Dowsing: Once and For All Is It Paranormal or Scientific?

I have always questioned the mechanism that supposedly makes "dowsing" work or not. Recently I met a person who claims to not only be able to dowse for water but for precious metals as well.

Being mostly a skeptic on things like this, I question whether there is some actual scientific principle behind dowsing, or if it's some sort of paranomral, spiritual phenomenon.

What do you think?

Recently I made some research about this after watching The Water Diviner with Russell Crowe. I didn't dig really deep but I read about 2 or 3 studies that showed that it wasn't real and was more of a Ideomotor phenomenon.

a reply to: DrogoTheNorman

I have heard many claims, enough to be compelled to accept at least some measurable success outside of statistical probability.

Unless anyone could repeat those results, it doesn't pass muster as a "science" for sure. However, many fields of study are not sciences yet produce useful insight nonetheless.

Not paranormal but, decidedly effective and therefore worthy of continued experimentation and study.

a reply to: DrogoTheNorman

Cant say for sure how it works but will say that I know it does and is very accurate .I got a golfing buddy to dowse my property for water and he was spot on in depth and the amount of water . He worked for CNCP telecommunications as a dowser at the time . They had the electronic equipment to detect buried cables but sometimes failed to find them .When that happened they sent him to look and he usually found them ..go figure , scratches head .

a reply to: DrogoTheNorman
There have been a handful of books written by Phd's about dowsing, pro and con. J.D. Smith and Elizabeth Mayer come to mind as pro. All I can tell you is I have seen it work repeatedly, firsthand. I had my doubts, but I don't as much any more. There are people who seem gifted at it, and others I consider grifters.

a reply to: DrogoTheNorman

If you need to dig a well get a local dowser with a good reputation. We did and his information was accurate almost to the inch. It'll take you till the end of time to figure out how it works. In the meantime you'll get thirsty, just employ the dowser then dig.

It is so simple, to take copper wires, like old coat hangers, and bend them like a L, to fit loosely in the hands and extend out a ways...
Hold the rods loosely parallel to one another, shoulder's width apart; when they are held over a current, the wires will swing inward, sometimes wildly if the current is strong; as you move over the current, they swing apart.

It worked constantly for adults and children; a psychic element seems to come in play in that it works better to relex and and concentrate on the "magnetism" around...

So we were playing with this when my friend was building a house- there were wires and hoses all over the place.

We found that that what the metal rod, or wires are reacting to is current.
You may try this at home; it is easiest to begin with a hose, with water flowing through.
The rods react violently to the water current in the hose: turn the hose off and not so.

But the theory became apparent to us when we held the rods over electrical wire, and found there to be a strong reaction by the rods. My assumption, then, is that the metal in the rods are reacting to an electrical or magnetic currency, which is to be found in water beneath the ground.

Note that the water in Earth's water tables are in a constant state of flow, essentially underground river systems and reservoirs. So a "water witch" , or you, can follow the flows of underground water to the underground "ponds" using this principle of electromagnetism.

Note also that when some one witches, the rods swing across fastest when perpendicular to flow; and cross and pull down when over a slowly seeping underground pond.

As with anything, though, concentration upon the intention seemed to help the endeavor; and this state of mind is certainly of the psychic domain.

YOU NEED:
two old copper coathangers and a hose.

a reply to: ecapsretuo

I frigged around with it and it did produce results . I used standard steel coat hangers but the copper might work better .good post *

a reply to: the2ofusr1

Yeah, though i do not know the exact "theory" behind this, it is logical that the more conducive of electricity the metal, the more synergistic the reaction.

I always wondered about this too - so myself and a friend (while bored at work one day) took some copper turfing pegs (about 15-20cm from memory) and tried dowsing - we found where the cables and pipes ran under the porta cabin we were in.

We were both quite surprised when it did seem to work.


So i suggest you just go and try it - get someone else to bury a pipe or something in the garden and then try and find it - not tried it with water or anything else as don't have the land or machinery to go digging wells

originally posted by: DrogoTheNorman
I have always questioned the mechanism that supposedly makes "dowsing" work or not. Recently I met a person who claims to not only be able to dowse for water but for precious metals as well.

Being mostly a skeptic on things like this, I question whether there is some actual scientific principle behind dowsing, or if it's some sort of paranomral, spiritual phenomenon.

