witch’s cradle A means to torture accused witches. A
witch was tied up in a sack, string the sack over a tree
limb and set it swinging. The rocking motion of this
witch’s cradle, as it was called, caused profound disorientation
and helped induce confessions. Most subjected
to this also suffered profound hallucinations, which
probably added color to their confessions (see torture).
The term witch’s cradle also applies to modern sensory-
deprivation techniques and devices used to induce
altered states of consciousness.
