Dowsing - an introduction
Ian Pegler
Third draft
21.9.04
History
Dowsing has been around since ancient times. 8000 year-old cave paintings
showing a dowser with a forked stick were found in the Tassili-n-Ajjer
caves in south-east Libya[1]. In more recent history dowsing was used for
mining for ore in the Erzgebirge, Germany. The first written references to
the art date to 1546, in De Re Metallica by a German physician called
Georgius Agricola. Woodcut illustrations from this book show that the
dowsing rod was made from a single straight length of twig which was then
split lengthways with a knife.
Dowsing crossed the English channel to Britain from Germany in 1564, when
mining specialist Christopher Schutz was granted authority to mine in the
counties of York, Lancaster, Cumberland, Westmoreland, Cornwall, Devon,
Gloucester, Worcester and also within Wales[2]. It seems to have been more
strongly connected with certain areas (such as Cornwall) perhaps because of
the richness of the ore deposits in those areas. The early successes of
Schutz soon prompted colonies of German miners to cross the English channel
in search of work.
At some point dowsing crossed over into farming, and today as a result we
tend to view the art as being a means of searching for water using a
hazel-twig. However this was clearly not its original intended purpose.
Today dowsing is universal and as popular as ever despite the increasingly
cynical, materialistic age in which we live. Its use has expanded well
beyond the search for minerals and water and is today employed for finding
just about anything. Most recently it has been employed in the
"War on Terror"[3], although some dowsers (myself included) are very
concerned about its use in this particular way.
How it works
Dowsing works on the principle that it is possible to tune in mentally to a
particular target. Without this ability dowsing would not work because there
is no other way of discriminating between different types of target. When a
particular target has been located a physical body-reaction occurs. The
dowsing device merely serves to amplify the body's reaction and does not
move by itself.
The means by which the dowser seems to subconsciously know when he/she has
located the target is unknown. Some research suggests that the mechanism is
physical[4] but this does not explain all aspects of dowsing, such as the
ability to locate targets remotely using a map.
There seems to have been an assumption made by skeptics and believers alike
that the whole of dowsing needs to be explained by a single unifying
theory - ESP or whatever, but it seems to me that the assumption may be
erroneous. Different aspects of dowsing may be explainable by different
theories. Dowsing may be all ESP, or it may be part physical and part ESP.
You'll find plenty of ideas about how dowsing works on the world-wide web,
but they are only theories.
Before you start
Before you start with dowsing there are certain things you need to know.
The first is that your preconceptions and beliefs will affect your results.
So if you consciously believe that (say) the target is directly beneath your
feet, your rod will respond positively - regardless of whether or not it's
true. You need to have no preconceptions whatsoever and this is one of the
hardest things about dowsing.
Obviously if you're a skeptic or you let skeptical ideas and doubts upset
your beliefs about dowsing then this too will affect your results. This is
why you shouldn't dowse in the presence of skeptics. Dowsing isn't easy, and
it's almost impossible to do when you're surrounded by people whose thoughts
are hostile to your own. For this reason you should avoid any kind of
"challenge" involving money and shun the media-circus. The less stress and
the less people around when you dowse the better. Since skeptical views
will adversely affect your results it's best to avoid reading about them.
Ultimately you need to make your own assessment of dowsing and the best
and only way to find out if it works for you is through your own practical
experience. If you get it into your head that you can't do it - for whatever
reason - then of course you're shooting yourself in the foot.
A little faith works wonders.
As I said, dowsing isn't easy, and you need to allow for time and dedication
on your part before you can come to any conclusions.
Once you've gained some experience with dowsing and had some success, your
confidence will begin to grow. Eventually you will specialise in using
dowsing for your own particular field of interest and have increasing success
with time and practice. However, don't assume even at this stage that you
are good at dowsing for everything. Stick to what you know.
Focusing
There are a variety of tricks that dowsers use to help them focus in on what
they are looking for. The most common one is the use of witnesses. These are
samples of the target material which are carried about the dowsers person.
For example if a dowser is looking for gold he may carry a small item of
gold jewellery. Some pendulums have a witness chamber, which is a cavity
in the bob for holding a small witness. I've seen very sophisticated rods
("Vale Revealers")
which have a number of witnesses suspended on elastic bands near one of the
handles. Another technique is the multi-coloured Mager disc, which is used
to try to find out the quality of the water.
Figure 1 - the Mager disc
So for example you might stand over an spot where you think there might be
underground water and, holding the disc in one hand and an L-rod or pendulum
in the other, move the position of your thumb around the disc until you get
a reaction. So for example white might mean pure water and black would be
foul, highly toxic water with dead rats floating in it, with the other
colours representing various grades in between. The Mager disc can also
be used in a variety of other instances where you need a qualitative answer,
and you can find out what system works best for you by a process of trial
and error.
Colour visualisation
is commonly used as a focus for earth energies, and some dowsers paint
their rods certain colours to search for specific targets, such as blue for
water etc. Some L-rods are marked with numbers for finding the depth of
underground targets. With any of these systems it's a question of seeing
what works for you, however your own intentions and beliefs seem to
play a big part.
Using a pendulum
A pendulum is a popular choice for a lot of beginners in dowsing. Some
people seem to want to hold it in their fist, a bit like someone stirring
lumpy porridge. This would require a larger movement of the arm to move
the pendulum than is required. Since the aim is to amplify a very subtle
body-reaction your aim is always to hold your pendulum (or dowsing rod)
in such a way that even the most subtle reaction can still produce a
discernible movement of the device. Therefore in the case of the pendulum
you will hold the chord between forefinger and thumb, both of which will
be pointing downwards, as illustrated by Figure 2.
The pendulum should always be held in such a way that you feel comfortable
and relaxed. There should be no tension in your arm or shoulder. The length
of the chord should be 5 to 6 six inches long or whatever feels right for
you. A pendulum can be made of any suitable materials that may be available,
although the bob itself should be of a reasonable weight. Some people use
a metal nut and a length of sewing thread.
In operation a pendulum has three states: "yes", "no" and "search mode". For
me the pendulum rotates clockwise for "yes", anti-clockwise for "no" and
swings to-and-fro in a straight line for "search mode". How the pendulum
reacts for you may be completely different so you need to mentally
suggest: "Show me search mode", "Show me a yes" and "Show me a no".
The pendulum should then respond accordingly, so when you give the mental
command "Show me search mode" it will either stand still and do nothing or
it will move in a particular way. Note that if the pendulum remains motionless
this may be a valid response. For many people the pendulum does nothing in
search mode.
If you have problems getting responses you can mentally suggest or program
the responses you should get for each of the three states.
Figure 2 - holding a pendulum
When you use a pendulum you start off in search mode and you can obtain
"yes and "no" responses by mentally asking questions. In-between the yes/no
responses the pendulum will return to search-mode. You can test your dowsing
by searching for the water-main pipe coming into your house or by asking a
friend to hide a coin or button under a rug. Go into search mode and
visualise your target strongly. When you are over the target your pendulum
will switch to a "yes" response.
Using L-rods
Many dowsers use a pair of L-shaped rods. These can be made from wire
coat-hangers. You can make L-rods from lengths of brass rod obtainable from a
modelling shop (the type of shop that will sell aeroplane kits, model cars
etc.) by wrapping one end of a rod in electrical insulation tape, place it
vertically in a vice and hammer it into a near right-angle with a rubber
mallet. As the longer length nears horizontal, raise the rod slightly before
hammering it into a perfect right angle. Remove the rod from the vice and
take the tape off.
The tape helps protect the rod from marks and hammer blows, so use plenty.
Raising the rod slightly before you complete the task is to help prevent the
underside of the rod from being marked by the vice. You can now repeat the
process with the other rod. Use some brass-cleaner to add the finishing touch.
As with any manual work take great care and wear protective gear and clothing.
