Dowsing is a method used to locate underground objects of interest such as water, valuable minerals, and unmarked graves. Early dowsing was also referred to as water witching since it was mostly used to locate the presence of underground water. Dowsers use a forked divining stick when locating underground minerals and water. The stick is gripped inflexibly in each hand with the forkedend pointing upwards. As they walk over the ground, the stick is twisted suddenly as though moved by a powerful unseen energy. The stick is turned, and the forkedend points down to indicate the location of the water. Different types of wood such as hazel, peach, and willow are used by dowsers though some of them use substances such metal, ivory, and chain. Some diviners especially in India use their bare hands when locating underground water. The art of dowsing remains a misery since most dowsers are illiterates.
Dowsers claim that they have a natural feeling to earth magnetism, water radiations, and other natural phenomenon. ‘The dowsing rod focuses on the electromagnetic energy that enables dowsers find the resources they are seeking’ (Naylor, 23). Bare-handed dowsers claim that they develop a feeling like an electric shock when their palms are over underground water. Dowsers trust on occult divination when locating these substances. Dowsers can locate water masses on maps using occult pendulum. Others can locate information about any subject without time or space limits. This has created argument with scientists since dowsing discredits scientific laws and theories. Several dowsers have been put under scientific study, but a scientific explanation has never been developed to explain the phenomenon. The paranormal and supernatural forces behind dowsing cannot be subjected to good observation methods that can lead to possible conclusions. Current dowsers can locate anything they desire below and above the earth surface.
Dowsing is a phenomenon that lacks scientific validation methods, supportive evidence, cannot be reliably tested, and lacks scientific status. The practice is carried out by special people having supernatural powers and cannot be tested by straight scientists. Dowsing experiences Ad hominem fallacy that leads to an attack on the character of a person. Dowsing is only done by people with psychic powers such as diviners. They develop it as a supernatural power that does not require an educational background. ‘Dowsers possess special character that makes it possible to interact with supernatural spirits that lead them to water or mineral deposits’ (Miller and Jean, 25).This creates the logic that dowsing as a phenomenon that exists in human abilities, but not on supernatural or natural powers. Therefore, the argument on dowsing can attack the character of the dowsers and not the dowsing process. The special abilities on these people can be viewed as the factors behind dowsing abilities, which can lead to attacks on individual traits rather than dowsing itself.
The fallacy of a slippery slope is experienced in the principles behind dowsing. Early dowsers used a split twig from hazel trees when locating underground water. The dowsers then combined split metals, ivory, and other items. Modern dowsers can even use clothe hangers when locating underground pipes, sewers, oil, and water. ‘Water pipes and graves are located by detecting soil disturbances. However, underground water and minerals are not associated with soil disturbances’ (Carroll, 35). The same tool is used in these activities and the dowsing societies do not explain how the stick differentiates between water and oil or other items in the ground. When locating human graves, dowsers do not explain how the dowsing stick filters out animal remains in the ground. Slippery slope fallacy is evident in the simple tools used to locate different items using the same procedure. The tools are made from different materials and the dowsers fail to explain the variations observed in their results.
Ad ignorantiam or fallacy of ignorance exists where a belief or claim is true because it has not been proved otherwise. Dowsing has existed for centuries and diviners have helped companies locate water and mineral sites. Lost people and unmarked graves have been located by dowsers. Water companies have employed dowsers who help them locate underground streams, pipes, and sewers through the use of the dowsing stick. This has made people believe that dowsing is a true phenomenon that relies on divine intervention. This belief has led to the establishment of dowsing societies such as the American Society of Dowsing. Ignorance exists where people rarely question the ability of dowsers. Companies employing dowsers are only interested in finding minerals and water bodies but have not questioned the ability of dowsers or the occurrence of negative results. This rules out the failure of dowsing and credits it as a supernatural method of locating hidden treasure, water, graves, and other resources.
Another fallacy experienced in dowsing is that of argument from authority. The Greeks and Egyptians were among the first dowsers and were respected for their supernatural abilities. In the Old Testament, Moses used a wooden stick to locate water in the wilderness. ‘In the fifteenth century, German miners used the forked twig to locate minerals in the Harz mining region’ (Barrett and Theodore, 60). The miners were imported to England and introduced the use of a forked twig to locate minerals. The spread of dowsing in Europe can, therefore, be credited to the success experienced by Germans and ancient Greeks. The current use of dowsing in companies and other society is drawn from the success dowsers had in the ancient times. This has led to the development of scientific explanations of dowsing activities believed to interact with the earth’s magnetic field. The past successes of dowsers have had a strong influence in the current dowsing activities without scientific testing.
