Dec 4, 2014

Power of Touch with a UFO Ball


At massage school, we had an experiment using a UFO Ball. It was a very simple demonstration, but it made a profound impression on me.  The instructor didn’t tell us what was for, so I’m also going to explain the procedures first and the point later.

The UFO Ball is a size of a ping-pong ball, and it has two metal strips embedded.  The instructor held the ball touching one metal strip and asked one of the students to touch the other metal strip with a finger.  Nothing happened.  Then, they held the other hands together while still holding the ball.  Voila!  It lit up and started beeping.  The electricity (or electrons) encircles the two people through their hands, which closed the circuit and activated the battery-operated device in the ball.  

Next, about 20 of us sat in circle on the floor and held hands with the people sitting next to us.  Two of them sitting next to each other in the circle release their hands (still the other hands held) and held the UFO Ball.  One person held the ball touching one metal strip and the other one touch the other metal strip with a finger.  Can you guess what happened?  Yes, it lit up and started beeping.  Why?  Because the electricity traveled through everybody’s hands in the circle and closed the circuit.  And, suddenly, the beeping stopped. The circuit was broken. Somebody in the circle let the hand go. We played with holding and letting go of hands so that light and beeping turned on and off.  

I was excited like a kid.  This can be just a science tool to teach electronic circuits, but it did show that we were connected by touch.  I knew that touch had power to influence the body and mind, but it is easier for me to really “get it” when I can actually see or visualize it. To me, it was amazing to even imagine that electrons were traveling through everybody’s body in a circle and united us. Other than electrons, you never know what else touch facilitates to transfer to other people.  I am re-visiting the power of touch now that I am interested in Craniosacral Therapy.