The British Society of Dowsers sells L-rods which are of very good quality.
The tips are protected by rubber caps to help prevent injury. If you make your
own L-rods it is a good idea to do something to protect the tips, such as
wrapping some tape around them.
Figure 3 - holding an L-rod
Hold your L-rods as illustrated in Figure 3. Note how the thumb is well
clear of the rod. It is very important to keep the rod level - never tilt
your forearms. Don't grip the rods too firmly. It should be possible for
the rod to sway slightly from side to side by moving your hands left and
right. As you stand holding your L-rods, your forearms and the rods should
be horizontal and pointing forwards. Keep your arms still, and once again
you should avoid tension in your shoulders and arms.
With the L-rods, search-mode always has the rods pointing straight ahead.
For the "yes" and "no" responses the rods will either turn inwards and cross,
or they will both turn outwards. You need to find what your "yes" and "no"
responses are by suggesting "Show me a yes", "Show me a no" as you did
with the pendulum.
This is the system I use when dowsing with L-rods in the field:
Stage 1 - Quality - Decide upon the nature of the target.
Stage 2 - Quantity - Are you looking for one thing or many? You
can also ask the rods if the target exists within a given distance or
space. No point searching for something that isn't there!
Stage 3 - Direction
You need to find the direction of your target. Stand with you arms by your
sides, L-rods pointing towards the ground. Now raise the L-rod in your
left hand up so that it is horizontal with the ground. Visualise the target
strongly and ask for the direction. The L-rod in your left hand should move
towards the direction of the target. This is a very tricky thing to get
right, so you should take the direction as being approximate. If the rod
turns more than 90 degrees to the left or right you should turn slightly
and do stage 3 again. When you are happy, turn and face the direction
indicated by the rod.
Stage 4 - Location
First you need to decide upon a marker. The idea is that when you walk
towards a target the rods will cross completely when a specified part of
your body (the marker) is over the target. I designate the big toe of my
left foot as my marker. You may also decide upon the distance at which the
rods begin to cross as you approach the target, e.g. three feet. Raise
both rods to the horizontal plane and ask your rods to lock on to the
target, and visualise it strongly. If you're doing it right both rods
will move in the direction of the target. Walk forward slowly, keeping the
rods horizontal and stay relaxed. Keep visualising the target. If you're
going in exactly the right direction the rods will begin to cross as you
approach the target. Slow right down. When your rods have crossed completely
you should be over the target. If you find that both of your rods veer to
the left or right as you are walking, stop and go back to stage 3.
I would not want to be over-pedantic here, this is only one system and even I
don't adhere to it absolutely rigidly. A lot depends on the circumstances.
However, it is a good idea to have a system, so in time you'll need to
figure out a system that works for you.
Using a Y-rod (or V-rod)
The modern Y-rod is a development on the traditional forked twig. The modern
rods are much better however because twigs tend to dry out and snap. The
modern Y-rod is made of two lengths of nylon or plastic bound together at one
end. These rods are practically indestructible (unless of course you do
something really stupid - we all make mistakes!). Since the arms of the rod
are evenly balanced the rod won't wobble or twitch like a twig does. Dowsers
used to be called "twig twitchers" because of the way a traditional
forked twig "twitches" in use.
Good quality Y-rods can be bought from the British Society of Dowsers and
will last a long time. You can make a Y-rod by selecting two flexible knitting
needles and sticking the pointed ends into a cork, or by using parts from
old windscreen wiper blades. If you do opt for a twig,
select a tree with flexible branches, such as willow, and try to find a twig
which has two arms of equal thickness. The thicker the wood the stronger the
reaction you'll get from it, so be careful! Some dowsers have been hit in
the face (or elsewhere) by their Y-rods!
