Dowsing, is it real or fake? Your opinion

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Supposedly my Mother could (can?) dowse water. But then Grandpa's property was 15 ft above the Susquehanna River and likely ANY hole more than 25 feet deep would have struck water.

I have yet to see it proven under scientific methods. The one test I did see for a metal object was shown to have been faked - so that is inconclusive.

 

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[Hot zone]

If it was real then scientist's would be able to prove it. Not one single dowser in the whole wide world has ever been able to prove James Randi wrong and win his million dollar offer. If electrical or magnetic fields were the cause then children's toys would start moving across the yard by themselves. People would walk outside with coathangers and they would bend downward or start crossing. Many people can trick themselves into thinking there are ghosts in their house or that the boogyman is outside in the woods so I can see how people really believe that they have some "magical" gift when in reality it's all in their head. If believing in that ype of stuff makes you happy then by all means go for it. To me it's just voodoo hocus pocus and honestly a waste of time. This is my opinion of course

I don't have as much faith as you in the scientific method. I have watch engineers prove every project they ever worked on by crunching numbers. Only to have the next one come along and prove him wrong. When ever a scientist presents a radical new theory the fraternity does back flips to debunk him. When he is proved right we are left wondering why no one thought of it before. I personally think that experience is the best teacher and anecdotal evidence should never be discounted because you can't do it and get the same result. Those grapes are sour.

 

[dustytrails123]

If i dont find some new hunting grounds soon i might have to find out if dowsing and all this really works or not! lol

 

[Lala]

I don't use rods. I just use intuition. I find they kind of deaden it or point me to stuff which isn't in any way shape or form what I'm searching for.
Anyway, you hold the rods. The subtlety in your body turns the rods and guides you to where you want to go. Your body is a conduit for electromagnetic energy...
Like a ouiji board. You're pushing the the piece... Not the other way around.... You're the one in control. They wont work unless you hold them. The rods aren't the ones that have any power...
Have you ever seen those little crystals you hang from a chain and they spin faster and faster and slower and slower when you ask it a question? I've used those dowsing before. They work, too. Especially because I'm often looking for gemstones and crystals.

I'm normally successful until the times when I start questioning what I'm doing. Perhaps we cant explain this stuff... Yet. But, I do know auras are electromagnetic fields.
I cant stress that enough. You just have to kinda... Trust yourself and your body more than the rods. Rods are kind of like crutches.

If you pay attention to your body instead of the rods... You'll see dowsing is rather natural and you don't even really need the rods.
You kind of let your body wander... turn where it wants to turn, stop where it wants to stop. Yeah it sounds silly till you bring home something cool using it. Plus it makes you feel really young. Like you're 5 again and exploring with the same kind of wonderment a child has.

And if you want them to work, you really cant have those, "I'm doing it wrong" moments... Seriously. That's self doubt... If you start questioning it's accuracy while you're doing it you'll dowse yourself a mile past what you're looking for and you'll come home empty handed.

Also, don't wear any jewelry or carry any metal except what you're dowsing with. If you're looking for gold, carry gold. Quartz? Carry quartz. Like attracts like... and drink water that really helps you with feeling subtle things.

I feel like certain stones can throw off your intuition or your rods... You just have to trust yourself. If you have doubt or skepticism it really messes up the whole process.
Trust me I've come home disappointed thinking I'm a fool more times than I can count. I also go out with trust and just... go where I want... and come back with cool things. What's the worst that can happen?

 

[plymouthian12]

Real my whole family can douse for water

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Real my whole family can douse for water

Not sure why, that whenever this subject comes up, that persons are sure to cite successes at water dowsing . Which is entirely debatable from the git-go-. But let's just give them the "benefit of the doubt" : and assume that it works for water. Ok, so what ? The last I checked, T'net was a "metal detecting" forum, not a "water detecting" forum. Thus, so what ?

 

[Keppy]

If you believe it is real , If you do not believe it is not ...

 

[Tom_in_CA]

If you believe it is real , If you do not believe it is not ...

