Part One

Since ancient times, hand-held pendulums have been used to obtain occult knowledge. In more modern days, fortunes reportedly have been made selling a deceivingly simple device consisting of a length of string with a small object attached to one end. Advertisements claim that the sex of an unborn child or the sex of any creature dead or alive can be detected simply by how the pendulum swings. The public has enthusiastically embraced the pendulum, which is alleged to provide answers to perplexing questions.
The magic community has seen vacillations in the popularity of the pendulum during the past eighty-five years. Magic literature abounds with interesting anecdotes and controversies. One thing is sure. Magicians also recognize a good trick with entertainment value when they see one. George Anderson states it well when he notes, "Obviously you can't get caught on this trick, because there's nothing to catch."1

The History and Background of the Pendulum
Long before the pendulum was applied to magical entertainment, it was believed to divine knowledge and tap the inner workings of the human mind. The relationship between mind and body has been recognized for centuries. Maurice Kouguell summarizes the position: Ideodynamic communication describes all the relationships between ideas, thoughts, and the dynamic or physiological responses of the body to the thought. Historically, ideodynamic feeling is reported to have appeared as far back as 1000 B.C. In the eighteenth century Anton Mesmer, followed by Chevreul, believed that unconscious knowledge could affect minimal movements of the muscles.2 C. A. George Newmann notes that Hindu soothsayers were reputed to employ a pendulum over cabalistic characters from which they obtained their prophecies.3 He wisely follows this claim with, "How true this is I cannot say."
The hand-held pendulum first came under scientific scrutiny during the early 1800s in studies by the highly regarded French chemist Michel-Eugene Chevreul. His investigation of the mysterious pendulum was prompted by an 1808 book published by a group of physicists who claimed "such phenomena were attributed to a new force which inaugurated a new chapter in physics." Chevreul found this theory scientifically unacceptable. He conducted his research in 1812, but did not attempt to publish his study. It was due to the insistence of his friend, the eminent physicist Andre Ampere, that the study finally appeared in 1833. The conclusions of Chevreul's study were reduced to a single principle: The swing pattern of the pendulum was caused by "nonconscious (involuntary) muscle movements initiated by autosuggestion."4

William B. Carpenter coined a new term in 1852 to describe the body's response to psychological suggestions. An "ideomotor response" (IMR) is a very small muscular movement, which is the unconscious result of suggestion caused by an idea. Such IMRs can be detected with a hand-held pendulum, which amplifies the micro-muscular movements of the subject. Inertia helps sustain any imparted motion. The response of the pendulum to suggestions is most baffling and amazing to the person holding it. Efforts to prevent the pendulum from moving in a suggested pattern are usually futile. The pendulum, like its counterparts, the Ouija board, the Sphinx board, and contact mindreading or muscle reading, are all based on small subconscious muscular movements of a subject under the influence of a psychological suggestion.5 During the past two hundred years, numerous scientific studies have been conducted on Chevreul's pendulum. Several recent psychological experiments have added to Chevreul's findings. "An Experimental Analysis of the Chevreul Pendulum Illusion" by Easton and Shor involved sixty male and female college students in a study to quantify the illusionary effect of Chevreul's pendulum. The study found that the pendulum effect was enhanced when:

1. Attentional capacity remained undivided.
2. The amount of musculature used to suspend the pendulum was at a maximum.
3. Oscillating visual and auditory external stimuli were present.
4. Females were S[ubject]s.

In addition, they discovered that visual stimulus was superior to its auditory counterpart.6 That is, demonstrating how the pendulum is used produced better results than did verbal instruction. Montgomery G. Kirsch experimented with the subjects' elbows supported on the table and with their elbows unsupported. He found that subjects who rested their elbows on the table during the first trial were more successful in responding to both trials. This suggests that supporting the elbow does facilitate responding, but only on the initial trial.7 While not a scientific study, James Forsythe described a method for selecting the best test-subjects for the sender in conjunction with contact mind-reading. It is reasonable to think his selection test would also apply to selecting the best subject for holding the pendulum.8

Applications of Chevreul's Pendulum in Magic
The magic profession has always been creative in adapting applications of natural phenomena and scientific discoveries to its trade, and Chevreul's pendulum is no exception. During the early 1920s, such names as Ayada-Woholo, Sex Detector, Sex Indicator, Cyko-Sphere and the Sideric, Mystery or Chevreul's pendulum were used to describe a hand-held pendulum that could answer questions by the manner in which it oscillated. The 1920 April and September issues of The Sphinx had a full page ad for "The Sex Detector." The price of two dollars was rather steep for its time. The advertisement was placed by the Sex Detector Laboratories located in Office 910 of the Humboldt Bank Building in San Francisco, California.9 The editor of The Sphinx, Dr. A. M. Wilson, highly touted "The Sex Detector" in the issue in which the ad first appeared, and concluded with, "I publish this ad solely because of its particular value as a trick in magic, and is vouched for by William J. Hilliar of the Billboard."10

The pendulum ad quickly became surrounded with controversy. In 1921, Hilliar defended the ad placed in The Sphinx and mentioned that several who had purchased the novelty had been dissatisfied. He noted that personal gains were not involved, though in making this claim printers' gremlins had their share of fun with him, by dropping a crucial "n": "We have no interest in any way in any of the Sex Detectors, under different names now on the market, and are only penning these lies [sic] as a statement of facts."11 Furthermore, he stated that if the instructions are strictly followed, every claim for the device could be executed. Hilliar mentioned a visit to the Billboard office by Alexander ("The Man Who Knows," Claude Conlin) shortly after the ad was placed. Alexander informed him that "he had been using the Sex Detector for years and that the secret had been given him by an old Indian chief in Iowa."

