Speaker 1: definitely comes to mind is that a lot of these 47 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: games kind of remind us of ice breakers, and they 48 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: are they're they're forcing people to interact with each other. 49 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: It's more of a communal, open experience, and by and large, 50 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: it seems like females are often more inclined to that 51 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: than the males when they're in their individual groups. For instance, 52 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: when I think of j Ju Saana, which is here 53 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, this koree in Sanna that a lot of 54 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 1: people go to, and it's really cool, but they divide 55 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:53,679 Speaker 1: you into into sexes for part of it. There's the 56 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: men sauna and the women sauna, and so I only 57 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: know what goes on in the men sana obviously, so 58 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: I'll my wife it's like, well, what's it like in 59 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: the in the women's son and it's like, well, there's 60 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: a lot of talking. There's a lot of women within 61 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: their own group talking without each other, and then you 62 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: may meet other women that are in the that side 63 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: of the sauna, whereas on the men's side, it's completely different. 64 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: It's just like a bunch of naked dudes staring at 65 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,959 Speaker 1: the at the tiles. You know, there's not really any 66 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: talking going on. And granted that's a little different than 67 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: a childhood slumber party. But but but I can see where. 68 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: I mean, guys are just gonna they're not gonna be 69 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,799 Speaker 1: as as open to say, doing light as a finger. 70 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: Stiff as a board. Well, I don't know. I think 71 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: that next time you go that you should bring Auji 72 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: board in with you to the sauna and see if 73 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: you can strike up some conversations. Yeah, yeah, maybe so, 74 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: maybe so. Yeah. Alright, so you have mentioned, uh, let 75 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: his feather stiff as board, which is something known as 76 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: party levitation. Yes, this was apparently made famous by the 77 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: film The Craft, which I think I saw, but I 78 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: only remember that actress Faruza Bach was in it and 79 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: she's all Gothian. You know that. That's my full experience 80 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: with that film. Well, here's a setup. Okay, you've got 81 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: your sleepover, and this is a a sleepover staple, by 82 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: the way, party levitation. So imagine four nine pound girls 83 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: who are all arranged around their friend and she's laying 84 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 1: on her back on the floor, okay, And they all 85 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: get just one finger, each finger from each chant under her. 86 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: And then they are going to lift up this nine 87 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: pound girl just using their index fingers. So inevit believe 88 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: they try. They're like, all right, let's lift her using 89 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: our fingers. And nothing happens. Right, It's just a bunch 90 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 1: of people lifting up on their fingers, tickling the person 91 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: a little bit, and it's it's hilarious, but nothing happens. Yeah, 92 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: and then someone says, hey, let's let's hearken back to 93 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: our Wiccan ancestors and and uh repeat a chant that 94 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: may give us the power, supernatural power, supernatural strength to 95 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 1: lift her. And so they chant four times, as though 96 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: they are now a coven of witches casting their spell. 97 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,119 Speaker 1: And they chant light as a feather stiff as a board. 98 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: Light is a feather stiff as a board, Light as 99 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: a feather stiff as a board. And on the fourth one, 100 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: miraculously they levitate their friend. Well, they don't quite levitate her, 101 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: but they lily in the proper environment, with the proper expectations, 102 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: can certainly seem like an amazing levitation experience. And that's 103 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: the one of the key things to realize here. First 104 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: of all, visualized experience. Never we've touched on this before, 105 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 1: but never discount the power of a little ritual and 106 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: a thing because it can It changes your perception about 107 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 1: what is happening, in your expectations about what will happen. Likewise, 108 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: concerted effort light is a finger stiff in the board 109 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: is kind of a on account of three type of deal. 110 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:48,039 Speaker 1: On account of three, we're all going to do this 111 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 1: at once, as opposed to girls randomly moving their fingers 112 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: up and down and not picking someone up off the 113 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 1: off the floor. Yeah, you're right, you're synchronizing with that, 114 00:05:57,080 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: which is really important. We've talked about that too in 115 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 1: terms of a sort of ritual that you do as 116 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: a group, because you're also synchronizing the neurons that are 117 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: firing in your brain. Yeah, whether you're getting geared up 118 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: to run through a run, to walk across some hot coals, 119 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: or you're in church singing hymn. Yeah. And Dr Carl 120 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:18,279 Speaker 1: krislin Nikki of Australia's ABC Science has said that that's 121 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,720 Speaker 1: really