California farmers hire dowsers to find water

[aquatus1]

How many times one has witnessed it working isn't going to tell you anything. Whether it works or not isn't measured by the number of successful attempts. It is measured by the rate of success.

[eaglesareskykittens]

They use a similar technique were I live to find a source of water for wells. The area I live in is not connected to the city water supply. I remember thinking how are two pieces of metal supposed to tell us were water is, but it worked, I do not know how but it did. Everyone who digs a well, and that's everyone who wants water, uses that technique to find water. The use is not spiritual where I live though, it is seen as something anyone can do. I do think that it is interesting how various areas and people perceive drowsing. Until reading this post I never new it had a spiritual element to it.

Edited March 5, 2014 by eaglesareskykittens

[Purplos]

it has something to do with a human's ability to simply feel the presence of a large body of water, and the rods, witching stick, or whatever are a conscious manifestation of the subconscious sensing water. It is necessary to all life on earth.

Um, isn't that exactly what it is supposed to be?

It's not the invisible water nymphs flying up and fiddling with the rods or anything... I've never heard anyone say anything like that.

[Merc14]

One surefire way for Californians to get more water to their crops is to stop voting Democrats into office.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Merc14

[AZDZ]

In every example, (and this is why I am a doubter of dowsing) in every example of demonstration the dowser always only ever takes a couple steps away from a set starting point and voilà! Apparently oceans of water are everywhere below our feet so why are dowsers necessary, just drill somewhere and voilà! Right?

[regeneratia]

I think you really have to think about scalar energies and how valid they really are.

The first time I held dowsing rods, and I am not a good dowser, I walked around with rods that just simply came alive in my hands. I was dowsing for something specific, not water.

I think anyone can dowse if they can get their mind into a state with far less mental chatter.

[Merc14]

In every example, (and this is why I am a doubter of dowsing) in every example of demonstration the dowser always only ever takes a couple steps away from a set starting point and voilà! Apparently oceans of water are everywhere below our feet so why are dowsers necessary, just drill somewhere and voilà! Right?

Brother Br has astounded us all over the last few days with his vitriol against the all powerful Zionists controlling the middle east and now his powers of finding water with magic wands. Wow!

[Danglangdale]

Jimmy Hoffa is under that concrete Doug!

[Guest]

Brother Br has astounded us all over the last few days with his vitriol against the all powerful Zionists controlling the middle east and now his powers of finding water with magic wands. Wow!

The only proof I need is the proof of my own eyes and experience, again I make no claims that can't be stood behind.

Br Cornelius

[Guest]

In every example, (and this is why I am a doubter of dowsing) in every example of demonstration the dowser always only ever takes a couple steps away from a set starting point and voilà! Apparently oceans of water are everywhere below our feet so why are dowsers necessary, just drill somewhere and voilà! Right?

Not true at all, aquifers are locally very specific and it is not true to say that water is simply everywhere. If you really believe what you said then I suggest that you set up a water drilling company and see how long you last in business.

Br Cornelius

[Guest]

One surefire way for Californians to get more water to their crops is to stop voting Democrats into office.

So the Rub's can repeal all environmental legislation. Nice future you envisage - back to the good old days of killing smog and polluted water ways.

Such a progressive - such an enlightened approach

Br Cornelius

[avs76]

If I cast my mind back to when I was a young teenager on our family farm (and this is going back about 25 years) I remember a water dowser came out to see if he could find underground water on our property. He used two dowsing rods which seemed to be just a couple of bits of fencing wire about a foot long bent into an L shape. He also had some kind of coin in his mouth, apparently this was to determine the quality of the water, ie mineral content.

This fellow walked all over the place and I saw the rods move, sometimes they splayed out and sometimes they converged and crossed. I don't know what the difference was but it meant something to the dowser. He eventually indicated two likely spots where water would be found. He also said the water quality was not ideal.

We got a water drilling company out, they drilled both spots. They had to drill quite deep from memory. The struck water both times. Not great pressure, and the quality wasn't suitable for human consumption. Not suitable for crop irrigation either, or else we would have used it for such.

Take it for what you will, but I witnessed the water dowsing practice conducted with fairly decent accuracy. It's far from an exact science, but in my opinion it can somehow work and it has its merits.

[Doug1029]

Jimmy Hoffa is under that concrete Doug!

ANOTHER use for concrete!

Doug

[Doug1029]

One surefire way for Californians to get more water to their crops is to stop voting Democrats into office.

Where they going to get it? There's talk of a canal from the Great Lakes. That's a good way to start a war: California vs. the Lake States and Canada. That sounds more like a Republican idea!

Doug

[Rafterman]

What is, my statement is an obvious statement of fact. Once you drain a habitat for irrigation water, certain aspects of that habitat will never recover. Some species have only a very few populations and so allowing their habitat to be destroyed is criminal ecocide. This is why we have environmental legislation and these are the specific situation the legislation is design to protect.

Br Cornelius

Of course what you said is statement of fact.

My comment relates to someone being able to pick up a couple of sticks and, using magic apparently, find all kinds of hidden things.

I've always taken you as a man of science and reason on these boards, but I guess everybody has to have their woo fix.

[Rafterman]

If it's genuine then Randi's million dollars is there for the taking.

The Australian Skeptics $100,000 is also up for grabs if you're in Oz, and the Australian Skeptics test more dowsers than all other hopeful claimants put together.

One such test was conducted in the town of Mitta Mitta a few years ago. Something like a couple of dozen people came to test their skills. Their talents worked fine when they knew where the water was, and they all confirmed they were happy with the format of the test. They were also all pretty confident they'd win the money. Only, when it came to the real test the results were about the same as if they'd guessed.

Then one of the dowsers came to the conclusion that he'd been thrown off by an underground stream, and several others agreed. They were then asked to determine the location of the stream and plot it on a map. The six dowsers placed the stream in seven different locations (one of the dowsers determined there were two streams).

I'll try to find a write-up of the test. It's online somewhere.

To that end, the Australian Skeptics came up with a simple five step self-test that people could use to determine how good their dowsing skill is.

1. What can you dowse for? Place it on the ground, uncovered. Can you detect it?

2. Place it on the ground and cover it. Can you detect it?

3. Place it on the ground and get someone to cover it while you watch. Can you detect it?

4. Place four covers on the groun and get someone to put it under one of the covers while you watch. Can you detect it?

5. Place four covers on the ground and get someone to put it under a randomly selected cover while your back is turned. Can you detect it?

If you can consistently succeed at test 5 then you have an ability worth examining further.

My understanding is that dousing is the most commonly tested claim on Randi's and other groups' tests.

And yet the money is still sitting in the bank isn't it.

[Rafterman]

it's common in my area for dowsers to be used before drilling a well. whether that is just old school attitude or what i don't know, but it's taken seriously by a lot of people.

do i believe it's possible to find water this way? hmm, i'm on the fence actually.

I would hazard a guess that you're in an area that has pretty accessible ground water. We had a douser come out when my grandfather was digging a well for a new home in Southern Mississippi. And yep, he got a reading and there was water there. What I learned later talking with some state geologists that were friends of the family was that there's water EVERYWHERE in our area. All you pretty much have to do is dig a hole.

And there's probably a good deal of confirmation bias at play as well - everyone remembers the hits, but folks quickly forget the misses.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Rafterman

[Calibeliever]

One surefire way for Californians to get more water to their crops is to stop voting Democrats into office.

Hilarious. You're right of course, only one political party is allowed to control rainfall.

[Rafterman]

Oh, and here's a case where dowsing pseudo-woo led to the deaths of about 300 innocent civilians in Iraq. Not to mention defrauding governments of millions of dollars.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/04/29/dowsing_for_bombs_maker_of_useless_bomb_detectors_convicted_of_fraud.html

[AZDZ]

Not true at all, aquifers are locally very specific and it is not true to say that water is simply everywhere. If you really believe what you said then I suggest that you set up a water drilling company and see how long you last in business.

Br Cornelius

My response was based on my experience with dowsing demonstrations. Show me one in which the dowser actually has to spend some time searching a large area before finding water and I will happily concede. I would love to have my mind changed regarding this subject!

[Guest]

Of course what you said is statement of fact.

My comment relates to someone being able to pick up a couple of sticks and, using magic apparently, find all kinds of hidden things.

I've always taken you as a man of science and reason on these boards, but I guess everybody has to have their woo fix.

My geology lecturer was a gold prospector in his day job. He said that his company had used them, enough said really.

Br Cornelius

[Merc14]

So the Rub's can repeal all environmental legislation. Nice future you envisage - back to the good old days of killing smog and polluted water ways.

Such a progressive - such an enlightened approach

Br Cornelius

Another stupid livberal mmeme, the republiicans want tiiio destroy teh environmemnt. Do you know why there is no water in CA or are you just spouting leftist drivel? Maybe go and google it before you chheer your leftist brthren on.

[AZDZ]

In every example, (and this is why I am a doubter of dowsing) in every example of demonstration the dowser always only ever takes a couple steps away from a set starting point and voilà! Apparently oceans of water are everywhere below our feet so why are dowsers necessary, just drill somewhere and voilà! Right?

Not true at all, aquifers are locally very specific and it is not true to say that water is simply everywhere. If you really believe what you said then I suggest that you set up a water drilling company and see how long you last in business.

Br Cornelius

My response was based on my experience with dowsing demonstrations. Show me one in which the dowser actually has to spend some time searching a large area before finding water and I will happily concede. I would love to have my mind changed regarding this subject!

I am sorry to move the goalposts on you but I remembered one more thing I require proof of to change my mind, that the dowser is not moving the rods with subtle hand and wrist muscle movements.

[Guest]

Another stupid livberal mmeme, the republiicans want tiiio destroy teh environmemnt. Do you know why there is no water in CA or are you just spouting leftist drivel? Maybe go and google it before you chheer your leftist brthren on.

What republican policy would cure the situation in California, and what evidence is the cure based on.

The only environmental policy I am certain of regarding the Rub's is that they want to do away with the EPA and all the environmental legislation.

Br Cornelius

[Guest]

I am sorry to move the goalposts on you but I remembered one more thing I require proof of to change my mind, that the dowser is not moving the rods with subtle hand and wrist muscle movements.

There is nothing in the definition of dowsing which prohibits that so your onto a loser there. The rods are the amplifier of the human detector - not special in of themselves.

Br Cornelius