Viral challenges on social media are everywhere, and most of the time they end up being extremely dangerous or turned into a banal exercise by politicians and celebrities. However, we find a curious exception in the Hanger Reflex, which first exploded in 2020 and now seems to have returned to the lands of TikTok. What's the idea? Place a hanger on your head and be surprised by the involuntary turn. The most interesting thing is that several studies support this effect...
The most frequent reaction is pure surprise. In other videos we see the participant genuinely scared. And then we have isolated cases where it doesn't work. I'm referring to the Hanger Reflex, which is back after taking over the web in 2020. Want to try it? All you have to do is place a hanger on your head. If the hanger presses on the right spot, your head will turn without you thinking about it. What's going on...?
The Hanger Reflex: A Viral Challenge Backed by Science
The first notable fact about the Hanger Reflex is that it's not a recent invention. In fact, its initial report dates back to 1991, in an article published by J.E. Just Christensen in The Lancet titled New treatment of spasmodic torticollis?. A more recent example takes us to 2015, when a team of Japanese researchers published a study with the title Unexpected Head Rotation on Fronto-temporal Head Compression. But if you prefer a video on the subject, well... I think you'll like these two:
The studies confirm that there are two ideal points for applying pressure to get the best result: the anterior temporal region, and its exact opposite on the back of the head. However, the reason this reflex manifests is still unknown. One hypothesis suggests that the reflex is related to our sleeping habits and the body's need to change position to ensure proper breathing.
Even so, experts have discovered that it also occurs in other parts of the body, such as the hip and ankles. Why not try it? It will be with us for a few more days, until it disappears for two or three years and someone digs it up again...
