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Dowsing
An Apologetics Index research resource

Dowsing

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Dowsers claim that they possess a natural sensitivity to alleged earth magnetism, water "radiations," or some other natural phenomenon. They believe their dowsing stick or other device (often an occult pendulum) somehow "focuses" or otherwise identifies this energy so that one is able to find water or other substances or things that one is seeking -- including oil, treasure, and lost persons or objects.

Source: Dowsing: Divine Gift, Human Ability, Or Occult Power?

[...] 1. Can one dowser find the same spot twice? and 2. Can two dowsers can find the same spot once? I told them about this and their response was, ''We don't need to do the experiment because we know dowsing works. It's been around since the Middle Ages and the historical tradition validates its truthfulness.''

I challenge all the dowsers in a similar way. Since 94 percent of the Earth's surface has water within drillable distance my challenge is to find a dry spot! They don't want to do it. Why? Because they only have a six percent chance of success. Dowsing is an idiomotor reaction that is very deceptive. It is an unconscious motion that you cannot detect and it looks for all the world like some mysterious force.

Source: Randi at CalTech: A Report From The Paranormal Trenches, by James Randi

- Articles -

Dowsing: Divine Gift, Human Ability, Or Occult Power?

by John Weldon

Dowsing (a.k.a. Water Witching)

An entry in The Skeptic's Dictionary

Testing Dowsing : The Failure of the Munich Experiments

An article from The Skeptical Inquirer, Jan/Feb 1999

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Dowsing
First posted: Aug. 13, 1998
Last Updated: Jan. 16, 2002
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Apologetics Index (apologeticsindex.org, countercult.com, cultfaq.org) provides 31,800+ pages of research resources on religious cults, sects, new religious movements, alternative religions, apologetics-, anticult-, and countercult organizations, doctrines, religious practices and world views. These resources reflect a variety of theological and/or sociological perspectives.

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Dowsing An Apologetics Index research resource

Dowsing

Dowsing
An Apologetics Index research resource