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"Dowsing: Divine Gift, Human Ability, Or Occult Power?" (an article
from the Christian Research Journal, Spring 1992, page 8) by John
Weldon.
The Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Research Journal is
Elliot Miller.
-------------
Many first-time observers of the ancient art of dowsing have
watched in mute fascination as a dowser seeks out -- and finds --
underground water. This feat the dowser accomplishes merely by
walking the land with his or her dowsers' stick until it is
forcefully thrust downward at the location where the water is to be
found.
Although millions of people have come to accept dowsing as a
unique ability or even a divine gift, few have examined this
widespread and seemingly innocuous practice critically -- with an
eye to uncovering the real source behind its power. The fact that
dowsing is also increasingly accepted in the church as a spiritual
practice adds to the need for an evaluation of this technique.
Dowsing itself is a broad category encompassing many different
forms, one of which is dowsing for water. It is the thesis of this
article that all forms of dowsing are ancient pagan practices that
are really forms of divination.
*HOW DOWSING ALLEGEDLY WORKS*
Dowsers claim that they possess a natural sensitivity to
alleged earth magnetism, water "radiations," or some other natural
phenomenon. They believe their dowsing stick or other device (often
an occult pendulum) somehow "focuses" or otherwise identifies this
energy so that one is able to find water or other substances or
things that one is seeking -- including oil, treasure, and lost
persons or objects.
The fact that dowsing works is clearly its major defense.
Dowsers think that if it works it must therefore be both a helpful
and legitimate method: "What interests us about all dowsers is not
the theories they develop but the results they obtain. It is these
results which will attract more and more adepts [initiates] as well
as less and less convinced adversaries."[1]
Hoffman-La Roche, the huge multinational pharmaceutical company
headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, has been employing dowsers on
the company's payroll since 1944. The dowsers are used in seeking
water for the company's operations. When interviewed as to the
unscientific nature of dowsing, a company spokesperson replied as
follows: "Roche uses methods that are profitable, whether they are
scientific or not. The dowsing method pays...."[2]
But so do prostitution and selling crack cocaine -- in the
short run. The question remains: should dowsing be used if it is
really a method of occultic divination? Before I document that it
is and therefore should be avoided, we need to understand the
influence, variety of phenomena, and wide-ranging uses of modern
dowsing.
*THE INFLUENCE AND PHENOMENA OF MODERN DOWSING*
The modern impact of dowsing is unmistakable. Dowsing societies
exist throughout the world -- in Britain (e.g., The British Society
of Dowsers), Kenya, Sweden, New Zealand, Austria, Argentina,
Vietnam, Germany, India, Spain, Israel, Mexico, and other
countries. In France, dowsers have a national union, and dowsing
societies in many countries -- such as the United States and
Germany -- have memberships of several thousand. Today, dowsing is
used by medical personnel, public utilities, geologists, engineers,
and even the military.[3]
*Types of Instruments*
The instruments of dowsing are nearly endless, as are the uses.
As I will show, this fact underscores the psychic nature of dowsing
in that the dowsing power does not reside in the object used.
Consider the variety of implements that have been employed to
dowse: pencils, scissors, pliers, welding rods, jewelry, candles,
seashells, needles, bent coat hangers, crowbars, guns, whale or
shark bones, barbed wire, clothes, water "bobbers," feathers,
"aura" meters, cut tree or shrub branches -- even thumbs, fingers,
hands, or feet (i.e., no instruments at all).[4] Obviously, the
kind of equipment one uses is irrelevant. The power resides
somewhere else. The key question is: What is the true origin of the
power used by the dowser? Later I will show why I believe the real
source of a dowser's power is the spirit world.
Nevertheless, every effort is made to remove dowsing from the
halls of occultism. Promoters continually stress its supposed
"scientific" nature, but they cannot easily escape the supernatural
and occultic reality of their art.
*Varieties of Dowsing*
Raymond C. Willey is the author of _Modern Dowsing: The
Dowser's Handbook._ He has dowsed for over fifty years and was
instrumental in organizing the American Society of Dowsers (ASD).
He served as its secretary and was editor of its periodical, _The
American Dowser,_ for over a decade. Willey accepts four basic
methods of dowsing: (1) _Field Dowsing_ -- the "traditional" use of
dowsing which involves locating water, objects, and so forth on a
given terrain. This is called "witching the area"; (2) _Remote
Dowsing_ -- "witching the area" is not required in this approach.
