dowsing
Forked stick searching
Dowsing is the practice of searching for underground water, minerals, or other hidden things using a forked stick or pair of rods that supposedly move when passed over the target.
The dowser holds the instrument and walks until it dips or twitches, indicating where to dig a well or find buried objects.
Despite centuries of use, dowsing has no scientific basis—controlled studies show dowsers perform no better than chance.
Also called water witching or divining.
Stick with two prongs
- willow branchFlexible tree cutting
- pendulumSuspended swinging weight
- plumb-bobWeighted line for vertical
- water witchOne who divines groundwater
Extrasensory perception capacity
- sixth senseExtrasensory perception ability
- sensitivityResponsiveness to stimuli
- intuitionInstinctive immediate understanding
- espAbbreviation for particularly
clairvoyance · energy fields · aura reading · ley lines · vibrations · biophysical · extrasensory · channeling
Inorganic natural solids
- oreMetal-bearing rock
- goldElement seventy-nine
- oilSlippery viscous fluid
- buried treasureValuables interred for safekeeping
metal · lost objects · graves · pipes · cables · archaeological sites · petroleum · doodlebug
Water in underground rock
- aquiferGroundwater-bearing geological formation
- wellDug water source
- underground streamWater flowing beneath earth's surface
- water tableTop of groundwater zone
spring · vein · water source · drilling · boring · depth · moisture · subterranean
Bogus methodology posing as factual
- debunkedExposed as fraudulent
- placeboInactive therapeutic substitute
- confirmation biasPreferring belief-supporting information
- anecdotalBased on casual observation
unproven · double-blind · skeptic · fraud · charlatan · hoax · self-deception
Baseless belief in omens
- folk traditionCommunity customs across generations
- cunning folkTraditional rural magic workers
- wise womanFemale with profound understanding
- folk beliefTraditional unverified cultural notion
oral tradition · traditional knowledge · passed down · local custom · folk magic
forked stick
Stick with two prongs
- willow branchFlexible tree cutting
- pendulumSuspended swinging weight
- plumb-bobWeighted line for vertical
water witch · diviner · vining · rod · bobbing · wand · pointer · swing
psychic ability
Extrasensory perception capacity
- sixth senseExtrasensory perception ability
- sensitivityResponsiveness to stimuli
- intuitionInstinctive immediate understanding
esp · clairvoyance · energy fields · aura reading · ley lines · vibrations · biophysical · extrasensory · channeling · attunement
minerals
Inorganic natural solids
buried treasure · metal · lost objects · graves · pipes · cables · archaeological sites · petroleum · doodlebug · exploration
groundwater
Water in underground rock
- aquiferGroundwater-bearing geological formation
- wellDug water source
- underground streamWater flowing beneath earth's surface
water table · spring · vein · water source · drilling · boring · depth · moisture · subterranean · reservoir
pseudoscience
Bogus methodology posing as factual
- debunkedExposed as fraudulent
- placeboInactive therapeutic substitute
- confirmation biasPreferring belief-supporting information
anecdotal · unproven · double-blind · skeptic · fraud · charlatan · hoax · self-deception
superstition
Baseless belief in omens
- folk traditionCommunity customs across generations
- cunning folkTraditional rural magic workers
- wise womanFemale with profound understanding
folk belief · oral tradition · traditional knowledge · passed down · local custom · folk magic
- folklorefairy tales, fairytales, folktales, folk tales, folk tale
- nonsciencespseudoscience, astrology, numerology, phrenology, graphology
- divinationdivination, fortune telling, fortune-telling, fortune teller, tarot
- folk superstitionsevil eye, black cat, black cats, horseshoes, horseshoe luck
- Occult PracticesOuija board, seance, tarot, tarot cards, crystal ball
- pseudosciencehomeopathy, astrology, phrenology, numerology, palmistry
dowsinggeological survey
Systematic study of terrain
remote sensing · magnetometry · gravimetry · sonar detection · satellite imaging
- dowsing rodForked stick for locating groundwater