NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Dowsing

Dowsing, sometimes called divining or water witching, is the practice which dowsers say permits them to detect hidden or buried water, metals, gemstones, or other such objects without the use of scientific apparatus. A Y- or L-shaped twig or rod is used during dowsing, but some dowsers use other equipment or no equipment at all. William Dowsing (1596 - 1668), was an English iconoclast who operated at the time of the English Civil War. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (680x1070, 161 KB) A dowser at work, from Pierre le Brun, Histoire critique des pratiques superstitieuses, (Jean-Frederic Bernard, 1733â€“1736). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (680x1070, 161 KB) A dowser at work, from Pierre le Brun, Histoire critique des pratiques superstitieuses, (Jean-Frederic Bernard, 1733â€“1736). ...

Dowsing is widely practiced^[1] despite scientific evidence disproving its efficacy.^[2]

History of dowsing

Dowsing has existed in various forms for thousands of years.^[3] The original may have been for divination purposes — to divine the will of the gods, to foretell the future and divine guilt in trials. For other uses, see Divination (disambiguation). ...

Dowsing as practiced today may have originated in Germany during the 15th century, when it was used to find metals. The technique spread to England with German miners who went there to work in the coal mines. During the Middle Ages dowsing was associated with the Devil. In 1662 dowsing was declared to be "superstitious, or rather satanic" by a Jesuit, Gaspar Schott, though he later noted that he wasn't sure that the devil was always responsible for the movement of the rod.^[4] In 1701 the Inquisition stopped the use of dowsing rod in trials. (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... This article is about metallic materials. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The El Chino Mine located near Silver City, New Mexico is an open-pit copper mine Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein, or (coal) seam. ... Wyoming coal mine Coal mining is the mining of coal. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... This is an overview of the Devil. ... This article is about the concept of Satan. ... Seal of the Society of Jesus. ... Gaspar Schott (5 February 1608 - 22 May 1666) was a German scientist, specializing in the fields of physics, mathematics and natural philosophy, and known for his piety. ... This article is about the Inquisition by the Roman Catholic Church. ...

In the late 1960s during the Vietnam War, some U.S. Marines used dowsing to attempt to locate weapons and tunnels.^[5] An extensive book on the history of dowsing was published by Christopher Bird in 1979 under the title of The Divining Hand. James Randi’s 1982 book Flim-Flam! devotes 19 pages to comprehensive double-blind tests done in Italy which yielded chance results. Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Peopleâ€™s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... Christopher Bird (May 11, 1928 - May 2, 1996) became a science journalist after serving in the U.S. Army. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... James Randi (born August 7, 1928), stage name The Amazing Randi, is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. ...

Dowsing equipment

Traditionally, the most common divining rod was a Y-shaped branch from a tree or bush. Some dowsers prefer branches from particular trees; hazel twigs in Europe and witch-hazel in the United States were commonly chosen. Some dowsers prefer the branches to be freshly cut. A divining rod (also known as dowsing rod) is an apparatus used in dowsing. ... This article is about the tree; for other meanings of hazel, see Hazel (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Witch hazel is the name of: Witch-hazel: Hamamelis, a genus of decorative shrubs in North America and east Asia. ...

Many dowsers today use a pair of simple L-shaped metal rods, and some use bent wire coat hangers. One rod is held in each hand, with the short part of the L held upright, and the long part pointing forward. Some dowsers claim best success with rods made of particular metals, such as brass. Brazen redirects here. ...

Pendulums such as a crystal or a metal weight suspended on a chain are sometimes used in divination and dowsing, particularly in remote or "map dowsing". In one approach, the user first determines which direction (left-right, up-down) will indicate "yes" and which "no," before proceeding to ask the pendulum specific questions. In another form of divination, the pendulum is used with a pad or cloth that has "yes" and "no" written on it, and perhaps other words, written in a circle in the latter case. The person holding the pendulum aims to hold it as steadily as possible over the center. An interviewer may pose questions to the person holding the pendulum, and it swings by minute unconscious bodily movement in the direction of the answer. In the practice of radiesthesia, a pendulum is used for medical diagnosis. For other uses, see Pendulum (disambiguation). ... Radiesthesia is the paranormal or parapsychological ability to detect radiation with the human body. ...

