dowsing, printed facts, studies, research info

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The use of dowsing for the location of caves, with some results from the first Royal Forest of Dean Caving Symposium, June 1994


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John Wilcock


Abstract
Biolocation, more commonly known as dowsing, is an ancient technique. That it is a cross-cultural technique is evident from the fact that words exist in most languages for the technique, the rod and the operator. However, its recent use for the detection of caves from the surface is a controversial practice which has received much discussion. The paper will commence with the history of the technique and continue with a discussion of the possible scientific explanation of the mechanism involved. The author has researched widely in the geophysical location of caves and hydrological systems. During the last ten years he has become convinced that the traditional dowsing method, when used on site, produces consistent and reproducible results, and that there is a case to be answered. He is not willing to entertain the possibility of a psychic or extra-sensory explanation, and continues to plan experiments with a view to discovering an explanation of the technique within physical and medical science. Case studies have been carried out in all the caving regions of England and Wales, as well as in France and Spain. Many of these studies have suggested the existence of cave systems not yet entered, and several have been proved to be correct by later cave diving and exploration. Publication of the results has aroused much controversial discussion; the results stand as hypotheses, however, until disproved. The paper concludes with some results from the Royal Forest of Dean Caving Symposium held in June 1994. The appendix contains master maps of dowsing traces throughout the Forest of Dean carried out before June 1994.


1. On the possible scientific justification of dowsing for the detection of caves

1.1. The history of dowsing
The first recorded use of dowsing is thought to be a cave painting at Tassili nAjjer in the Sahara, dated to approximately 6000 B.C. This seems to show an eager crowd watching a dowsers search for water. Use of the technique is recorded by the Egyptians (c. 3000 B.C.), and after their escape from the Egyptians the Hebrews are thought to have used it (c. 2000 B.C.). The activities of their leader Moses are recorded in the Bible:

Thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink (Exodus 17:5 6)

Take the rod...and speak ye unto the rock...and it shall give forth water (Numbers 20:9 11)

and some readers have taken these references to indicate that Moses was dowsing using his staff. During Roman times the author Cicero (50 B.C.) recorded use of the VIRGVLA DIVINATORIVM, the dowsing rod. Martin Luther denounced dowsing in 1528 A.D. as being the work of the Devil, and dowsers of breaking the First Commandment. A well-known publication by Georgius Agricola, De re metallica (1556) has illustrations and comments on the common use of the technique by miners for the finding of metallic ores. Kaspar Schott, a Jesuit priest and mathematician, was the first to suggest, in the seventeenth century, that the movement of the dowsing rod was due to unconscious muscular action. However, despite these well-documented activities for eight millennia, dowsing has remained a folk method, and scientific study of the technique only began in 1890. At first, although there were positive indications of correlations between scientific observations and dowsing results, the designs of the experiments were insufficiently rigorous to convince the sceptical scientific community. Some so-called studies of dowsing which appeared in the scientific press (e.g. Ellis 1917; Hyman and Vogt 1958; Vogt and Hyman 1959) were more concerned with the reputation of the authors, and carefully ignored all references giving favourable reports of dowsing. Ford (1961) was similarly careful to state that dowsing in 1961 was unproven by any test yet devised, but concluded that a few dowsers may react to electromagnetic influences. A further wait until 1971 was necessary before the first properly-conducted double-blind study was carried out by a sceptic (Chadwick and Jensen 1971), with control experiments and statistically valid results. The design of rigorous experiments continues, for example the Greensites Project (1990) and The Dowsing Welly Experiment (1993, reported by Wilcock (1994)).

 

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1.8. Sensitivity
Washing hands in hot water appears to cause dowsing sensitivity to increase, even for those who claim not to be able to dowse. The following measurements of electrical resistance between left and right palms may indicate a correlation between electrical resistance of the human body and dowsing ability. The two columns in the table below are for dowsing-sensitive persons and non-sensitive persons (Tromp 1949):

Degree of wetness of palms

Degree of wetness
of palms Sensitive Persons, Non-sensitive Persons,
Wet hands 10 50
Quickly-dried hands 22 250
Towelled hands 38 400
Hot air-dried hands 50 500 (3000?)

Table 1. Electrical resistance left to right palms

Thus sensitive persons have lower resistances at all times than non-sensitive persons, by a factor of about ten, but it is just possible that non-sensitive persons with wet hands may approach operating conditions of sensitive persons, and under these conditions may be able to dowse.


1.9. Published studies
Experimenters have found that it is difficult to design experiments which have controls, are double blind, and have statistical significance. By double blind is meant that the experimenters must themselves not know the correct answer, so that there is no possibility of passing on information unconsciously to the operators. Preferably the experimenters should be sceptics, so that positive results will carry more weight.

In 1933 De Vita placed electroscopes over underground streams, and found that they discharged more rapidly than control electroscopes placed over normal ground of the same soil type and rock type. Jemma confirmed de Vita's results in the following year, and also found that dowsers are affected by the ionisation of the air. This so called fine-weather field is affected by the altitude and position of the sun, and is to do with atmospheric electricity. There are also indications that dowsers are affected by electrical storms.

Maby and Franklin ,both physicists (1939), found that dowsers reacted to electromagnetic waves. The frequency may well be important, however, since I have conducted a series of experiments under overhead electricity pylons, and have found no reaction for a 50Hz electromagnetic field, and I have also visited transmitters and found no reaction for radio and radar transmissions at higher frequencies.

Tromp (1949) proposed a possible mechanism where the human body passing at speed through a field will increase in capacity as it approaches the conductor (stream of water), and skin potential will decrease. If this is the mechanism, it will be affected by the initial skin resistance, the relative conductivities of the soil and the underground stream, the speed of movement and the conductivity of the atmosphere. Tromp pointed out that carrier pigeons became disoriented near radio and radar transmitters, and in the high potential gradients caused by whirling snow. He also discussed a number of animals which appear to have navigational ability, such as carrier pigeons, salmon, eels, dolphins, whales and bees (see also Kirschvink (1981)). Other interesting matters pointed out by Tromp are that magnetite is found in the beak and wing feathers of carrier pigeons, and Papuan humans can often navigate in dense jungle.

