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Dowsing - How many attempts?

AnotherSillyAlias

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Can anyone tell me how many, if any, challenges have been attempted, (not just applied for), in relation to water dowsing or divining?

I heard an interesting interview on the radio with a woman who claims she can find water and tell you if it's salt or fresh, what type of ground it is in, (rock, clay, etc.) and how deep it is.

The interesting thing is that she seemed absolutely genuine in her belief that she could do this, not the usual slimy psychic type trying to rip people off. She doesn't charge people to "find water" on their properties.

Now, I have no idea if she can do what she she claims, I take the skeptical position that she needs to prove it but I can't, at this point, make the absolute statement that she can't.

What I'd like to read about, if they exist, are any accounts or reports of tests that have been conducted and the results. I'm inclined not to believe it but, being a country boy in a VERY dry land, water is all important and I have heard way too many stories of, and even met, people who claim to be able to do it so I want to find the answers.
 
AnotherSillyAlias said:
........... I'm inclined not to believe it but, being a country boy in a VERY dry land, water is all important and I have heard way too many stories of, and even met, people who claim to be able to do it so I want to find the answers.
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Any dowsers living the good life nearby ?
There you go..



There have been some tests.. Maybe someone else can give you the particulars..

I think they have pretty much proven that dowsers cannot find jugs of water, hidden under cardboard boxes..

The thing about underground water, is that it usually shows up if you dig deep enough; so the trick there, is for the dowser to tell you ' how deep ', within a reasonable amount..
 
Diogenes said:
I think they have pretty much proven that dowsers cannot find jugs of water, hidden under cardboard boxes..
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Probably true, but I'm wondering if there is something about water flowing through the ground that, maybe, causes a very weak electrical or magnetic field or something like that. I have no idea, I'm just guessing.

Has anyone ever done any experiments to see if there is any detectable force near underground flowing water?
 
I am only slightly familiar with dowsing. I have already accepted that it doesn't work, it isn't real, and I do not feel I need to study something that I have already accepted as not being real.

That said, is metal detecting considered dowsing? I don't suppose it is, since metal-detectors have been used in minefield detection for decades. However, I have recently bought a metal detector from Wal-Mart, and I have used it enough times to conclude that it works!

Is my $100 investment worth $1-million? I doubt it is, but the possibility makes it worth the question.
 
cpolk said:
I am only slightly familiar with dowsing. I have already accepted that it doesn't work, it isn't real, and I do not feel I need to study something that I have already accepted as not being real.

That said, is metal detecting considered dowsing? I don't suppose it is, since metal-detectors have been used in minefield detection for decades. However, I have recently bought a metal detector from Wal-Mart, and I have used it enough times to conclude that it works!

Is my $100 investment worth $1-million? I doubt it is, but the possibility makes it worth the question.
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I'm not entirely sure what it is you're trying to say.

If you don't think it works, that's fine by me. I have no idea if it works, I suspect not but I'm willing to have a look at any properly conducted trials.

Is metal detecting dowsing? Depends on your interpretation of "dowsing" I guess. You are using some method to detect something you think is under the ground so, if that is the definition of dowsing, then I guess metal detection is dowsing.

Is metal detecting likely to win you the JREF prize? (I think this is what you're asking here.) No, obviously not, metal detectors work on accepted scientific principles, not paranormal powers as far as I'm aware.

My question is: Is it possible that water dowsing could also be done using some sort of instrument that works on scientific principles? Is it possible that water flowing underground creates some sort of detectable field, (electrical or whatever), that some individuals are particularly sensitive to? I have no idea, that's why I asked.
 
I've been experienced in dowsing for a long time. Actually I've been very successful at it.

All dowsers have their favorite techniques, and mine involves walking around with magnetized metal rods. I slowley walk around the area and I can feel the rods responding when I am over the item I am looking for.

Various dowsers specialize in different materials. Some dowsers look for water and others say their powers apply only to metal objects or even human remains.

Personally, I deal exclusively with extremely large M45+ neodymium-boron-iron magnets. I've managed to locate many of them successfully using my powers. As long as they aren't burried too deeply (even I have my limits).