Does this addage/quote apply to just dowsing? Or in general any proposed theory ? For example: If the notion was the following theory:

a) toss a tennis shoe in the air (preferably Nike brand).

b) when the shoe lands on the ground, make note of the direction it pointed.

c) walk 20 paces in that direction, and repeat the process.

d) eventually it will lead you to treasure.


Ok: Would you apply your faith/belief test of workability to that too ? If not, why not?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Yes it works, I doused telcom, fiber optic, electrical cables and water lines for years....

 

[aarthrj3811]

I don’t see your theory included here
What is Dowsing?
It is the ability to use the Natural Sensitivity, which we all possess, that enables us to know things, to seek for and locate things which we cannot know or do by using the day to day brain, or by learning, or by experience, or by using the five physical senses which we are born with

Dowsing enables us to work at any distance around the world from the comfort of our own home. Distance, depth, height, date, location seem to make no difference and there are very few (if any) that cannot be found by dowsing and there is much more that can be found.

What can be done by Dowsing?

There is very little in the physical world which cannot be found by dowsing and there is much, in addition, that can be found out once you have developed, by practice and perseverance, your individual dowsing skills.

The following list gives an ides of the many and varied fields to which dowsing can be applied ? and this is by no means exhaustive.

Water: The location of underground streams at any depth, their direction of flow, their depth, the quality of the water and what quantity could be drawn off in say gallons per hour or day etc.. The location of springs or a well in your neighbours garden that has fallen into disuse ? and much more.

Minerals ? Precious Stones: The location, demarcation and identification of the area, the line of the mineral lodes, depth and estimating the quantity and the quality.

Oil ? Gas: The location of oil deposits under the land or the sea and the depth below the surface and an estimate of the quantity and the quality, also the porosity of the rock strata in which it lays.

Archaeology: The location of unknown sites where nothing shows on the surface of the ground. The depth below the surface that a site lies, the outline, the run of defences, the depth of ditches, the run and heights of previous walls and buildings. The location of roads, grave sites and burials. The dates of sites and so on.

The location of sunken ships and submarines:

Building Sites: Examination for all purposes, the water runs underneath them, rock state, soil state, rock faults, old wells, cavities, cellars, drains, sewers, cables and pipes and so on ? especially if it is intended to build on that site.

Location of pipes, cables and drains: The line of the run, depth, location of fractured pipes, broken cables, leaks and blockages. It is particularly to farmers for searching for old or lost field drains and tracing water supplies from farm to field and field to field for animal drinking troughs and so on.

Location of tunnels, caves, lost mine workings: The demarcation, size and depth of them and flooding.

Lost articles: Valuables, car keys, rings, brooches, purses, wallets to name but a few.

Missing people: This is one of the most difficult tasks owing to the difficulty of identification and should be undertaken with care and careful preparation ? bear in mind that some people deliberately ?disappear? for their own personal reasons and have no wish to be found.

Tracking lost animals or children or perhaps someone elderly and confused in areas of ,say, woodland:

Plant and soil treatments: Mainly used in determining how to improve soil quality for the various plants to be grown in it and determining the best location for plants, trees and shrubs etc.

Medical: A number of qualified doctors and others are increasingly using dowsing techniques to assist in diagnosis and the selection of remedies.

Animals: Pendulum dowsing can be used to locate health problems in animals and help in the selection of remedies. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons accepts this course of action providing the services of a vet are called for if it is considered that the animal needs professional help.

Healing of houses, shops, factories, offices etc. of the effects of Geopathic Stress:: This has become quite a large part of the work undertaken by dowsers. Geopathic Stress can be particularly harmful and health threatening and prolonged period spent with its influence can and usually does cause a worsening of a condition e.g. arthritis, depression, sleeplessness, heart problems to name but a few.

How Does it Work?

The short answer is that no-one really knows ? it just does!. The scientific world, geologists and archaeologists and so on appear to put their heads in the sand because here is something that cannot be Proved nor can it be Disproved scientifically. However it is surprising how many water, mining, oil companies and so on use dowsers in exploration work ? it is never admitted because it may take away the credibility of the large concern ? increasingly police forces etc. will use the services of a dowser.

All that can be said is that it is an in-built ability within man from the beginning of time, it helped him to find his food and water and his minerals. In addition it helped him to communicate with other members of his tribe at a distance and there are still in this world so-called primitive tribes who have these natural abilities to this day. Gradually over the centuries our so called sophistication and civilisation etc. have stifled these natural abilities, plus, of course, condemnation by the church particularly in the period of about 1610 until the late 1700?s and even today when it was and is, by some, considered the work of the devil. I firmly believe that it is some primeval and natural instinct that lies deep within us all, the Mind which has the ability to receive communication from the Universal Mind that knows and controls everything that there has ever been, that there is and ever will be ? God. I firmly believe that it is a God given gift ? to everyone who is prepared to develop and use it ? to be used for the benefit of our fellow man and the world in which we live.

Who can be a Dowser?

Again the short answer is, Everyone. Once you have been shown the basics and have accepted that it is a gift open to everyone and you are prepared to put yourself out a little, especially in the early stages you will be on the right road to be coming a competent dowser. It requires a lot of practice to build up your confidence. Until you have built up that confidence keep away from sceptics because they can undermine you quicker than anything else. At first I was hesitant and embarrassed at the thought of being seen walking along with a pendulum or pair of rods or twig from a tree, I have now developed a thick skin and am oblivious to the scoffers. The best form of defence is to thrust the rods into their hands and tell them to have a go, it is surprising how many scoffers and sceptics get the shock of their lives when they realise that the rods are responding to something for them.

So let us clear up one point straight away. Dowsers are not ?odd? people. They are very ordinary men and women who have developed their sensitivity for practical purposes and use it on practical problems, the outcome of which are demonstrable, thus their work can be seen to be correct (or not).

Be keen, be confident, be true to yourself and your dowsing ? do not bite off more than you can chew by overconfidence. One secret is practice ? practice ? and even more practice. Where possible enrol for dowsing courses through the Workers Education, Adult Education or courses run by experienced dowsers of good reputation. Ladies seem to have an in-built sensitivity and intuition which stand them in very good stead.

What Tools are required?

The first point to get clear is, that there is no magic built into the tools. They are inanimate indicators which are moved subconsciously by the dowser in accordance with that dowser?s ?Code Language?, which can be different for every one.

Essentially, simplicity is the keyword, some dowsers use all sorts of tools while some, myself included use the simple things in life which, at the end of the day, give you the same results..

The pendulum: This is a simple weight on the end of a piece of cord or light chain. The wooden light pulls are ideal but the pendulum varies from a key on the end of a bit of cord to a ring or a crystal. I use a piece of hazel twig for indoor working and a heavier crystal for out doors, simply because you need something that will be heavy enough not to be blown around by the wind. The pendulum is the most versatile tool for use in ?map dowsing? and straight question and answer type of dowsing. For me, it rotates in a clockwise direction for ?YES? and anti-clockwise for ?NO?. It swings from side to side if the question is not understood and backwards and forwards in the ?Search? position.

Angle rods: The easiest and simplest of all tools to use. They are just lengths of wire bent at right angles and can be made quite easily from old metal coat-hangers, welding rods, thin brass rod, thick wire., for example; take a pair of wire coat hangers and cut them so that the top is about 9 to 12 inches long and from the angle towards the hook for hanging, about 4 to 5 inches long, then, having cut it, bend the angle to 90 degrees. The short length is held in the hand as the handle. However again in windy weather, I have a pair of rods of 6 mm brass rod (almost 1/4 of an inch in diameter).

?V? rods: Again there are various sizes, weights and materials. The traditional being hazel, this was mainly because it is a pliant wood that doesn?t dry out too quickly. Quite commonly today, plastic is used at a length of about 16 to 18 inches long.

Double ?VV? rod: This is made as above except that it is in the shape of a ?W?. The advantage of this is that it is very accurate when locating and tracing small pipes etc. However, it is difficult to get used to.

Wands: These are just springy lengths of thin branch about 36 inches long and are ideal for dowsing up a wall, for example following the path of an old chimney ? these tend to meander up the walls of old houses. A modern materials are taking over and the usual wand is a 36 inch length of fairly thin plastic.

The body itself and the hands:

Some Basic Rules:

These are some basic rules which are a guide to beginners but still apply at all stages of the dowser?s career.