In 1952 a team of electrical engineers tested the famous dowser Henry Gross, and found that his skin potential changed by up to 200mV over subterranean water, compared with a change of 10mV for non-dowsers.

Rocard, a French physicist (1964) reported that dowsers react to changes in the earth?'s magnetic field caused by underground water, and claimed that electric currents of 50mA/m2 in water and magnetic field gradients of 1mG/m were detectable by dowsers. He also claimed to have found that a high skin conductivity is desirable for good dowsing results.

Barrett and Besterman (1968) carried out field studies for finding water, using a number of independent experiments with two or more dowsers, and compared the results with those suggested by consultant engineers and geologists. They found the dowsers got twice as much water as the engineers, while the geologists got hardly any . They concluded that the movement of the dowsing rods is due to unconscious muscular action, the tension of the grip being converted to sudden neuro-muscular spasms when the operator is in the presence of water.

Harvalik (1970), a physicist, found that the dowser reacts to changing magnetic fields produced by electric ground currents with frequency in the range 1 500Hz, but not to static magnetic fields. Using magnetometers he deduced that the dowser reacts to as little as 10-9G change. There was some indication that dowsing ability was enhanced by drinking water, perhaps indicating that conductivity in the region of the kidneys is important. It is impossible to exclude the earth?'s magnetic field from the brain or any other part of the body, and there is therefore no reason why the development of a field-detecting ability should be ruled out. Harvalik conducted elaborate experiments with metal shielding of the human body, and a torch-like instrument to concentrate and direct an artificial magnetic field in an attempt to locate the positions of possible sensors. When the operator was carried horizontally on a stretcher, the reaction occurred when the solar plexus was over the feature. When the metal shield was between the navel and the breast bone the signal was not detected, indicating a detector site slightly below the solar plexus, perhaps the adrenal gland in the kidney region (which contains magnetite, as reported by Kirschvink (1981)). Shielding of the head indicated a second possible detector site at the base of the brain, perhaps the pineal gland. It has also been found that human bones from the region of the sphenoid/ethmoid sinus complex contain magnetite, and it is suggested that these deposits are concerned with magnetic field detection; the sinus complex approximating to the region previously deduced from orientation experiments to be the site of a magnetoreceptor (Baker 1981; Baker et al. 1983). Other points mentioned by Harvalik are that two detectors will be necessary to detect a field gradient, and the detection mechanism could be based on nuclear magnetic resonance (calculations indicate that the earth's magnetic field would give rise to precession at about 2000Hz, and a field gradient of 1mG/m would give a beat frequency of about 1Hz which could be detectable). A good summary of Harvalik's work is also given by Bird (1979).

The work of Chadwick and Jensen (1971) appears to be the first documented experiment carried out under double blind conditions which was relevant to the dowsing problem. Chadwick, the experimenter, was a sceptic, and did not know the correct answers. 150 subjects were tested, mostly novice dowsers. A path was chosen leading through a park, with no known features. Subjects were asked to place small wooden blocks where they felt they were getting a reaction or field . The positions of the blocks were noted after each run, and removed before the next run. When all the subjects had been tested, a conventional magnetometer survey was carried out along the path. The correlations between the subjects and the magnetometry were found to be statistically significant at the .05 level. There was therefore some evidence of correlation between magnetic gradient changes and dowsing reactions. The conclusions were that there are sufficient statistically significant results to warrant further investigations.

Williamson (1979) reported on the use of the biophysical method (BPM) in Russia. Of wells suggested by BPM operators, only 8% were dry, while of those suggested by geophysical methods 13% were dry.

Randi (1979) conducted a test with four dowsers in Italy, using three buried pipes with running water. As stated by Chamberlin (1980) the test had several deficiencies. No meaningful statistical evaluation was possible, and the test contributed little knowledge to the scientific community.

Presti and Pettigrew (1980) reported the occurrence of magnetic material in the neck muscles of homing pigeons, and have suggested that this is coupled to muscle receptors to form an effective magnetic detector.

Hansen (1982) gives an especially good summary of experimental research into the techniques of dowsing.

Killip (1984) reviewed the possibilities for detecting geophysical anomalies at building sites by dowsing. He carried out a systematic survey using rectangular traverse lines, and claimed that a standardised technique can locate many types of buried features on a proposed construction site, including brick culverts with underground streams, service pipes and pipe trenches, and buried foundations. Killip was careful to say that there should be further corroboration by excavation, boring, seismic, resistivity, magnetometric and gravimetric instruments, but pointed out that many of the features could not be detected by these methods within a reasonable budget. Since dowsing is cheap, he therefore states that the lack of a scientific explanation should not be held as justification for non-use, since reliable and consistent readings can be obtained by methodical working. A similarly successful detection of old church foundations has been demonstrated by Bailey et al. (1988).

Baig (1985) reported dowsing undertaken in India. The water vein detected by dowsing was then surveyed by earth resistivity meter, when water-bearing strata were detected. It was deduced that the dowsing method could produce water-bearing rocks more quickly than could conventional methods.

Mogila (1986) reported a field study at the Monastery of the Caves, Kiev, where conventional sub-surface radar had failed to locate secret passageways. Of 130 sites indicated by dowsers, 73 (56%) corresponded with existing passages, previously known to the curators but not to the dowsers. At a further 29 dowsed sites (22%), previously unknown to the curators, test drillings revealed cavities. This gave a total success rate of 78%.

Williamson (1987) suggests magnetic anomalies as the basis of dowsing. This may be given greater credence by the work of Hess et al. (1987), who have shown that magnetic stimulation of the human brain from coils placed over the human scalp causes twitches of the hand muscles, which can be greatly enhanced by concurrent voluntary contraction.

The Greensites Project (France 1990; Herbert 1990) has aimed to compare the results of various methods for detecting caves from the surface, including geophysical, botanical and dowsing techniques. Electromagnetic traversing (resistivity, magnetometry) gave the best results at unknown cave locations, but there is good correlation for several dowsers. An experiment over Pant Mawr involved several independent dowsers, and was carried out using a pegged-out grid over passages which had been accurately radiolocated. Nobody who dowsed the grid was present on the day the surveying was done. The dowsers participated on different days and did not exchange information between themselves, nor were they given any indication of the other results obtained. There was some correlation between dowsers, and with the known cave position, and one dowser produced a plan which appeared to be an enlargement of a small part of the cave, at the correct angle (France 1991a). The conclusion on this was the jury is still out (France 1991b).