Instead, the dowser locates the target from a distance of up to
several miles; (3) _Map Dowsing_ -- the dowser locates the target
using a map or sketch, often accompanied by the use of an occult
pendulum. There are no distance limits here, since the dowser can
supposedly locate his or her target even 10,000 miles away; (4)
_Information Dowsing_ -- the dowser obtains needed information on
any subject with neither space nor time limits. Willey observes
that "information dowsing not only saves time, but can aid greatly
to increase the scope of the dowsing process."[5]
When people think of dowsing they often assume the process is
confined to category one -- field dowsing. In fact, it is all four
categories that constitute the practice of dowsing. Willey concedes
that although all four areas involve dowsing, many people only
accept the possibility of field dowsing.[6]
The reason for this is simple. Field dowsing appears to offer
the greatest opportunity for a mundane explanation. Here we are
presented with a variety of "naturalistic" theories to supposedly
explain the phenomena -- from an innate sensitivity, to so-called
radiations, to currently unexplored alleged geophysical
phenomena.[7] Were the supernatural element not apparent in other
forms of dowsing, one might think that simple water dowsing _could_
have a natural explanation. But, as we will see, this view is
problematic at best.[8]
*The Uses of Dowsing*
At this point I will list a sampling of dowsing uses culled
from the principal U.S. periodical, _The American Dowser._[9]
Anyone who reads this list and still believes dowsing is a
scientific practice rather than a psychic ability has more faith in
science than is safe.
Dowsers claim their art has successfully been used: to instruct
children in developing their psychic abilities; to find
accident-prone highway sections; in veterinary diagnosis; for
automobile diagnosis (car dowsing); to derive information in a
pending malpractice suit; in narcotics detection; to find fish in
the lake (and whether or not they are biting!); to find
archaeological sites and artifacts; for finding downed planes or
tracking submarines and ships (e.g., predicting the time of their
arrival, not to mention their contents and port of origin); to
check an area for snakes; in sport hunting (e.g., dowsing for
deer); to find unmarked graves; to find lost objects or valuables,
murder weapons, and so forth; to find missing persons (e.g.,
determining whether or not a person is dead by their photograph
and, if alive, locating them); for checking the "accuracy" of
students' homework; to determine if letters, wills, paintings, and
signatures are genuine or forged; to track storms; for use in
astrology and most other forms of the occult; to detect multiple
personalities or spirit possession; to find "subconscious blocks";
to determine the soil composition and fertilizer needs of one's
house or garden plants; to sort eggs to determine the sex of the
chick.
As if all this were not enough, dowsers Erwin Stark, Raymond
Willey, and Gordon MacLean[10] tell us that in addition to the
above we can: track down hunted criminals; uncover a spouse's
infidelity; locate "subluxations" or cavities if we are
chiropractors or dentists; forecast the weather; measure
intelligence; detect pregnancy; find the "right" medical specialist
for rare diseases by dowsing the phone book; find ghosts or
poltergeists; detect acupuncture points; determine the height,
weight, and age of kidnappers or rapists; detect oncoming
earthquakes; determine edible plants in the wilderness; find
avalanche victims; and -- for the amateur astronomer -- determine
the composition of moon rocks, determine whether or not a planet is
inhabited, and diagnose the conditions of the astronauts before
they land. (Not to mention the further benefit of locating fleas on
one's dog!)
Now, did I leave anything out? (How about returning safely from
the Twilight Zone?)
*DOWSING AND THE CHURCH*
The research of Ben G. Hester, Dr. Kurt Koch, and others
reveals that dowsing is considered an acceptable, or at least
innocent, practice in the minds of many Christians. Dr. Koch
observes that "believing Christians are divided on the question of
what they should think of rod and pendulum [dowsers]. I have met
doctors, pastors, missionaries, and even evangelists who use the
rod or pendulum and believe they have received this gift from
God."[11] Hester, whose text on the subject is probably the best
expose available, personally told me how dowsing was practiced
extensively among the leadership of a large, conservative,
denominational church.[12]
To cite another illustration, Monte Kline, an evangelical
Christian promoter of many dubious holistic health methods (e.g.,
homeopathy and applied kinesiology) argues that the practice of
dowsing is a natural ability and therefore acceptable on the
following basis:
After some study and considerable experience in dowsing
myself, as well as training others, I am quite certain
this is merely a natural, explainable phenomenon....My
training in dowsing came from a committed,
doctrinally-sound, Spirit-filled Christian, and I have
trained two other above reproach Christian men (one of
them a pastor) in dowsing. An associate recently shared
with me that a relative of his, a well-known former
evangelical Bible college president, has dowsed for water
all his life.[13]
Christian dowsers sometimes attempt to justify the practice by
appealing to the Bible. Unfortunately, Christians who claim the
Bible teaches dowsing are forced to treat Scripture in the same
manner as cultists who distort it to justify their particular
religious beliefs and practices.
Biblical passages that refer to digging wells or searching for
water -- but never mention dowsing -- are said to be
"mistranslated." If they were "properly" translated they would,
supposedly, mention dowsing.[14]
In fact, there is only one direct reference to dowsing in the
Bible. But here the practice is specifically condemned by God: "My
people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner's wand informs
them; for a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, and they have
played the harlot, departing from their God" (Hos. 4:12). And so,
the verdict of Scripture is that those who practice dowsing are
being led astray by "a spirit of harlotry" and have "departed from
their God."[15]
Further, the Bible condemns divination by name in several
passages. Because dowsing is a form of divination, it is also
rejected in such passages. For example, God tells His people,
"There shall not be found among you anyone who...practices
divination..." (Deut. 18:10).
Let's consider one example of how Christian dowsers seek to
justify their practice. In his article, "Dowsing: Its Biblical
Background" (from _The American Dowser_), Reverend Norman Evans
finds it difficult to admit that dowsing is not taught in
Scripture. Rather, he attempts to show that it _is_ taught although
"hidden in Biblical references" and "not plainly evident at the
first reading."[16]
Evans even quotes Hosea 4:12 in _defense_ of his view, "My
people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto
them...."[17] But, somehow, he fails to quote the remainder of the
Scripture, "for a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, and they
have played the harlot, departing from their God."
Still, he proceeds to claim, "Abraham, Issac and Jacob were
undoubtedly dowsers."[18] He even classifies dowsing as one of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit: "I would be very happy if Paul had listed
'dowsing.' But he did not....However, Paul mentions 'knowledge.' I
shall classify dowsing within the gift of knowledge."[19] He
concludes, "As a Christian my gifts are a part of my offering when
I yield myself to my Savior. Love is the way in which gifts are to
be used...."[20]
But Reverend Evans never demonstrates that dowsing can be
considered the biblical gift of knowledge or any other gift of the
Holy Spirit. Further, his argument is spurious. Activities that are
condemned in the Bible as sinful and occultic can never be used "in
love." Would God ever accept the other activities condemned along
with divination in Deuteronomy 18:9-12 -- such as sorcery,
witchcraft, necromancy, and human sacrifice -- merely because the
one using them claimed to do so "in love"? All kinds of evils are
done in the name of "love"; this does not justify them.
Unfortunately, many dowsers continue to maintain that their
"gift" is from God.[21] Even the official "Dowser's Prayer" which
hangs on the wall of the American Society of Dowsers in Danville,
Vermont accepts that dowsing is a gift of God: The Dowser's Prayer
reads: "Lord, guide my hands, enhance my sensitivity, and bless my
purpose that I may be an instrument of Your power and glory in
locating what is searched for."[22]
*DOWSING AND SCIENTIFIC TESTING*
Dowsers often claim that their practice is scientific. They do
so despite other dowsers freely confessing that "Dowsing is
witchery" and that it "violates every principle of known
science."[23]
Worldwide, scientific testing of dowsing consistently disproves
the dowser's claim that it merely represents a natural or learned
sensitivity to radiations or some other physical phenomenon.
Careful examination of the claims and activities of dowsers (which
are frequently contradictory) reveal that there is no factual basis
for regarding dowsing as a physical phenomenon. For example,
controlled tests conducted by famous magician and psychic debunker
James Randi yielded no evidence that dowsers have any unique
ability to find water. Like other people claiming psychic powers,
dowsers -- when their abilities are tested scientifically --
characteristically fail.[24]
In fact, dowsing abilities have been examined in many countries
around the world, and the results do not confirm the scientific
claims of dowsers. Tests in Australia, the Netherlands, New
Zealand, and elsewhere prove that dowsing does not work on the
basis of its stated claims.[25]
In 1984, Michael Martin, a professor of philosophy at Boston
University, tested Paul Sevigny himself, the president of the
American Society of Dowsers. He reports that even after 40 trials,
Sevigny performed at levels worse than chance.[26]
After Martin reviewed his own results, those of James Randi,
plus a scholarly overview of the evidence for dowsing provided by
Evon Vogt and Ray Hyman,[27] he concluded: "The available evidence
can be succinctly summarized: When dowsers perform under controlled
conditions, they do not do better than one would expect by
chance."[28]
*DOWSING AND THE OCCULT*
From ancient times dowsing has been considered an occult art,
and has often been defined as a form of witchcraft. The common
descriptive terms "witching" and "water witching" reveal how
closely the taint of witchcraft has remained to this day.
Historically, the church has labeled dowsing as a work of the
Devil,[29] a fact even many dowsers concede.[30]
In this section I will supply my reasons for classifying
dowsing as an occultic, spiritistic power rather than the normal
human ability or divine gift that dowsers claim. Below I will list
seven common characteristics of dowsing practice that reveal its
true nature as a psychic ability.
*_(1) Many dowsers enter a trance when dowsing._* Dowsers admit
that a particular "mood" or altered state of consciousness is vital
for dowsing to work.[31] Note the following descriptions from
dowsing literature:
The dowser enters into a light trance as he or she
becomes more involved with the person, place or thing
being sought, and less involved with his or her own
thoughts. I was once startled by someone when I was map
dowsing and was quite surprised to discover how deeply I
had become involved in a state of trance.[32]
The secret of good dowsing...is a curious state of
mind....Dowsing has been compared to a mild state of
hypnosis, or trance, or meditation.[33]
The fact that dowsing requires an altered state of
consciousness in order to work properly suggests it is not a
scientific practice.
