Radiesthesia describes a physical ability to detect radiation emitted by a person, animal, object or geographical feature. One of its practitioners, J. Cecil Maby, defined it as "The faculty and study of certain reflexive physical responses of living tissue to various radiations ... resulting in displacement currents and other inductive effects in living tissues." He distinguished it critically from the psychic facility of divination. Despite this distinction, there is no scientific evidence for the existence of the phenomenon and it is classed by the mainstream as pseudoscience.
Definitions One definition is "sensitivity to radiations of all kinds emanating from living beings, inanimate objects, mineral ores, water and even photographs". The word derives from Latin root radi- referring to beams of light, radiation and aesthesia, referring to sensory perception. The term is a neologism created by a French Catholic priest Alexis Timothée Bouly who was a celebrated dowsing practitioner in the early part of the 20th century. Bouly claimed to be able to detect unexploded ordnance from WW1 and also to detect molecular changes in laboratory experiments. He was the founder at Lille in 1929 of the Association of the Friends of Radiesthesia (Association des Amis de la Radiesthésie).
Claims Practitioners may claim to be able to detect the emitted radiation through use of their hands or more typically with dowsing rods or a pendulum. Teleradiesthesia or tele-radiesthesia describes this sensitivity to radiation but without the need to be in physical proximity to the subject. Typically a practitioner will use an instrument such as a pendulum to perform analysis based on a map or photograph. The practical application of radiesthesia, i.e. dowsing, is directed toward providing individual and environmental benefits, such as:
diagnosis of infirmities detection of underground water detection of underground mineral sources detection of the Earth's telluric currents and magnetic fields location of lost objects location of missing persons or livestock A distinction may be made in the application of radiesthesic techniques in the detection of physical phenomena e.g. water, minerals, objects, changed cell condition and using these techniques for analysis of supposed subtle energy fields or the 'aura' of an individual. Researchers have cited an involuntary bodily reaction, that is, ideomotor phenomenon, as the initiator of the movement seen occurring in instruments such as dowsing rods or a pendulum. It is this reactive movement which typically acts as the indicator of the location or the state change of the subject or object under investigation.
See also Dowsing – Pseudoscientific attempts to locate underground objects Geobiology (pseudoscience) – Pseudoscientific study of the Earth's natural radiation on human, animal and plant biology Radionics – Form of alternative medicine Rhabdomancy – Divination technique
References
Further reading F.A. Archdale Elementary Radiesthesia and the Use of the Pendulum, 1950 Marc Aurice, Le Grand Livre de la radiesthésie, 2008 éditions Trédaniel ISBN 978-28-5707-944-6 Gabriell Blackburn, Science and Art of the Pendulum: A Complete Course in Radiesthesia, 1984 pub. Idylwild ISBN 978-09-6130-541-3 C.L. Cooper-Hunt, Radiesthetic Analysis, 1996 pub. Health Research Books ISBN 978-18-5228-306-3 Bruce Copen, Dowsing from Maps, Tele-radiesthesia, 1975 pub. Academic Publications Emma Decourtay, Initiation à la radiesthésie, 2004 éditions Cristal ISBN 978-28-4895-020-4 Gilbert Degueldre, La Radiesthésie, cet instinct originel, 1985 éditions Florikosse asbl, Verviers – Belgique Karl Maximilan Fischer, Radiästhesie und Geopathie – Theorie und empirische Untersuchungen, 1989 Böhlau in Wien ISBN 978-32-0505-097-1 Christopher Freeland, Radiesthesia I – Method and Training for the Modern Dowser, 2020 pub. Completelynovel ISBN 978-17-8723-395-9 Tom Graves, Pendel und Wünschelrute, Radiästhesie, 1999 ISBN 978-34-4211-732-1 Jane E. Hartman, Radionics and Radiesthesia, 1999 pub Aquarian Systems ISBN 978-09-6180-452-7 Ray Hyman. How People Are Fooled by Ideomotor Action. Adolphe Landspurg, Comment devenir sourcier et géobiologue (La pratique de la radiesthésie vibratoire), 2003 éditions Dangles ISBN 2-7033-0553-2 Hartmut Lüdeling: Handbuch der Radiaesthesie – Schwerpunkt Grifflängentechnik. 2006 Drachen-Verlag ISBN 978-39-2736-928-3 Marguerite Maury, How to Dowse – Experimental And Practical Radiesthesia 1953, pub. G. Bell and Sons; 2008 edition ISBN 978-14-4377-286-0 Alexis Mermet, Principles and Practice of Radiesthesia: A textbook for Practitioners and Students, 1959; 1991 edition ISBN 978-18-5230-007-4 Michel Moine, La radiestesia – la otra sciencia, 1974 ISBN 978-84-2702-785-5 Helmut Müller, Radiestesia: Manual Práctico, 1991 Editorial De Vecchi ISBN 978-84-3150-513-4 Otto Prokop, Wolf Wimmer: Wünschelrute, Erdstrahlen, Radiästhesie. Die okkulten Strahlenfühligkeitslehren im Lichte der Wissenschaft. 1985 Thieme ISBN 978-34-3284-473-2 Jessie Toler Kingsley Tarpey, Healing by radiesthesia, 1955, pub. Omega Press Henry Tomlinson, The Divination of Disease: A Study in Radiesthesia, 1953 pub. Health Science Press S.W. Tromp, Psychical Physics, a Scientific Analysis of Dowsing, Radiesthesia and Kindred Phenomena, 1949 pub. Elzevier, New York Herbet Weaver, Divining, the Primary Sense: Unfamiliar Radiation in Nature, Art and Science, 1978 pub, Routledge & Kegan Paul ISBN 978-0710087348 V. D. Wethered, A Radiesthetic Approach to Health and Homoeopathy, or Health and the Pendulum, 1950, pub. British Society of Dowsers V. D. Wethered, An Introduction to Medical Radiesthesia and Radionics, 1957 pub. C.W. Daniel Company
External links Association des Amis de la Radiesthesie (in French) Associazioni Italiana Radiestesisti (in Italian)
