Dowsing by a Skeptic

[SaskMick]

Do you have to decide what you are looking for before the wires will twitch?

The rods will only indicate what I want them to find. If I want to find water they will only indicate water. If I want to find a cell phone they will only indicate a cell phone

If you just wander around with no preconceived idea of what you are looking for, will they twitch?

They don't "twitch", they will point to show me where to go, they will cross when I have reached the place where it is, and they will open apart when I have gone too far.

I don't wander around at all, I ask for example is there a good water source here, if there is the rods will give me a positive reading, they will cross. I will then say then show me where it is and they will point the way. No need to wander up and down. I'm sure others do, but I don't have to.



I can direct other people from a distance without going anywhere. I can just stand still and let them do the walking. I thought dowsing was peculiar, but I found this way more peculiar. I have since discovered that other people can do this too, so it's not just me after all.

PS, I now think the dowsing using other people is not such a big deal, I just think that there have been few, or maybe none ? that have tried it before.

 

[SaskMick]

A field of long uncut grass. Do you see any possible problems with this? Can most people track where someone has been in a field of long uncut grass? I can.

No, a real test, if you want to do one, would be double blind and even the negative spots would be equally disturbed as the positive spot. Or do you want only confirmatory tests?.

It was long uncut grass from last year, it was flattened by the snow over last winter.

A better place to hide something would be difficult to find.

 

[SaskMick]

So your claim is your dowsing abilities allow you to find... anything?

Anything.

 

[John Jones]

No!





I know sod all about "testing protocols, blinding of tests, null hypothesis, etc" I don't even know what null hypothesis means. What does it mean ?

It means you weren't a long-time skeptic like you claimed to be in your OP. Were you lying when you made that claim?

 

[SaskMick]

It means you weren't a long-time skeptic like you claimed to be in your OP. Were you lying when you made that claim?

No I was not lying. I doubted the truth of dowsing, that is no longer the case.

However I am still skeptical about other things, I am skeptical the Bigfoot exists and will remain so until I have knowledge to the contrary. Is that clear ? Do you understand ?


skep·ti·cism
ˈskeptəˌsizəm/
noun
noun: scepticism; noun: skepticism

1.
a skeptical attitude; doubt as to the truth of something.
"these claims were treated with skepticism"
synonyms: doubt, doubtfulness, a pinch of salt;
disbelief, cynicism, distrust, mistrust, suspicion, incredulity;
pessimism, defeatism;
formaldubiety
"his ideas were met with skepticism"

 

[Totovader]

It would have been less of a challenge. The field we used was seven acres in size.

But the patted down grass was a huge indicator of where the phone might be- even if you weren't consciously aware of it.

 

[Totovader]

No I was not lying. I doubted the truth of dowsing, that is no longer the case.

However I am still skeptical about other things, I am skeptical the Bigfoot exists and will remain so until I have knowledge to the contrary. Is that clear ? Do you understand ?


skep·ti·cism
ˈskeptəˌsizəm/
noun
noun: scepticism; noun: skepticism

1.
a skeptical attitude; doubt as to the truth of something.
"these claims were treated with skepticism"
synonyms: doubt, doubtfulness, a pinch of salt;
disbelief, cynicism, distrust, mistrust, suspicion, incredulity;
pessimism, defeatism;
formaldubiety
"his ideas were met with skepticism"

Being skeptical and being a skeptic are two completely different things. One is convenient, the other significantly reduces the number of friends you have.

 

[SaskMick]

But the patted down grass was a huge indicator of where the phone might be- even if you weren't consciously aware of it.

There was no patted down grass

 

[Giordano]

It was long uncut grass from last year, it was flattened by the snow over last winter.

A better place to hide something would be difficult to find.

Two things,

So you dowsed over a 7 acre tract, roughly 7 square blocks, with no clue where to look? That is a lot of territory to walk over! And yet 10 water bottles in a row at a beach within feet of one another are too much trouble to test? Okay, put them in closed paper bags on your floor with water or 9 equal weights in them.

By the way: was the phone above ground and visible once you were close? How close do you have to come to an item to dowse it?

Also, do you really think that your wife could walk through even snow flattened long grass without leaving signs? Heck, I'm from a big city originally and I could track where she went.

 

[Giordano]

There was no patted down grass

Did your wife float above it? How did she hid the phone without stepping on the grass?

 

[SaskMick]

Being skeptical and being a skeptic are two completely different things. One is convenient, the other significantly reduces the number of friends you have.