Possible explanations

Both skeptics of dowsing and many of dowsing's supporters believe that dowsing apparatus have no special powers, but merely amplify small imperceptible movements of the hands arising from the expectations of the dowser. This psychological phenomenon is known as the ideomotor effect. Some supporters^[who?] agree with this explanation, but maintain that the dowser has a subliminal sensitivity to the environment, perhaps via electroception, magnetoception, or telluric currents. Other dowsers say their powers are paranormal. The ideomotor effect is a psychological phenomenon wherein a subject makes motions unconsciously (i. ... Electroreception, sometimes written as electroception, is the biological ability to receive and make use of electrical impulses. ... Magnetoception (or magnetoreception) is the ability to detect flux direction in a magnetic field, and is most commonly observed in birds, though it has also been observed in many other migratory animals. ... A telluric current is a extremely low frequency electrical current that occurs naturally over large underground areas at or near the surface of the Earth. ... Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ...

Evidence

In a scientific study in Munich 1987-1988 by Hans-Dieter Betz and other scientists, 500 dowsers were initially tested for their "skill", and the experimenters selected the best 43 among them. These 43 were then tested the following way. On the ground floor of a two-story barn, water was pumped through a pipe. Before each test, the pipe was moved in a direction perpendicular to the water flow. On the upper floor, each dowser was asked to determine the position of the pipe. Over two years, the 43 dowsers performed 843 such tests. Of the 43 pre-selected and extensively tested candidates, at least 37 of them showed no dowsing ability. The results from the remaining 6 were said to be better than chance, resulting in the experimenters' conclusion that some dowsers "in particular tasks, showed an extraordinarily high rate of success, which can scarcely if at all be explained as due to chance ... a real core of dowser-phenomena can be regarded as empirically proven"^[6]

Five years after the Munich study was published, scientist Jim T. Enright contended that these results are merely consistent with statistical fluctuations and do not demonstrate any real ability.^[7] He noted that the best tester was on average 4 millimeters out of 10 meters closer to a mid-line guess, an advantage of 0.0004%. The study's authors responded^[8] but Enright remains unconvinced.^[9] J. T. Enright is a skeptic and professor of behavioral physiology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego. ...

More recently, a study^[10] was undertaken in Kassel, Germany, under the direction of the Gesellschaft zur Wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften (GWUP) [Society for the Scientific Investigation of the Parasciences]. The three-day test of some 30 dowsers involved plastic pipes through which a large flow of water could be controlled and directed. The pipes were buried 50 centimeters under a level field. On the surface, the position of each pipe was marked with a colored stripe, so all the dowsers had to do was tell whether there was water running through the pipe. All the dowsers signed a statement agreeing this was a fair test of their abilities and that they expected a 100 percent success rate. However, the results were no better than what would have been expected by chance. This article is about the city of Kassel in Hessen, Germany. ...

Some researchers have investigated possible physical or geophysical explanations for dowsing abilities. For example, Soviet geologists have made claims for the abilities of dowsers,^[11] which are difficult to account for in terms of the reception of normal sensory cues. Some authors suggest that these abilities may be explained by postulating human sensitivity to small magnetic field gradient changes.^[12]^[13]^[14]

One study concludes that dowsers "respond" to a 60 Hz electromagnetic field, but this response does not occur if the kidney area or head are shielded.^[15]

A review of archaeological studies in Iowa suggests that dowsing is ineffective at finding unmarked human burials.^[16]

List of well-known dowsers

Karl Spiesberger (SpiesÃŸerger), also known as Frater Eratus or Fra Eratus, because of his involvement with the Fraternitas Saturni (Brotherhood of Saturn), is a German mysticist, occultist and Germanic revivalist. ... Ludwig Straniak (born 1879-1951), was a German mystisist, Germanic revivalist and most notably a Pendulum dowser. ... Gary John Fox (born December 23, 1943 in Picton, Ontario) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. ... A. Frank Glahn(born 1865 - 1941), was a German mystisist, Germanic revivalist and most notably a Pendulum dowser. ... J. Francis Hitching is a British author and dowser. ... Professor Hellmut Wolff (born 30th March 1906 - 22nd March 1986 or 10 April 1876 - 20 February 1961), was a German mystisist, Germanic revivalist and most notably a Pendulum dowser. ... Thomas Charles Lethbridge (1901-1971) was a British explorer, archaeologist and psychic researcher. ...