important, this this chanting, this ritualized portion of it 122 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: and sinking up. But not only that, as you say, 123 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 1: the memory of it, because he's saying that if you 124 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: look at any clip on YouTube, you will see that 125 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: what is happening is that um, once they sink up 126 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: and once they do the chanting, that yes and d 127 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 1: they do lift their friend, but it's really only a 128 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: couple of inches. And the friends about the fall and 129 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: it's not quite the success that they think it is 130 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: in their minds when when they're talking about it in 131 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: the clips, they're like, whoa, we actually really lifted for 132 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: a very high. Yeah, but you're ten years old, you're 133 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: full of sugar, it's late at night. The perception is 134 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: gonna be a little different, right, And I have to 135 00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: say to you that when I did it and sleepover 136 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 1: before that, when I take out that memory and I 137 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: examine it, I did think that, you know, I was 138 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: really lifting my friend very high. Were you yourself levitated 139 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: or were you one of the levitator? I was one 140 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: of the levitators because I really, like, you know, I 141 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: was obsessed with the occult at that age, by the way, 142 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: and not just the occult, like I would spend my 143 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: weekends trying to hypnotize myself and I had books on it, 144 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: and so these we were huge mysteries to me, and 145 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: I put a lot of effort into it. So if 146 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: someone was gonna be you know, levitated, I was going 147 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: to be in that group to help them with the power. 148 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: We'll see, and this is we'll discuss this a little 149 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: more in a minute, but I feel like I was. 150 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: I was always fascinated with the occult as well, um, 151 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: you know, and I would buy like I had a 152 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: copy of that the fake Necronomicon. I had a copy 153 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: of the the Satanic Bible. I mean, you know, in 154 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: anything like that. That was just kind of you know, who, 155 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: this is spooky and kind of you know, like I 156 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: would get into it. But then I was always reluctant 157 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: to cross a certain line. I was maybe not terrified, 158 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: but I was reluctant to cross that line where something 159 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: might actually happen. See, I would have gone like Willow 160 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: Evil Willow instantly. I was a big participant in that. Um. 161 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: I want to also mentioned that doctor chrisal Nikki talks 162 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: about the third and last factor being the strength in 163 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: our fingers and that we just underestimate them. Yeah, I 164 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: mean it looks like nothing. And certainly if you haven't 165 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: had the broken finger, you've seen someone who has and 166 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: you get that in your mind instantly. I mean, you're 167 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,679 Speaker 1: there are so many opportunities to to damage your digits 168 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: in the course of the day, so you're you're very 169 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: conscious of that. But in reality, they're they're pretty rugged 170 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 1: and there they can hold a lot of strength. I mean, 171 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: there are examples of famous strong men who were able 172 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: to do some amazing feats with just a finger or two. Uh. 173 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: There was a Louis Sear, the old time French Canadian strongman, 174 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: who could allegedly lift five hundred and fifty three pounds 175 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,839 Speaker 1: with a single finger. He'd uses his right middle, by 176 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: the way, and um. Then there was an American strongman 177 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: by the name of Warren Lincoln Travis and uh he 178 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: allegedly lifted five hundred sixty pounds on its fiftieth birthday 179 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: with a single finger. I'm not sure which one it was. 180 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: I love to imagine that both of them had magnificently 181 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: curled mustaches. Yes, when I was recently I started looking 182 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,680 Speaker 1: through some of these pictures of these guys, and you know, 183 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 1: there's a lot of cool facial hair, a lot of 184 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: those old timey what do you call it, like a 185 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: wrestler wears single. It sounds right, sounds Occasionally old timey 186 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,719 Speaker 1: nude photo would pop up every I think it was 187 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: maybe Louis here, the French Canadian guy. I was like, oh, 188 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: that's a little much Louie. Thanks Loe, But yeah, go 189 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: look some of those little guys up if you get 190 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: a chance. It's it's pretty amusing. But I think the 191 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: really cool things that are going on here is again memory, 192 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,680 Speaker 1: which we've talked about it. We've talked about this. There's 193 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: reserve of strength in our bodies. Yes, that we can 194 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 1: you know, hit the potential sometimes and not even realize 195 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,559 Speaker 1: and not realizing thinking we're more fragile than we are, 196 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: which is something we saw with with walking on hot coals. 197 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:00,240 Speaker 1: We talked about you see the coals, you see fire, 198 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: You think, no way am I gonna walk on that. 199 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: If I walk on that, I'm going to burn. But 200 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: as we discussed in that episode, if things are under 201 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: the right conditions, it's very doable. And this is something 202 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: that's very doable, and you've got the group psychology element 203 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,959 Speaker 1: to it as well. Um. Another good staple of a 204 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: slumber party is of course the wegi board. Yes, with 205 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: one of the most mysterious spellings of of of all time. 206 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: Of course, that is O, U, I J A. I 207 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: think there's only a handful of people on earth who 208 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: remember that in any given moment um. Anytime I search 209 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,199 Speaker 1: for it, I'm like typing in all sorts of weird 210 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,079 Speaker 1: combinations of letters. But this is, of course, a board 211 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:43,080 Speaker 1: looks more or less like a like a board game board. Right. Uh, 212 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 1: you unfolded and you have has a number of letters 213 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: spread out across it, and some numbers and a yes 214 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: and a no, and maybe and U. It actually was 215 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: a board game that came into vogue around ninety at 216 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: least in the United's dates. And it was a parlor 217 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: game and it was sold in novelty shops. Yeah, and 218 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,079 Speaker 1: there are other models of it that existed before it 219 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 1: actually became the Luigi board. That goes back to mid 220 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 1: nineteenth century talking boards. The kind of use the same 221 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: principle those were using. Now to make this work, you 222 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 1: need a little device. It kind of looks like a 223 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: computer mouse. Uh. This is called a plane jet. It 224 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: is a three legged little object with a hole in 225 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: the middle or a pointer. Now on some of these older, 226 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: the older traditions who would also put a pencil there 227 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,319 Speaker 1: and everyone would put their fingers or one person who 228 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: is in charge of the seance would put their fingers 229 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: on it, and then the spirit would guide the pencil 230 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 1: to draw out each individual letter. But the thing is 231 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: that takes forever, so the talking board comes apart because 232 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: someone eventually loses their cool in the seance. The like, 233 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: just write some letters on a board. What are you 234 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:56,319 Speaker 1: trying to say? Already? I know the time is limitless 235 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,280 Speaker 1: in the spirit world, but we have places to be, 236 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:00,320 Speaker 1: So just get some letters on a board and let's 237 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:02,079 Speaker 1: roll with this thing. I'm getting charged by the minute. 238 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: Most of everyone out there. Imagine a Sinawegi board and 239 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: this is what happens. You have a number of people 240 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: gather around this board. Everyone puts their fingers on the 241 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: plane schet and then you speak to the spirit world. 242 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: You're like, oh, spirits of old, tell me what's the 243 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: name of my future boyfriend? That kind of thing. You know, 244 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: whatever your your questions are, you can ask the spirit 245 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: of anything. Every anything is fair game. And where is 246 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: my pony? Where is my pony? And then it will 247 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: begin to move. Nobody's touching it. Everyone's like, are you 248 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 1: touching it. No, I'm not. I mean everyone's touching it, 249 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: but no one's supposed to be moving it. And everyone 250 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: starts accusing everyone else. Are you moving at? No, I'm 251 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: not moving at Oh, my goodness is moving on its own. 252 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: Spirit is moving it. And then the the pointer will 253 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 1: move from one letter to another, or from a yes 254 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: two or to a yes or no, depending on what 255 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: kind of question you asked. And it really does when 256 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: you're at that age I think too, or even when 257 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: you're older, and perhaps there's other substances involved. Um, you 258 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: do really sort of feel like it is moving, and 259 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 1: so of course that's the parlor game trick to it all. Um, 260 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: what is actually going on is something called the idiometer effect. 261 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:14,440 Speaker 1: And these are small muscle movements that we generate unconsciously. Yeah. 262 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,199 Speaker 1: The term was coined by William B. Carpenter in eighteen 263 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: fifty two, and he was explaining another pseudo of scientific 264 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 1: slash occultist thing, which is the movement of rods and 265 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 1: pendulums by dowsers, dowsing rods of which you used to 266 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 1: find water and the like. And so he looked at 267 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: this and he realized, all right, well, these people are 268 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 1: observing some sort of phenomenon. Uh, something's going on, but 269 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:41,080 Speaker 1: it's not discovering where water is by using a stick. Well, 270 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: there is a new scientists article called wig Board Help 271 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: Scientists Probe this subconscious And in it they are talking 272 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,559 