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There will be no waving of wands or reciting incantations in this class. First, find a suitable object to move with the power of your mind. Yes, even if you want to make a car levitate (airplanes already do…), we are experimenting with telekinesis for beginners. So take it easy. 

A pendulum will do nicely. You’ll need thick string, knitting yarn, or, even better, a delicate necklace chain. The ideal length is around 20–25 cm. 

Attach a weight to the string. It should be neither too heavy nor too light. A ring such as a wedding band will do perfectly for a necklace chain, for example. The weight should be just enough to keep the chain stretched and tense. 

Now prepare the training arena. Draw a circle on a sheet of paper with a diameter of about 10 cm. Within this circle, draw a cross to form a target-like figure. 

It’s time to unleash the magic! Find a comfortable spot at a desk with the target in front of you. 

Rest the elbow of your dominant arm on the table, bend the arm, and lift your hand until it is almost in front of your face. Hold the chain between your index finger and thumb, ensuring the weight is a few centimeters above the paper, right at the center of the cross. 

Now release your mental powers: focus on the cross and imagine that the pendulum will begin to sway from right to left, left to right, just like a clock pendulum, above the cross’s horizontal line. The more you concentrate, the quicker the movement will unfold… You can even envision increasing the speed of this side-to-side motion, and it shall come to pass…  

Step forward. You can now prove to be in complete control of your telekinetic powers! Concentrate on the vertical axis of the cross and think of the pendulum moving along that line: it will happen! The more you focus, the easier it will be for the pendulum to move back and forth. 

Next focus on the outer circle of the target. Visualize the pendulum gracefully carving that circle through the air. Concentrate and the pendulum will dutifully respond to your commands. The rotation can be clockwise or counterclockwise, but you can control it: concentrate and command the rotation to reverse… And, astonishingly, it will comply. You can even choose the speed and amplitude of these circular motions, and the pendulum will follow…  

Lifting the veil. Well done, and congratulations, you passed your first telekinesis class!  

Or maybe not. What you have just experienced, despite its intriguing and entertaining results, was neither magic nor telekinesis. But one might say it is a close approximation. You moved the pendulum not with the alleged power of your mind but through your ideomotor response.  

Although your hand seemingly remained still while you were visualizing the desired movements of the pendulum, your brain produced imperceptible movements in your fingers in the very direction and speed you were imagining. The length of the pendulum string amplified these minuscule movements, effectively drawing the figures you were focused on. 

Well, it wasn’t magic, but rather a fascinating exercise with our biology and the science behind it! 

Authors

Matteo Borrini

Matteo Borrini is a forensic anthropologist, archaeologist, and fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Principal lecturer at Liverpool John Moors University, he is also known for numerous documentaries featured on platforms including National Geographic, Channel 4, and Italian television. He is also a member of The Magic Circle, the world's most prestigious magic club.

Cite as

Borrini, Matteo. 2023. “How to Experiment with Telekinesis! .” Anthropology News website, August 9, 2023.