My definition of a skeptic is some who is skeptical, I would be surprised if an English dictionary stated otherwise.


skep·tic
ˈskeptik/
noun
noun: sceptic; plural noun: sceptics; noun: skeptic; plural noun: skeptics

1.
a person inclined to question or doubt all accepted opinions.
synonyms: cynic, doubter; More
pessimist, prophet of doom
"skeptics said the marriage wouldn't last"
a person who doubts the truth of Christianity and other religions; an atheist or agnostic.
synonyms: agnostic, atheist, unbeliever, nonbeliever, disbeliever, doubting Thomas More
"skeptics who have found faith"
2.
Philosophy
an ancient or modern philosopher who denies the possibility of knowledge, or even rational belief, in some sphere.

adjective
adjective: skeptic

1.
another term for skeptical.

Origin

 

[SaskMick]

Did your wife float above it? How did she hid the phone without stepping on the grass?

When the snow melted it left some grass in clumps and some lying flat. It was an untidy mess, with deer **** lying here and there. Nothing paranormal about it.

 

[Loss Leader]

Anything.

So why don't you set up six poxes on your dining room table? Have your wife roll a die and then place the cell phone under that box. See if you can find it. Repeat this six times.

The whole things should take fifteen minutes and be much easier than looking through a snowy field with deer poop.

 

[SaskMick]

Two things,

So you dowsed over a 7 acre tract, roughly 7 square blocks, with no clue where to look? That is a lot of territory to walk over!

I walked no further that my wife when she hid it.

And yet 10 water bottles in a row at a beach within feet of one another are too much trouble to test?

I did not say that it would be too much trouble to do, but anywhere in Saskatchewan is a long way from a beach.

Okay, put them in closed paper bags on your floor with water or 9 equal weights in them.

I don't know what you mean, please explain.

By the way: was the phone above ground and visible once you were close? How close do you have to come to an item to dowse it?

I usually get a signal within three feet of what I'm looking for. Sometimes it's obvious where it is at that distance, sometimes not.

Also, do you really think that your wife could walk through even snow flattened long grass without leaving signs?

Easy, even a city boy you could do it.

Heck, I'm from a big city originally and I could track where she went.

I very much doubt it.

 

[SaskMick]

So why don't you set up six poxes on your dining room table? Have your wife roll a die and then place the cell phone under that box. See if you can find it. Repeat this six times.

The whole things should take fifteen minutes and be much easier than looking through a snowy field with deer poop.

We already did something similar. My wife held a coin in one hand with both hands held apart. I had to find which hand held the coin. She then put her hands behind her back and held her arms apart again. We did this over and over till we were sick of it. We both KNOW beyond any doubt.

 

[Totovader]

You walked no further than your wife when she threw it...

Are we to assume you went right to the phone then? Did you watch her throw it? Please explain.

 

[Giordano]

We already did something similar. My wife held a coin in one hand with both hands held apart. I had to find which hand held the coin. She then put her hands behind her back and held her arms apart again. We did this over and over till we were sick of it. We both KNOW beyond any doubt.

It is in no way similar! Do you understand what double blind means and why it is important for an experiment like this one? Or why there needs to be a control object of similar shape, size, and weight in the other hand?

Have her put a coin in one closed paper bag and something of equal weight (say a washer) in 9 more closed bags. Have her place them on the floor or a table and leave the room. Then you enter the room, dowse the bags and find the one with the coin. Repeat several times. Easy!

 

[Giordano]

I walked no further that my wife when she hid it.

So you.knew where your wife walked? And neither of you were in or investigated the entire 7 acres?

 

[SaskMick]

You walked no further than your wife when she threw it...

Are we to assume you went right to the phone then? Did you watch her throw it? Please explain.

She did not throw it, she went and hid it under the grass while I was eating sandwiches and drinking tea in the barn. I had no idea where the cell phone was. I walked straight to the phone.

 

[Giordano]

When the snow melted it left some grass in clumps and some lying flat. It was an untidy mess, with deer **** lying here and there. Nothing paranormal about it.

And with all these soft objects on the ground, you couldn't tell where she stepped on them? Or diid she avoid all the soft objects and only stayed on the firm ground? The ground was too hard to take footprints, but the snows had just melted with no time for the grass to grow back? How did the grass grow long, yet be snowed under later and then all the snow melted? Was this in a thaw during the early winter?