As a diversion from the BSD journals, I wanted to draw attention to the following addition to the ‘Books’ section of the website: www.dowsing-research.net

It is Jacobs rod : A translation from the French of a rare and curious work, AD 1693, on the art of finding springs, mines and minerals by means of the hazel rod. Translation by T. Welton 1874. The author was a French dowser named Jean Nicolas. This has been added to the books section of the site.

The translation comprises two sections: the translation followed by additional material added by the translator. Only the translation is included here.

It is surprising to read that many of the dowsing methods mentioned in the early BSD journals were in use more than two hundred years earlier. For instance, he mentions the use of the Y rod in preference to the first dowsing rods, which seemed to be simply sticks, the Y rod having better movement possibilities. He also describes the use of samples, These might be attached to the end of the Y rod, or perhaps the rod was touched against an example of whatever was sought.

He mentions some applications of dowsing, other than simply water divning. For instance, searching for stolen goods, settling boundary disputes. His main areas of interest appear to be minerals, ie seeking mines, underground streams. But the rod could also be used for retrieving stolen goods and the perpetrators or settling boundary disputes. But

One particularly interesting point in the text, is that he seems to be the first to write about “the Bishop’s rule” for depthing water (page 41) (this has often been erroneously ascribed to the bishop of Grenoble and the French dowser Bleton, in 1770).

Finally, regarding explanations for the dowsing effect, he afirms that these are of a physical nature, but then in his day, suggesting that it was due to the “emanation of subtle bodies”. But the alternative was to suppose it was some supernatural work, perhaps of the Devil!

In this article (extracted from a longer one) from the early journals of the BSD, a member, Dr J. A. Simpson Emslie, applies his medical expertise to assert that dowsing reactions are purely a result of reflex actions. 

http://www.dowsing-research.net/blog_extracts/BSD_No10_1935_p106.pdf

He says that normally the brain controls these, but during dowsing, this control is relaxed, permitting the dowser’s experience. He goes on to make the claim, but it is not clear how this is substantiated, that he knew two dowsers who had suffered damage to those nerves that control reflex actions. The resulting loss of control meant that their dowsing reactions were very much more exaggerated.

He points out that a dowsing reaction can be obtained with one’s tongue, “…if it held midway between the roof and the floor of the mouth. You will find that the reaction will make it rise towards the palate.” What me might refer to as “Oral dowsing”, was the subject of  a very interesting study into the dowsing effect, undertaken at Guy’s Hospital, London, by a Dr Lintott. It was entitled “Some observations on so-called water divining” and published in Guy’s hospital gazette, June 24; 1933. A summary of the work was published in the first BSD journal:  No1 p9-10

The study involved recording the changing tension in the jaw muscle of the subjects as they traversed a water pipe. This was achieved by having the subject hold a rubber bulb in their mouth! Interestingly, “all the experiments were carried out in a strong spirit of scepticism and under critical observation, and, where possible, control experiments were made.”

It was found that the subjects fell into three groups: 1) those who were completely insensitive; 2) those for who had some sensitivity, but this could vary over time; 3) those with constant and marked sensitivity. In addition, they noticed how the subjects’ attention was important, suggesting “some action of the higher cerebral centres” which prevented them from “tuning in”.

http://www.dowsing-research.net/blog_extracts/BSD_No1_1933_p109.pdf

In conclusion, many dowsers would most likely agree with the Doctor and a lot of evidence seems to support this. However there are some documented instances of what appears to be psychokinetic influences at work. This will be the subject of a future post.  

In this article the author, wants to make the point that the diviner is not passive, but an active agent. He appears to be self-taught dowser, with a “natural” dowsing ability, or sensitivity which extended to the ability to “feel” the presence of what he searched for. He was seeking a theory to account for his experiences, but that alluded him. However, some of his personal observations are of interest. For instance, he was able to feel “belts” of influence adjacent to underground streams. This I take to mean that he could feel the presence of the so-called “parallels” running next to streams. He could also “feel” underground water down to 2000 feet.  He primary observation was that he could direct his attention to whatever he sought thereby filtering out all other influences. This he was able to distinguish between multiple streams which might lie under each other. Using his directed consciousness, he seems to be one of the first dowsers to have developed a countdown method of depthing underground streams. A method quite common today. Practice and familiarity with environment he was working in seemed to be both important.