Speaker 1: to psychologists Helene Gushu and she says that this idiomotor 273 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: action is present in our day all the time, we 274 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 1: just don't realize it. Yes, it's just a part of 275 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: everyday life. But this is an experiment focuses in on 276 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: something that we don't usually look at and then applies 277 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: a level of ritual and expectation to it. Yeah, and 278 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 1: she says, like, take driving your car along a familiar 279 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: route that you do every morning, and then you arrive, 280 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:16,200 Speaker 1: you park your car, and you have this feeling like 281 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: how did I get here? Have you ever done that? 282 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: And she says that this inner zombie is part of 283 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: this whole idiometer effect, that we're doing all of this subconsciously, 284 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: you're not even really realizing it. And so what she 285 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: did is she wanted to test this idea and she 286 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: had her team and work with one person with her 287 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: finger on a plan chet at a time. Okay, So 288 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: she realized though that the idiometer effect is really maximized 289 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: with Weiji board if you believe you are not responsible 290 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: for any movements. And this is brilliant what she does here. Yeah, 291 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: so she so what she does, she says, okay, well, 292 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: now this person needs to feel like they're in a 293 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 1: group situation or with another person. And so what she 294 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: did is she she told them they would be using 295 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: the board with a partner, and then the subject was 296 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: then blindfolded and then what they didn't know is that 297 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 1: they're so called partner removed their hands from the planchet 298 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: when the experiment began, so they think other people are 299 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 1: touching it, but they're not really, they're really going solo 300 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: with these answers yes. And she said the technique worked 301 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: at least was something like twenty one out of twenty 302 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: seven times with the volunteers tested. And she said the plant, 303 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: the planchett does not move randomly around the board and 304 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 1: moves to yes or no for these twenty one out 305 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: of seven, and it moves seems to move almost magically 306 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 1: to them, and none of them felt responsible for the movement, 307 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: even though of course they were doing it. And in fact, 308 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: some subjects suspected that their partner was really an actor 309 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: that they thought the actor was deliberately moving the planchet, 310 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: and they never suspected that they themselves were the ones 311 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 1: that were doing it. It's also important to know that 312 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: in experiments, if you turn the board upside down after 313 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: the individual was blindfolded or the individuals are blindfolded, the 314 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: spirit will not adjust to the new positioning of the board, 315 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: which seems really inflexible in case anyone who was out 316 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 1: there was like, was still on the fence about whether 317 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: or not this was a ghost talking. But the amazing 318 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: thing about all of this is that, and I think 319 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 1: it's the case with all the things that we're talking 320 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: about in this particular episode, is that on one level, 321 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: there's that childhood fantasy, occultist level of intrigue about it, 322 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: like something amazing is happening here. Well, then when you 323 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: look behind the scenes and you look at the actual science, 324 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: there's still something amazing happening here. At risk of overstating 325 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 1: it a little bit, you're not getting in touch with 326 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: an unknowable spirit from from beyond our perception. You're getting 327 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: in touch with the subconscious, which is kind of an 328 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: unknowable spirit from beyond our perception. To quote Sigmund Freud, 329 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 1: the conscious mind may be compared to a fountain playing 330 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 1: in the sun and falling back into the great subterranean 331 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 1: pool of subconsciousness from which it rises. So in that deep, black, 332 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: murky ocean of the the underbraining sea, with the luigiboard, 333 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: we're kind of getting in touch with the monsters that 334 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 1: lived there. So what I want to know is is, uh, 335 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:06,360 Speaker 1: do you think psychologists will begin using the Wegi board 336 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: in their sessions? Oh, I don't know. It might have 337 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,159 Speaker 1: a certain stigma to it. It might, but I do 338 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: think it's interesting because it is unearthing some things. And 339 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: I was thinking about my own experience as a child 340 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 1: with weg board, and I remember that we were talking 341 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:24,159 Speaker 1: to a spirit named Seth through doesn't that sound like 342 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:29,399 Speaker 1: you know Seth? And someone said what does Julie dream about? 