Vilchko (1993) reported his experiments with migratory birds in the BBC4 Science Now programme on 24.8.93. Magnetite is found in birds near the brain, in the flight feathers and in the beak. His experimental birds when released flew out of the cage in the migratory direction. He has also found that birds use white, green or blue light to magnetise the retina of the eye, while red light disorientates them. This magnetic orientation therefore uses magnetite, the retina of the eye and light, and a similar mechanism could clearly also apply to humans.

Wilcock (1994) has reported the results of The Dowsing Welly Experiment held to detect any correlation between earthing of the dowser and lack of dowsing reaction. While the experiment suffered from some technical design problems, it was concluded that there was no connection between earthing and lack of dowsing reaction.

 

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1.10. Case studies of feature location by dowsing
Wade (1961) was one of the earliest cavers to use dowsing for speleological purposes. He attempted cave location on Greenhow Hill, assisting diggers in the search for an entry to Mongo Gill Caverns, and found Strans Gill Pot in Wharfedale. He also undertook experiments at Black Keld (in an attempt to detect the Mossdale Caverns to Black Keld route from the Black Keld end), at Gill House Pot, on Fountains Fell and in Chapel-le-Dale.

Bossart (1968) has reported the regular use of dowsing by U.S. troops to detect Vietcong tunnels in Vietnam in 1967. A detailed plan and section of the tunnels used for the experiments is given by Bird (1979, Chapter 11).

Ogil?vy carried out a search for a lost underground drainage system at the Ostankinsky Palace in Moscow, and dowsing predictions for its location were proved accurate by digging (Bird 1979, 240). Pluzhnikov undertook a search for medieval escape tunnels between the citadel and two monasteries in Serpukhov (Bird 1979, 242 244). The tunnels were located by dowsing in less than eight hours, and proved to be 2m wide, several km in length, and to pass under the River Nara in two places.

Dore used dowsing to locate Scott Hollow Cave in southern West Virginia (Anderson, Internet personal communication 1993). The dowsing was used to determine where to begin digging with a backhoe (mechanical excavator), and entry was gained to about 20km of passages.

DiBlasi (Internet personal communication 1993) has reported an experiment in 1987 to locate buried foundations in which geophysical surveys were compared with dowsing results. The first instrument used was a Martin-Clark resistivity meter; and 20 person hours was needed for gridding and inserting probe arrays, plus 1.5 person hours for entering the data into a surface modelling program on a computer. Next an EM-38 conductivity meter was used; taking 12 person hours for survey and 1.5 person hours to enter data; this instrument is just placed on the ground, and the results were nearly identical to those of the resistivity meter. Finally two independent dowsers who had not seen the previous geophysical results took half an hour to outline the foundations with flags (total 1 person hour) and to obtain identical results. Dowsing also located a pit which the other two methods did not locate. The site was excavated and the results of all three methods were confirmed, but obviously dowsing was much more cost-effective. In a further experiment with a proton gradiometer, dowsing proved considerably more accurate than the gradiometer in locating buried structures (this is not surprising, as the proton gradiometer does not excel at finding wall and road foundations). Dowsing has also been used with great accuracy to locate graves of many periods, the results being proved by excavation.

My own work in limestone regions has led to the following suggestions about the courses of new caves, later proved by cave diving and exploration:

the East Kingsdale Master Cave route (followed before it was proved by diving)
the new diving route north north east from West Kingsdale towards Yordas Cave
the diving route at Alum Pot east north east towards the route between Washfold Pot and Footnaw's Hole
the Dub Cote/Brackenbottom water supply/Douk Gill/Brants Gill route, which must be the main drain for the Fountains Fell water
the direction of the Gingling Hole extensions
SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 10 \h a predicted route for the Malham Tarn Sink water via Malham Cove then south west and south to Aire Head Springs (not yet entered, but a dye test from Malham Cove proved positive, as reported in Descent 109)

detection of some passages in Slaughter Stream Cave, before their subsequent exploration, the prediction of a Coldwell Swallet/Redhouse Swallet connection, and a Redhouse Swallet/Slaughter Stream Cave connection under Chapel Hill and Bicknor Street (the last two await exploration)
the route of Swildons Hole beyond the final sump, dowsed three years before it was entered at White Pit to yield about 100m of passages to a depth of 35m, lying over the active route of Swildons Hole on its way to Wookey Hole
dowsing at Greendown Farm with Dave (Tusker) Morrison, followed by Hymac digging on the same day to reveal Clay Holes. This has been dug to some depth, and the predicted dowsing route is south-west towards Wigmore Swallet
in the Western Massif of the Picos de Europa, a passage was predicted from a new pot 8/11, near the top camp of the OUCC 1992 Expedition at Ario, to a previously unknown exit at the Mohandi alp. After I left, this was explored and completely surveyed from 8/11 to the unknown exit, then named Pozu Mohandi (26/11)

 

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References
Agricola, Georgius 1556. De re metallica, Book 12. English translation 1912, Mining Magazine, London. Also translated by Hoover, H.C. and Hoover, L.H. 1950, Dover Publications, New York.
Baig, M.Y.A. 1985. Water-divining and geophysical exploration for groundwater. Assoc. Hydrol. India 4th annual convention and seminar on hydrology, Hissar, 14.6.85, III-4 III-5.

Bailey, R.N., Cambridge, E. and Briggs, D.H. 1988. Dowsing and church archaeology. Intercept Ltd, Wimborne.

Baker, R.R. 1981. Human navigation and the sixth sense. Hodder & Stoughton, London.

Baker, R.R., Mather, J.G. and Kennaugh, J.H. 1983. Magnetic bones in human sinuses. Nature 301, 6.1.83, 78 80.

Bakirov, A. 1973. BPM lessens drilling costs and makes prospecting more efficient. Prague conference.

Barrett, W.F. and Besterman, T. 1926 and 1968. The divining-rod, an experimental and psychological investigation. Methuen and Co., London (1926) and University Books, New York (1968)

Bird, C. 1979. The Divining Hand. E.P. Dutton, New York.

