Have you heard of dowsing?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (338682)
Rockingham, Australia
November 2, 2024 8:20pm CST
The photo has nothing to do with the text. More photos from the Blackwood Marathon which was run last weekend.
Something came up the other day about water-divining or dowsers, not to be confused with ‘wowsers’. 
Dowsing is/was also used in an attempt to find substances other than water.
While sceptics claim it’s all rubbish, there is no denying that some people are able to ‘divine’ where water is lying under the ground. All scientific tests have shown that any positive results can be attributed to random chance but, once you’ve seen it happen, it’s hard to discount that some people are able to find water in this way.
Any dowsing I’ve witnessed has involved the person holding two L-shaped metal rods. These are held pointing straight out from the body. When over a body of water the rods will, of their own accord, turn towards each other. Some dowsers are able to state how far below the surface the water is. Some can only find running water. I guess it’s one of those things that continue to boggle our minds.
Dowsing is/was also used in an attempt to find substances other than water.
While sceptics claim it’s all rubbish, there is no denying that some people are able to ‘divine’ where water is lying under the ground. All scientific tests have shown that any positive results can be attributed to random chance but, once you’ve seen it happen, it’s hard to discount that some people are able to find water in this way.
Any dowsing I’ve witnessed has involved the person holding two L-shaped metal rods. These are held pointing straight out from the body. When over a body of water the rods will, of their own accord, turn towards each other. Some dowsers are able to state how far below the surface the water is. Some can only find running water. I guess it’s one of those things that continue to boggle our minds.22 people like this
21 responses
@Tampa_girl7 (50096)
• United States
3 Nov
I have never personally seen anyone do it, but my grandma told me about it. I believe people can do it.
4 people like this
@snowy22315 (179768)
• United States
3 Nov
Yes, I know about dowsing. I have never seen it done in person though.The pioneers used that alot to know where to put wells and such. There were certain types of branches they favored.
4 people like this
@crossbones27 (49344)
• Mojave, California
3 Nov
I have heard of it, sounds suspicions to me but I have never seen it in action to say one way or another. The closest I can get is metal rods, earths center is one big magnet, meaning it shifts and moves and magnet parts move up closer to surface making metal rods respond.
I still do not know what that has to do with water, but there is a lot of metal in water. I do not know if there is enough to make metal rods move, but maybe people are so calm they can just feel that crap. 
3 people like this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
13h
Enough on here have seen it done that I feel better about having written about it. 
I don't feel it is hocus-pocus although it sounds like it.
I don't feel it is hocus-pocus although it sounds like it.
@FourWalls (67403)
• United States
3 Nov
That shows up in a lot of old movies, people with a Y-shaped stick looking for water.
Personally, I’m a fan of drowsy-ing. 
3 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (105310)
• Marion, Ohio
3 Nov
I believe some can do it. Scientists won't admit anything they can't fully explain.
3 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16750)
• China
4 Nov
Facts speak louder than eloquence.The crux of the matter is whether the dowsers can find water.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
10h
That's so true. It's like some believing that wearing a copper bracelet helps with arthritis. If you think it helps you, then that is all that is important.
@RasmaSandra (79383)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
3 Nov
I love the photos, I never heard of the term, Oh, wait you mean look for water with a diving rod? Now that I have heard about,
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (82598)
• United States
3 Nov
I didn't know the technical term for that but I've seen those rods and people looking for water ( not in person but on tv)
2 people like this
@allknowing (135361)
• India
3 Nov
We have water diviners here and we used one who helped find our well water
2 people like this
@Fleura (30172)
• United Kingdom
4 Nov
I've heard of it and seen it. And even though there is no scientific explanation for it I know it works. It was used years ago (when I was a child) when water needed to be piped underground to supply our fields and we needed to be sure not to hit the water main to the house. We all tried it.
And recently we needed to remove a hedge from our garden and got a man to come with a stump grinder. He was worried about hitting an underground electricity cable running to the greenhouse, so he got a fancy modern cable detector from his van but failed to find anything. So after a fruitless ten minutes or so he chucked that back in the van and got a pair of dowsing rods instead, which enabled him to find it easily.
I've also seen them used to detect 'ley lines' (which may or may not exist, depending on whether you believe in them). Very amusing when they were handed to the biggest sceptic in our group and he was unable to stop them moving in his hands as he walked over the alleged energy lines
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (176794)
• United States
3 Nov
Yes, I've heard of dowsing. Great pix. Hope you have a good day.
2 people like this
@Beestring (14472)
• Hong Kong
3 Nov
I have heard of dowsing but do not know anyone who have tried it.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
10h
It's probablyl much more useful in country areas there water might be scarce.
