BK BEHAVIORAL KINESIOLOGY

Earlier conjurers tended to invoke the magic formula of ""abracadabra""; for psychiatrist Diamond, the scientific equivalent is an exhortation to ""make a simple test."" His readers are invited to test the relative strengths and weaknesses of an ""indicator muscle"" (the middle deltoid is recommended) when performing such diverse tasks as tweaking the facial structure to approximate a smile, indulging in hatred, viewing the pitchfork in American Gothic, and positioning a ""baggie"" over the top of the head. The reason? The thymus, which is the dispenser of ""Life Energy"" and the darling of immunology, waxes and wanes according to our emotional state, physical environment, social relationships, etc., etc. Thus Diamond's band of merry subjects go through life thumping their thymuses, reciting rhythmic poetry (the early Yeats is best), and gluing their tongues to the roofs of their mouths with the tips on the ""centering button."" This is what Diamond is fond of referring to as ""preventive medicine."" Others might call it terminal nonsense.