Bossart, R.K. 1968. The utility of dowsing as a means of detecting Vietcong tunnels. In Gardinier, R.J. and Clauser, J.K. (eds) Project Poorboy Annual Progress Report, Proj. NR-348-018, Contract N00014-67-C-0349, Office of Naval Research, HRB-Singer Inc. State College, Pennsylvania

Chadwick, D.G. and Jensen, L. 1971. The detection of magnetic fields caused by groundwater and the correlation of such fields with water dowsing. Utah Water Research Laboratory Report PRWG 78-1, January 1971, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division.

Chamberlin, H. 1980. Dowsing tests deficient? The Skeptical Enquirer the Zetetic 4(4), 76 77.

Ellis, A.J. 1917. The divining rod a history of water witching. U.S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 416, Washington, 59pp.

Ford, T.D. 1961. Underground water, geology and water-divining. Trans. Cave Research Group of G.B. 6(1), 3 17

France, S. 1990. The Greensites Project. South Wales Caving Club Newsletter 106, 29 31.

France, S. 1991a. Detecting caves. William Pengelly Cave Studies Trust Limited, Newsletter 61, August 1991, 19 27

France, S. 1991b. Jury still out in dowsing case. SWCC Newsletter 109, Summer 1991.

Graves, T. 1976. Dowsing: Techniques and applications. Turnstone Books, London.

Graves, T. 1986. The diviner's handbook. The Aquarian Press, Wellingborough.

Hansen, G.P. 1982. Dowsing: a review of experimental research. J. Soc. Psychical Research 51(792), 343 367.

Harvalik, Z.V. 1970. A biophysical magnetometer-gradiometer. Journal of the Virginia Academy of Science 21(2), 59 60.

Herbert, M. 1990. Greensites: Dowsing. South Wales Caving Club Newsletter 108, 16 17.

Hess, C.W., Mills, K.R. and Murray, N.M.F. 1987. Responses in small hand muscles from magnetic stimulation of the human brain. J. Physiol. 388, 397 419.

Hyman, R. and Vogt, E.Z. 1958. Some facts and theories on water-witching in the USA. Geotimes 2(9), 6 7 and 15.

Killip, I. 1984. Detecting geophysical anomalies at construction sites by dowsing. Land and Minerals Surveying 2(12), 633 644

Kirschvink, J.L. 1981. Journal of Experimental Biology 92, 333 335.

Luther, Martin 1528. Decem praecepta. Wittenberg.

Maby, J.C. and Franklin, T.B. 1939. The physics of the divining rod, being an account of an experimental investigation of water and mineral divining. George Bell, London.

Mogila, I. 1986. Dowsing in the Soviet Union. Soviet dowsers reveal long sought for legendary and hidden underground passageways at Russia's famous Monastery of the Caves near Kiev. Psi Research, 5 (1 2) March/June 1986, 34 38

Mullins, J. and sons 1894. The divining rod; its history, truthfulness and practicability. Colerne, Box, Wiltshire.

Naylor, P. 1980. Discovering dowsing and divining. Shire Publications Ltd, Princes Risborough.

Presti, D. and Pettigrew, J.D. 1980. Ferromagnetic coupling to muscle as a basis for geomagnetic field sensitivity in animals. Nature 285, 99 101.

Randi, J. 1979. A controlled test of dowsing abilities. The Skeptical Enquirer the Zetetic 4(1), 16 20.

Rocard, Y. 1964. Le signal du sourcier. Dunod, Paris.

Tromp, S.W. 1949. Psychical physics: A scientific analysis of dowsing, radiesthesia and kindred divining phenomena. Elsevier Publishing Company, New York.

Vogt, E.Z. and Hyman, R. 1959. Water witching USA. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 248pp.

Wade, C. 1961. Divining. Trans. of the Northern Cavern and Mine Research Society 1, 12 22.

Wilcock, J.D. 1994. An experiment to investigate the supposed connection between the biolocation reaction and electrical insulation from the ground: The dowsing welly experiment. Cave Radio & Electronics Group Journal 15, 10 11

Williamson, T. 1979. Dowsing achieves new credence. New Scientist 81, 8.2.79, 371 373.

Williamson, T. 1987. A sense of direction for dowsers? New Scientist 19.3.87, 40 43.

 

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A Short History
of Deep Dowsing

Written and Copyright ? 2002, by David Villanueva.


Dowsing success has been recorded since the time of Moses, for the story of Aaron producing water from the rock (Exodus chapter 17, verse 6) is often quoted as the first written evidence. Even if we dismiss the Biblical claim, dowsers appear engraved on ancient Egyptian stonework and on the statue of a Chinese emperor dating circa 2200 BC. Little else of dowsing is recorded until Agricola, in 1556, wrote De Re Metallica, a composition on mining, which included an illustration of a German dowser at work.

Almost a hundred years after Agricola, Martine de Bertereau, Baroness de Beausoleil traveled Europe, with her husband, locating mineral deposits by dowsing. They discovered over 150 ore deposits of iron, gold and silver in France alone, before being imprisoned for practising the ?black arts?.?

Later, in the same century, a particularly interesting book was written by Jean Nicholas de Grenoble published in Lyon in 1691 under the title of La Verge de Jacob or L?arte de Trouver les Tr?sors, Les Sources, les Limites, les M?taux, les Mines, les Min?raux et autres choses cach?s par L?usage du Baton fourch?. (The Rod of Jacob or the art of finding treasure, springs, boundaries, metals, mines, minerals and other hidden things, by the use of the forked twig).

Dowsing then seems to have sunk back into obscurity, although, undoubtedly it continued to be practised, at least for finding of water - the lifeblood of all living things - practised in secrecy, perhaps, because of its occult associations and the Church?s condemnation as the work of the devil.

Victorian scientific interest, aided by a softening of the Church?s attitude, brought dowsing out into the open. In 1874, Thomas Welton translated and published Jean Nicholas? book in English. During the following decades a number of respected men, including the physicist, Albert Einstein, performed impressive feats with a variety of dowsing devices. Most of these feats were only of academic value but by the middle of the 20th century dowsing was regularly being put to a great variety of profitable uses.

*

Farmer J W Young convinced wild-catter, Ace Gutowski, that oil lay beneath West Edmond, Oklahoma by demonstration with a goatskin-covered bottle hung from a watch chain which invariably swung from north to south when over oil.?
As a result, in 1943, Gutowski drilled a hole and discovered the largest oil deposit in Oklahoma for 20 years. And that is just one of very many examples of oil strikes by dowsers.


