The Noble Tradition of Self-Experimentation

Jim Gilkeson
10 min readJul 30, 2021
Illustration by Aimee Eldridge. Used with permission.

In the general field of complimentary and alternative healing, perhaps especially energy healing, there is an unmistakable tradition of self-experimentation. Some people seem to really like the sound of this, while others definitely do not. Still, if you take it on yourself to learn energy healing — as opposed to merely learning about it — you will have to go into the laboratory of your own experience. At least you will be in interesting company.

Osteopath William Sutherland’s cranial bowl experiments on himself in the 1930s come to mind. He had the (then) totally unconventional belief that the bones of the cranium were mobile. As any craniosacral therapist will attest, instead of being fused together at the sutures, cranial bones do indeed have tiny but significant movements that occur with the contraction and expansion of the head in what is called “craniosacral rhythm.”

To test out his theory that cranial bones not only move, but that immobile, stuck cranial bones also lead to pathology, Sutherland crafted a helmet fitted at strategic positions with thumbscrews. He would strap on his cranial helmet, tighten the thumbscrews down on an individual cranial bone in order to immobilize it, and then take note of the symptoms that arose in him. While he noted his physical symptoms, his wife, unbeknownst to him at the time, was busy noting his…

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Jim Gilkeson
Jim Gilkeson

Written by Jim Gilkeson

Jim Gilkeson is an author, teacher, craniosacral therapist, and musician living in Ashland, Oregon, USA.

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