lauren (02/24/83)
Wait a second. If you're going to "buy" the idea that dowsing is real, then forget about magnetic fields affecting coathangers! Supposedly many dowsers use wooden "indicators". In fact, several persons who have responded directly to me on this subject claim that they've seen dowsing action so intense that pieces of wood actually stripped off such indicators. I suppose it could be claimed that the magnetic fields are affecting the people doing the dowsing, not the indicators. In this case, one might assume that the dowsers subconsciously manipulate the indicators (as discussed in other messages on this topic) in response to their "perception" of the magnetic fields. I am still very skeptical on this topic, but I have received a considerable number of replies from persons (quite a few at BTL) who have first hand experience in this area and claim dowsing is real. Nobody has offered an acceptable explanation, however. I still haven't made up my mind -- guess I won't really believe it until I get a demo... --Lauren--
mwc (02/24/83)
It is true that certain unicellular organisms (usually containing some iron rich structures) have the ability (or are forced to) to align themselves perpendicular to lines of magnetic flux. However, for complex organisms such as plummers to have some natural detector for singularities in the earths magnetic field is on the edge between reality and magic in itself. To further say that they can tap this detector at will..... Consider, for a moment, that dowsing is a form of passive metal detection. O.K. could be true, but the principals are (or should be!) far more complex than walking around with two sticks (or what have you). There are two possibilities, form what has been said on the net. 1) dowsing is a function of the sticks, coat-hangers, metal rods, what have you (how about plastic). 2) dowsing is a function of the person holding the sticks. (O.K. let me sneak in a third..) 3) dowsing is a function of the person/stick interaction. Now if 1 is true than a machine with two sticks shold be able to find pipes in the ground. Doesn't sound too good, does it? If 2 is true than why use the sticks; you should be able to find pipes just by walking around the room. Three is a possibility (when something is obscure make it so complicated to isolate that no one will ever figure it out) but what would the interaction be. It could be measured, right? Can one go dowsing with gloves on? Eyes closed? ...... So on. Lastly, what is the hit/miss ratio involved in dowsing (comming from some controled experiment). Anyone know for sure? Or is dowsing just another thing that belongs in net.believe.it.or.not? With no coat-hangers left Ziggy