Episodi

  • The Million Dollar Challenge: When Skeptics Met Dowsers

    The Million Dollar Challenge: When Skeptics Met Dowsers
    Jun 18 2026
    Join Clara Moss as she explores the fascinating intersection between dowsing practitioners and professional skeptics in this episode about the famous Randi Challenge. From 1964 onwards, magician James Randi offered a substantial monetary prize to anyone who could demonstrate paranormal abilities under controlled scientific conditions, with dowsing being one of the most commonly tested claims. This episode examines the historical impact of the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge on the dowsing community, the emergence of organized skepticism, and the philosophical debates that arose about evidence, belief, and scientific methodology. We explore how these challenges influenced dowsing practitioners, the arguments made by both sides, and the lasting cultural significance of this unique period in dowsing history. Clara presents a balanced perspective on this ethically complex topic, examining how the challenge sparked important conversations about the nature of traditional practices, the psychology of belief, and the role of controlled testing in evaluating claims about divination and dowsing abilities in modern society.
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    4 min
  • Corporate Dowsers: Oil, Gas, and Underground Treasure

    Corporate Dowsers: Oil, Gas, and Underground Treasure
    Jun 11 2026
    Join host Clara Moss as she explores the fascinating intersection of traditional dowsing practices and corporate America. This episode examines how major oil, gas, and mining companies employed professional dowsers throughout the 20th century as part of their exploration strategies. Discover documented cases from Phillips Petroleum Company, Anaconda Copper Company, and other major corporations that quietly integrated dowsing methods alongside conventional geological surveys. Learn about the economic motivations behind these decisions, the substantial fees commanded by professional dowsers, and how the practice evolved from water location to petroleum and mineral exploration. The episode covers the golden age of corporate dowsing from the 1930s through 1960s, examining both reported successes and failures, before exploring how advancing technology eventually replaced these traditional methods. This unique chapter in American industrial history reveals how folk traditions briefly found their way into boardrooms and drilling operations, offering insight into the evolution of resource exploration and the business world's pragmatic approach to managing financial risk in uncertain ventures.
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    6 min
  • Pendulum Healing and the New Age Revival: From Ancient Practices to Modern Movements

    Pendulum Healing and the New Age Revival: From Ancient Practices to Modern Movements
    Jun 4 2026
    In this episode of Pendulum and Dowsing History, host Clara Moss examines the fascinating intersection of ancient pendulum practices with the New Age movement of the 20th century. Discover how traditional dowsing techniques evolved into modern pendulum healing practices during the cultural revolution of the 1960s and 70s. We explore the historical roots of medical dowsing, tracing connections from medieval European traditions to French priest Abbé Mermet's early 1900s innovations. Learn about key figures like Sig Lonegren and Tom Graves who helped popularize pendulum techniques through books and workshops. The episode discusses how pendulum healing became integrated into alternative wellness culture alongside practices like crystal healing and aromatherapy. Clara examines the anthropological significance of this revival, showing how societies often return to traditional practices during periods of rapid technological change. We also look at how the internet age has transformed pendulum communities and practices. This balanced historical perspective presents pendulum healing as a documented cultural phenomenon while respecting both traditional practices and modern perspectives. Perfect for listeners interested in alternative spirituality history, New Age movement origins, and the evolution of ancient practices in contemporary culture. A must-listen for anyone curious about how historical traditions adapt and survive in modern contexts.
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    5 min
  • The Science Wars: Testing the Untestable

    The Science Wars: Testing the Untestable
    May 28 2026
    Join Clara Moss as she explores the fascinating collision between scientific methodology and ancient dowsing traditions in this compelling episode of Pendulum and Dowsing History. Discover how researchers in the late 20th century attempted to test dowsing abilities under controlled conditions, from James Randi's famous paranormal challenge to comprehensive German government studies in Sri Lanka. Learn about the complex philosophical questions these investigations raised about evidence, belief, and human perception. This episode examines the methodological challenges of testing practices that practitioners believe work best in natural environments, the psychological factors that influence dowsing experiences, and the valuable historical documentation that emerged from these scientific studies. Whether you're interested in the history of scientific skepticism, the persistence of traditional practices in the modern world, or the fascinating interplay between belief and evidence, this episode offers balanced perspectives on one of dowsing's most contentious periods. Clara presents these historical investigations as important cultural phenomena while exploring what they reveal about human psychology and the nature of knowledge itself. Perfect for listeners interested in the intersection of science, tradition, and cultural history.
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    6 min
  • Military Dowsers: From Vietnam to Modern Warfare