*_(2) Dowsing may cause one to develop other psychic
abilities._* As dowsers progress in their practice, many of them
discover they are slowly developing psychic powers. The fact that
dowsing can lead to the development of psychic abilities (such as
telepathy and clairvoyance) is mentioned by Hester and many
practicing dowsers.[34] For example, as a member of both the ASD
and the British Society of Dowsers comments: "Over many years I
find the methods used by me have, in the course of their progress,
transferred to Psychometry and now Astral projection, the latter
two methods projecting me to all parts of the World, no matter how
remote."[35]
The fact that dowsing can cause one to develop psychic
abilities also associates dowsing with the world of the occult and
spiritism, not science.[36]
*_(3) Dowsing requires faith, respect, and a personal
interaction/response with the rod._* Raymond Willey observes that
"you must be prepared to treat this faculty of dowsing with
respect."[37] Further: "Anything that causes the dowser to question
the act, or to lose 'faith' in it, immediately renders him
incapable of performing. He can get no answers from his device, or
method....We have found repeatedly that a mental 'set' or faith is
an absolute necessity to successful dowsing."[38]
The facts of dowsing suggest that the force behind this
practice is personal, intelligent, and desirous of human
interaction. Perhaps this is one reason Martin Luther referred to
dowsing as a form of idolatry.[39] If men were only dealing with an
impersonal force, it would never require _respect,_ or _faith,_ or
_personal_ communication. But these responses are exactly what
spirit guides require and demand of their human mediums. Many
illustrations of this kind of spirit-human interaction could be
cited from those who use Ouija boards, the I Ching, rune dice,
tarot cards, or who employ ceremonial magic and other forms of the
occult.[40]
Many indications exist that a personal spirit entity operates
through the dowsing implement and that interaction with it is
necessary for success. For example, the dowser is instructed to ask
specific questions of his rod or pendulum. In reading the accounts
of dowsers' personal communications with the supposedly impersonal
"force" of dowsing, one is immediately struck by the similarity to
a Ouija board and other psychic oracles that require "yes" or "no"
answers: "Every move, question or word in the dowsing act speaks of
supernormal intelligence -- greater intelligence than can be
credited to any phenomenon of human intellect....Every book or
pamphlet on dowsing instruction stresses the necessity to ask the
device questions from the very first try. They urge the learner to
keep trying until the thing suddenly does answer.... Is there any
basic difference in this and the use of the Ouija Board?"[41]
The Ouija board itself, of course, is merely wood, just like
the dowser's stick. Yet it is difficult to deny that there is
frequently a living power behind it -- an independent, personal
spirit entity that demands one to inquire of it if one wishes
success. And few who are familiar with the facts surrounding the
potential consequences of using a Ouija board would venture to deny
that this power is evil.[42]
Willey confesses of dowsing: "One of its most dramatic features
is its 'selectivity.' This means dowsing supplies an answer to a
_specific_ question....(You have learned how a _yes_ and _no_
answer is obtained from dowsing devices, often obtaining answers to
questions which cannot be answered from other sources)."[43]
Another dowser acknowledges the universal necessity for the
following: "Always decide precisely what you seek and ask for it in
unmistakable terms."[44]
Dowsers are thus taught to talk to the power. But one can only
ask why this is so. And one can only wonder -- _to whom are they
talking?_ Why does a truly impersonal force need to be spoken to?
How can it "demand" this -- unless, of course, one is really
dealing with something personal like a spirit entity?
*_(4) Dowsing is linked to other forms of the occult._* Dowsing
is often linked with other forms of occult practice. For example,
dowsers have made connections between dowsing and such practices as
astral projection, remote viewing, shamanism, and yoga.[45] Dowsers
also frequently employ occult pendulums and other radionic devices
(i.e., instruments used for detecting "vital energy").[46] Most
water dowsers are typically "sensitive" to the pendulum and a
majority of dowsers employ it.[47] This is why dowsing societies
routinely sell a wide variety of pendulums and other occult
implements such as "aura indicators."[48] But all such implements
are simply useless radionic devices: the psychic power comes from
the spirit entity who works behind the device, not the device
itself.
All divinatory methods utilize some principal object that
becomes the focus and/or vehicle through which spirits work to
serve the client and produce the needed answer to questions,
character analysis, future prognostication, and so forth. The
object becomes the contact material for spirits to work through.
The following is a sampling of common forms of divination with
their associated contact materials. _Astrology:_ the horoscope
chart; _tarot:_ a deck of cards with symbols; _I Ching:_ sticks,
printed hexagrams; _runes:_ dice; _Ouija board:_ an alphabet
planchette; _Radionics/psychometry:_ the divining rod, pendulum,
"black box" (a diagnostic apparatus for calibrating energy
patterns); _palmistry:_ the hand; _crystal-gazing:_ the crystal
ball or crystal rock; _metoscopy/physiognomy/phrenology:_ the
forehead/face/skull; _geomancy:_ combinations of dots or points;
_water-dowsing:_ the forked stick or other object.
Is it reasonable to expect that mere pieces of paper bearing
symbols (horoscopes), simple forked sticks, cards, hands, dice,
letters of the alphabet, rocks, facial lines, or dots could supply
miraculous information? Even many practitioners of these arts refer
to "supernatural influences" -- to gods and spirits who operate
through these methods.