What do you think?

Neither. It's a hoax.
Dowsing: The Pseudoscience of Water Witching

dowsing (a.k.a. water witching)

If you think it is true, go challenge James Randi for the million dollars.

a reply to: DrogoTheNorman

In the world of archaeology it is considered scientific and accepted.

My great grandmother had the talent, but nobody else in my family has since her. I have seen it work, have heard 2nd hand of people swearing by it. *shrugs*

What do you think?

originally posted by: ecapsretuo
It is so simple, to take copper wires, like old coat hangers, and bend them like a L, to fit loosely in the hands and extend out a ways...
Hold the rods loosely parallel to one another, shoulder's width apart; when they are held over a current, the wires will swing inward, sometimes wildly if the current is strong; as you move over the current, they swing apart.

It worked constantly for adults and children; a psychic element seems to come in play in that it works better to relex and and concentrate on the "magnetism" around...

So we were playing with this when my friend was building a house- there were wires and hoses all over the place.

We found that that what the metal rod, or wires are reacting to is current.
You may try this at home; it is easiest to begin with a hose, with water flowing through.
The rods react violently to the water current in the hose: turn the hose off and not so.

But the theory became apparent to us when we held the rods over electrical wire, and found there to be a strong reaction by the rods. My assumption, then, is that the metal in the rods are reacting to an electrical or magnetic currency, which is to be found in water beneath the ground.

Note that the water in Earth's water tables are in a constant state of flow, essentially underground river systems and reservoirs. So a "water witch" , or you, can follow the flows of underground water to the underground "ponds" using this principle of electromagnetism.

Note also that when some one witches, the rods swing across fastest when perpendicular to flow; and cross and pull down when over a slowly seeping underground pond.

As with anything, though, concentration upon the intention seemed to help the endeavor; and this state of mind is certainly of the psychic domain.

YOU NEED:
two old copper coathangers and a hose.

All right, so let's design an experiment.

The subject should be blindfolded and led into a room where there is an "empty" bucket, and several feet away, a bucket filled with water.

The copper wires should react to the water bucket but not the empty one if this is valid.

originally posted by: Klassified There are people who seem gifted at it, and others I consider grifters.

I don't know if it's a gift or a certain body chemistry, but this is one thing I've been very successful with myself! In fact, I found the water lines going out to our septic tank and to our well using this method. We didn't know where the spetic tank was previously. MAYBE it was a coincidence, but maybe it's something we don't yet fully understand...

a reply to: DrogoTheNorman

Well, as i explained, it is effective much more so if the water is moving.
A bucket may not not draw a reaction at all, wherein the water is not even slightly flowing.

Even underground reservoirs are flowing.

I think a more likely design for an experiment would be to make the rods as i and another poster described, hold them loosely in both hands...
Then try to dowse first a hose with no water flow at all.
Then, turn the hose on hard, and dowse again.
Try it then over the buckets, empty then full as you described.

And no blindfolds ha ha, because you want to watch the action of the rods.

Bonus experiment: plug in an extension cord to something and try dowsing over the cord.

I watched a person who is about as skeptical as its possible to be, find water pipes in his garden. I too am skeptical of dowsing, but I've seen it work, so what should I make of this? Should I just blindly tell myself that what my eyes are seeing is a lie? There seems to be a lot of that these days!

I would rather believe my eyes than believe those who wish me to remain ignorant!

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic

originally posted by: Klassified There are people who seem gifted at it, and others I consider grifters.

I don't know if it's a gift or a certain body chemistry, but this is one thing I've been very successful with myself! In fact, I found the water lines going out to our septic tank and to our well using this method. We didn't know where the spetic tank was previously. MAYBE it was a coincidence, but maybe it's something we don't yet fully understand...

Exactly. I'm not sure how it works, but I know it does for some people. Intuition? I've seen it enough times that I can't discount it. Why dowsers fail under testing is a mystery to me, if the ones tested were legitimate. I just know what I've seen, and know there was no way to fake it under the circumstances.

a reply to: DrogoTheNorman

In one of his books, Stephen King talked about being a dowser. He learned it from his uncle. He said that it works. I've never actually tried it but I think it does, from what I've heard others say.