Dowsing, also known as water divining, is most often often associated with finding underground water; but it has also been used historically for locating minerals, lost objects and even spiritual guidance.

So, how does one dowse? A Y-shaped twig or rod, or two L-shaped ones, called dowsing rods or divining rods are normally used, and the motion of these are said to reveal the location of the target material.

The origins of dowsing trace back to ancient times. Some speculate that cave paintings in the Tassili n'Ajjer mountains of North Africa, which may be as old as 8,000 years, depict figures using forked objects in a manner reminiscent of dowsing. Similarly, ancient Egyptians and Chinese civilisations reportedly employed dowsing-like techniques. Chinese records from around 2200 BCE suggest the use of rods or pendulums for locating water and minerals.

During the Middle Ages in Europe, dowsing became more formally recognised. Miners in particular used dowsing rods to locate minerals and ores. Georg Agricola, a German mineralogist, mentioned the practice in his 1556 work De Re Metallica. The Church's views on dowsing varied during the Renaissance. Some clergy regarded it as a practical skill, while others condemned it as occult and linked it to witchcraft.

In the 17th through 19th centuries, dowsing spread across Europe and into the Americas as settlers and miners sought water sources and mineral deposits. The Enlightenment brought scientific scrutiny to the practice, but despite growing skepticism, many continued to rely on dowsing, especially in areas lacking advanced geological methods.

The 20th and 21st centuries have seen dowsing remain a niche practice. While scientific studies have largely failed to validate its efficacy, practitioners and enthusiasts maintain their belief in its usefulness.

The scientific evidence shows that dowsing is no more effective than random chance. It is therefore regarded as a pseudoscience. Critics often attribute dowsing movements to something called the ideomotor effect, where unconscious muscle movements influence the dowser’s tools. However, believers argue that subtle environmental cues or an unquantifiable "energy" guide the process.

On the flip side, there is a lot of anecdotal "evidence" in support of dowsing. Take, for example, this letter "In defence of dowsing to detect water" from The Guardian on 28 Nov 2017:

"I have never fully understood the almost visceral hatred people of a certain level of disconnection have with those who choose to use methods that work, but which may have – as yet – no scientific basis. The water companies use dowsers. They have done so for a long time. These are not stupid or flaky people, they are professional, engaged in providing a service for profit. If they didn’t work, they wouldn’t use them. Perhaps the nay-sayers would like to spend a week with a professional dowser and then see if they change their minds. Otherwise, we are just perpetuating the same kinds of hysteria that accompanied witch burnings."

Manda Scott, Clunbury, Shropshire

Story Idea: Nils Benson
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References

wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowsing
geomancyaustralia.com/2018/12/28/dowsing-for-water/
theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/27/in-defence-of-dowsing-to-detect-water

Images

1. Dowser King Faria, a former dairy farmer, during a drought in Marin County, California. 2 February 1977. Photo credit by Bettmann/Corbis
2. Dowsing for metal ore, from 1556 De re metallica libri XII
3. A dowser, from an 18th-century French book about superstitions
4. Otto Edler von Graeve in 1913. Photo credit: US Library of Congress
5. The Modern Dowser, A Practical Guide to Divining
6. Dowsing rods