Humans have been using pendulums for thousands of years to help them in their lives. Scientists have discovered that the pendulum is set into motion by tiny movements of the muscles in your finger tips and they have detected the slight electrical impulses from the brain to the muscles in your finger tips holding the pendulum. So no mystical action there. I believe that your sub conscious uses your senses on a level that you are not aware of. Scientists know that your brain, via your nose, can detect many 1,000 's of different smells but more importantly your subconscious can work on the molecular level and recognize a substance by it's molecular signature, molecules have a chemical signature which your subconscious can compare against in it's own data base and from experience recognize if the substance is good or bad for you. (just think about what a qualified wine taster can detect), although most of us are only consciously aware of several hundred different smells, the same applies with taste, hearing, sight and touch, we are only aware of limited features of our sensory equipment. But your subconscious, the part of your brain that controls your breathing, heartbeat etc, has total access to all your equipment, it also controls your dreams and possibly inspiration. Your subconscious although subordinate to your conscious mind, never sleeps and is always on a hair trigger.