343 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: And then it went to or it spelled out A 344 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: bombs which was something and that I used to dream 345 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: about this a nightmare that had a reoccurring nightmare about 346 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 1: Adam bombs. So you know, obviously I was moving it, 347 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:46,120 Speaker 1: but I didn't know consciously that I was spelling out 348 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: A bombs that it really bothered me that much. That's 349 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: pretty cool. I I myself have I don't think I've 350 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: ever used to wegi board. Maybe in the week ahead 351 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,640 Speaker 1: we will correct this and we'll videotape it and put 352 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: it on the web side. We'll see. But yeah, I 353 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: never used one. My mom had one and was apparently 354 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:07,879 Speaker 1: a fan of the device, but then she went off 355 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: to college and when she came back, he was gone. 356 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 1: And and she attributed this. Uh, I mean maybe not seriously, 357 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:15,480 Speaker 1: but she used just she would mention like, oh, I 358 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:19,360 Speaker 1: think it advantished, And then later on she realized, oh wait, 359 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:22,439 Speaker 1: my she's she's realized that my grandmother had gotten rid 360 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: of it. Because I don't think she relay liked it. 361 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: You know, because because some people get up in arms 362 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 1: about the Luigi board, some people were a little leary. 363 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: Some people see it is, if not harmless in and 364 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: of itself, they see it as a gateway to other 365 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 1: occultist things. And uh, and if you read a lot 366 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: of chick tracks, you may think that it is just 367 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 1: straight up talking to the devil. Yeah, but if you 368 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:43,920 Speaker 1: want to take a little bit power out of that, 369 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 1: play the game, you know, and get an unbiased person 370 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 1: to stand there and actually see the letters that are 371 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 1: spelled up, because this is another thing that they say, Yeah, 372 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: go in, go into it if you want, I mean, 373 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 1: by all means, going to it and have some fun 374 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,199 Speaker 1: with Auigi board and talk about spirits and all, but 375 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 1: also go into it and think about the mysteries you're 376 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 1: about to examine with the human mind. Yeah. Yeah, blindfold yourselves, 377 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: get an unbiased person to stand there and to actually 378 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 1: see what the letters are. And I will tell you 379 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,639 Speaker 1: that most times gobbledygook is going to come out of that. 380 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: And it's a good example of how really it is 381 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: the unconscious mind that's guiding this process. All Right, we're 382 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 1: gonna take a quick break and when we come back, 383 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:25,160 Speaker 1: we're gonna talk to somebody by the name of Bloody 384 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:33,920 Speaker 1: and Mary. Alright, we're back, and you mentioned Bloody Mary. Yes, 385 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: now this one I definitely remember. The rules of this 386 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: are pretty simple. You can do this on your own 387 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 1: or certainly at a slumber party. The ideas you go 388 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: into the bathroom lights out, all right, or the very 389 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: least dim lights. Generally they say lights out, but there's 390 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: probably gonna be some light in there be a candle 391 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: or candle in hand, or just light under the doors. 392 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: Just be dramatic about it. Candle in hand, alright, light out, 393 00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 1: candle in hand, going too the bathroom, stare into the 394 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: a room, and then you say the name Bloody Mary 395 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:08,199 Speaker 1: three times, five times, six times, seven times. It it depends, 396 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: it varies. The recipe is not really set in stone, 397 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: but any rate, by saying in a number of times, 398 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:18,639 Speaker 1: you invoke this incantation and a mysterious, blood faced woman 399 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: will appear in the mirror before you. She will reach 400 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: out and she will scratch your face off. So yeah, 401 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 1: this is definitely an example of a situation where I 402 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: was reluctant to cross the line of the occult. You know, 403 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: I think about it all the time when I'm seeing 404 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:35,360 Speaker 1: a dark bathroom and noticing the mirror in there. But 405 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: I guess at hard. I'm thinking, all right, if it 406 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: if it doesn't work, if a woman does not appear 407 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,719 Speaker 1: in the mirror and attack me, then it's just all 408 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 1: for nothing. But but what if she does? You know, 409 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 1: where's the wind there? All right, it worked and now 410 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: I have no face? Right? Or what if she grabbed 411 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 1: you and take you into her death portal with her? 412 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:56,199 Speaker 1: That could happen too, And of course one of the 413 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 1: things involved here is that we're talking about a mirror, 414 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: and mirrors have long had this association with magic and 415 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,880 Speaker 1: the unknown, because at a very basic level, you look 416 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: into a mirror and there you see yourself with a 417 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,159 Speaker 1: little inversion going on to sort of mess with you. 418 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,919 Speaker 1: And if it's not a perfect mirror, and certainly for 419 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 1: the longest mirrors were largely imperfect in certain ways, you 420 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 1: get a distorted view of what the world is like. 