If you've ever heard of the idiomotor response, it's probably been in the context of being

the explanation for phenomena like, dousing, where our bodies make deliberate but unconscious

movements.

These movements might wiggle the stick while we're dousing, slide the planchette over

the Ouija board, or even make us mimic the movements of an athlete we see on television.

The idiomotor response is coming right up on Skeptoid.

You're listening to Skeptoid.

I'm Kevin Hoover from Skeptoid.com.

The idiomotor response.

What if you had the power to detect unseen things buried deep in the ground, or channel messages

from spirits?

Even more useful, what if you could help handicapped persons who can't express themselves

to communicate?

The good news is, you already have these powers.

Bad news, they aren't powers at all.

These and other uncanny phenomena reflect a quirk of physiology known as the idiomotor

response.

The idiomotor, or idiomotor, response, or reflex, or effect, let's just call it IMR,

is a term for the unconscious unintentional physical movements which sometimes occur when

you experience thoughts or memories or feel emotion.

IMR visits its neuromotor crosstalk on our throbbing gristle in countless ways.

You mash your right foot down onto a non-existent break while watching a movie car chase, or mindlessly

...