Here's a picture of one of these items I was able to find.

magnetfull4.jpg


It was hidden under an inch and a half of soil in a quarter-acre area of land. I was given no indication as to which part of the area it was hidden in, but I managed to find it in less than a day!

I'd be more than happy to demonstrate my powers
-Steve
 
Careful, someone might actually believe that being able to find honking big magnets barely buried in the ground, using another magnet, is a paranormal ability.

"But, look, it's magnetism!" they will cry. "Inexplicable!".
 
Proton magnetometers and several other electrical conductivity or resistivity based logging tools can detect groundwater and estimate salinity. Pricy though and by no means foolproof. The logging tools work best in a borehole, which rather defeats the purpose.

I have long felt there is a theoretical case for arguing that some people may have a degree of sensitivity to EM fields, just as some other animals do- and that this may account for occasional cases of dowsing ability. However- and it's a biggie- there are many vastly stronger EM fields they should also be aware of and are not. We are well aware of animals and fish which use and even generate EM fields. If it occurred in humans we should expect to have a number of proven cases on record.
It's a faint possibility, but there seems no evidence of it. The burden of proof , as always, lies with the claimant.
 
The first edition of Swift Newsletter has a detailed account of a dowsing trial, there are others on the JREF site. Fantastic failures all around.
 
Dowsing...

Yeh..I'll be interested...

When someone uses their dowsing skills to navigate a 'live' minefield...

Lets see then if they really believe they have this power..

Twitch...Twitch...Bang !

DB
 
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Skeptical Inquirer had an article in which flowing water was doswed for. I understand that an aquifer is larger than a pipe, but this test had the most opportunity for "success" I have ever seen tested for water dowsing. If I remember correctly, they gave the applicant the opportunity to test flow unblinded through the pipe with dirt, with gravel, or just plain, and then ran the trials through whatever they indicated gave the best results. Same as all other controlled tests - nothing better than chance.

Our own resident born-again dowser, Edge (Mr. Guska), did the preliminary JREF test dowsing for metal objects of his choice. He did fine in the unblinded tests for the target objects he brought with him, stating categorically his powers were working fine. Wonder of wonders, when he was not allowed to see under which cup the objects were placed, he suddenly did no better than chance. He now claims his powers do not work inside buildings, despite his claims that they were working when he could see where the targets were placed. Oh, well.

And yes, I would be interested in total numbers of dowers tested in various venues.

CriticalThanking
 
Scientific American Frontiers did a Beyond Science programme a while back which looked at several paranormal claims, including dowsing. Like all the other experiments, the dowsing experiment was a spectacular failure.

Here’s the transcript:
(click on ‘Water, water everywhere’ for the dowsing section)
http://www.pbs.org/saf/transcripts/transcript802.htm

Just to keep some balance, another viewpoint can be found here:
http://www.leyman.demon.co.uk/Dowsing.html
 
AnotherSillyAlias said:
The interesting thing is that she seemed absolutely genuine in her belief that she could do this, not the usual slimy psychic type trying to rip people off.
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Randi has observed in the past that the aparent majority of dowsers, in stark contrast to other fields of 'the paranormal', genuinely believe they have this ability.

There is now a special page addressed to dowsing applicants, basically aimed at getting them to self-test before publicly humiliating themselves: http://www.randi.org/library/dowsing/
 
I have a 100% success rate when dowsing for molten iron.

Of course, you generally have to dig pretty deep...
 
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Soapy Sam said:
I have long felt there is a theoretical case for arguing that some people may have a degree of sensitivity to EM fields, just as some other animals do- and that this may account for occasional cases of dowsing ability. However- and it's a biggie- there are many vastly stronger EM fields they should also be aware of and are not. We are well aware of animals and fish which use and even generate EM fields. If it occurred in humans we should expect to have a number of proven cases on record.
It's a faint possibility, but there seems no evidence of it. The burden of proof , as always, lies with the claimant.
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Yes, this pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter. I wish more WATER dowsing applicants, (who are not actual kooks), would show up so I could follow their progress.
 
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