Colonel Harry Grattan, CBE, Royal Engineers was given the task of building a new Headquarters for the British Rhine Army at M?nchen Gladbach, Germany in 1952. Planning for at least 9000 people who would need 750,000 gallons of water per day was a major project.?

Water supply was a big problem. Notwithstanding that the British Army preferred the security of it?s own water supply, the three local waterworks would have had to upgrade their equipment and pass the costs on in the form of water rates at ?20,000 a year. A considerable sum in 1952.

Colonel Grattan knew of a nearby family with a private well, which produced better quality water than any of the waterworks. He employed a geologist with the intention of tapping this source but a trial bore produced very little water. The Colonel was a proficient dowser, however, and decided to use his skills to solve the problem. Using the traditional forked twig the colonel began dowsing and getting reactions everywhere to the west of the test bore. On the strength of this two further trial bores were executed with spectacular results.

The trials showed that the ground was mainly solid clay, but between 73 and 96 feet down there was an aquifer, which produced a copious supply of excellent quality water. The German government, responsible for site construction, were less than convinced by such surveying techniques and were adamant that the water supply would soon dry up.?

Gaining the support of his superior, General Sugden, Colonel Grattan was able to continue his exploration. Dowsing from horseback, the colonel plotted out the full extent of the aquifer, which extended to within a few hundred yards of two of the waterworks. The British Rhine Army?s private waterworks were constructed providing the Army with all the water it needed and savings running into millions of pounds over the years.

Somewhat closer to our quest for buried objects was the work of Major General Scott Elliot, a former president of the British Society of Dowsers who spent many years finding previously unknown archaeological sites by dowsing.

His initial plan was that he would find the sites and then hand them over for professional excavation. On discovering that the professionals were not interested, partly through scepticism and partly because they had more than enough sites of their own, the major learned to do his own excavations.

He also discovered he could save enormous amounts of time and effort by mapping out the site features by dowsing before he removed the first sod. Nothing spectacular in terms of finds of great intrinsic value were ever reported but nevertheless, over a period of some 20 years the major discovered and excavated an impressive list of sites.

The fairly recent development of treasure hunting as a popular hobby has drawn one or two dowsers to the challenge of using their skills to find buried metal artifacts.?

In the USA, Louis J Matacia is a surveyor who has studied dowsing for years.? During the Vietnam War he was commissioned to teach dowsing skills to US Marines so that they could avoid booby traps, navigate safely through jungles and learn the whereabouts of the enemy. Soldiers reported that using the L-rod in this way saved many lives. Louis is particularly interested in the challenge of the search. Using his dowsing together with a range of scientific devices he has located lost pipes, oil, wells, caves and buried treasures.

*The most successful treasure dowser in Britain is Jim Longton from Lancashire. Jim took up dowsing when he retired from the wrestling ring and first hit the headlines in 1990 after finding a spectacular hoard of Viking silver brooches valued at over ?40,000. ($60,000)?

His latest find is potentially Britain?s Tutankhamen: a seventeenth century shipwreck, believed to contain untold treasures, including a 230 piece gilt-silver dinner service once owned by Charles I. While divers work on the recovery, Jim is being kept busy locating more treasure wrecks for a marine salvage company. I am certain we will soon be hearing of Jim making more magnificent dowsing finds.*

David Villanueva has been involved in the hobby of Treasure Hunting for more than a quarter of a century and has had many articles published in hobby magazines.?

 

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Dowsing
General Overview & History
Bird, Christopher, 1993. The Divining Hand. 77 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, Pennsylvania, USA: Whitford Press/Schiffer Publishing. A scientific look at the last five hundred years of this ancient art. Well researched.

Graves, Tom, 1986. The Diviner's Handbook. Wellingborough, UK: The Aquarian Press. A good over-all look at dowsing by one of the best.

Hitching, Francis, 1978. Dowsing: The Psi Connection. An overall well-written look at dowsing by a non-dowser.

Lonegren, Sig, Compiler. 1995. The Dowsing Rod Kit. Boston, USA: Charles E. Tuttle. London, UK: Virgin. Victoria, Australia: Lothian. Dowsing for the Nineties. This book was written by seven leading-edge dowsers covering different fields from dreams and earth energies to scientific aspects and dowsing for water. Each chapter has exercises you can do with the L-rods that come with the kit. For beginners-to-experts.

Mermet, Abb?, 1959. Principles and Practice of Radiesthesia. London: Vincent Stuart Ltd. One of the grand old masters who brought the potential of dowsing to the modern public. (Radiesthesia = dowsing.)

Nielsen, Greg, and Joseph Polansky, 1987. Pendulum Power. Rochester, Vermont, USA: Destiny Books. Slightly kitch, first published in 1977, this was a big seller at the time when dowsing was expanding into targets other than water.

Smith, Norm, 1989. Who Were Those Rods I Saw You With Last Night?. Available from author at: 590 N.W. 2nd, Canby, Oregon, USA. A quick overview of the possibilities of dowsing written by USENET newsgroup alt.divination's normans@teleport.com. $3.50 from author includes postage.

Basic Dowsing
Archdale, F.A, 1977. Elementary Radiesthesia and the Use of the Pendulum. 24 Davis Avenue, Christies Beach, South Australia 5165: Radionic & Chirotherapy Centre. Solid intro to the basics. Short read. Gets deep quickly.

Lonegren, Sig, 1990. The Pendulum Kit. New York, USA: Fireside/Simon & Schuster. London, UK: Virgin. Australia: Lothian. A solid introduction to the pendulum (the kit comes with one). Over a half a million copies sold in nine languages.

MacLean, Gordon, 1976. A Field Guide To Dowsing. Danville, Vermont, USA: American Society of Dowsers. Brief and to the point. Covers all of the tools. Written by one of the masters of this art.

McKusick, Robert T, 1979. Practical Dowsing. Globe, Arizona, USA: The Association of Universal Philosophy. Solid dowser. Solid instruction.