An Alexander ad in the October 1920 issue of The Sphinx mentions his selling of the "Ayada-Woholo" or "Sex Detector" and how it had "been muchly imitated but still remains the most mystifying and entertaining little novelty that it is possible to conceive of."12 This name used by Alexander for the sex detector also appears in a 1920 Thayer ad. It is no mere coincidence, as Alexander created the ad. However, for Thayer he changed its provenance from the Indians of the Americas to those of Asia, leading with the statement, "The Miracle of Ancient India." The illustrations are excellent and this ad is among the most interesting to appear for the device.13 Within months, another name for the sex detector appeared: "Arnola." The ad was reported in the January 1921 issue of The Magic Wand.14 A Sphinx columnist, Oscar M. Thomson, wrote that the same ad had appeared in the Altoona Tribune. "It shows the ‘sex detector' has been exploited," wrote Thomson, "far beyond the magic field and that the experiments of those who tried it brought the same results as those obtained by magicians."15 The ad offered the sex detector to the public as "The Ball with ‘arnola': The marvel of Modern times." The ad claimed the device "Instantly determines the sex of humans, plants, whether dead or alive. It is not a game, toy or plaything, but a scientific triumph that will baffle and entertain the whole world."

The ad continues:

The ball with "ARNOLA" The marvel of modern times Instantly determines the sex of humans, animals or plants, whether dead or alive. It is not a game, toy or plaything, but a scientific triumph that will baffle and entertain the whole world. Apparently it is just an innocent little red ball which hangs on a cord; nevertheless, the minute it is placed above the hand of a male person it will start to move in a circular motion, and if held over a female the ball will swing sideways as does the pendulum of a clock While held by a female, should a male touch any part of her "arnola" will instantly change its swinging motion to a circular motion, or vice versa. It will also move backwards, if the person holding "arnola" should be touched by another of the same sex. Weighs less than two ounces; can be carried in the pocket and operated by anyone instantly. Never fails and will last a lifetime.

While its value as a scientific discovery is priceless, it affords unlimited opportunities for entertaining purposes. Every person interested in the occult should have one. It is a practical necessity that should be in every home, and should especially interest doctors, scientists, detectives, experimenters, etc. The directions are so simple that a child can operate it. There is absolutely no trickery whatever connected with it. Many marvelous and incomprehensible feats, apparently produced by means of magic, can be performed when once possessed of "arnola." Among the many experiments which can be performed with "arnola" are the following: You can leave the room and have a lady or gentleman take a drink from a glass of water and on returning and placing the instrument over the glass it will at once indicate to you whether it was a male or female that took the drink. You may go into a room that people have just left and by holding the instrument over chairs, couches, etc., can tell where the males were sitting and where the females were sitting.

A number of articles can be placed on a table while you are out of the room and on your return you can instantly tell which articles belong to the males and which to the females. Two sacks can be brought in containing pigeons, fowls, guinea pigs, white rats, canaries, etc., and without either bag being opened you can instantly tell which is male and which is female. Stick a long wire through a keyhole and let someone on the opposite side of the closed door take hold of the wire, and you can immediately tell whether a male or female took hold of the other end. Experimenters claim that the sex of unhatched eggs can be ascertained by the use of the sex detector. There has never been anything like it; its manifestations are positively uncanny. You should be the first in your locality to have something that is new. You will be the lion of the evening at any gathering with "arnola." The Chemical in which "arnola" is saturated is guaranteed to be harmless.
PRICE, INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS, $1.25.

This ad, in an unusual burst of honesty, told the potential purchaser that he was purchasing a little red ball on a string. The descriptions are otherwise strikingly similar to The Sphinx ad. The statement that concludes the ad is amusing. "The Chemical in which ‘arnola' is saturated is guaranteed to be harmless." The claim was clever, as the only chemical used on "Arnola" was the paint in which it was dipped. The similarities in The Magical Bulletin, The Sphinx, and the Altoona Tribune ads are unmistakable. Could they have come from the same source? All the illustrations depict the pendulum swinging in a straight line over a woman's hand and in a circle over a man's. In addition, the illustrations appear identical. An analysis of enlarged digital images of the female hand from all three ads reveals that the illustrations are indeed the same. Furthermore, a comparison of sentence structure and wording shows an overwhelming similarity. The "Ayada-Woholo," "Sex Detector" and "the Ball with Arnola" were simply different titles used in different publications. Otherwise, the ads showed few descriptive variations.
According to Alexander biographer David Charvet, "The Man Who Knows" was a master of advertising and copywriting. "Alexander was certainly among the first to exploit mailing lists and repeat customers. I think that's one reason he liked the Sex Detector. It was a cheap item to produce, was light to mail and had a mysterious aura about it for the "hook." His regular customers who had ordered horoscopes and private readings by mail were naturals to buy the Sex Detector. No wonder he sold thousands of them."17