421 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:28,360 Speaker 1: And so there's a long, long history of mirrors being 422 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 1: used in occultist or a religious ceremonies, even their numerous 423 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: examples of magic mirrors. There was Combustion's mirror, which warned 424 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:41,880 Speaker 1: of approaching ill fortune. There was Lows mirror, which reflected 425 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: the mind and its thoughts. There was Merlin's magic mirror 426 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 1: that informed the King of plots, treasons and invasions. There 427 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: was Reynard's Wonderful Mirror, which showed conditions one mile away, 428 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,120 Speaker 1: which I think it's kind of a limited design there, 429 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 1: and then Vulcan's mirror showed the past, president future, and 430 00:21:57,359 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: of course Harry Potter there was a magic mirror, and 431 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: there it shows you Harry Potter's parents, I believe well, 432 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 1: and then wicked rituals too. Apparently, UM, young women who 433 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,439 Speaker 1: are trying to figure out who their husband would be. 434 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 1: Again we're talking back in the old day, would take 435 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,640 Speaker 1: a mirror and a candle, walk backwards, ask the mirror, 436 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 1: and sometimes it was thought that the mirror would reveal 437 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: who the husband, who their husband would be, or sometimes 438 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: it was bloody Mary, who would appear. Now have you 439 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 1: done this? Have you? I've not done blady for whatever reason, 440 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: I just never never have done it. But I do 441 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,919 Speaker 1: think it's interesting. Today's Um, you know, right after this, 442 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: I'm going to go into your office bathroom and I'm 443 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: going to do bloodyrror. I don't care who's in this stall. 444 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:44,200 Speaker 1: But I do think it's interesting because again you've got 445 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:47,200 Speaker 1: the incantation part of it, the ritual part of it. 446 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: But let's talk about what's actually going on, because I 447 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:52,680 Speaker 1: think that is really cool, right, because there's another example 448 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:55,719 Speaker 1: of the fantasy. The fiction. The supernatural aspect of it 449 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:57,639 Speaker 1: is interesting, but when you you strip that away and 450 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: you get down to the science, it's equally creepy and 451 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 1: weird and amazing because here's the thing. People do see 452 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: things in the mirror. But again, it points to this 453 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:09,640 Speaker 1: idea that we can't always trust what we see and 454 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,679 Speaker 1: what our eyes can put together. For us UM at 455 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 1: the University of Urbino, researcher Giovanni Baputo had fifty participants 456 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: look in the mirror for ten minutes in a dimly 457 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 1: lit room and describe what they saw. Now, none of 458 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: these people were knew what they were there for, so 459 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:30,240 Speaker 1: they had no preconceived notions of bloody marry Um. Alright, 460 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: what they saw is fascinating. It is fascinating, And this 461 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 1: was published in the Journal of Perception. Two thirds of 462 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: participants saw said that they saw huge deformations of their 463 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: own face. Okay, nearly half of the participants even reported 464 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 1: seeing fantastical or monstrous beings. A few participants reported seeing 465 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:53,199 Speaker 1: faces of parents, ancestors, and strangers, including women and children. 466 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: And all the participants saw someone or something in the 467 00:23:56,359 --> 00:24:01,680 Speaker 1: mirror other than themselves. Saw an archetype in the mirror. 468 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: They saw an old woman, or they saw a child, 469 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 1: or a portrait of an ancestor kind of a thing, 470 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 1: you know. So, yeah, everyone's staring into this mirror, and 471 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:11,879 Speaker 1: if you stare long enough, you see something else. You 472 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,639 Speaker 1: see the face becomes something else. To you. And that's because, 473 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 1: according to computer you've got basic visual distortions affecting the 474 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:24,320 Speaker 1: space specific interpretation system part of your brain. So when 475 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 1: your brain is faced with a lot of stimulation, only 476 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 1: some of it is considered relevant. So as it continues 477 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: to look and look and look at the reflection of 478 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 1: your face, then is trying to make sense of what 479 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:39,160 Speaker 1: what's really important here? There are a lot of different details, 480 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:41,800 Speaker 1: Like I find myself doing this when I look people, 481 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:43,960 Speaker 1: when I actually look people in the eyes while they're talking, 482 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 1: like I'll start, you know, because there's sort of a 483 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: quick visual reference, like I'm looking around the room and 484 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:49,880 Speaker 1: I'm like, all right, there's Julie. There's not that kind 485 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: of thing. But then if you really look at somebody, 486 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: then you start getting all this additional information, you know, 487 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:57,160 Speaker 1: and you start thinking about like, oh, well, let's see 488 00:24:57,160 --> 00:24:59,119 Speaker 1: there's the shape of their nose, there's the shape of 489 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:02,920 Speaker 1: their eyebrows. And then indeed, if you stare them long enough, um, 490 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: with a nice uncomfortable stare, then they start to look 491 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: a little weird, you know. Well, and this is called 492 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: the truck slur effect because your brain watch like zoom 493 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: in on an area and then the race the rest 494 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 1: of the space will actually fade away. And you've probably 495 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: seen examples of this before online. Usually it's like a 496 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: a ring of purple dots, and then you're supposed to 497 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 1: stare at the one dot that goes around around in 498 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 1: a circle. And then what happens is the purple fades 499 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:32,640 Speaker 1: and then there's the yellow dot becomes more pronounced again. 