Ross, T. Edward, and Richard D. Wright, 1990. The Divining Mind: A Guide to Dowsing and Self Awareness. Rochester, Vermont, USA: Destiny Books. Terry Ross is a Master Dowser who was one of the major forces in the expansion of possibilities of things one could dowse for. His seven steps of the dowser is a model that is easy to use and understand. Read this one.

Water Dowsing
Forwald, John & Robert Slack. 1993. Basic L-rod Water Dowsing. Self-published. Short and to the point. John's e-mail address is: Wandwigle@aol.com

Perry, Maria, editor, 1990. The Water Dowsers Manual. Danville, Vermont, USA: The American Society of Dowsers. Any dowser interested in water should read this book. Lots of good advice from the experts.

Willey, Ray, 1976. Modern Dowsing: The Dowser's Handbook. Sedona, Arizona, USA: Esoteric Press. A master water dowser gives basic instruction with an emphasis on water dowsing.

Scientific Aspects of Dowsing
Bentov, Itzhak, 1977. Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness. New York: E.P. Dutton. The closest thing to a scientific model for dowsing.

Roney-Dougal, Serena, 1993. Where Science and Magic Meet. Shaftesbury, UK; Rockport, Mass, USA; Brisbane, Qld, Australia: Element. Written by a PhD in Parapsychology who is trained in scientific method, and who is also open to the paranormal. Very readable.

Von Franz, Marie-Louise, 1980. On Divination and Synchronicity: The Psychology of Meaningful Chance. Toronto, Canada: Inner City Books. A Jungian psychological look at many forms of divination including dowsing.

Dowsing and Healing
(including earth energies detrimental to a person's health)
Bachler, K?the. Earth Radiation. Wordmasters. Dowsing for geopathic zones and evidence of the dis-eases they enhance.

Coddington, Mary, 1990. Seekers of the Healing Energy. Rochester, Vermont, USA: Healing Arts Press. Dowsing is one of the tools discussed in this fascinating overview of healing energies.

Dowsett, Eric. 1996. The Moment That Matters. P.O. Box 751, Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia. Eric Dowsett . Restore balance to your home, your life and your environment through awareness and responsibility. A valuable and exciting contribution to the evolution of consciousness. ISBN 0 646 3332 3 2.

Gordon, Rolf, 1993. Are You Sleeping In a Safe Place?. 130 Gypsy Hill, London SE19 1PL, UK: Dulwich Health Society. Dowsing for earth energies deleterious to a person's health.

Milliren, Thomas J., 1993. Noxious (Geopathic) Fields Are Damaging To Your Health. Self-published. A good discussion of the energies that can be deleterious to your health.

MacManaway, Bruce with Johanna Turcan, 1983. The Energy that Can Restore Health. UK: Thorsons. ISBN: 0-7225-0784-4. One of the British master healers of the second half of this century. Used the pendulum extensively. This is Patrick MacManaway's father.

MacManaway, Patrick. 2001. Dowsing for Health: tuning in to the earth's energy for personal development and wellbeing. Anness Publishing Inc, 27 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011: Lorenz Books - and in the UK - Anness Publishing Ltd., Hermes House, 88-89 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA: Lorenz Books. ISBN: 0754807517. A leading geomancer's combination of dowsing, the earth energies and healing with clear directions and illustrations. This is an excellent book for beginniers as well as a way for more advanced dowsers to look at the entire field. Highly reccommended.

Procter, Roy & Ann. . Healing Sick Houses, Dowsing for Healthy Homes. Gateway, an imprint of Gill & Macmillan. (ISBN 0 7171 2992 6). A fine overall look at dealing with geopathic stress in homes. Highly reccommended.

Storozuk, Gregory A, 1992. Geopathic Zones and the Iron Stake Method. Boston, Mass, USA: Summer Street Studio. A top dowser writes on this most important geomantic technique.

Tansley, David V. Dimensions of Radionics. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: Brotherhood of Life Inc. Techniques of instrumented distant healing. A manual of radionic theory and practice (Radionics is a form of dowsing).

Kopp, J.A, 1974. Effects of Harmful Radiations and Noxious Rays. Danville, Vermont, USA: The American Society of Dowsers. A series of research papers on the subject of earth energies harmful to human health.

Von Pohl, Gustav Freiherr, English edition 1987. Earth Currents, Causative Factor of Cancer and Other Diseases. Stuttgart, Germany: Druck KGGmbH & Co. ISBN: 3-7724-9402-1. Von Pohl's book on earth energies in relation to health is probably still one of the best.

Earth Energies and Spiritual Dowsing
Graves, Tom, editor, 1980. Dowsing and Archaeology. Wellingborough, UK: Turnstone Books. Selected writings from the Journal of the British Society of Dowsers, including chapters by Earth Energy pathfinders R. Allendar Smith and Guy Underwood.

Graves, Tom, 1986. Needles of Stone Revisited. Glastonbury, UK: Gothic Image Publications. A search for a magical technology: the elusive earth energies connected with standing stones and other sacred sites.

Hoffman, Enid, 1981. Huna: A Beginner's Guide. 77 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, Pennsylvania, USA : Whitford Press. Using the pendulum to explore the Hawaiian spiritual path.

Lonegren, Sig. 1985. Earth Mysteries Handbook: Wholistic Non-Intrusive Data-Gathering Techniques. Danville, Vermont, USA: The American Society of Dowsers. Methods of gathering astronomical, sacred geometrical, dowsing and other information at sacred sites.

_____, 2004. Spiritual Dowsing. Bloomington, Indiana, USA: authorHouse. History of the earth energies, healing and other uses of dowsing today. A book for the spiritual pilgrim. Initially publishes 1986. ISBN 1418458899.

Miller, Hamish, & Paul Broadhurst. 1989. The Sun and the Serpent. Launceston, Cornwall, UK: Pendragon Press. Dowsing the Michael and Mary lines of Britain. A well- written dowsing pilgrimage to some of Britain's most sacred sites.

Underwood, Guy, 1973. The Pattern of the Past. New York: Abelard-Schuman, Ltd. Underwood was one of the first to dowse and record the energies he found at sacred sites in Britain. Read this book tenth.

Wheatley, Dennis. (no date). A New View of Stonehenge. 67 Swindon Road, Stratton St Margaret, Swindon SN3 4PU, UK: Braydon Press. A wide-ranging discussion of one of Britain's most famous sites. Available from publisher for UK 7 Pounds Sterling + UK 1.50 postage & packing.