It appears Alexander had a well-thought-out marketing plan to advertise the sex detector to magicians through magic journals, and to the general public through newspapers. Nor was his drop-in appearance at the Billboard office likely by chance. Alexander in all likelihood started the controversy over the merits of "The Sex Detector" in The Sphinx. Dr. Wilson took the brunt of the criticism for the Sphinx ad, while Alexander took the money. He was at the forefront in the magic community, with his selling price at two dollars. By the time the Altoona Tribune ad appeared the price was down to a dollar twenty-five; and in 1925 Thayer was selling the "Ayada-Woholo" for fifty cents.

In the January 1921 issue of The Sphinx, Wilson grudgingly admitted that the ad was fraudulent. I regret to say that "The Sex Detector" as in the September Sphinx was a fraud. If any reader of the sphinx was deceived or defrauded by that ad kindly let me know at once. The Sex Detector itself is a scientific toy and for the purpose of amusement to those who do not know the principle, it is worth the price asked.18 A letter from a reader in the following issue implied that if an advertised item was praised by The Sphinx he refused to buy it. Wilson responded: "When I advertised the "Sex Detector" I had no idea that anyone would ever buy the thing with any other thought than it was a scientific curiosity, for I have been using the principle, with an apple or a bunch of keys, a ring, or a watch ever since I was a boy and have gotten many times more than $2.00 worth of fun out of it. If it affords any satisfaction to you who were deceived I'll tell you that I was beat out of $20.00 on the last ad of the "Sex Detector."19

"The Pendulum Swings" was first published in the Winter 2008 Gibecière, and is reprinted with permission of the author and publisher.

Dr. Bill Spooner is a Past International President of the I.B.M. and a respected educator. He served as a state science consultant for the North Carolina Department of Education. His many accomplishments include producing 435 science programs for the Education Television Network. Dr. Spooner won The Linking Ring Trophy for his outstanding article, "The Chronology of a Nightmare," published in the February 2008 issue.

NOTES
1. Anderson, George B., Magic Digest: Fun Magic for Everyone (Chicago, 1972), p. 104.
2. Kouguell, Maurice. Mind/Body Therapy. Magazine for Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, http://hypnogenesis.com/kougue15.htm.
3. Newmann the Hypnotist, "Curious Psycho-Physical Experiments," The
Sphinx, vol. 22, no. 2 (April 1923), p. 52.
4. Spitz, Herman, "Chevreul's Report on the Mysterious Oscillations of the
Hand Held Pendulum," Skeptical Inquirer, vol. 35, no. 4 (July 2001), p. 35.
5. Carroll, Robert T., "Ideomotor Effect," The Skeptic's Dictionary, www.SkepDic.com.
6. Easton and Shor, "An Experimental Analysis of the Chevreul Pendulum
Illusion," Journal of General Psychology, no. 95 (July 1976), p 111.
Winter 2008 Gibecière | 75 | The Pendulum "Knows "
7. Kirsch, Montgomery G. "The Effects of Subject Arm Position and Initial Experience on Chevreul's Pendulum Responses," American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, vol. 38, no. 3 (January 1996), p. 185.
8. Forsythe, James, "The Taylor Gimmick," M-U-M, vol. 57, no. 3 (August 1967), p. 35.
9. Sex Detector Laboratories, "The Sex Detector," ad in The Sphinx, vol. 19, no. 2 (April 1920), p. 60.
10. "Editorial," ibid., p. 53.
11. "Detecting the Sex Detector," The Sphinx, vol. 20, no. 2 (April 1921), p. 67.
12. Alexander, C., ad in The Sphinx, vol. 19, no. 8, p. 263.
13. Thayer, The Magical Bulletin, vol. 8, no. 5 (May 1920), p. 79.
14. Johnson, George, "News and Notes," The Magic Wand, vol. 9, no. 11 (January1921), p. 194.
15. Thomson, Oscar M., "Notes From Philadelphia," The Sphinx, vol. 21, no. 5 (July 1922), p. 172.
16. "The Ball with ARNOLA," ad in the Altoona Tribune, date unknown; see clipping in Harry Houdini's Scrapbook, vol. 26, p. 41.
17. Charvet, David, e-mail communication, September, 2007.
18. "Editorial," The Sphinx, vol. 19, no. 11, p. 385.
19. Wilson, "Editorial," The Sphinx, vol. 19, no. 12 (February 1921), p. 426.