A development of the art of dowsing (water witching) which extends the specific use of indicators such as rod and pendulum form water finding, to various additional uses such as the tracing of missing persons, treasure hunting, and/or the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The term radiesthésie was coined in 1930 by the Abbé Bouly, in France, where the use of a pendulum has largely replaced the divining rod. L'Association des Amis de la Radiesthésie was founded in 1930 and the British Society of Dowsers in 1933. International Congresses of Radiesthesia are held regularly in Europe. The terms "dowsing" and "radiesthesia" have become virtually synonymous, and in France "radiesthésie" is used to include all forms of dowsing.

The dowser or radiesthetist is an individual who is sensitive (and often unconsciously so) to hidden objects or other information and uses a simple indicator, primarily a dowsing rod or pendulum, to amplify this sensitivity. It is still not entirely clear if, or just what kind of, radiation might be involved, and many investigators believe the individual to be rather like a psychic medium, and certainly some of the special applications of radiesthesia seem nearer to ESP than conventional physics.

The pendulum is usually a small ball attached to a thread on the end of a short stick. It is best to use a nonspun thread or thin nylon since the twist in a thread may communicate extraneous movement to the pendulum bob. The stick is held just above its connection with the thread and the pendulum bob tends to gyrate or oscillate. The length of the thread can be adjusted by winding it round the stick, so that the pendulum movement is clearly visible. There are characteristic pendulum movements relating to various substances, indicated by the number of gyrations and whether their movement is clockwise or counterclockwise. Like the dowsing rod, the pendulum also seems to be drawn toward hidden objects.

The pendulum is often used to diagnose disease conditions in the body or indicate remedies. The pendulum is first adjusted over a healthy part of the body. When moved to an unhealthy area its movement changes.

Another use of the pendulum is simply to answer questions put to it, rather in the manner of a ouija board; "Yes" is usually indicated by a clockwise gyration and "No" by counterclockwise movement. An even more psychic use of the pendulum is known as "teleradiesthesia" or "superpendulism." Instead of using a pendulum over an actual area in which underground water or minerals are sought, the operator holds the pendulum over a map of the district. Some claim that a subtle link exists between a locality and its symbolic representation on a map. Some teleradiesthetists have also used a map to trace the movements of a missing person.

Some operators use a hollow pendulum that accommodates a sample of the material sought. Others hold something connected with the object of their inquiries in one hand while using the pendulum in the other. Since the indications of a pendulum are subtle and may also be deflected by conscious or unconscious muscular movements, some preliminary study is recommended before practice. There is considerable literature on the subject and various reports of its use.

In the United States, the American Society of Dowsers, which encourages the practice of various forms of dowsing and gives guidance and information on the subject, may be contacted at P.O. Box 24, Brainerd St., Danville, VT 05828. In Great Britain, the British Society of Dowsers is concerned with all aspects of dowsing and radiesthesia and publishes a journal. It is located at Sycamore Cottage, Tamley Lane, Hastingleigh, Ash-ford, Kent, TN25 5HW, England.

Sources:

Beasse, Pierre. A New and Rational Treatise of Dowsing according to the methods of Physical Radiesthesia. France, 1941.

Cameron, Verne. Map Dowsing. El Carismo, 1971.

Cooper, Irving S., and Willi Kowa. The Pendulum: Operational Practice and Theory. Haywards Heath, UK: Academic Publications, 1978.

De France, Henry. The Elements of Dowsing. London, 1971.

Franklin, T. Bedford. Radiations. London, 1949.

Hitching, Francis. Pendulum: The Psi Connection. London: Fontana, 1977.

Nielsen, Greg, and Joseph Polansky. Pendulum Power: A Mystery You Can See, A Power you Can Feel. New York: Destiny Books, 1977; Wellingborough, UK: Excalibur, 1981.

Wethered, V. D. A Radiesthetic Approach to Health and Homeopathy, or Health and the Pendulum. London, 1950.

Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. Copyright © 2001 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.