Dowsing — Definition

Dowsing has two main branches. Field dowsing, with forked sticks or L-rods, has been used for centuries to locate water, minerals, or buried objects; the practice is widespread enough that some rural well-drillers still keep a dowser on call. Pendulum dowsing applies the same principle to direct questions: the practitioner holds a weighted string, calibrates "yes" and "no" swings, and asks. Sceptics attribute the movement to the ideomotor effect; practitioners find that, calibrated honestly, it is a useful intuition tool either way.

Example

A common pendulum practice is to hold the weight steady, ask the body to show "yes," then ask to show "no," before posing the real question.