Underground Water Discovery - Unexplained

[arbor]

Supernatural unexplained mystery - Finding ground water source using a coconut.

Link 1:

Link 2:

This is quite prevalent in South India. There are many other sightings of the same and it the phenomena cannot be quite explained as of yet.

Any explanations helpful.

FYI: I was there at the first video taping. This is only possible with certain people, it does not happen with everyone. Also that person used a normal coconut bought randomly by us.

There is nothing inside the coconut and it's not been tampered with. Also the coconut is not connected to anything.

[Peter B]

I was going to say that this would be a perfect case for Sanal Edamaruku, the indefatigable Indian Rationalist. However it seems Mr Edamaruku is now living in Finland thanks to blasphemy charges brought against him at the instigation of the Catholic Church in India.

Regardless, the movement of the coconuts on the hands isn't anything particularly unusual. The coconut will stay still if the hand cups even slightly around its base. Flatten the hand slightly and the coconut rolls. The operator may be entirely convinced he's holding his hand steady, or he may be playing up to the camera (more likely the former). But the actions in these videos are similar in style to the actions of water diviners in Australia using forked sticks or bent metal rods or pendulums.

Looking at the sudden reaction of the coconut in the first video when the operator steps over the hole: it's impressive to see, but it would be interesting to see what would happen if he didn't know where the hole was.

Turning to the second video, yes, the coconut appears to react at a certain point. It would therefore be interesting to see if a different operator with the same or different coconut got the same reaction at the same point (assuming no opportunity to collude). The reason I mention this is that several years ago at a test of water diviners in Australia (the first Mitta-Mitta test) six diviners claimed they'd been thrown off by an underground stream. The six were then invited to plot the location of the stream on their maps; they placed the stream in seven different locations (one diviner detected two streams). I'll try to find the article.

[Peter B]

Ah, here it is: http://www.skeptics.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/theskeptic/2001/4.pdf

Starting on about page 40.

[Peter B]

Oh, by the way, welcome to the forum!

[arbor]

Actually quite unimpressed with your response to be honest. And thanks for welcoming me

The first video was recorded by myself and the 2nd video was when i googled a bit and found it on youtube.

As for the hole, it was dug after the exercise was completed, the video basically was recorded after i requested him to repeat it.

Now, it may be easy to say that he did have something to do with the coconut jumping back at that force with a small muscle movement, but let me assure you it is quite impossible. I actually encourage you to try it. It's one thing for it move upwards, but it's totally unexpected for it jump backwards like that as if it is being pulled.

Also all his small hand movements in some cases are to basically balance the coconut and not let it fall, there are some cases in the first video and 2nd video where his hand stays still and sometimes the coconut just falls.

It's quite obvious from both the video the coconut has not be linked to anything and also nothing is inside it( explained by only a linear motion).

So I think there is something which needs to be explained. And btw the first video was taken 2 days back and we dug for water today , and we found an excellent source at 450 ft.

I hope there is a better explanation to do this.

PS: I tried to the same thing , did not work , I even tried to move my fingers up a bit , but all I got was the coconut rising up a CM from my obvious manipulation.

Edited November 6, 2013 by arbor

[Peter B]

Actually quite unimpressed with your response to be honest.

Fair enough. You were there, I wasn't. My answers were based on my experience with water diviners in Australia, who are generally honest if (in my opinion) mistaken.

And thanks for welcoming me

No worries.

The first video was recorded by myself and the 2nd video was when i googled a bit and found it on youtube.

As for the hole, it was dug after the exercise was completed, the video basically was recorded after i requested him to repeat it.

Fair enough. But it's a reasonable test of someone claiming a skill like this to see if the effect occurs at the specified location if the operator can't see the exact location.

Now, it may be easy to say that he did have something to do with the coconut jumping back at that force with a small muscle movement, but let me assure you it is quite impossible. I actually encourage you to try it. It's one thing for it move upwards, but it's totally unexpected for it jump backwards like that as if it is being pulled.

Also all his small hand movements in some cases are to basically balance the coconut and not let it fall, there are some cases in the first video and 2nd video where his hand stays still and sometimes the coconut just falls.

With the greatest of respect, you can't be certain that his hand isn't manipulating the coconut. These operators have probably been doing this for years, and consciously or not, are likely to be able to manipulate the coconut with ease.

It's quite obvious from both the video the coconut has not be linked to anything and also nothing is inside it( explained by only a linear motion).

I'm satisfied these are ordinary coconuts which haven't been altered in any way.

So I think there is something which needs to be explained. And btw the first video was taken 2 days back and we dug for water today , and we found an excellent source at 450 ft.

I hope there is a better explanation to do this.

Remember, you have only one data point. Yes, you found water at a depth of 450 feet. But if you were to move 50 metres in any direction, how deep would you have to drill for water there? Or 100 metres away? And so on. Without testing this, you don't know whether the operator has found the best source of water.

PS: I tried to the same thing , did not work , I even tried to move my fingers up a bit , but all I got was the coconut rising up a CM from my obvious manipulation.

I quite believe it. As I said, these gentlemen have probably been doing this for years.

[Peter B]

The Australian Skeptics have $100,000 available to anyone who can demonstrate a paranormal power (http://www.skeptics....features/prize/), and water divining is the skill most commonly tested. Okay, not much use in southern India, but as I said the techniques are virtually identical.

In the past the Australian Skeptics have promoted a water divining self-test process to allow water diviners to test themselves prior to approaching the Australian Skeptics. It goes like this:

1. Determine the sort of water source you can detect. In these cases, would the coconuts react to water in a sealed bottle sitting on the ground, or in a pipe buried below the ground? Would the water need to be flowing? In one test I was involved in, a farmer who thought he was a water diviner went to the trouble of filling a length of PVC pipe with water and burying it about a metre underground.

2. With the water source in clear view, can you detect the water?

3. Cover the water source with various materials so that you can't see it. Do any of the covering materials still allow you to detect the water?

4. Prepare four separate location with suitable covering material and place the water source under one of them. Can you detect the water?

5. Get someone else to place the water source at one of the locations while you watch. Can you detect the water?

6. Get someone else to place the water source at one of the locations while you don't watch. Can you detect the water?

If you're regularly successful at step 6, then there's something worth investigating.

But until the people in these videos are tested in this way, or test themselves for that matter, I would respectfully submit that what you've seen is trickery. Yes, it's impressive to watch. But India is plagued by charlatans who make their living off the poorly educated masses. These men may have a genuine talent for all I know, but I doubt it.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Peter B