500 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: It's your brain trying to figure out what's important, fading 501 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 1: in and fading out. Yeah, And also, I mean there's 502 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:39,640 Speaker 1: a certain amount of your brain just sort of chewing 503 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:42,000 Speaker 1: on itself there too. If you stare at anything long enough, 504 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: you're just gonna eventually kind of unsee it and see 505 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,160 Speaker 1: different things. I think if anytime you stared up into 506 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: the clouds, or if you've been in say a boring 507 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 1: meeting or something, and you just stare at a particular 508 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,159 Speaker 1: detail in the room, you start noticing more and more 509 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: new things about it. You start in making new interpretations 510 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 1: about it, seeing a face where there's not a face, 511 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 1: seeing if you're looking at the sky, you know, singing 512 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,120 Speaker 1: a dinosaur writing a tricycle where there's not a dinosaur 513 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:09,919 Speaker 1: writing a tricycle. You know, I was thinking too, about 514 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:11,680 Speaker 1: you know, when you're when you're actually doing this in 515 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,960 Speaker 1: the mirror and the trucul effect is occurring that how 516 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,639 Speaker 1: weird is it that a slice of your forehead and 517 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: cheek are then subed int for your eye, because that's 518 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,119 Speaker 1: really what your brain is doing with that um So 519 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:24,119 Speaker 1: of course you would come away with this idea that 520 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 1: there was something monstrous that you saw something in the 521 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,199 Speaker 1: mirror and it had to do with something that was 522 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: paranormal or the dark arts. Yeah, and throw into that 523 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 1: if you're if you're using the candle in this particular environment, 524 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:40,200 Speaker 1: then you also have a light source that is flickering. 525 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: That's so that's altering a little bit, and it's distorting 526 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 1: the edges the lines in the face that you're perceiving. 527 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,439 Speaker 1: So changes in lighting are also going to contribute to 528 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 1: this strange image of yourself that quickly becomes something other 529 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 1: than yourself. Now, you're right, it is complicating the matter, 530 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: and especially when we talked about reduction in the last 531 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 1: podcast about the science of han at houses and how 532 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:04,560 Speaker 1: your bring really has to sort of recalibrate according to 533 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: the lighting available. So of course that's going to distort 534 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 1: things further. And again mirrors are just kind of weird 535 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 1: and creepy. I can't help but think of this without 536 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,360 Speaker 1: the reminded of some of the writings of your hey 537 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:18,000 Speaker 1: los Borges, who of course, is a poet who was 538 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 1: fascinated by mazes and mirrors, and there's a great little 539 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 1: line from his poem Mirrors that says, I see them 540 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: as infinite elemental executors of an ancient pact to multiply 541 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 1: the world, like the act of the getting sleepless, bringing 542 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 1: doom the crystal spies on us. If within the four 543 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 1: walls of a bedroom a mirror stairs, I am no 544 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 1: longer alone. There is someone there in the dawn reflections 545 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,399 Speaker 1: mutely stages show I like that. I like this idea 546 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: to you that you know, ultimately we we feel this 547 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,640 Speaker 1: sense that we're unknowable to ourselves. And so if you're 548 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:55,920 Speaker 1: staring in the mirror, that's representing this unknown quantity. Yeah, 549 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 1: it ties in nicely with the Uiji board, I think, 550 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:00,880 Speaker 1: you know, reaching out and touching bass with the subconscious 551 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:04,360 Speaker 1: and coming to terms with the hidden self. All right, psychologists, 552 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 1: we have another one for you, Bloody Mary. Try it 553 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:10,119 Speaker 1: out in your practice, Yes, tell her, we think so 554 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: there you have its slumber party goers, some science behind 555 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 1: the slumber party anticks you used to try out, also 556 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:21,440 Speaker 1: some new emma for your next slumber party. So it's 557 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:23,679 Speaker 1: it's really gonna be great to hear from listeners on 558 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: this because I know you guys and gals have tried 559 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 1: these before, so be sure to let us know about 560 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:33,679 Speaker 1: your own experiences levitating your friends, uh, your own experiences 561 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:37,400 Speaker 1: trying to summon dark, bloody specters from the mirror, and 562 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,479 Speaker 1: of course your communications with the with the spirit world 563 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 1: a k a. You're subconscious. We'd love to hear about that. 564 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 1: So let's call over the robot and we'll see if 565 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:50,840 Speaker 1: we have any listener mail. Alright, our listener, Monique Rite 566 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 1: sentences Hi, Julie and Robert. In two separate podcasts, you 567 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: talked about that in neighborhoods that are bad, people were 568 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: more likely to walk past a person in need than 569 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 1: in a cleaner naighborhood. There is a criminal justice theory 570 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 1: similar to this phenomena. It's called the broken windows theory, 571 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 1: thought up by Wilson and Kelling. In essence, the theory 572 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 1: states that in neighborhoods that are unkempt, there is a 573 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: silent signal to wrongdoers that since people do not care 574 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,960 Speaker 1: about the neighborhoods, they also won't care about committing petty crimes, 575 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 1: which is a silent signal for wrongdoers to commit more 576 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:25,000 Speaker 1: serious crimes. There's an interesting experiment that was done surrounding 577 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: this by Dr Zimbardo of the Stanford Prison Experiment fame. 578 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:30,480 Speaker 1: He left a car in a bad neighborhood with the 579 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 1: hood up, signaling that no one cared about it. It 580 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 1: took a few short days for the car to be dismantled. 581 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:39,360 Speaker 1: Thanks again for your great podcast, Manique, very interesting, and 582 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 1: we also heard from Scott Scott right since says Julian, 583 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: Robert just wanted you to to know how much your 584 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 1: podcast helped me out during a really rough point in 585 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: my life. I have a panic disorder. Diagnosing it beyond 586 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: that is pretty difficult that I have been working on 587 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: for the past six years. Unfortunately, driving, especially on the highway, 588 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: was a pretty major trigger, and having a panic attack 589 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 1: while driving is pretty no buno. But there's the Spanish 590 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: no buono that's no business, no good, huh. At one point, 591 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: listening to music would get me through reasonably well, but 592 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: I got to the point where music was no longer 593 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 1: engaging my intention enough to keep my mind off of panicking. 594 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: That's where your podcast came in. I wasn't even sure 595 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:19,959 Speaker 1: what a podcast actually was, being a bit of an 596 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: anti Apple guy myself, until there was a free podcast 597 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: app on Amazon's Android market. One day last year, I 598 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,480 Speaker 1: found your podcast while browsing listenings in that app and 599 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 1: opened it up. Uh and opened up the new world 600 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: of being able to drive more or less without panicking. 601 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 1: I have since learned, after six years of having problems 602 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: functioning like a normal human, that my vitamin D level 603 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: was extremely low. I started taking supplements in January and 604 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 1: haven't had an attack since, which is pretty remarkable. I 605 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 1: think since then I have envisioned a podcast about anxiety, 606 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: panic attacks, and what happens in the body and mind. 607 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:55,320 Speaker 1: From what I can tell, there is very little research 608 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: on the link between vitamin D levels and panic and 609 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: some individuals, but I'm cynical enough to believe that it 610 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,280 Speaker 1: is because vitamin D can't be patented. I'd love to 611 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: hear what you guys find out about it. Once again, 612 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: I can't thank you both enough. You really made my 613 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: life a lot more bearable your fan, avid listener and 614 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: research intern hopeful Scott, So there you go. That's awesome. Yeah, 615 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 1: I was just thinking those are two very good podcasts. 616 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:19,960 Speaker 1: Panic Attacks would be very interesting to look into. And 617 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: also vitamins. Um, we talked about vitamin A and the 618 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:27,720 Speaker 1: lack of vitamin A being attributed to night blindness, so um, 619 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:30,280 Speaker 1: certainly when those levels are off it can affect things. 620 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: So so yeah, Scott, glad that we were able to 621 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:34,920 Speaker 1: help him some small way, and glad that you've been 622 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 1: able to really tackle that that problem. Indeed. Yeah, So, hey, 623 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:40,920 Speaker 1: the rest of you get in touch with us. Let 624 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 1: us know. Any past episodes are up for grabs. Don't 625 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 1: worry about contacting us about an older episode. You have 626 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: some cool feedback on and certainly if you want to 627 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: talk to us about Bloody Mary or whatnot, we're always 628 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 1: game for that. You can find us on Facebook and 629 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: Tumbler where we are stuff to blow your mind, and 630 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:57,480 Speaker 1: you can also find us on Twitter where we tweet 631 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 1: under the handle blow the Mind, And you can always 632 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 1: drop us a line at Blow the Mind at Discovery 633 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 1: dot com and Happy Halloween for more on this and 634 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics. Is It how stuff works dot 635 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 1: Com m HM,