See also

A divining rod (also known as dowsing rod) is an apparatus used in dowsing. ... A long range locator is a device purported to be a type of metal detector used to detect deposits of gold or similar precious materials; most are said to operate on a principle of resonance with the material being detected. ... Michel Moine holding a can that contained 400 ancient gold coins (Louis dor). ... Reveal the Power of the Pendulum: Secrets of the Sidereal Pendulum, A Complete Survey of Pendulum Dowsing (ISBN 0-572-01419-8) is a book by Karl Spiesberger. ... Karl Spiesberger (SpiesÃŸerger), also known as Frater Eratus or Fra Eratus, because of his involvement with the Fraternitas Saturni (Brotherhood of Saturn), is a German mysticist, occultist and Germanic revivalist. ... Professor Calculus (Professeur Tournesol) Spoiler warning: Professor Cuthbert Calculus (Professeur Tryphon Tournesol, literally Professor Tryphonius Sunflower) is a fictional character in the series The Adventures of Tintin. ...

References

^ As translated from a preface of the Kassel experiments, "roughly 10,000 active dowsers in Germany alone can generate a conservatively-estimated annual revenue of more than 100 million DM (US$50 million)". See Kassel references.
^ {{cite web ref name="enright">Enright, Jim T. (Jan/Feb 1999). The Failure of the Munich Experiments. 'Skeptical Inquirer'. Paul Kurtz. Retrieved on 2006-11-14. “The researchers themselves concluded that the outcome unquestionably demonstrated successful dowsing abilities, but a thoughtful re-examination of the data indicates that such an interpretation can only be regarded as the result of wishful thinking.”
^ "the earliest sign of its usage dates from a 4500-5000 year old grave inscription in Brittany." Ramsus, Jansson (1999-01-27 (revised)). Dowsing: Science or Humbug?.
^ Michel Eugène Chevreul, De La Baguette Divinatoire du pendule dit explorateur at des table tournants au point de vue de l'histoire, de la critique, and de la méthode expérimentale, Paris, 1854. "Le père Gaspard Schott (jés.) considère l'usage de la baguette comme superstitieux ou plutôt diabolique, mais des renseignements qui lui furent donnés plus tard par des hommes qu'il considérait comme religieux et probe, lui firent dire dans une notation à ce passage, qu'il ne voudrait pas assurer que le demon fait toujours tourner la baguette." (Physica Curiosa, 1662, lib. XII, cap. IV, pag. 1527). See facsimile on Google Books
^ FIX ME (could not access entire article) Claudia Sandlin (1989-11-30). Divining Ways; Dowsers Use Ancient Art in Many Kinds of Searches. Washington Post. “[Louis Matacia] worked as a Marine Corps analyst at Quantico during The Vietnam War teaching Marines how to dowse...”
^ Wagner, H., H.-D. Betz, and H. L. König, 1990. Schlußbericht 01 KB8602, Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie. As quoted by Enright in Skeptical Enquirer
^ Enright, J. T. 1995. Water dowsing: The Scheunen experiments. Naturwissenschaften 82: 360-369.
^ Betz, H.-D., H. L. König, R. Kulzer, R. Trischler, and J. Wagner. 1996. Dowsing reviewed — the effect persists. Naturwissenschaften 83: 272-275.
^ Enright, J. T. 1996. Dowsers lost in a barn. Naturwissenschaften 83: 275-277.
^ GWUP-Psi-Tests 2004: Keine Million Dollar für PSI-Fähigkeiten (in German) and English version.
^ Williamson, T. New Scientist 81, 371 (1979)
^ Rocard, Y. La Recherche 12, 792 (1981)
^ Presti, D. & Pettgrew, J. Nature 285, 99 (1980)
^ Baker, R. Nature 301, 78 (1983)
^ Harvalik ZV (1978). "Anatomical localization of human detection of weak electromagnetic radiation: experiments with dowsers.". Physiol Chem Phys 10 (6): 525–34.
^ Whittaker, Grave Dowsing Reconsidered[1]
^ Tom Lethbridge's dowsing measurments

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Michel EugÃ¨ne Chevreul (August 31, 1786 â€“ April 9, 1889) was an important French chemist whose work with fatty acids led to early applications in the fields of art and science. ... // Google offers a variety of services and tools besides its basic web search. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Dowsing organizations

Skeptics

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