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What is
dowsing?
Dowsing
is using some kind of rod or forked stick to locate underground
water. These rods can be used to find other things like ore, pipes,
or lost things, but we are limiting this to water.
How does dowsing work?
Dowsers can use different kinds of rods or tools to find water. Some
use a forked stick that might be made of wood but could be made of
metal. Others use two metal, L-shaped rods or a pendulum to locate
water. Our dowser told us that these tools are
"amplifiers of our intuition."
People will call a dowser when they need to find
a source of water on their property. Sometimes their wells have run
dry or maybe they are building a new house and don't have a well
yet. The dowser finds the best place for a well on the land.
Some dowsers can tell how deep the water is underground.
The dowser that we visited said that there is a
spiritualism in doing this. Before dowsers start to look for water
on someone's land, they ask [in their minds or out loud], "Can
I?" "May I?" or "Shall I?" for permission to look
for water. The rod will move up or down as an answer. Our
dowser said that sometimes the answer is no and they don't look for water
then.
After they feel permission, the
dowser walks over the person's land as they hold the dowsing rod. As
they walk around the property, the rod is held lightly in their hands with
palms up. Elbows are held closely to their sides and the rod stays
level until water is found. We were told that each dowser's answer
of 'yes' or 'no' might look different. Usually when water is found,
we think of the rod pointing to the ground. Our dowser's rod pointed
upwards towards her when she found water. When it is found,
the dowser marks the place and continues walking over the property to find
other locations.
We tried this and did feel vibrations in the
L-shaped rods that we used. The two rods formed a cross when we
found water. The dowser checked where we found it and, each time,
agreed that it was there. We have no way to prove that it was right
there, but we really felt that it was!
What is the scientific opinion on
dowsing?
When we mentioned dowsing to someone in the Groundwater Association, we
were told that: "This practice has been discredited by
science. Despite their claims, the fact is that there's a 90%
probability anyone could point to a spot where, if a well was drilled,
water would be found. This is true even in arid regions." (Treyens)
Dowsing has been going on since the Middle
Ages. There are lots of people who believe in dowsers but there
isn't scientific proof that it works. Intuition is a big part of
dowsing and science can't prove that.
Scientists, geologists, and mathematicians use
other ways to find water. They drill wells, keep track of layers of
rock found in different places, and track the flow of underground
water. Scientists have tested dowsing. One experiment was when
four hoses were put under a carpet. One hose would have water in it
and the other three would be empty. The dowser found the right hose
nine times out of forty. The scientists said that if anyone
guessed, they would get it right 25% of the time. The dowser found
the right hose 25% of the time, so scientists didn't feel that dowsing was
real.
Dowsers believe in their abilities to find water
using their intuition. Scientists work with facts and think that
proven scientific tools should be used to find water.
What do you think?
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