Space does not permit documenting the spiritistic nature of the
above, but sufficient illustrations are cited elsewhere to
establish that even practitioners of those arts acknowledge or
suspect spirit influence in their methods.[49] Frequently, these
practices do two things: they develop a person psychically[50] and
they lead to spirit contact (though in many forms of divination
this may not be readily discernible).[51]
*_(5) Christian activities such as conversion and prayer hinder
dowsing powers._* Conversion to Christ may mean loss of the dowsing
ability altogether. Prayer may hinder or prevent the dowsing
process. For example, Hester and Koch both refer to cases where
conversion and/ or prayer have had these effects.[52]
This reveals an additional link to spiritism. Regeneration
(John 3:3-8; 6:63; 2 Cor. 5:17) and answers to prayer (Prov. 15:8,
29; 1 John 5:14) are activities of God. When these activities
counteract certain practices, then, by definition, those practices
cannot be activities of God, or else God would be seen to work
against Himself. Thus dowsing cannot be a gift of God.
We would expect the activity of the demonic spirit world to be
hindered by conversion or prayer. Jesus came to destroy the works
of the Devil (1 John 3:8). Consequently, Christian actions can
hinder genuine psychic activity but it is not credible to think
that a neutral or natural power would be so affected by Christian
activity. Thus dowsing is also not a natural human ability.
Christian dowsers often reply that they have "prayed" about
using the device. But does one ever pray about committing the sin
of divination? Since dowsing is condemned in Scripture (Hos. 4:12;
Deut. 18:9-12) there is no need to pray about employing the
practice. If one is ignorant of the biblical prohibition, that is
one thing. But if one knows that God has warned against divination,
to _then_ pray concerning whether or not it is permissible reflects
doubt over God's Word (James 1:5-8).[53]
*_(6) Dowsing power is uncontrollable and supernatural._* If
dowsing were really a learned human ability _then_ it could be
controlled at will, just like any other learned human ability from
bike riding to typing.
What proves dowsing is _not_ a human ability is its
uncontrollable nature, independent will, and supernatural power.
Because the issues involved are so important I will document this
section in a bit more detail.
Let me begin with a personal illustration. "Sam" is a friend of
mine who owns a farm in California. He called a local drilling
company only to discover they employed a dowser to locate water.
Although he was skeptical, Sam agreed to permit the dowser to
try to find the best spot to drill. The dowser cut a forked branch
from a tree and proceeded to walk the property. Everyone present
noticed the forceful thrust of the stick downward. But Sam was more
skeptical than ever.
The dowser offered to prove the power was real. He challenged
Sam to use the stick himself. Sam proceeded to walk the property.
When he got to the same spot as before, the stick was powerfully
thrust downward as if by an invisible hand. Sam was shaken; he
couldn't believe it. He knew he had done nothing to move the stick,
but it had still reacted powerfully to the same location. Next, the
rest of Sam's family tried. It worked for two others, but for three
additional members it would not work at all -- no matter what they
did. Nevertheless, water was found at the exact spot the stick
indicated.
The next day Sam relayed this incident to me. I informed him
that this was a spiritistic ability and something to be avoided.
Sam did not want to believe in such things and challenged, "Look,
I'll show you it works."
As he proceeded to cut a branch from a tree, I told him that
there would be no power manifested. Try as he would, Sam could not
get the stick to react. In fact, he kept cutting different branches
from trees and bushes, thinking the power somehow resided in the
"proper" branch. But, I explained, the power resides in the spirits
who work through the dowser. No power was manifested because (1)
the dowser was not there, therefore his spirit guide was probably
not present; and (2) even if it were, I had prayed that God would
prohibit spiritistic activity.
Sam never understood why the power wasn't there. It was
obviously present one day. But the very next day it was entirely
absent. "Why?" he asked over and over, mystified.
This reveals that dowsing cannot work on the basis of a natural
sensitivity to water "radiations," which most dowsers claim. If
that theory were true, the experiment should have worked the second
time because the water was still there and it had powerfully worked
for Sam the day earlier. And if it is a natural practice, why did
it only work for certain members of Sam's family? The fact that it
did not work for everyone shows that some other factor must have
been responsible.
A former _ASD_ editor reveals a conclusion arrived at by many
practitioners, that the dowsing power operates _independently_ of
the dowser:
There is easily demonstrated evidence that the force
which moves the dowsing device is independent of the
_searching-out ability_ of the dowser....These
facts...have been given little weight by most students of
dowsing....many who could create this movement [are]
reluctant to do so in public because there were
supernatural implications....[54]
Another leader in dowsing reports, "the force can be
activated to move devices when no dowsing search is
involved, demonstrating that this unknown force has an
independent existence,..."[55]
But the power of dowsing is too great to be explained by
anything natural or human. An examination of dowsing phenomena
itself reveals that a genuine supernatural power is at work. Note
some illustrations:
Hard as I gripped, I couldn't keep that rod vertical,
although I persisted until my hands were on the verge of
blisters.