1/ Virtually all Dowsing is Seeking, Looking for Something. This must be appreciated and the mind focused in this direction at all times.

2/ Develop the Dowsing Sensitivity. Before a dowser is any good, it is necessary to develop a dowsing sensitivity. H/she must learn to cut out the brain and the five senses and allow the mind to reach out for the answer. You must practice a lot in your early days and in elementary dowsing work.

3/ Practice and Test. To develop 3 above, it is practice and more practice. For instance practice on know things. Dowse someone's well and check your results against those that are known ? that is how far down is the water and how deep is it?

4/ The Questions Asked Must be Clear, Correct and Appropriate to the Job in Hand. Think carefully and make a list of questions before you start.

5/ There Must be a Need to Know. It must be done for a specific task. Dowsing for a client, demonstrating the practice of dowsing ? but never to show off with ?What a good and clever boy or girl I am?.

6/ Have Confidence That Dowsing Works for You. This is essential, develop it, hang on to it, you will have failures but so what? - So many people say ?Oh yes it works for me, but I don?t think I?ll be any good? The answer to that is ?Oh ye of little faith? - get practising.

7/ It is Essential to Know the Background of the Field in Which You Are Working. If you want to do archaeological dowsing, get books from the library and learn the basic principles, this applies to anything, Psychic dowsing, any dowsing work.

8/ Be Bold in Application. Be prepared to take on anything even those which you haven?t tried before.

9/ Time. If there is a question of time, this must be taken into account. E.g., I want the height of the roof above floor level in the year 1250. Everything must relate to 1250 and it must be kept firmly in mind.

10/ Identification. If there are many objects similar to that which is being sought there must be some form of identification. Examples are lost children or animals. You are looking for a child, there are millions of children ? you should keep in mind ? I am looking for a European boy with ginger hair about ten years old etc.

11/ Preconceived Ideas ? Wishful Thinking. These are the biggest menaces in dowsing and the reason for most failures especially amongst the novice dowsers. Failure come about when you allow the brain and/or the five senses to intrude.

All dowsers, however skilled have to be cautious not to let this happen.

DOWSING IS NOT A MAGIC ART OR AN EXERCISE FOR THE ?BRAIN OF BRITAIN? TYPES.

IT IS NOT MEANT TO BE ANALYSED OR REASONED ABOUT.

IT IS THERE TO BE TAKEN ON TRUST ? TRUST THAT ANYONE CAN DEVELOP THE SKILL.

A LITTLE PATIENCE AND PRACTICE IS THE KEY.

IF YOU FEEL THAT IT COULD BE FOR YOU, DO NOT HESITATE, JUST GO FOR IT

AND

ENJOY IT

? Ron Kirby

Ron is an avid dowser and is currently engaged in a number of fascinating projects including archaeological dowsing at a medieval chapel site (524 A.D.-1633 A.D.) and a prehistoric sacred circle (circa 2480 B.C.), psychic dowsing in the haunted bedroom of a castle where 18 presences have been detected spanning a period of 500+ years and also detecting grave sites outside the walls of the castle (ranging from 1232 -1488).


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[Tom_in_CA]

Yes it works, I doused telcom, fiber optic, electrical cables and water lines for years....

Yes I recall. And I also recall that despite your absolute confidence that it was repeatable, workable, etc.... that you would never be subjected to any tests. No matter what amount of $$ was involved, you had "nothing to prove", were "too busy", and so forth. Ok, thus all we are left with is claims. Nothing can be tested to see if other explanations were involved, etc..

That's fine (no one can force your hand), but ..... it's just sad that it can never be tested . A few persons have "put their dowse abilities to the test", and been shot-down as nothing more than random chance. And the successful dowsers (like yourself perhaps) will give the following explanations for those failures:

a) the tests were rigged, or somehow unfair.

b) those dowsers were not qualified. Yet other dowsers *could* have passed the test.

c) sun-spots, solar flairs, off-days, etc..... on that particular day.