Fallacy of argument from final consequences is also evident in dowsing. German dowsers located minerals using a forked hazel twig. ‘Map dowsers locate targets using maps or sketches and an occult pendulum’ (Vogt and Ray, 50). Information dowsers locate their subjects with neither space nor time limits. Early dowsers located water by using a forked wooden twig. Indian dowsers have the ability to locate water sources using their bare hands. The twigs experience a violent turn when the dowsers are above the water or mineral location. These results have led to the conclusion that dowsing uses supernatural spirits to locate the resources. This also led to the first claim that dowsing was influenced by evil spirits and some ancient dowsers were suspect of sorcery. Dowsers are believed to use their psychic powers to interact with the spirits who show them the location of underground water, information, and minerals. The violent turning and the use of psychic powers have led to the conclusion that dowsing is influenced by supernatural powers.
The fallacy of confusing association with causation is evident in dowsing. This creates an assumption of the cause and effect of two variables because they occur together. Bare handed dowsers in India claim to feel a sensation of electric shock on their palms when they are over the water location. The dowsing rod twists violently and the forked end turns to point the location of the water or minerals. The dowsers may also develop a twitching sensation on his muscles when standing over water or mineral location. The sensations felt by the dowsers can be associated to the presence of water or minerals. ‘The rod acts as a muscular indicator for the presence of the water and points to its exact location’ (White, 54). This leads to the conclusion that the resource causes the muscular twitching, but does not explain the wrong results experienced after the dowsers senses the twitching.
Dowsing also experiences the fallacy of false continuum where several scholars equate the practice to religion. Religious people believe that extraordinary activities can happen in the presence of faith. ‘Dowsing practices existed in the Old Testament where prophets and other diviners used wooden rods to perform miracles’ (Post, 50). Christians characterize faith as a belief in the unseen that causes visible results or occurrences. Dowsers utilize their belief in supernatural powers to locate resources. It can be argued that their faith leads to the location of water, grave, minerals, or information. Both dowsing and religion are influenced by the existence of spirits. Religious people interact with the Holy Spirit while dowsers use their psychic powers to interact with divination spirits. The existence of dowsing in the bible leaves a fuzzy demarcation line between the two entities. Their reliance on spiritual intervention extends the fallacy of continuum.
False dichotomy fallacy is also evident in dowsing practices. Scientists and other experts have not developed experiments that can justify dowsing scientifically. There is no explanation of how wooden rods and bare hands interact with the earth’s electromagnetic field to indicate the location of water and other resources. This leaves the second assumption that dowsing relies on supernatural powers. Dowsers have to interact with spiritual forces if they cannot utilize scientific methods to locate the resources. False dichotomy exists where the set of several possibilities is reduced to two. Scientifically, wood and hands cannot experience the magnetic field. However, dowsers are successful in locating resources by using the dowsing rod. This leads to the other conclusion that dowsers have supernatural divination. The possibilities of explanations that can justify dowsing have been reduced to two; spiritual divination and scientific.
Dowsing has existed for several centuries and has helped ancient dowsers locate underground water. Miners have used the practice to locate mineral ores while hidden treasures, graves, and other substances can be located by dowsers. Modern dowsers have been employed by water, and mining companies to provide cheap exploration. They utilize simple dowsing rods such as those developed by bending a clothes hanger. This process is subject to several fallacies as it lacks scientific testing methods that can confirm the claims. Dowsing rests on specific people who have psychic powers and is attributed to supernatural powers. The act has never been proven false; therefore, people believe dowsing to be a real practice. Dowsers experience muscular sensations believed to originate from the presence of water or mineral resources. The practice has also been equated to religion due to its presence in the bible and the spiritual intervention associated with both practices. These are some of the fallacies that exist in dowsing due to lack of scientific testing and prove.
Works cited
Barrett, William, and Theodore Besterman. The Divining Rod: An Experimental and
Psychological Investigation. Kessinger Publishing, Whitefish, Montana. 2004. Print.
Carroll, Robert T. The Skeptic’s Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing
Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions. Wiley, Hoboken, New Jersey 2003. Print.
Miller, Hamish, and Jean Hands. Dowsing: A Journey Beyond Our Five Senses. Glastonbury,
Somerset: Wooden, 2009. Print.
Naylor, Peter. Discovering Dowsing and Divining. Aylesbury: Shire Publications, 2008. Print.
Post, James. Dowsing for Higher Consciousness. Lincoln, NE: Writers Club Press, 2001. Print.
Vogt, Evon and Ray Hyman. Water Witching U.S.A. (2nd Ed.). University of Chicago Press,
Chicago. 2000. Print.
White, Leila. Pendulum Dowsing and the Spirit Connection. S.l.: Universe Inc., 2010. Print.