_____(No date). A New View of Rollright Ring: The Rollright Mysteries. 67 Swindon Road, Stratton St Margaret, Swindon SN3 4PU, UK: Braydon Press. Based on the work of Guy Underwood, dowser Dennis Wheatley shows us what he finds at the Rollright stone circle. Available from publisher for UK 7 Pounds Sterling + UK 1.50 postage & packing.

Wright, Patricia C. & Richard D. 1994. The Divining Heart: Dowsing and Spiritual Unfoldment. Rochester, Vermont, USA: Destiny Books. Through the process of dowsing, one becomes increasingly aware of the interconnectedness of all aspects of life and begins to play his or her part toward positive change and healing.

Special Areas of Dowsing
Branson, Oscar T., 1985. Dowsing Devices. PO Box 286, Fairacres, New Mexico, USA: The Treasure Chest. All kinds of dowsing tools covered - many not seen elsewhere.

Cameron, Verne L., 1971. Oil Locating. PO Box 30305, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA: El Cariso Publications. Tips from a master dowser.

Cameron, Vern L., 1971. Map Dowsing. PO Box 30305, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA: Life Understanding Foundation. Advanced dowsing techniques.

Cox, Bill, 1982. The Cameron Aurameter in Action. PO Box 30305, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA: Life Understanding Foundation. The aurameter is an expensive dowsing tool that is especially good at measuring the edges of things - auric fields, earth energies.

Finch, W.J., 'Bill', 1975. The Pendulum and Possession. Self published. Useful information on this esoteric sub- field of dowsing.

Korn, Joseph, 1997. Empowering Yourself and Working With Nature Through Dowsing. 2436 Camelot Drive, Augusta, GA 30904, USA. Phone (706) 733-0204. One dowser's view of the earth energy system. An interesting book with many good ideas.

Layne, Meade, & Riley H Crabb, 1970. The Cameron Aurameter. PO Box 429, Garberville, CA 95440 USA: Borderland Sciences. How to use this versatile and expensive dowsing device.

Lethbridge, T.C., 1967. Ghosts and Divining-Rod. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Lethbridge was one of the masters of the dowsing revival. He changed the length of his pendulum string depending on the frequency of the target he was dowsing for.

Michell, John, editor, 1991. Dowsing the Crop Circles. Glastonbury, Somerset, UK: Gothic Image Publications. Many different dowsers look at this enigmatic phenomenon.

Good Dowsing Reads and Fiction
Bhojalian, Chris. 1995. Water Witches. Hanover, New Hampshire, USA and London, UK: University Press of New England. A novel of dowsing and ecological issues set in Vermont today.

Roberts, Kennith. 1951. Henry Gross and his Dowsing Rod. GardenCity, New York: Doubleday & Company. This is not fiction. Written by the author of NorthWest Passage and Last of the Mohicans, this is the story that brought map dowsing to American consciousness.

 

[gldhntr]

The Skeptics, of course, dismiss it all as coincidence.

 

[gldhntr]

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).


Back

 

[Gold Digger]

I think P.T. Barnum said it best, "There's a fool born every minute."

 

[JBlack]

I think P.T. Barnum said it best, "There's a fool born every minute."?

"Amen"​

I think the label "fool", though it might be correct, usually evokes immediate hostilities. Ref many of the previous posts today.

I choose to call them the "gullible" and "technically-challenged".

Much like the State-run Lotto games, which are a tax on the numerically-challenged; dowsing and the "supposed" way it "works" is aimed directly at those who have neither a grasp of real physics of matter and wave propagation, nor do they understand basic statistical analysis procedures when one goes about determining the true merits and worth of their favorite occult methods and practices.

It's unfortunate... but it is true.

 

[gldhntr]

as posted above ;; Randi, J. 1979. A controlled test of dowsing abilities. The Skeptical Enquirer the Zetetic 4(1), 16 20.
Randi (1979) conducted a test with four dowsers in Italy, using three buried pipes with running water. As stated by Chamberlin (1980) the test had several deficiencies. No meaningful statistical evaluation was possible, and the test contributed little knowledge to the scientific community.
chamberlins study into these tests;;; ;Chamberlin, H. 1980. Dowsing tests deficient? The Skeptical Enquirer the Zetetic 4(4), 76 77.
notice this above test by randi, out of the very many i have posted, seems to be the only one that was flawed, with several deficiencies, therefore contributing nothing to the scientific community on the subject............wonder why................ Skeptics, of course, dismiss it all as coincidence.

 

[JBlack]

as posted above ;;? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Randi, J. 1979. A controlled test of dowsing abilities. The Skeptical Enquirer the Zetetic 4(1), 16 20.
? ? ? ?Randi (1979) conducted a test with four dowsers in Italy, using three buried pipes with running water. As stated by Chamberlin (1980) the test had several deficiencies. No meaningful statistical evaluation was possible, and the test contributed little knowledge to the scientific community.
? ? ? ?chamberlins study into these tests;;;? ? ? ? ?;Chamberlin, H. 1980. Dowsing tests deficient? The Skeptical Enquirer the Zetetic 4(4), 76 77.
? ? ? ?notice this above test by randi, out of the very many i have posted, seems to be the only one that was flawed, with several deficiencies, therefore contributing nothing to the scientific community on the? subject............wonder why................? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Skeptics, of course, dismiss it all as coincidence.

Whatever....

Why do you suppose it is that EVERYTIME dowsing is tested, and it fails to produce statistically significant results; --it's always the test that was flawed?

Alternatively, why is it that dowsing only seems to work when the results are unmonitored, uncontrolled and strictly of an anecdotal nature?

What's wrong with this picture?​

I think Stevie Wonder could figure this one out.

 

[gldhntr]

i think you should research some of the above tests, as there were double blind, controlled tests listed there. even a couple done by sceptics as yourself, and they also found the results to be quite a bit more than chance...not 100% for sure, but quite a bit more than chance.........several of the above results were also studied for flaws, and the only one i remember being found flawed was by your mentor, randi, who by the way, i believe is in the middle of a few lawsuits brought on by people who proved him wrong but yet were not paid, and even one that had him caught on videotape trying to insure he would win by cheating,,, even though he had not............the only thing i see wrong with the picture is that you are still ranting your {"PROOFS"} which mean nothing as there is nothing to substantiate your claims other than your own opinion, which by the way, means nothing......................................gldhntr

 

[JBlack]

I think P.T. Barnum said it best, "There's a fool born every minute."

