close
more_vert

tiompan wrote:
It's nice to see any hobbyists working with archaeologists , but it doesn't provide any more credibility for dowsing than that of a group of spiritualists diggers would for contacting the "ancestors " .
Credibility is something ‘believable or worthy of belief or support’. ‘Believable’ is something (correct me if I’m wrong) that you would want proof of before you could believe in it. Something ‘worthy of support’ however is different. Worthy of support can rest on many things - eg its efficacy, distribution and history of usage. Willow (bark) is a good example: it was known to relieve pain long before the active element was understood and synthesised (and aspirin was born). Ditto many herbal remedies, materials and techniques from around the world (I’ll tell you all about astringent persimmon juice if you’d like me to :-) There are early woodcuts from China showing dowsing and a mid-sixteenth century English print showing miners looking for ore deposits. Elizabeth I had miners from Germany come to England to teach dowsing to their miners.

Efficacy, distribution and history of usage does not categorically ‘prove’ that dowsing works of course but it does show that the practice has been around for a very long time, and right across the world (there are supposed to be cave paintings showing it somewhere).

Just a personal opinion, but until it can be shown categorically not to work perhaps we could keep a respectful open mind on the subject.

Littlestone wrote:
Just a personal opinion, but until it can be shown categorically not to work perhaps we could keep a respectful open mind on the subject.
If it works for just one person then that is proof that it works no matter how many it doesn't work for. I have personally seen it work 100% accurately.

Littlestone wrote:
tiompan wrote:
It's nice to see any hobbyists working with archaeologists , but it doesn't provide any more credibility for dowsing than that of a group of spiritualists diggers would for contacting the "ancestors " .
There are early woodcuts from China showing dowsing and a mid-sixteenth century English print showing miners looking for ore deposits. Elizabeth I had miners from Germany come to England to teach dowsing to their miners.

Efficacy, distribution and history of usage does not categorically ‘prove’ that dowsing works of course but it does show that the practice has been around for a very long time, and right across the world (there are supposed to be cave paintings showing it somewhere).

Just a personal opinion, but until it can be shown categorically not to work perhaps we could keep a respectful open mind on the subject.

The Chinese woodcut does not show what looks like a dowsing rod and I don't believe that there is a description of it from the time suggesting that is what it portrays either .
The early mining treatise written by Agricola De Re Metallica " (1556) does mention dowsing but he is perfectly aware of it's shortcomings e.g. "therefore a miner ,since we think he ouight to be a good and serious man should not make us of an enchanted twig, because if he is prudent and skilled in the natural signs, he understands that a forked stick is of no use to him, for ... there are natural indications of the veins which he can see for himself without the help of twigs. "
I agree , historical usage does not equate with efficacy .
Elizabeth 1 also employed scriers and astrologers ,like dowsing , forms of divination .
The supposed cave painting showing dowsing requires the eye of a lot of faith and much salt .