Radiesthesia

Radiesthesia is a practice that seeks information or hidden objects by observing the movements of a hand-held pendulum or rod. The word was coined between the two World Wars by the French priest Alexis Bouly, who wanted to name a supposed sensitivity to “radiations”. Its uses range from searching for water or lost objects to personal questions. Controlled studies have not shown it to perform better than chance. So-called medical radiesthesia is in no way a substitute for a medical diagnosis or treatment.