They call it applied kinesiology. I call it one of the most underappreciated tools in the human toolbelt. Muscle testing, when used with clear intention and a neutral mind, can give you accurate information about anything, a person, an event, a substance, or a decision, whether it’s in your backyard, in your bloodstream, ten thousand years ago, or even on the other side of the veil.
I’ve used muscle testing to pick out the healthiest foods for my body, test if water was energetically clean, and yes, even to check in on people who’ve passed on, if the question was worded right. This is not woo-woo. This is biofeedback. It’s the body tuning into the universal frequency to get a yes, a no, a quantity, a number, or a percentage. With those simple answers and proper questions, you have more knowledge available than what’s available in most libraries. Your body knows more than your brain does, especially when you get the ego outta the way.
Let me walk you through the basics.
What is Muscle Testing, Really?
Your muscles momentarily go weak or stay strong depending on the energetic truth of a statement. That’s it. The subconscious mind, which is plugged into the energetic web of all things, responds to true and false with immediate, subtle strength changes. This was first studied clinically by Dr. George Goodheart in the 1960s and refined by guys like Dr. David Hawkins and countless chiropractors, naturopaths, and healers since.
But you don’t need a PhD to use it. Just some quiet, some honesty, and a desire to not rig the answer.
The Real Trick: How You Ask the Question
Now listen closely, this is key: The accuracy of your answer depends entirely on how the question is worded.
Bad:
- “Will this make me sick?”
Too vague.
Better:
- “Is this supplement supportive for my liver function right now?”
You’re not asking the universe to predict the future. You’re asking the subconscious to register the energetic resonance of this thing with this situation right now.
And if you’re trying to inquire about someone else, alive or deceased, use their full name, date of birth, and maybe where they lived. That gets the “radio dial” tuned in.
Example:
- “Did John Smith, born June 3, 1941, in Missouri, experience trauma at age 12 that still influences his soul’s vibration now?”
That’ll give you more truth than a dozen therapists on retainer.
How to Muscle Test: Beginner’s Tutorial
Here’s a simple method to get started, solo and without a partner.
The Sway Test (Great for Starters)
- Stand upright, feet shoulder-width apart. Arms relaxed. Eyes closed.
- Say your name aloud: “My name is [Your Name].” You’ll feel your body slightly sway forward. That’s a “yes.”
- Then say, “My name is [Fake Name].” Your body should sway backward. That’s a “no.”
- Try questions you already know the answers to (Is my dog’s name Rufus? Do I live in Montana?) to calibrate your response.
Once you’ve got the hang of that, you can upgrade.
The Ring Test (One-Handed)
- Make an “O” with your thumb and middle finger.
- Use the index finger of the other hand to try to pry that O open while you make a statement.
- Strong hold = yes. Weak break = no.
Same thing works with “ring-in-ring” using both hands, which I like the best. I hook the thumb and forefinger of each hand together, like two chain links. For a “yes,” they will hold tightly together. For a “no,” they will come unlinked even though the pressure you’re holding has not changed.
Using It to Investigate People, Past or Present
Now here’s the real gold: the more neutral you are, the clearer the answers. I’ve asked about all kinds of things.
If a husband and wife are having trouble, I check to see, on a scale of 1 to 10, how close they are in sexual hunger. If, for instance, she is a three while he is a ten, he is starving for sex, and there is no way they can have a completely happy marriage. I’m not saying they couldn’t make it work, but this basic incompatibility will be the underlying fuel for conflict. They would have been much better off checking sexual hunger compatibility before courtship.
Other questions I’ve asked:
- Whether a president was truly working for the people (use full name, birth year, and office date).
- If my grandfather’s illness was related to environmental toxins.
- Whether a person I just met had pure intentions or not.
You gotta leave emotion and desire at the door, or you’ll skew the test. Don’t try to “hope” for a yes. You’re a detective, not a cheerleader.
And yes, I’ve tested historical events too: “Was Nikola Tesla murdered?” “Was there interference in the JFK autopsy process?” The answers are as spooky as they are enlightening.
Practice Tips and Wisdom from the Ranch
- Stay hydrated. Dehydration mucks up energy flow.
- Don’t test right after a big meal or emotional upset.
- Start with physical objects. Hold them. Ask: “Is this beneficial to me right now?”
- Over time, ask more layered questions, spiritual, historical, even cosmic.
Don’t expect perfection on day one. You’re tuning a subtle instrument that’s been ignored for decades. It’s like lifting weights, you get better the more you use it.
Final Thoughts
People ask me all the time, “Herb, how do you know it’s not just in your head?”
And I tell ‘em, “Because my head doesn’t know that much.”
But my body does. Yours does too. And the more you listen to it, the less likely you’ll be fooled by advertising, false prophets, or even your own doubts. Muscle testing ain’t magic. It’s just applied common sense on an energetic level.
The truth is out there—and your muscles already know it. So why not make use of it.
Keep testing,
~ Herb Roi Richards