Strong men have tried all kinds of gadgets to retard
the movement of the dowsing rod without avail -- the best
one can describe the movement of the rod is that the
movement, being very sudden, is like a mysterious hand
which grasps the end of the rod and either moves it up or
down. Even at times when one is practicing on something
that is _known_ to be present the shock of the movement
is so sudden that one wonders where the power comes
from.[56]
Hester cites his own conclusion and then supplies a personal
anecdote that underscores the power of the force operating behind
dowsing:
It can be stated no more clearly, _it is an outside force
that moves the rod,_ not the slight muscle twitch of the
dowser's arms. We watched and interviewed an
internationally known dowser who, at our request used two
pairs of pliers to hold his forked stick. The pull
downward by some external force was so great it stripped
the bark off the stick held in the pliers. We tried to
pull the stick up from its downward position and found it
necessary to exert what we estimated to be more than a
ten pound pull.[57]
Another indication of the spiritistic nature of dowsing is
that, as even dowsers confess, the dowsing power has an independent
_will_ of its own:
The rod or the pendulum seems to take off spontaneously,
moved by some force which you can't understand or
control, and like anything supposedly inanimate which
seems to have a will of its own, it can be unnerving.[58]
It may even be best to pretend that the pendulum or
the rod has an independent existence, its movements
willed from outside in spite of your rational brain
saying that this is impossible. The British dowsing
instructor, Tom Graves puts it this way: "Treat the
instrument as if it has a life and mind of its own, which
in most senses it hasn't but that's beside the point. I
sometimes think of instruments as being like cantankerous
children: they won't work unless you ask them to, and
certainly won't work if you try and force them to; they
occasionally lie and sometimes sulk and refuse to work at
all; so you have to use a little guile, a little
ingenuity, and a little wit to get the results you
need....[59]
And, just as clearly, the dowsing power is not subject to human
control:
Looking at the history of tests of dowsing ability
held under controlled experimental conditions, it is
clear that none of them have unambiguously proved dowsing
to be a repeatable faculty to be summoned at will.[60]
Dowsers have always been aware of a physical force
they could not control.[61]
Once started in its movement [the implement] _cannot_
be controlled or stopped by the dowser. This is the
witness of every experienced dowser. They describe it in
such terms as "almost frightening," "challenging,"
"exciting," and "my greatest experience." Dr. Bruce Copen
of Sussex, England...describes this vividly..."one thing
is very certain, that once the rod decides to move -- it
_moves_ and nothing can stop it!"[62]
It is also clear that, just like the spirit world, dowsing has
access to supernatural information -- information a person could
not possibly know by normal means. The dowsing rod is supposedly
able:
(1) to have total recall of past events, (2) to foretell
future events, (3) to project itself through anything,
(4) to project itself anywhere instantaneously, (5) to
contain infinitely more information than it had ever been
taught or heard of, and (6) advise its present possessor
on all things in a manner than [_sic_] can be classed as
no less than superhuman. Some dowsers attribute these six
characteristics to "the God within you."[63]
In addition, because dowsing is practiced worldwide, this means
the dowsing power can somehow respond to literally scores of
foreign languages. The dowser must ask the device specific
questions to receive specific answers. But how did an impersonal
force learn every language under the sun? More to the point, how
did it learn _any_ language at all?
*_(7) Dowsing is a hazardous activity._* In another text I have
documented that numerous psychological, spiritual, and physical
ailments may be associated with psychic and occult activities.[64]
If dowsing is truly a psychic activity, it is logical to expect
similar types of hazards. T. E. Coalson refers to the
characteristic minor ailments, the "number of...physical
discomforts in dowsing: malaise, headaches, tension, and
irritability."[65] Hester observes: "That it is detrimental to the
health of the dowser is a matter of record" and he supplies many
illustrations.[66]
Other hazards are the more obvious ones, such as being deceived
by the device (e.g., leading to financial loss) and incorrect
medical diagnosis leading to further complications or death. "We
found many well drillers reluctant to discuss dowsing, but after
friendly conversation their reluctance changed to bitter
denunciation of the dowsers and the financial havoc they create by
their failures."[67]
Frances Hitching quotes research chemist P. A. Orgley: "The
nuisance value and the menace of dowsing is not sufficiently
realized. A water or mineral witcher can cause an awful waste of
private and public money. The medical witcher can cause a waste of
public life."[68]
Finally, Hester discusses his response to a Christian dowser
who claimed the technique was harmless:
The record is there for the reading....nausea, dizziness,
convulsive pains, muscle spasms, loss of memory, fainting
and headaches during and after the simplest type of
dowsing -- water witching. Some dowsers do not recover
their sense of well being for hours or many days after
witching. This does not include the physical discomfort
of some types of dowsing: bleeding hands, burning feet,
the rod flying back to slap the dowser in the face as
the water is located (we know of one dowser who wears a
crash helmet to take the force of the blow)....Dr. Kurt
Koch has told us of dowsers who, although apparently
suffering none of the above effects, have fallen prey to
severe psychic disturbances at a later date. Dr. Koch has
also recorded case histories of severe psychological and
psychic trauma by recipients of medical dowsing. We have
written of the harm a dowser can cause a "victim" at
will, but it is obvious that if this occult power is used
to cause harm, it will seldom, if ever, be confessed.[69]
*Dowsing and Spiritism*
I have summarized seven reasons that collectively assign
dowsing an occultic status. This coincides with its use throughout
history where the staff has been a tool of witchcraft, magic,
sorcery, and other occult arts. Despite its modern explanations
being couched in scientific or psychological language, the occult
nature of dowsing has not changed throughout the centuries. I agree
with several critics who have pointed out after an exhaustive
analysis that "everything we have presented here shows that the
forked stick or any other dowsing device has _nothing but_ occult
associations."[70] But even dowsers will occasionally confess to
the occult nature of their art.
