The marital arts has kuji-in. The Illuminati of conspiracy theories has the cornuto or the devil's sign. Hitler learned special techniques of hand gestures to further entrance the crowd and add more power to his words. Gangs use hand signs which I believe might be a form of conjuring up spirits though unbeknownst to most or all of them.

Does anyone have knowledge of the power behind hand symbols either in the examples offered or in other manners? Is there any historical examples of older cultures using hand signs? Even if it is not based in the paranormal. Anyone who can show relationship between semiotics and the paranormal when it comes to hand signs would most interest me.

Oddball theories are welcomes to I am most curious on how what others think about the power behind hand symbols. Do not forget there is power in the spoken word, from God creating through the spoken word, to witches making a curse more powerful with incantations, to someone telling another simply 'I love you'. Likewise for the deaf and mute they use sign language. Is there any way they cast spells using their sign language?

We also know the way in which the Heil Hitler salute quickly causes reactions within people. Other military salutes also solicit other types of emotions or feeling among others, feeling of honor and duty. The sign of being crazy which is not the same in all cultures is also interesting.

I once read a pretty interesting theory on the magical significance of hand signs.

The concept was that the casting of a magic spell was a matter of following specific path through the brain. In other words, specific neurons firing in specific order created a magical effect. The hand gestures themselves weren't important, it was the neural pattern that making the gesture caused that mattered.

I don't really believe in magic, but always liked that theory.

You may wish to Google mudras, following both Buddhist and Hindu (Yogic) directions.

Of course, the success of conventional "sign language" shows that hand gestures can be as expressive as speech for crisp person-to-person communication. Even without the formality, gesture can add considerably to what moves between people. Hitler is a dramatic and apt example, but a stroll through any open air market also makes the point.

I have read explanations of the mudras that claim that making these gestures has a psychological impact on the gesturer. This seems like a commonsense idea. There is the old pop song "Put on a Happy Face," which claims that by making the gestures (facial in its case) associated with an emotional state, that helps to elicit the state for real.

One last point that has long fascinated me personally. Many animals besides humans make gestures, tails being practical for quadrupeds (and altogether unavailable to us, of course). What interests me is that some animals will accept "echoes" of their tail gestures made with hand and arm. If you "wag" your arm with an open hand palm down, for example, then a dog may well understand.

Dogs make their livings by understanding us, so it may be unsurprising that they succeed so well at this "straightforward" mimicry, but I have had similar experiences with wild animals, too. I am also amazed how many animals, both wild and domestic, understand "pointing" to place their attention to something in the indicated direction. By and large, they don't do this, and yet readily understand when we do (perhaps because our eyes follow our hands, but still).

I was Born a Jewc vand for some reaso I seem to talk alot w/my Hands, Like the expression in my mouth and face, are not enough, I animate my everything else with hand Jestures,
I think Iam too use to comunicating in the spirit world , wher thought, pictures and Feelings convey at the speed of faster than light, Or thought(in Human Terms), See you should see my hands moving when I tried to convey that mesage.

Love Omnaka

Actually I believe that it is more often them not, body language. People, can always read the subtle ways of body language and react accordingly to them.