A brief history of Applied Kinesiology (aka “muscle testing”)…
“ki·ne·si·ol·o·gy,” n.: the study of the mechanics of body movement
The Body
In 1963, Dr. George Goodheart, D.C. made a discovery.
He asked a person to hold close to their chest a water bottle containing natural sweetener (e.g. raw sugar) in one hand. They did not know what was inside, beyond water. They were then asked to stretch out straight their other arm. He would then press down on the outstretched hand with feather-like pressure—enough to attempt to move the outstretched arm down. It was not a contest of strength. He simply instructed the person to “meet my pressure.”
With the natural sweetener, the person’s outstretched arm remained strong and did not move. Then, the person was asked to hold a bottle containing artificial sweetener - again, without knowing what was inside. Goodheart would once again press down gently on the person’s outstretched arm, only this time their arm would “go weak” and fall to their side. This experiment and sequence quickly became successfully replicable, and anyone could be capable of being both practitioner and subject.
The conclusion reached was that the body knew what was good for it (natural sweetener) and what was bad for it (artificial sweetener), and could communicate this information via this simple strong/weak test of muscle engagement. Dr. Goodheart called this discovery Applied Kinesiology, which is commonly referred to today as “Muscle Testing.” It is used widely by chiropractors, nutritionists, acupuncturists, naturopaths, and holistic practitioners (e.g. HKW practitioners).
The Mind
In the 1970s, Dr. John Diamond, M.D. discovered that Dr. Goodheart’s Applied Kinesiology was effective not only in determining information about the body, but was also just as effective at revealing information about cognition and emotion—the human mind.
Dr. Diamond’s evolution of Applied Kinesiology was coined “Behavioral Kinesiology.” Instead of holding bottles of natural or artificial sweetener, a person would be instructed to hold in their mind a positive feeling or thought (e.g. love for someone close to them). When the practitioner pressed down gently on their outstretched arm, it remained strong and did not move. When the person was instructed to hold in their mind a negative feeling - or even think “I hate you,” their arm would “go weak” and fall to their side (again, with feather-like pressure from the practitioner).
As with Dr. Goodheart’s findings, Dr. Diamond was able to authentically replicate the successful effectiveness and accuracy of Behavioral Kinesiology.
The Spirit
In the 1980s, Dr. David Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., began to take Applied Kinesiology to a whole new level: Consciousness itself—the energy that is and makes up all existence (including every single human being).
He went on to use Applied Kinesiology to determine not just what was “good” and “bad” for the body and mind, but to determine truth and falsehood… about anything, at any time in history. He went on to successfully replicate this use of muscle testing for true/false statements with thousands of individuals and groups.
In the 1990s, there began an evolution of healing modalities lead by psychologists and professionals of various medical backgrounds all intent on one thing: helping their patients and clients truly heal. Mary Louise Meuller had put together Applied Kinesiology and Cranial Sacral work (also called “Three in One,” and “Brain Gym”). To this, Judith Swack added Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Andrew Hahn, PsyD went on to add depth psychology, regression work, Buddhist psychology, systems therapy, and transpersonal therapies. In 1998, William Phipps, Ph.D. and Karen Kuenning M.S. became certified in Hahn’s approach called Guided Self-Healing.
In 2000, Phipps and Kuenning went into private practice using Guided Self-Healing, though soon began to notice a shift in the work. The changes lead them to develop their own approach (that would become Healing Key Way), incorporating non-material realm energy work informed by Reverands Dr. William Baldwin and Dr. Judith Baldwin.
Throughout the evolution of modalities that would become a healing system in Healing Key Way, one thing remained ever-present: muscle testing. With a fast-growing expanse of accounts of clients experiencing incredible progress thanks to these “energy” and “spiritual path work” approaches, it became an understood principle that the human body/mind is a projection of an Energetic Self or Energy Field (aka the Spirit, Soul, Higher Self, Essence Self, etc.).
As described elsewhere on this website, the Spirit (referred to as the “Deepest Wisdom Self” in Healing Key Way) is pure energy, pure Love, has never been born, will never die, and knows everything about itself - including how best to heal itself (which means you). It is you and you are it.
In sum, Dr. Goodheart unlocked direct communication with the body. Dr. Diamond did so for the mind. And through numerous and continuing evolutions—including the expansive work of Dr. Hawkins—Phipps and Keunning’s Healing Key Way continues to enable communication with the Soul, via Applied Kinesiology, for the healing and benefit of each and every client, all of humankind, and the planet.
Accreditation: various parts of this paraphrased synopsis of “A brief history of muscle testing…” are made possible thanks to the work(s) of William Phipps, Ph.D. and Karen Keunning M.S.