So, how does dowsing work?

[gwalchmai]

Or does it work? Some people are probably more sensitive to subtle clues they aren't consciously aware of, and maybe get lucky (?) Do you have any direct experience with it? Do you believe in it?

[ChuteTheMall]

If I was getting paid to find water, I'd find water. 

 

[jame]

I use a couple of heavy wire or light steel rods to do it.  Brass brazing rod works best for me.

I really don’t know how or why it works, or why it only works for some people and not others.  My Grandpa showed me how to do it when I was a kid.

[Fog]

I've seen it work. Used to locate water pipes. 

Also heard mixed stories of it finding a good spot for drilling a well.

But, one of the better well drillers in the area says it's baloney.

[MO Fugga]

Bend it into a long L shape, put 2 straws in your hands 90 degrees to the ground, and the short ends into the straws. Easy.

[Mrs.Cicero]

My husband can do it.  I cannot.  I have no idea why it works, or doesn't.

[M&P15T]

It's as real and proven as unicorn farts.

There was a dowser on an archeology show I watch. He was brought in to locate some water for some reason.

He was completely and utterly wrong.

[gwalchmai]

Like magnets, maybe?

 

[Peng]

[Zonny]

I’m a believer. I “felt” it. Course, I’d had a beer or two or maybe several.

[gwalchmai]

I didn't know you could use it to find beer...

[pipedreams]

I  have seen it work detecting unmarked graves in a cemetery.   Seems to detect places where the soil has been disturbed verse not disturbed.  In a modern cemetery I watched a demonstration walking down a row of grave sites.   Where it was obvious nothing was buried nothing and where there was a grave marker the rods would cross, sometimes there would be more than one burial next to one another but only one stone. This was confirmed by looking up cemetery records.

At a later time in a old grave yard that had been abandon, a local group was trying to get it state historical site status.  Before being able to get money funded they wanted more proof.  The site was walked several time with rods by different people and locations of possible burials marked.  Later probing rod were used and there were old broken grave markers found buried in the soil in a few locations. 

With the grave markers unearthed and confirmed this was enough to get ground penetrating radar brought in and do proper survey.  The radar confirmed almost all the marked sites plus detected a few other graves near the edges of the site.   

Edited April 21, 2021 by pipedreams