Dowsing For Beginners

Now I don't know about you .....

18th Century Illustration Of French Dowser ....

But I have always been fascinated by dowsing .... you know, two bits of bent wire crossing, apparently spontaneously, and signifying that something lies below, or that lines of a force exists.

Of course its not just bent L Shaped bits of coat hangers, but also pendulums, and a Y shaped piece of wooden twig or metal rod that can be used. In fact its possible to use a number of items to make the divination.

I have actually seen it demonstrated, although it has to be said that we didn't know what it was actually informing us when the wires crossed. When the dowser did it over a bar of metal as another example, I have to admit I thought that they were manipulating the pendulum to make it swing .... but then I'm just an old sceptic at heart.

Now I am well aware that to quote wikipedia 'Dowsing is considered a pseudo-science and there is no scientific evidence that it is any more effective than random chance' .... but that doesn't really explain the fact that the rods twitch.

However, sceptics have an explanation for that as well .... the 'ideomotor response' (aka Carpenter effect) .... which is tiny unconscious reflex muscle response to previously obtained knowledge. In effect the humans are moving the rods, or pendulums either consciously or subconsciously.

So that's that then ..... but if you want to try it yourself, here's some instructions from a dowsing exponents on how to experiment:

• Place a non magnetic object e.g. a pen or pencil etc on a clear clean table.
• Make a pendulum from something, small light and also non-magnetic with a hole in the middle e.g. a gold or silver ting, or even a washer that's non-magnetic by passing 10 inches (25cm) of thin cotton thread (or even a long human hair if you have one .... not me haha), through the hole.

How To Hold A Dowsing Pendulum .....

• Hold the thin cotton thread lightly, near both ends, between the index finger and dangle your pendulum over the object.
• Sit on a chair and rest the elbow of the arm holding the pendulum on the table. Make sure that the arm stays at least 12 inches (30cm) from the object.
• Keep your other arm well away.
• Here's the first proviso in the instructions "It may take some trial and error to get the strongest reaction, as it varies from person to person."
• So start with the pendulum about 1 inch (2.5cm) away from the test object, with the cotton held about 4 inches (10cm) from the pendulum.
• Make sure that when you start, the pendulum is hanging slightly nearer to one end of the object, and not dead centre so that its not equally attracted to each end and wont move..

OK ..... now you wait a few minutes, keeping your hand still, but not tense, locked or rigid. Don't try to counteract anything the pendulum does just let it do what it wants.

• After a while the pendulum should start to swing of its own volition. 
• The swing should be too and fro along the length of the object and should increase to a couple of inches each side from the vertical.
• Here's the second proviso in the instructions "You will actually 'feel' the pendulum gently tugging from one end of the object to the other with an external force" ..... I don't know what your supposed to think if you don't.
• Once the pendulum starts reacting, apparently it should swing clockwise over one end of the object and anti-clockwise over the other.

And that's it ..... simple enough to try, but like my Ouija board, I have never actually tried it .... not because I fear the supernatural, or the revenge of the ley lines, but because I am lazy and just haven't got around to it yet.

If I do, I will update the post with my results ...... who knows it may even work. I'd be pleased for any feedback if anyone tries the instructions.