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Posted: 07-08-2011 23:54 Post subject:

I work for the phone company, and a co-worker showed me how to use it to find buried telephone wires, and I'll be damned if it didn't work.

Posted: 14-09-2011 01:58 Post subject:

It's the one thing that's consistently bugged Randi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUQ4j5Vq03s

From 4.30 0n

Posted: 14-09-2011 19:36 Post subject:

Years ago, I saw a James Randi program on TV that was trying to debunk psychics.
There was one man, a dowser, who kept getting it right. Randi was visibly a bit put out by this, because it was most unexpected... Very Happy

Posted: 15-09-2011 09:01 Post subject:

When you think about it, the basic dowsing ability - to detect boundary changes in the soil below - is not so odd - we have no trouble detecting similar changes in the air.

I'm no advocate of the more esoteric claims for dowsing such as searching for things via a map, but I don't see why the basic concept of a human being able to detect changes in the ground under his/her feet should be impossible, just that the sense is so subtle that we no longer notice it unless we have some implement to focus on.

Posted: 13-07-2012 18:29 Post subject: Water Witching

My grandfather was a water witcher. He located all the wells for people in the community that knew him. He used to take me with him on these outings when I was small. He would go cut a forked willow branch and hold it palms down knuckles-in, in front of him and crisscross an area, around a 1/4 ac at a time. He got indications of the depth and vol of the water.
He tried to teach me with the willow stick, but I had difficulty.
He was able to show me the bent coat hangers, and I can find water with those to this day. Grandaddy said they were easier to use but told you less about the depth and volume to the water, and were better for finding underground pipes and such. Anytime I move to a new place I find and make a note of all the water lines. If Im gonna dig near one I dowse and mark its exact location. Ive never had a failure.
My father never had the gift at all, tho he did not doubt his father's ability or mine either for that matter.
It's funny the ability was never really considered divination by my family or my grandfather. It was just a natual abilty that some peple could do and some could not.
It wasn't until I was older and my gradfather had already passed when I read about people dowsing for things besides water, or to tell the future or whatever. I sure would have loved to talk to my grandfather about that.

Posted: 13-07-2012 19:50 Post subject:

An interesting first post, Patrick! Welcome to the MB!

Do you have any ideas of the mechanism of dowsing? Or do you worry that too much analysis might destroy your talent? (Rather like the millipede who tried to explain how he kept all his legs synchronised, and then found he couldn't walk properly!)

Posted: 13-07-2012 23:09 Post subject:

Posted: 14-07-2012 01:12 Post subject:

Welcome to the board Patrick, interesting story.

Posted: 14-07-2012 07:52 Post subject:

Why doesn't someone create a testing ground. A large field with just a few bits of water or metal underneath. If several people in a row (experienced dowsers) can pin-point these things, then mystery solved - right? All you have to do is prove that their odds of locating the items are well above chance (70% or greater) - something like that.

I didn't read the 9 pages so maybe someone already discussed this and it's old news.

Posted: 14-07-2012 10:19 Post subject:

There was a Dowsing machine at a Fortean Exhibition at the Croydon Clocktower years ago. It had a central drum split into six sections, one of which contained water. On top, there was a choice of twigs and rods. I remember having a go. I pressed the start button and the drum span round and stopped. I walked around it with the rods until they crossed and pressed the button on the one which I thought contained water. It gave a green light. I did this about five times getting it right each time. As I put the rods back I noticed a small crowd had gathered behind me looking rather bemused by the whole thing.

Posted: 08-03-2013 09:07 Post subject:

If you click the Local News button on the BBC News website you can select your location (eg, Cornwall http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/cornwall/ ) and there's a useful panel there on Things to Do.

Here's one of Fortean interest: