What Is Dowsing?

Dowsing, in general terms, is the art of finding hidden things. Usually, this is accomplished with the aid of a dowsing stick, rods or a pendulum. Also known as divining, water witching, doodlebugging and other names, dowsing is an ancient practice whose origins are lost in long-forgotten history. However, it is thought to date back at least 8,000 years. Wall murals, estimated to be about 8,000 years old, discovered in the Tassili Caves of North Africa depict tribesmen surrounding a man with a forked stick, possibly dowsing for water. Artwork from ancient China and Egypt seem to show people using forked tools in what might have been dowsing activities. Dowsing may have been mentioned in the Bible, although not by name, when Moses and Aaron used a "rod" to locate water. The first unambiguous written accounts of dowsing come from the Middle Ages when dowsers in Europe used it to help find coal deposits. During the 15th and 16th centuries, dowsers were often denounced as practitioners of evil. Martin Luther said dowsing was "the work of devil" (and hence the term "water witching").

In more modern times, dowsing has been used to find water for wells, mineral deposits, oil, buried treasure, archaeological artifacts - even missing people and now ghosts. How the dowsing technique was first discovered is unknown, yet those who practice it are unwavering in their affirmations that it does work. (For more information on the history of dowsing, see "Dowsing: Ancient History.")

How Does Dowsing Work?

The quick answer is that no one really knows - not even experienced dowsers. Some theorize there is a psychic connection established between the dowser and the sought object. All things, living and inanimate, the theory suggests, possess an energy force. The dowser, by concentrating on the hidden object, is somehow able to tune in to the energy force or "vibration" of the object which, in turn, forces the dowsing rod or stick to move. The dowsing tool may act as a kind of amplifier or antenna for tuning into the energy.

Skeptics, of course, say that dowsing doesn't work at all. Dowsers who seem to have a track record for success, they contend, are either lucky or they have good instincts or trained knowledge for where water, minerals and the like can be found. For believer or skeptic, there's no definitive proof either way.

Albert Einstein, however, was convinced of the authenticity of dowsing. He said, "I know very well that many scientists consider dowsing as they do astrology, as a type of ancient superstition. According to my conviction this is, however, unjustified. The dowsing rod is a simple instrument which shows the reaction of the human nervous system to certain factors which are unknown to us at this time."

DOWSING EXERCISES

It's easy to try dowsing yourself. Here are some steps for a dowsing test:

   1. Make or purchase the dowsing tool with which you will be most comfortable.
   2. Ask a friend to bury an object (try a metal object or small bottle of water) somewhere in your yard, just a few inches below the surface. Be sure your friend is careful to conceal the burial spot so that it is not at all obvious where they have dug.
   3. Before starting, mentally ask your dowsing tool to indicate to you when you are passing over the hidden object.
   4. Start walking. You can either take a methodical approach, walking in a defined pattern up and down the yard, or you can walk randomly, following your instincts. 
   5. Walk slowly, concentrating on the object and trying to remain open and sensitive to the movements of the dowsing tool.
   6. When your dowsing tool reacts and indicates a specific spot, stop and see if you have succeeded. If not, try again.

If at first you don't succeed, try a different dowsing tool or a different type of target. Try it at different times of day and in different frames of mind; these may all affect the outcome. Keep a record of your attempts and keep at it. You might find that you have a strong ability for dowsing.

Once you have gotten Dowsing Down.. you can try this:

You may not be one of the lucky ones that can see an aura.. but, if you are skilled enough you can use L Rods to find the boundaries of a person's aura. 

Have a person stand directly in front of you. Point your dowsing rods toward their chest area and slowly walk backwards. You are INSIDE of their aura (energy) field walking backwards to the outer edges. When inside up close the rods will be crisscrossed. As you walk backwards they open up. Walk backwards until the rods come together into a point.

THAT is the outer edge of the measurable aura around the human body. Have the person focus on different emotions and measure their field simply by staying in front of them.