A visit from Hypnotoad

Did you ever witness or experience something that just didn't compute? You saw it with your own two eyes, but you still didn't believe it?

Once, when I was in college, I was hanging out with a couple friends. We were sitting in Jen's bedroom, shooting the breeze, when, for no discernible reason, the bed started to shake. It was a pretty minor vibration, like you might see if a large truck drove by or something. But there was no truck. And it went on for a good three or four minutes. She had told me about this phenomenon at some point, but it was different to see it and feel it. Nothing else in the room seemed to be affected. The best I could figure was that there was a train that was causing just the right frequency of vibration to affect that old house's floorboards just so. Or something. My brain just couldn't process the event without coming up with something remotely plausible.

Today I had another experience that just didn't make sense to me. The explanation was right there. It just didn't seem convincing. Yet there it was.

It all started with Madcap's recent blog entry, which directed me to this website. I thought it sounded pretty hokey, especially with the globe-and-dove logo, the smiling grandfatherly proprietor, and the obligatory quotes from MD's and PhD's.

But I have a lot of respect for Madcap, and she said it worked for her, so I kept reading. I downloaded their manual that explains a very simple (though elaborate-sounding) acupressure technique - a technique that can supposedly cure all manner of physical and emotional ailments, from headaches and back pain to phobias, emotional issues, and post-traumatic stress syndrome, almost instantly.

This sounded a bit too much like a New Age version of faith healing for my taste. I wasn't buying it. But the claims were so extrordinary, and the technique so simple, I had to try it. Besides, they said you didn't have to believe it for it to work.

The subject of my test was obvious: A nasty lingering headache and backache that started three days ago. I read through Part 1 of the manual, jotted a few notes down on a Post-It so I could remember a couple details, and started the wacky tapping and counting and eye-rolling sequence.

By now, you've already guessed the result. It worked. Not 100%, but certainly 90%. By the time I was done targeting my head, neck, and back, my pain eased considerably. My shoulderblade no longer blazed with soreness, my neck pain went away, and my headache was gone. I kept stretching muscles and moving around, trying to make it come back, because I didn't actually believe it. A couple more iterations about 15 minutes later, and I felt better than I had in days.

As I sat here tonight, describing it to my wife, I knew I must be crazy. It doesn't make sense to me. I try to be open minded, but the dots just don't connect for me. I am in denial.

You can bet I'll be trying it again soon though...

I double dog dare you to try it too. Let me know if it works.