Have I summarized this accurately so far ?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Tom I told you, you fly down here I will prove it to you, what I refused to do was pay your way or reimburse you any funds period. You are the one who refused to come down here, I have nothing to prove to you, your the one who is arguing I cant do it.... You want to prove me wrong, spend the money to do so....

This is the dousing forum any mocking of members here will not end well... forum was set up for members to discuss dousing, not to be mock or attack for believing in dousing....

 

[TheRingFinder]

Yes it works, I doused telcom, fiber optic, electrical cables and water lines for years....

TH - Electrical cables - Yes, Fiber Optics, hmmmm not so much - nothing to work with on them, no electrical pulse - only light.

 

[aarthrj3811]

Have I summarized this accurately so far ?

No you have not. Those tests that you are so proud of were infomercials’ for Randi's group. They were made to get more suckers to send him money

 

[TheRingFinder]

Oh and by the way - For treasure hunting purposes......I say FAKE 100%. . . . . . . . . .. .

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

TH - Electrical cables - Yes, Fiber Optics, hmmmm not so much - nothing to work with on them, no electrical pulse - only light.

Ringfinder, yes fiber optic cables. All fiber optic cables have a metal wire running through the cable.... Cut a fiber cable open and look, just be sure it is not a live fiber as the average bill for a damage fiber starts about $50,000 and climbs quickly..... I have seen repairs in the millions.... I worked fiber optics for a telcom company for over 15 years...

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Go go T Hunter, it works. Different rates for differet people. Since it is a subtle force, the psychological aspect very definately shows up on formal tests.

Imagine a room full of Sceptical scientists(?) under their terms ad conditions and it creats a psychological feeling of inferiority and is almost a guarenteed to fail.

Randy's offer is loaded witn condtions, it is practicly impossible to win, even if you can successfully dowse consitantly.

Myself, I set out to prove it with a single L rod when I was experimeting with other forms of the paranormal

I had my wife hide my wedding ring and successfuly found it 9 times out of 10, but I was stumped on the tenth. I was indicating every where.

When I told my wife this, she smiled and produced it in her apron pocket. She explained that she thought that there was some kind of trickery , so she put it in her pocket instead of some where in the kitchen, where she was baking a cake.

I was simply following her around with the rod.

Don't get me started in the paranoral,I spent some 10 yeas investigating it.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

...... forum was set up for members to discuss dousing, not to be mock or attack for believing in dousing....

correct. And "discussing dowsing" was what I was doing . Yes? No ?

..... I will prove it to you, what I refused to do was pay your way or reimburse you any funds period........

I recall this conversation. And I simply do not have the $$ to go there (nor is this THAT "big of a deal" for either of us that necessitates cross-country travel). But if it were theoretically possible to go there, I would have all the elements of double-blind measures taken, such that it would end up being like some of the tests that dowsers here have labeled as "unfair" or "impossible to pass".

And I recall that when I questioned those persons about "what is unfair" or "how is it impossible", I never got an answer. Oh well, I tried.

 

[OWK]

I see no evidence to demonstrate objectively that it has any greater success than random chance.

That said, I know many who are satisfied that it works.

If it satisfies them, no skin off my nose, and it doesn't effect my respect for folks one way or the other.

 

[signal_line]

There's a huge difference between dowsing and map dowsing. Map dowsing or information dowsing is psychic or astral whereas the physical dowsing is pre-physical or etheric. Huge difference. By it's very nature astral it is unreliable and inaccurate. Dowsing is a little better especially for things like water. Now gold is scattered all over the place in tiny amounts. Water is huge mass and pools together in one spot or stream. And of course moving water produces a magnetic field. All you have to do is study the famous master dowsers. They could find water, but not much else. Psychics did even worse. Some just basically zero percent correct.

Now when you have someone you are emotionally tied to hide a test target, now you are reading the person (telepathy). That's not considered dowsing and is a lot easier.

I quit the plain dowsing about 28 years ago. It's obsolete. map dowsing forget it! Worthless. All you have to do is look at this forum. Thousands of x's and o's on the maps and photos. You'd think they would at least get lucky after so many attempts. Not even that. You'd have to be a fool to post your treasure site photo or even give it to someone you don't know personally, and even then I wouldn't that. And the mail ain't safe either.