The Ancient Art Of Dowsing
Is it possible that certain people can discover water, minerals or oil
hundreds of feet beneath the surface of the Earth simply by using their
mind? Since biblical times, dowsers have claimed they can find water,
buried treasure or hidden objects by using only their senses and a twig.
Is it possible that certain people can discover water, minerals or
oil hundreds of feet beneath the surface of the Earth simply by using
their mind? Since biblical times, dowsers have claimed they can find
water, buried treasure or hidden objects by using only their senses and
a twig.
For centuries, rational people have been practicing and believing in
something with no rational basis. I wonder why? I am intrigued by its
applications in my quest for gold. Is divination a gift of paranormal
power or a developed skill? What do you think?
Practiced around the world, the age old skill of dowsing, also known
as water-witching, doodle-bugging or divining, is a practice that
attempts to locate buried or hidden minerals, metals, gemstones or
water by sensing and interpreting currents of earth radiation without
using any scientific equipment.
Established in folklore and cultural traditions, divination has been
part of the myths and legends of people from around the globe. As early
as 5th Century B.C. Chinese texts describe water witching then much as
it is practiced today. As early as 1568 the divining rod was applied in
southern Europe in the elusive search for water.
Traditionally dowsers have employed a Y shaped twig or branch, using
fresh cut branches from particular trees. In Europe hazel trees were
preferred. In the United States dowsers often choose yew, willow, apple
or peach branches. Many modern dowsers may use a simple L-shaped rod,
with brass or copper being the metals of choice. Some diviners simply
use bent wire or wire coat hangers.
Map dowsers often employ another type of divination device, usually
suspending a crystal or pendulum, over maps to locate oil, minerals,
persons or water. However, when we think of water-witching we picture a
field dowser who patiently walks about a given area using a forked
stick or rods to locate underground water. Where the branch quivers and
points downward, water will be found. Many witchers are able to not
only locate underground water, but to estimate its depth, describe the
sediment and rock layers above it, and accurately predict the number of
gallons per minute that a well will yield.
Typically rod dowsers will hold one rod in each hand, with the
shorter part of the L held upright and the longer part pointing
straight forward. When the rods are above water, the rods will point
downward or cross. Unconscious muscular action by the dowser is thought
to move the rod. Amazing! I have seen it done. When the well was
drilled the water was sweet and plentiful!
Throughout its long history, dowsing or divining has been steeped in
superstition and a complex web of controversy. Some critics call water
witching a delusional and deliberate sham based on superstitious
pseudoscience; evil and no better than voodoo! Critics claim the
results are nothing but random guessing. However, Albert Einstein was
convinced that dowsing was authentic. He said, “I know very well that
many scientists consider dowsing as they do astrology, as a type of
ancient superstition. According to my conviction this is, however,
unjustified. The dowsing rod is a simple instrument which shows the
reaction of the human nervous system to certain factors which are
unknown to us at this time”.
Despite centuries of skepticism, divining or dowsing has been
successfully employed to find water, mineral and oil deposits,
archaeological relics, buried treasure – even missing persons.
There really is not a proven scientific reason that dowsing works,
but results speak for themselves. Dowsers find what they are seeking
and they do it over and over again. Numerous theories have been offered
to explain why the rods respond and move, indicating water. Subtle
geological forces, speculation that dowsers are hypersensitive to
subtle electromagnetic gradients, ESP, physic insight or other
paranormal explanations are cited, but no one knows for sure. Yet,
something is at play here. Something intangible, mysterious ,
unexplainable and I am fascinated.
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