The former president of the British Society of Dowsers, Major
General Jedyll Scott Elliot, made the following comment to George
Crite at the annual convention of the American Society of Dowsers.
This was reported in an article, "Water Witching" by George Crite
himself, in _New Times_ magazine: "What all of us are doing at this
convention is witchcraft; in another age we could have been burned
for it."[71]
Some dowsers also admit connections to the spirit world. A
report on one dowsing seminar confessed that "dowsers...are always
surrounded by discarnate entities eager to express
themselves....They most easily accomplish this by breaking in and
influencing the movement of whatever dowsing instruments are being
used...."[72]
Another dowsing instructor personally revealed to Hester that
his real source of power was a spirit entity and that "several
well-known historical figures were his 'spirit guides.'" Further:
"Verne L. Cameron, the grand old man of dowsing, known all over the
world for his ability, and completely generous in sharing his
'know-how' tells in _Aquavideo_ that his decision to dowse (he was
primarily a water dowser) is nothing more than getting in touch
with a spirit entity. He makes it sound like a most beneficial
experience, saying that the entity will tell you things you never
dreamed of."[73]
A former dowser who became a Christian concluded that dowsing
was "nothing more than an _instrument of divination._ The spirit
that takes over the mind of the passive dowser is a divining spirit
as described in the Bible."[74]
Even Hitching, a dowser, admits: "The use of the pendulum in
dowsing seems to have grown naturally out of its ancient use,
worldwide, among priests and seers to divine the future and receive
messages from the world of the spirits."[75]
All this is why, after years of research into dowsing,
including discussions with many leading dowsers, Hester concluded
that "we can be no more positive than to state that dowsing _is_
making contact with the spirit world just as certainly as using the
Ouija Board. The spirit world contacted is the world of evil
spirits or angels under the leadership of Satan."[76]
In conclusion, dowsing is neither a scientific technique nor a
natural human ability. It is a spiritistic power used by dowsers
who only think they are using a natural or divine gift.
Unfortunately, they are really practicing a forbidden art.
*NOTES*
1 Otis Brickett, "The Gift of Healing," _The American Dowser,_
August 1979, 116.
2 Christopher Bird, "Dowsing in Industry: Hoffman-La-Roche," _The
American Dowser,_ August 1975, 106.
3 Erwin E. Stark, _A History of Dowsing and Energy Relationships_
(North Hollywood, CA: BAC, 1978), 4-16; T. E. Coalson, "Dowsing:
The Eternal Paradox," _Psychic,_ March/April 1974, 13.
4 Taken from various issues of _The American Dowser,_ 1974-1979.
5 Raymond C. Willey, _Modern Dowsing: The Dowser's Handbook_
(Sedona, AZ: Esoteric Publications, 1978), 59.
6 _Ibid._
7 Ben G. Hester, _Dowsing: An Expose of Hidden Occult Forces,_
rev. ed. 1984, 59-71, self-published and available from the
author at 4883 Hedrick Ave., Arlington, CA 92505.
8 _Ibid.,_ 58-94.
9 _The American Dowser,_ May 1976, 90; February 1977, 20-21;
February 1975, 15-18; August 1976, 101, 109, 118; May 1977,
66-69; August 1977, 10-11; November 1977, 176-77; February 1978,
27; May 1978, 64; May 1979, 53, 82-83; Hester, 3-4.
10 Stark, 17-24; Willey, _Modern Dowsing,_ 45; Gordon MacLean, _A
Field Guide to Dowsing_ (Danville, VT: The American Society of
Dowsers, 1976), 18-20.
11 Kurt Koch, _Occult ABC_ (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 1980),
185-86.
12 Hester, personal conversation, 1988.
13 Monte Kline in his _Christian Health Counselor,_ March/April
1989, 6. For a critique of homeopathy and other methods, _see_
John Ankerberg and John Weldon, _Can You Trust Your Doctor?_
(Irving, TX: Word, 1991).
14 E.g., Susan Stewart, "What Is Dowsing?" _The American Dowser,_
May 1975, 58.
15 NASB; the NIV reads, "They consult a wooden idol and are
answered by a stick of wood. A spirit of prostitution leads them
astray." See NIV text notes.
16 Norman Evans, "Dowsing: Its Biblical Background," _The American
Dowser,_ May 1979, 70.
17 _Ibid.,_ 75.
18 _Ibid.,_ 73.
19 _Ibid.,_ 77.
20 _Ibid.,_ 78.
21 Ann Fleming, "Ideas about Dowsing," _The American Dowser,_
August 1978, 102.
22 "The Dowser's Prayer," as given in _The American Dowser,_
November 1977, 169.
23 Fleming, 103; Harry Steinmetz, "Teleradiaesthesia: Fact or
Fiction?" _The American Dowser, August 1978, 103.
