Radiesthesia
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Radiesthesia describes an ability to detect radiation emitted by a person, animal, object or geographical feature. There is no scientific evidence of the existence of this pseudoscientific or occult phenomena.[1]
Definitions
One definition is "sensitivity to radiations of all kinds emanating from living beings, inanimate objects, mineral ores, water and even photographs"[2]
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.[3] Bouly claimed to be able to detect unexploded ordnance from WW1 and also to detect molecular changes in laboratory experiments.[4] He was the founder at Lille in 1929 of the Association of the Friends of Radiesthesia fr.Association des Amis de la Radiesthésie[5]
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.[6]
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 ie 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 of the state change of the subject under investigation.[7]
External links
- Ray Hyman. How People Are Fooled by Ideomotor Action.
- Association des Amis de la Radiesthesie (French)
- Associazioni Italiana Radiestesisti (Italian)
Further reading
- Alexis Mermet, Principles and Practice of Radiesthesia: A textbook for Practitioners and Students, 1959; 1991 edition ISBN 978-18-5230-007-4
- S.W. Tromp, Psychical Physics, a Scientific Analysis of Dowsing, Radiesthesia and Kindred Phenomena, 1949 pub. Elzevier, New York
- F.A. Archdale Elementary Radiesthesia and the Use of the Pendulum, 1950
- V. D. Wethered, A Radiesthetic Approach to Health and Homoeopathy, or Health and the Pendulum, 1950, pub. British Society of Dowsers
- Marguerite Maury, How to Dowse - Experimental And Practical Radiesthesia 1953, pub. G.Bell and Sons; 2008 edition ISBN 978-14-4377-286-0
- Jessie Toler Kingsley Tarpey, Healing by radiesthesia, 1955, pub. Omega Press
- V. D. Wethered, An Introduction to Medical Radiesthesia and Radionics, 1957 pub. C.W. Daniel Company
- Henry Tomlinson, The Divination of Disease: A Study in Radiesthesia, 1953 pub. Health Science Press
- Bruce Copen, Dowsing from Maps, Tele-radiesthesia, 1975 pub. Academic Publications
- Herbet Weaver, Divining, the Primary Sense: Unfamiliar Radiation in Nature, Art and Science, 1978 pub, Routledge & Kegan Paul ISBN 978-0710087348
- 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
- Jane E.Hartman, Radionics and Radiesthesia, 1999 pub Aquarian Systems ISBN 978-09-6180-452-7
- Christopher Freeland, Radiesthesia I - Method and Training for the Modern Dowser, 2020 pub. Completelynovel ISBN 978-17-8723-395-9
- Gilbert Degueldre, La Radiesthésie, cet instinct originel, 1985 éditions Florikosse asbl, Verviers - Belgique.
- Emma Decourtay, Initiation à la radiesthésie, 2004 éditions Cristal ISBN 978-28-4895-020-4.
- Marc Aurice, Le Grand Livre de la radiesthésie, 2008 éditions Trédaniel ISBN 978-28-5707-944-6
- Adolphe Landspurg, Comment devenir sourcier et géobiologue (La pratique de la radiesthésie vibratoire), 2003 éditions Dangles, ISBN 2-7033-0553-2.
- Otto Prokop, Wolf Wimmer: Wünschelrute, Erdstrahlen, Radiästhesie. Die okkulten Strahlenfühligkeitslehren im Lichte der Wissenschaft. 1985 Thieme ISBN 978-34-3284-473-2.
- Karl Maximilan Fischer, Radiästhesie und Geopathie - Theorie und empirische Untersuchungen, 1989 Böhlau in Wien ISBN 978-32-0505-097-1.
- Tom Graves, Pendel und Wünschelrute, Radiästhesie, 1999 ISBN 978-34-4211-732-1.
- Hartmut Lüdeling: Handbuch der Radiaesthesie -Schwerpunkt Grifflängentechnik. 2006 Drachen-Verlag ISBN 978-39-2736-928-3.
- 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
See also
- Dowsing
- Rhabdomancy
- Geobiology (pseudoscience)
- Ideomotor phenomenon
- Aura (paranormal)
- Radionics
- List of topics characterised as pseudoscience
References
- ^ Zusne, Leonard; Jones, Warren H. (2014). Anomalistic Psychology: A Study of Magical Thinking. Psychology Press. pp. 109–110. ISBN 978-0-805-80508-6.
- ^ Alexis Mermet, Principles and Practice of Radiesthesia: A textbook for Practitioners and Students"", 1959 Page 3
- ^ Joan Rose Staffen, The Book of Pendulum Healing: Charting Your Healing Course for Mind, Body and Spirit, 2016 Page 10 ISBN 978-15-7863-636-5
- ^ "11 décembre 1865 : Naissance de l'abbé Bouly, radiesthésiste le plus célèbre de France - Anniversaires - Découvrir - les Archives du Pas-de-Calais (Pas-de-Calais le Département)".
- ^ Association des Amis de la Radiesthesie.
- ^ Schmidt, Brigitta (22 December 2016). Workbook New Dowsing: Quantum Healing with Pendulums. ISBN 9783735763594.
- ^ Olson, Jay A; Jeyanesan, Ewalina; Raz, Amir (2 August 2017). "Ask the pendulum: personality predictors of ideomotor performance". Neuroscience of Consciousness. 2017 (1): nix014. doi:10.1093/nc/nix014. PMC 5858027. PMID 29877514.