Antiquated Science on Dowsing: A Review of Research

[REE01]

This long article was compiled as a review from many past era's of experiments on dowsing, by George P. Hansen. Try to look past the sometimes skeptical side and glean those tidbits of truth that couldn't be omitted, that are very useful, separating the wheat to be found from among the chaff of decades old verbiage.




DOWSING: A REVIEW OF EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

by GEORGE P. HANSEN


Click Link for Full Article : http://www.tricksterbook.com/ArticlesOnline/Dowsing.htm

[Ian Pegler]

This stuff is pretty old, it's been on the web for quite a while too. I don't think it's that bad though.

The last sentence sums it up quite nicely:

In short, the work investigating dowsing from a biophysical and physiological standpoint is promising but not totally compelling. Considerably more experimental work is required to support the case that dowsing is a psi process.

In other words dowsing is only of interest to parapsychologists if it's "PSI power". If it's just "bio-physical" with no PSI element then it falls down a ravine because at that point even the parapsychologists loose interest. The hard-line skeptics deny that it is either, of course.

Ian

[simonwheeler]

As this topic is now "bumped" it seems appropriate to add a link to something I found when researching on my great grandfather, Alfred W. Wills, and his partnership with Leicester Gataker, both of whom worked from Bath.
This is a very long piece- but of interest, I think.
It is a record of the "Proceedings of the Bath Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club" from 1901. and has a long opening article on Stonehenge. Then there are many other articles that may also intrigue!
To find the stuff on Gataker and dowsing, search (CTRL F and insert the search word)for Gataker. The experiment involves magnetism.

Incidentally, Alfred Wills makes it clear that both he and Gataker often used deviceless dowsing for finding water.

[ledgehammer]

Simon,

Great research article!, thanks

I especially liked the susceptability part about the reverand with the dowsing experiment:

but when the Rector, who, from sundry idiocratic
sensations, had already discovered in himself a susceptible
tendency

This identifies the point made before on perhaps why dowsing experiments are not a true indication as the individual makes a difference to the result. If the candidates are primed in the wrong way the experiment is not a true one.

Ian made a point to me about children and dowsing, and how they just go off and do it! There are no barriers or preconceptions, if preconceptions are implanted in the experiment the results will be biased.

Tom

[griff]

Hey Simon: Respect Man!..

[simonwheeler]