“A water divining theory” by Rev. H. W. Lea-Wilson:

http://www.dowsing-research.net/blog_extracts/BSD_No10_1935_p119.pdf

Here is an article entitled. “The point depth method” by Elvan:

http://www.dowsing-research.net/blog_extracts/BSD_No9_1935_p86.pdf

In the earlier years of BSD, members were often keen to improve the practices using in dowsing. Once such invention was “the point depth method” devised in 1936, by Major R. Creyke, (a.k.a. Elvan), who has been described as “an extremely painstaking and reliable English amateur dowser”. This was a new and simple method to find the depth of underground streams through dowsing.

It appears that the method was at least inspired by an earlier method devised by the French dowse M. Probst. This fellow seems to have been motivated by the idea that underground water emitted some form of electromagnetic radiation and he called his device the “radio-capteur”. It comprised a simple metal spike, rounded at one end, and pointed at the other, which was then stuck into the earth. The curved tip which remained protruding above the ground, was placed between the poles of a horseshoe magnet mounted inside a box. A wire was then attached to the box and, isolated from the earth by a series of stakes topped with porcelain fixtures, extended in a straight line away from the spike.

To quote from the book “Divining” by Christopher Bird, (M&J publishing Group, London 1980 ), “Probst considered that ‘waves’ emitted from an underground water source or metal ore deposit were in some way “captured” by the spike and, assisted by the magnetic field, propelled along the wire. A dowser would then straddle the wire and frog-walk along it until he got a reaction. The length of that portion of the wire from the ring to the spot between his feet was supposedly equivalent to the depth of the water vein or any other object being sought. Deeper water veins would be ascertainable further along the wire.”

Probst’s approach however was quite unwieldly and Creyke’s method was much simpler to use. He retained some elements of the original idea. He used a thin Mumetal rod (Mu-metal is a nickel-iron soft ferromagnetic alloy), and a wire connected to this rod, but now with no insulation between wire and ground. The road was inserted in the ground, immediately over an underground stream. The dowser then simply walked along the direction of the wire with their back to the spike, until they obtained reactions with their chosen dowsing device. The distance at which these reactions occurred, measured from the rod gave the depth of features relating to the stream.  In his original account, he makes no reference to e.m. radiation, but he asserts that Mumetal gave a better dowsing response than a copper rod.

However, at a later time, the self-appointed scientist to the BSD, Cecil Maby, in his book “Physics of the Divining rod” (Bell & Sons Ltd. London, 1939), concluded that all kinds of metal rod gave satisfactory results. For instance, he had successfully employed the method with iron, steel, brass, copper and zinc rods. He also made the observation that then longer the ‘point’ rod, the stronger the depth reactions. The difference between the experience of Creyke and Maby is interesting. It may suggest that unconsciously, or otherwise, Creyke considered the dowsing effect dependent on magnetism in some way. It was not uncommon at this time, or even today, for dowsing to be associated with magnetism in some manner.

Creyke cites several examples of actual depth estimates made in the field and how they related to the actual depth of water in the final bore hole, with quite remarkable accuracy. Some other interesting points are noted. While following his method to depth a stream, he was able to block out any reactions from nearby parallel streams, which one might consider would interfere with the process. This tuning in ability, seems to rule out any physical explanation as to the effect. Instead it rather appears that the dowser is mentally programming their reaction, although apparently on an unconscious level,  to coincide with what they seek, The wire simply acts as a prop, or aid, to focus the mind on the distance to the object dowsed. The material of the wire, the magnetism is being irrelevant. In principle then, it seems no different from map dowsing, where the map is represents the reality of the area being searched.

However, the article contains a final interesting observation. It describes how he introduced his method to a seasoned water diviner, who himself had no reliable way to estimate the depth of underground streams accurately. Although not familiar with Creyke’s method, it worked for him unintentionally, which on the face of it, appears to contradict the idea of unconscious programming. But in this case, the old dowser was being watched by Creyke, and there is the possibility that the former was being influenced unconsciously by the latter. This has been shown to be possible. It is difficult to say. Futhermore one could speculate on more radical possibilities. Perhaps the idea of the point depth method, once conceived of by Creyke, (or for that matter of Probst), might itself be capable of directing unconsciously the dowsing actions of dowsers, who otherwise have no conscious knowledge of the idea. (Well it’s just a speculation).