It appears you do not understand LRL's very much. I realize it is easy to confuse dowsing with LRL's because in most instances (not with e-receiver) they both use L-rods.
The subject of L-rods is in many cases kinda of like (okay, exactly like) reading the fake news. If someone has a negative attitude about them, you will not get the truth, just distortion, propaganda, etc.
So to start out, LRL's do not rely on mental or, more accurately, psychic energy from the operator. Quite the contrary, best thing you can do is to stay out of it. Now i'm talking LRL's here. I realize the vast majority of people refuse to accept meditation as essential. As the books say, the mind is like a wild horse. Thoughts run out of control. When I use the phrase "You can't have your cake and eat it, too." I mean you can't be trying to peek and see what is happening. My feelings are this is where most fail.