Hand Clasp Test

“I want you to clasp your hands like this... Now look at my eyes and clasp your hands tightly together. Now I will count from three down to one, at the count of one, let your eyes close and relax. Three...two...one, eye lids closed and relax. (take hold of subjects hands and pull them forward. Momentarily hold and squeeze hands together)

Make them real tight, just as tight as you can. As you continue to tighten your hands you will soon find that your fingers are locking together, your hands are becoming stuck together. Your fingers are locking tighter and tighter, your fingers are sticking together more and more. Your hands are becoming more and more tightly clasped. Your fingers are sticking together. Your hands are sticking together. Your fingers are locked. YOUR HANDS ARE LOCKED TOGETHER; YOU CANNOT TAKE THEM APART.

In a moment I will ask you to try to take your hands apart, but you will not be able to do this. Your fingers are absolutely locked together; your hands are so complete stuck together that YOU CANNOT PULL THEM APART.

Try. You cannot take them apart. The more you try to take them apart, the more tightly they stick together. Your hands are firmly stuck together...Try hard, you cannot, you CAN'T take them apart” Give these suggestions “to try” in rapid succession. If the subject responds well to the suggestions, you will usually not have to continue giving suggestions. They will not be able to get their hand apart until you tell you them they can. If they do not succeed snap your fingers and say:

"Alright now, relax. You can take your hands apart now. They are not stuck anymore." (Even after this some subject may still have some difficulty separating their hands. If this happens, take hold of their wrists and pull their hands apart saying again):

"Your hands are relaxed now,...you can easily separate your hands."