A dowser, from an 18th-century French book about superstitions Otto Edler von Graeve in 1913 Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, gravesites,[1] and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called currents of earth radiation (ley lines), without the use of scientific apparatus. Dowsing is also known as divining (especially in reference to interpretation of results),[2] doodlebugging[3] (particularly in the United States, in searching for petroleum[4]) or (when searching specifically for water) water finding, water witching or water dowsing.[5] There is no accepted scientific rationale behind dowsing, and there is no scientific evidence that it is effective. A Y- or L-shaped twig or rod, called a dowsing rod, divining rod (Latin: virgula divina or baculus divinatorius), a "vining rod" or witching rod is sometimes used during dowsing, although some dowsers use other equipment or no equipment at all. Dowsing appears to have arisen in the context of Renaissance magic in Germany, and it remains popular among believers in Forteana or radiesthesia.[6] Contents 1 History 2 Dowsing rods 3 Other equipment used for dowsing 4 Scientific appraisal 4.1 Suggested explanations 4.2 Betz Controversy
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 03:27:39 +0000
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