In natural healthcare and applied kinesiology, practitioners often encounter puzzling phenomena where the body seems to “misreport” what’s really going on. Two such patterns are known as switching and phantom organ responses. Understanding these effects can shed light on how the nervous system and energetic circuits work — and how to correct them so true healing can begin.

What Is Switching?

Switching is a term used in applied kinesiology and Vega testing to describe a situation where the body gives inaccurate signals about the location or side of dysfunction. For example, a woman may have pain in her right ovary, yet muscle reflex testing indicates a problem on the left side.

Applied kinesiology pioneer Dr. George Goodheart described switching as “a functional disorganization of the nervous system in which information is not processed correctly between the hemispheres.” (Applied Kinesiology Synopsis, 1964).

In simple terms, switching is like the body’s wires being crossed — the stress is real, but the message about where it is has been scrambled.

Possible Mechanisms

Researchers and clinicians suggest several reasons why switching occurs:

• Hemispheric miscommunication: Stress disrupts the normal cross-talk between left and right brain hemispheres.
• Corpus callosum overload: The “bridge” that links hemispheres may fail to process signals efficiently.
• Proprioceptive confusion: The body’s spatial map gets distorted, leading to left/right reversals.

Dr. Walter H. Schmitt, Jr., an applied kinesiology physician, observed: “Switching is a neurological short circuit… until corrected, accurate testing and effective therapy cannot be achieved.” (Common Glandular Dysfunctions in the General Population, ICAK, 1981).

Correcting Switching

Practitioners use a variety of methods to reset the nervous system, including:

• Cross-crawl exercises (marching in place, crossing arms and legs).
• Light tapping or brushing across the midline while the patient visualizes corrective symbols.
• Nutritional support with B vitamins, magnesium, and omega-3s to stabilize nerve function.

A symbolic technique I often use involves having patients visualize three shapes:

• X – representing cross-wiring (classic dyslexic reversal).
• II – representing blocked ipsilateral communication.
• H – representing full integration of left and right hemispheres.

Combined with light tapping, these images give the nervous system a “map” for reorienting itself, often resolving the confusion in just minutes.

Phantom Organ Responses

An equally fascinating phenomenon is the phantom organ response. This occurs when muscle testing indicates stress in an organ that has been surgically removed — such as a gallbladder, appendix, uterus, or ovary.

This may sound strange, but it parallels the well-documented phantom limb phenomenon in neurology. After amputation, patients often still feel sensations — sometimes even pain — in the missing limb. The brain’s body map hasn’t been erased, so the signals continue as if the limb were still there.

In applied kinesiology, the same principle applies. The nervous system and meridian circuits still “remember” the organ, even after removal. Dr. David S. Walther, a leading voice in applied kinesiology, noted: “The circuit remains even if the organ does not. The reflex will still respond, but interpretation must take into account the surgical history.” (Applied Kinesiology: Synopsis, 1988).

Why Phantom Responses Occur

• Neurological memory: The brain retains maps of organs and tissues long after surgery.
• Meridian pathways: Energy circuits associated with the organ remain intact.
• Scar interference fields: Surgical scars can generate abnormal signals that mimic the missing organ.

Addressing Phantom Organ Responses

• Clarify history: Always confirm whether the organ is still present before interpreting a reflex.
• Support the circuit: Even if the gallbladder is gone, bile support (ox bile, digestive enzymes) can assist the related system.
• Scar therapy: Laser, tapping, or gentle desensitization on the scar often clears phantom signals.

Why This Matters

Skeptics may dismiss switching and phantom organ responses as quirks, but practitioners know that ignoring them can derail care. If the body is misreporting its stress, therapies may be misapplied, or patients may fail to improve until the error is corrected.

As one ICAK teaching module summarizes: “Switching must be corrected for all other findings to be valid.”

These phenomena remind us that the body is more than just anatomy. It is a living information system, with layers of neurological, biochemical, and energetic communication. By respecting those layers, natural healthcare can achieve deeper and more lasting results.

Conclusion

Switching and phantom organ responses show that the body doesn’t always speak plainly — sometimes it scrambles or replays old signals. But with careful testing and corrective techniques, practitioners can reset the nervous system, restore accuracy, and direct healing where it truly belongs.

In a world where mainstream science often dismisses what it cannot explain, these clinical observations point to a simple truth: the human body is complex, integrated, and wonderfully designed. And when it comes to healing, listening closely — even to its mixed signals — can make all the difference.