    Military Dowsers: From Vietnam to Modern Warfare
    May 21 2026
    In this fascinating episode of Pendulum and Dowsing History, host Clara Moss explores the documented use of dowsing techniques in military operations from the Vietnam War to modern conflicts. Discover how soldiers adapted traditional divining methods to locate underground tunnels, hidden bunkers, and buried weapons in challenging combat environments. The episode examines the unofficial and controversial nature of military dowsing, from jungle warfare in Southeast Asia to desert operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Clara discusses the cultural significance of these practices within military communities and the ongoing tension between traditional methods and modern military doctrine. Learn about the historical context that led some military personnel to experiment with dowsing techniques when conventional detection methods proved insufficient. This episode presents a balanced view of military dowsing as a cultural phenomenon and historical curiosity, exploring documented accounts from veterans while acknowledging the scientific skepticism surrounding these practices. Perfect for listeners interested in military history, alternative detection methods, and the intersection of traditional practices with modern warfare. The episode covers the psychological aspects of dowsing in high-stress combat situations and its place in the broader history of unconventional military methods.
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    6 min
  • Abbé Mermet and the Golden Age of Radiesthesia

    Abbé Mermet and the Golden Age of Radiesthesia
    May 14 2026
    Join host Clara Moss as she explores the fascinating story of Abbé Alexis Bouly Mermet, the Swiss priest who became known as the 'King of Dowsers' during the early 20th century golden age of radiesthesia. Born in 1866 in Switzerland's Valais region, Mermet transformed from a quiet parish priest into an internationally renowned dowser whose methodical approach helped legitimize the practice across Europe. This episode examines Mermet's innovative techniques, his famous remote dowsing work for water location projects as far away as Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and his role in training a new generation of practitioners from his home in Ardon. We explore how Mermet's careful documentation and collaboration with engineers helped bridge traditional folk practices with emerging scientific approaches to understanding dowsing phenomena. The episode covers the period from 1900 to 1937, highlighting the cultural and historical context that made this the golden age of European radiesthesia. Perfect for listeners interested in the cultural history of dowsing, the intersection of religious faith and mysterious phenomena, and the evolution of alternative practices in early 20th century Europe. Discover how one priest's curiosity shaped an entire movement.
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    6 min
  • Water, Wealth, and Wonder: The Great Divining Rod Debates of the 1600s

    Water, Wealth, and Wonder: The Great Divining Rod Debates of the 1600s
    May 7 2026
    Join host Clara Moss as she explores the fascinating divining rod controversies that swept across 17th century Europe. This episode examines how a simple forked stick became the center of heated debates between scientists, clergy, and academics during the Scientific Revolution. We delve into the work of Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher, the French controversies surrounding Jacques Aymar, and the Catholic Church's complex relationship with dowsing practices. Learn about Pierre Le Lorrain's influential 'La Physique Occulte' and the French Academy of Sciences' critical response to divining claims. The episode reveals how these debates reflected broader tensions between emerging scientific methodology and traditional folk practices, religious authority versus empirical evidence, and different worldviews colliding in an era of political and social upheaval. Discover how mining communities in Germany sparked international controversy, and why the divining rod became a symbol of the struggle between old and new ways of understanding the natural world. This historical exploration shows how 17th century Europeans grappled with unexplained phenomena, establishing patterns of scientific inquiry that continue today. Perfect for history enthusiasts interested in the Scientific Revolution, folk traditions, and the cultural impact of dowsing practices.
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    6 min
  • Water Witches of Rural America: The Folk Tradition of Well Witching

    Water Witches of Rural America: The Folk Tradition of Well Witching
    Apr 30 2026
    Join host Clara Moss as she explores the fascinating folk tradition of water witching in rural America. From the Great Plains to Appalachian farms, water witches or dowsers used forked sticks and metal rods to locate underground water sources for desperate communities. This episode examines the cultural significance of dowsing in American history, regional variations in technique, and how this ancient practice became deeply embedded in rural life from the colonial era through the modern age. Learn about the surprising frequency with which geological surveys documented dowsing practices, the social dynamics of water witches in their communities, and how this folk tradition adapted across different regions of America. We explore historical records showing municipal authorities employing dowsers, the generational passing of supposed dowsing abilities, and the cultural debates that arose as scientific understanding of groundwater advanced. Whether you're interested in American folklore, rural history, or cultural traditions, this episode reveals how water witching became an enduring part of our national heritage, persisting even as modern drilling techniques transformed well construction across America.
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    5 min