It's more difficult to acquire the knack of using the Y-rod, but once you
know how it's no more difficult than any other dowsing device. The Y-rod is
held horizontally under a small amount of tension to keep it stable. Don't
hold the arms of the rod apart too much. If you're holding it right then
moving your arms gently up and down will not cause the rod to lose its
equilibrium. Figure 4 illustrates how to hold a Y-rod. Note how the ends of
the arms rest on the thumbs. Not all dowsers hold it this way but I find
it helps, especially with nylon which is very pliable.
You need to ascertain your reactions for the "yes" and "no" responses. For
most people the rod goes downwards for a "yes" and flicks up for "no", but for
some people the opposite is true. For some water-diviners the rod rises
gradually for a few feet, then looses power and flops down inert when they
are over the underground stream. When you are searching, you just hold the
rod horizontal. When the rod reacts it loses its equilibrium and needs to be
reset to the horizontal position before you can use it again. Relax your grip
and start again. Don't waste time "fighting" the rod.
Figure 4 - holding a Y-rod
Y-rods are still traditionally used for searching for underground water
but other tools such as L-rods can be used just as effectively. Remember
when you are dowsing for water, make sure that you qualify the terms of your
search by asking for water that is potable (i.e. drinkable). You will also
need to know how far down it is and its rate of flow. Water divining is more
involved than you might think. A good source on the subject is George
Applegate's book: The Complete Guide to Dowsing, published by Element press.
George Applegate has been locating underground water for over 50 years and is
considered one of the best in the world. He has dowsed the location of more
than 2200 bore-holes and wells and has a failure-rate of less than 1%.
Hand dowsing
Once you have gained some competence with a rod or pendulum you may like to
try what's known as "deviceless dowsing". If you can get the hang of it,
dowsing with just your hands is very advantageous so it's well worth spending
some time trying to learn how. There are many methods for doing hand dowsing
and it is a question of seeing what works for you. There is no one method
which is "correct". In fact there's something idiosyncratic about the whole
of dowsing. You've probably gathered that by now.
I learned the following method from a successful lady dowser from Dorset,
England. The idea is to lean slightly towards your right arm (or left arm if
you're left-handed) which you let hang limp, and to simply use the whole of
your arm as a pendulum. Once again you'll need to ascertain your "yes", "no"
and "search" responses but these will probably be the same as your normal
pendulum. Another method is to hold your hands level with your solar plexus
and press your thumbs together to make a sort of V-shape (see Figure 5)
pointing towards your chest. This is one method that I use. When I get a
positive reaction the equilibrium is lost and my arms drop down. For a
negative reaction the thumbs drop down instead.
Figure 5 - hand dowsing
Conclusion
People sometimes ask me whether or not there is any scientific "proof" for
dowsing. It seems to me that the skeptics are missing something, especially
in terms of the experiential aspect. Science is only relevant up to a point.
If you have a hunch about something then you investigate and find out if your
hunch was right or wrong. You don't dismiss the hunch on the grounds that
hunches have never been scientifically investigated in a laboratory. It would
seem an extraordinary assumption to even suggest that this might be possible.
The proper way to investigate experience is from within, not from without.
Dowsing is a form of experience. It is about feelings, instinct, intuition,
ESP, gut-reaction, the collective subconscious - call it what you will. It's
time to stop denying this aspect of human nature. The way to investigate
dowsing is to just do it. One final tip - with dowsing, always go with
your first instinct, even if you think it may be wrong.
Happy dowsing! :-)
Ian's dowsing web-pages
© Copyright Ian Pegler 2004
[1] Dowsing for Beginners, Richard Webster, Llewellyn Publications 1997
[2] The Divining Hand, Christopher Bird, Whitford Press 1993
[3] This has been reported in several places. I came across it in Private Eye, August 2003.
[4] See Chapter 14 of The Divining Hand, Christopher Bird,
Whitford Press 1993, for the work of Dr. Zaboj V. Harvalik.
Also see Focus
issue 140 for the article "What lies beneath" by John Gribbin.
This article examines the work of former Astronomer for Scotland Vincent Reddish.
Contact details
Ian Pegler
22 Erw Goch
Waun Fawr
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 3AZ
Wales, UK