Film documentary - "Divining Mom"

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Ian Pegler
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Film documentary - "Divining Mom"

Post by Ian Pegler »

Has anyone seen the film "Divining Mom"?

Here's the URL of the website:

http://www.diviningmom.com/ (link broken)


I don't have broadband, so I haven't viewed the trailers but the mp3 interview with the director is well worth listening to.

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Post by Grahame »

Hadn't even heard of that on, Ian; or of Lea Kachadorian for that matter. She must be known to Sig or Patrick, surely?

The trailer looks interesting. It seems that the relationship between dowsing mom and scientist father provides the tension and impetus of the movie. It does also feature interviews with our friend Randi and some of his chums however, churning out the same old ultra-sceptical pitch.

It's available for only $20 - I wonder how long it is? I see it's also been shown at a couple of American Society of Dowsers conventions - maybe we should invest in a copy for this year's Conference? Mind you, it's probably in NTSC format, which may present problems...
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Let's get it for congress!

Post by Ian Pegler »

Grahame Gardner wrote:Hadn't even heard of that one, Ian; or of Lea Kachadorian for that matter. She must be known to Sig or Patrick, surely?
Her face looks kind of familiar. Are you sure it hasn't been on any promotional literature in recent years?
Grahame Gardner wrote: The trailer looks interesting. It seems that the relationship between dowsing mom and scientist father provides the tension and impetus of the movie. It does also feature interviews with our friend Randi and some of his chums however, churning out the same old ultra-sceptical pitch.
Perhaps you ought to put "friend" in inverted commas here, just in case someone gets ther wrong end of the stick! :wink:
Grahame Gardner wrote: It's available for only $20 - I wonder how long it is? I see it's also been shown at a couple of American Society of Dowsers conventions - maybe we should invest in a copy for this year's Conference? Mind you, it's probably in NTSC format, which may present problems...
I'd vote for that. Surely conversion to PAL and/or Region 2 DVD is possible in this day and age? The film-maker may have this capability himself, or access to such a facility.

According to the mp3 interview the dowsers loved it.

Anyone from across the pond who's seen it care to comment?

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Post by Grahame »

Just heard from BSD office that we apparently do have a copy of some sort buried in the archives, although they can't remember if it's on DVD or VHS.

We can get hold of multi-region/NTSC-playing equipment, but that might involve some hire expense, so needs checking. I've emailed George to ask for more details. I was hoping we'd be able to play the DVD on the new EEG-purchased laptop and digital projector! <minor fanfare>

Patrick does know Lea, so will check it out with him when we meet in a couple of weeks.
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Post by Dean Appleton »

For some years now all vhs equipment has been multi format so an ordinary vhs should be able to run the American video. My one can
I bet most of the video machines owned by the readers of this list can too

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Post by Grahame »

It doesn't always work like that, Dean - your TV needs to be able to display NTSC as well as your video machine.

Anyway, it's an academic point now - I've just returned from a council meeting in Malvern with a PAL copy of the tape to have a look at and see if I think it's worth showing at Congress. I shall report back on that in due course.
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Post by Grahame »

I've just finished watching this, and thought it was really good. It's a gentle, upbeat look at US dowsers at work, mostly in Vermont, with a varied selection of interviews. There is the inevitable Randi segment where he goes through his usual sceptical routines about dowsing, but he is wonderfully counterpointed by Dean Brown, retired chief physicist for the UN Atomic Energy Commission, who points out that ultra-scepticism is in itself a pathology and not the natural human state! There is some footage of the dowsing test conducted by Randi in Germany with 13 dowsers trying to find water flowing in any one of a number of buried pipes. Randi uses this as his major rebuttal of dowsing, because it hadn't worked under controlled 'laboratory' conditions. Brown responds by saying that most traditional sciences like astronomy and geology do not take place in the laboratory, so anyone insisting on applying laboratory techniques to something like dowsing is being unscientific!

Lots of footage of water dowsers at work and well drilling, and a nice look at one of the ASD conventions.

Running time 70 minutes.

I think it would be good to show this at Congress - we will have to materialise a time slot for it however, as the program is already set.
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The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it - Terry Pratchett.
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Pathological skepticism

Post by Ian Pegler »

Grahame Gardner wrote:Dean Brown, retired chief physicist for the UN Atomic Energy Commission, who points out that ultra-scepticism is in itself a pathology and not the natural human state!
Ah, but from whence do such pathologies arise? It seems to me that some incident during one's formative years can influence the rest of one's life. Randi admits that as a youth he was arrested whilst trying to debunk a spiritualist preacher and spent some hours in a police cell.

It seems to me that it is just as possible to have an emotional investment in a dis-belief as in a belief.
There is some footage of the dowsing test conducted by Randi in Germany with 13 dowsers trying to find water flowing in any one of a number of buried pipes. Randi uses this as his major rebuttal of dowsing, because it hadn't worked under controlled 'laboratory' conditions.
What do such experiments prove? That by conducting an artificial experiment you get an artificial result!!!
Brown responds by saying that most traditional sciences like astronomy and geology do not take place in the laboratory, so anyone insisting on applying laboratory techniques to something like dowsing is being unscientific!
When Hans Dieter-Betz field-tested Hans Schroeter in Sri-Lanka the results were extraordinary, but the artificial tests done in the barn in Munich were more mixed. Again, artificial tests = artificial results.
I think it would be good to show this at Congress - we will have to materialise a time slot for it however, as the program is already set.
I think Dr. Rupert Sheldrake should get the opportunity to see it, so that he can add his comments. I realise he's on a tight schedule, however.

Ian


Edited by I.P. 14.12.08 - modified comment on Munich tests
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Ah, now I know

Post by Ian Pegler »

Ian Pegler wrote:Her face looks kind of familiar. Are you sure it hasn't been on any promotional literature in recent years?
Lea Kachadorian appeared on a promotional leaflet for the BSD International Congress in 2003. I thought I recognised her face from somewhere! :)

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Film documentary - "Divining Mom"

Post by Sig »

Lea Kachadorian spoke at our last International Congress in Manchester and was very well received. I went to college with her in the long ago Dark Ages before the hippy revolution of the later sixties, and we have been frends and colleagues ever since. She is an excellent dowser and served as a Trustee of the American Society of Dowsers for many years.

She's a good lady, a good dowser, and a good friend.

Oh yes, "Divining Mom" was made by her son, and it's a great flick!

}:-)

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Re: Film documentary - "Divining Mom"

Post by Ian Pegler »

The "Divining Mom" website has disappeared but clips from this movie are now on YouTube.

Here is the trailer on YouTube


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Re: Film documentary - "Divining Mom"

Post by Ian Pegler »

I found another good YouTube clip from this movie.



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Last bumped by Ian Pegler on Wed Jul 20, 2011 6:57 am.
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