24 James Randi, "A Controlled Test of Dowsing Abilities," _The
Skeptical Inquirer,_ Fall 1978, 16-20; James Randi, "The Great
$10,000 Dowsing Challenge," _The Skeptical Inquirer,_ Summer
1984, 329-33; Dick Smith, "Two Tests of Divining in Australia,"
_The Skeptical Inquirer,_ Summer 1982, 34-37.
25 Smith, 34-37; Samuel Pfeifer, M.D., Healing at Any Price?
(Milton Keynes, England: Word Limited, 1988), 99-100.
26 Michael Martin, "A New Controlled Dowsing Experiment: Putting
the President of the American Society of Dowsers to the Test,"
_The Skeptical Inquirer,_ Winter 1983-84, 139.
27 Evon Z. Vogt and Ray Hyman, _Water Witching U.S.A.,_ 2d ed.,
(Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1979).
28 Martin, 140.
29 Hester, 41.
30 Frances Hitching, _Dowsing: The Psi Connection_ (Garden City,
NY: Anchor Books, 1978), 41; Stark, 12 cf. _The American
Dowser,_ November 1979, 187.
31 Raymond C. Willey, "Dowsing Basics," _The American Dowser,_
November 1977, 178.
32 Gordon MacLean, "Dowsing Experiences and Problems," _The
American Dowser,_ May 1976, 70. Cf. Hitching, 182-83.
33 _Ibid.,_ 79.
34 E.g., _The American Dowser,_ February 1976, 15; May 1976, 87;
August 1976, 118; November 1977, 176.
35 Augustus T. Nottingham, "Reaching Into Space and Time," _The
American Dowser,_ February 1977, 8-9.
36 _See_ John Ankerberg and John Weldon, _The Facts on the Occult_
(Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1991), 11-21.
37 Willey, _Modern Dowsing,_ 6.
38 Quoted in Hester, 57-58.
39 _Ibid.,_ 15-16; Hitching, 41.
40 E.g., John Ankerberg and John Weldon, _Astrology: Do the Heavens
Rule Our Destiny?_ (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1989), 244-46.
41 Hester, 41-42.
42 E.g., Edmond Gruss, _The Ouija Board: Doorway to the Occult_
(Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1973); cf. Stoker Hunt, _Ouija: A
Most Dangerous Game_ (New York: Harper & Row, 1985).
43 Willey, _Modern Dowsing,_ 67, 111.
44 Gordon MacLean, _A Field Guide, 7;_ cf. _The American Dowser,_
August 1977, 108.
45 Hitching, 130, 204-5, 243-44; MacLean, _Field Guide,_ 27; Egon
E. Eckert, "A Dowser's Trip to West Germany," _The American
Dowser,_ May 1975, 68.
46 E.g., _The American Dowser,_ February 1976, 3, 13; August 1978,
118-19; May 1975, 68; November 1977, 177; May 1977, 76-77.
47 E.g., A. J. Soares, "My Pendulum Said 'No'," _The American
Dowser,_ November 1977, 191.
48 _The American Dowser,_ February 1976, 3; Standard ASD Supply
List for 1983.
49 _See_ Ankerberg and Weldon, _Astrology,_ 245-47 for primary
documentation.
50 _See_ John Ankerberg and John Weldon, _The Facts on the Occult,_
11-21 and note 74 of this article.
51 _See_ note 69.
52 Hester, 58, 188; Koch, _Occult ABC,_ 188-91.
53 Hester, 118, 157.
54 Willey, _Modern Dowsing,_ 23-24.
55 Raymond C. Willey, "Editorial," _The American Dowser,_ May 1976,
75.
56 Harvey Howells, "How We Came to Dowsing," _The American Dowser,_
August 1976, 116; Bruce Copen, _Dowsing for You_ (Sussex,
England: Academic Publications, 1982), 5, cited in Hester, 70.
57 Hester, 70.
58 Hitching, 68.
59 _Ibid.,_ 79.
60 _Ibid.,_ 103.
61 Hester, 6.
62 _Ibid.,_ 69-70.
63 _Ibid.,_ 104-5.
64 John Ankerberg and John Weldon, _The Hazards of the Occult_
(tentative title), to be published by Harvest House, 1993.
65 Coalson, 15.
66 Hester, 155.
67 _Ibid.,_ 6.
68 Hitching, 104.
69 Hester, 199-200.
70 E.g., _Ibid.,_ 156.
71 Quoted in _Ibid.,_ 7.
72 William Vrooman, "Dowsing for Health: Mental and Spiritual
Bodies of Human and Non-Human Entities," _The American Dowser,_
November 1977, 151.
73 _Ibid.,_ 44, 114.
74 Pfeifer, 104.
75 Hitching, 60.
76 Hester, 157.
-------------
End of document, CRJ0099A.TXT (original CRI file name),
"Dowsing: Divine Gift, Human Ability, Or Occult Power?"
release A, May 15, 1994
R. Poll, CRI
(A special note of thanks to Bob and Pat Hunter for their help in
the preparation of this ASCII file for BBS circulation.)
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