I think the label "fool", though it might be correct, usually evokes immediate hostilities.

You only speak for yourself.? Only an? idiot chooses to speak from their own? ignorance.?

"WHAT HAS BEEN CLAIMED TO BE DONE, CAN'T ACTUALLY BE DONE"? ?Dell

What's the matter Dell, are sales down for this quarter, so you thought you'd put a little Free Advertising plug in just to see if you could snag some poor Gullible?

 

[JBlack]

i think you should research some of the above tests, as there were double blind, controlled tests listed there. even a couple done by sceptics as yourself, and they also found the results to be quite a bit more than chance...not 100% for sure, but quite a bit more than chance.........several of the above results were also studied for flaws, and the only one i remember being found flawed was by your mentor, randi, who by the way, i believe is in the middle of a few lawsuits brought on by people who proved him wrong but yet were not paid, and even one that had him caught on videotape trying to insure he would win by cheating,,, even though he had not............the only thing i see wrong with the picture is that you are still ranting your {"PROOFS"} which mean nothing as there is nothing to substantiate your claims other than your own opinion, which by the way, means nothing......................................gldhntr

Opinions are a dime a dozen. I don't have an opinion to express, rather I have facts and documented proof to fully support the truth about dowsing and dowsing devices.

I can understand why you would want to shy away from facts and logical scientific laws that govern all other things in this world.

Have you ever thought it just the least bit strange that in order to validate the occult practice of dowsing one must completely shield themselves from ordinary science and rational thinking?

 

[JBlack]

...It won't work under these double blind test because the test are run by critics that don't want you to prove that dowsing works. If you get 100 percent right ten times they will still say someone can do that by chance guessing. BULL----

That's a really interesting point of view you have there. Out of touch with reality, but interesting.

Are you aware that ALL the new drugs on the market must be submitted to a rigid double-blind test before they can be approved to be sold? Do you suppose the individuals running those tests are "critics" and don't really want the drugs to pass the test? If that's the case, isn't it amazing that ANY new drugs even become available for sale?

Here is a fact for you, Jeff. If something is tested according to a D-B protocol and that protocol is "fair" and well engineered, then it really doesn't matter if the test is administered by a critic or a believer, or a non-interested party. The outcome will be the same. And if the item (or technique) is bogus (a scam); ---then the test will show this to be true also.

 

[Gold Digger]

DB testing of Drugs and Dowsing? That's one sick analogy. It appears you need professional help. Dell

LMAO... This coming from someone who has spent years ripping off people by selling them something that absolutely does not and can not ever work?? Then again Dell, I guess what you are actually charging for is the extremely valuable lesson that LRL's/Dowsing does NOT work... Something they could've learned for free had they just visited here... Yet you claim JBlack needs the professional help?

 

[JBlack]

DB testing of Drugs and Dowsing? That's one sick analogy. It appears you? need professional help.? Dell

LMAO... This coming from someone who has spent years ripping off people by selling them something that absolutely does not and can not ever work?? Then again Dell, I guess what you are actually charging for is the extremely valuable lesson that LRL's/Dowsing does NOT work... Something they could've learned for free had they just visited here... Yet you claim JBlack needs the professional help??

Dell injects his bogus logic on LRL forums simply because he does it so well.? Most all of what he posts is strictly for comic relief, and believe me ---he is a laugh riot.

But then... what would you expect from someone who decided he'd had enough schooling in the middle of the 7th grade.? Naturally he has zero grasp of ordinary science ---but he stumbled onto a niche industry where he could make a nice comfortable living bilking saps out of their hard-earned cash.? He calls it Physical Dowsing, and since Physical Dowsing requires that you tilt the rod tips down an inch or two ---then that effort alone separates it from Mental Dowsing (done with a needle and thread).? Of course Physical Dowsing involves Do-Nothing Black Boxes that must be plugged into the ground, and can cost "the mark" anywhere from $600 to many thousands of dollars.

What a laugh!​

Now if he could only prove these differences; there might be something to discuss.? But the fact remains, in all these years, he has produced NOT ONE SHRED of evidence to support his bogus theories.? NOT ONE!

Hence, he remains nothing more than a simple con artist, seeking to eek out a living by stealing $$$$$$$$ from the gullible and technically-challenged.

It's called Wallet Mining!

He shows up here from time to time ----to inject his Free Advertising and to stick up for his "shills", all done to protect his Wallet Mining efforts, and sucker in a few more pigeons.

 

[gldhntr]

well here we are again, with a certain someone ranting about lrl sales on a dowsing information thread......mr. black, and anyone else interested , i have posted the results of several tests, done in a controlled scientific setting using a double blind protocol , regarding dowsing. i have posted some of the results..1 in 1000, 1 in 1500, 1 in 10,000, and even 1 in 100,000 for one set of tests on a certain dowser.....these tests have been found accurate and unflawed in reveiw ..........quite a bit more than chance don't you think ?.............you say your info that you so freely spout comes from your documented proof and facts.....where is it ? show me...........i think that{ nearly } everyone here, after seeing the information regarding the testing of dowsing and the results of this testing that i have posted,,will look at your posts mr. black, as nothing more than psyco-babble from someone that evidently was born already knowing everything and is therefore unable to grasp what has been put before you.....the sea of knowledge is deep, swim in it................were you by chance in the back of the room at the witch trials screaming " burn the witch " ?...probably so........fear was the main cause of this...fear of something a few people were too dense to understand.......you spout proof and facts, well lets see them, instead of just posting your uninformed, uninteresting, one sided, baseless, and boring to the point of being nothing opinion......................................gldhntr

 

[JBlack]

i have posted some of the results..1 in 1000, 1 in 1500, 1 in 10,000, and even 1 in 100,000 for one set of tests on a certain dowser....................gldhntr

Huh? What in the world are you talking about?​

I suggest you check your local area college and see if there isn't a Stats and/or Probability Adult Ed Course that you might sign up to take.

Might do wonders for you... (then again, maybe not...)