Christian Research Journal Reads 301: Dowsing: A Path to Enlightenment or a Gateway to the Occult?

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This is episode 301 of the Christian Research Journal Reads podcast, Dowsing,
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A Path to Enlightenment or a Gateway to the Occult,
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by Lindsay Mendenwalt. This article was published exclusively online in
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the Fringe Files column of the Christian Research Journal, volume 49,
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number 4, in 2026. The Christian Research Journal Reads podcast
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presents audio versions of Christian Research Journal articles. To read
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the full text of this article and its documentation, go
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to equip.org. That's E-Q-U-I-P dot O-R-G.
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Dowsing. A path to enlightenment or a gateway to the occult.
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This article is by Lindsay Medden-Walt and is read by
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an automated voice. Our role in all this exchanging and
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transforming of energy is to facilitate the transformation of low-frequency energy,
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such as fear, anger, and greed, into the higher vibration
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of love. Tim Walter and what now? It's fall, which
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means the decorations are creepier and the topics of discussion
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are often about the supernatural and mysterious. This is the
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season when we see more interest in ghosts, psychics, tarot cards,
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paranormal investigations, and all sorts of practices that promise to
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reveal something hidden. In fact, the other day, I had
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a conversation with one of my college students about dowsing.
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He noticed a video I had pulled up on my
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computer screen. He knew what dowsing is because he has
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seen it featured on social media, particularly TikTok. As this
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young man shared his concerns with me about the validity
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of the practice, he confirmed with me that discussing this
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kind of topic with Christians is important because misinformation and
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falsehood abound. How can we combat lies when we don't
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know the truth? Unfortunately, sometimes falsehood is enticing. Dowsing is
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presented as an opportunity to discover deeper love in one's
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life and for oneself, which is likely one reason it
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is so popular in the New Age community. As the
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opening quote of this article indicates, why should we grapple
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with fear when we can just tap into love? Author
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and dowser Tim Walter suggests in his book, What Now?,
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that it is possible. We can, according to Walter, develop
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greater spiritual wisdom using the most basic and grounded practical
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skill of dowsing. Megan on the YouTube channel Solar Glow
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Meditations seems to agree with Walter's assessment of dowsing. Her
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dowsing practice includes having conversations with spirits in what seems
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to be an effort to increase her own spiritual wisdom.
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Her content, in which she claims to communicate with Jesus,
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the angel Gabriel, Lucifer, and others, has attracted nearly 80,000
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subscribers on YouTube, more than 415,000 followers on TikTok, and
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about 600,000 followers on Instagram. In short, she's a mega influencer,
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and it's easy to see why. Megan has a calm demeanor,
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her voice is soothing, and after she receives an answer
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to a question from whomever she's talking with, she always
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thanks them for their response. Her videos are peaceful to watch,
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and yet I'm left with several very serious questions and
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concerns about dowsing. For example, is Megan really communicating with spirits?
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How does dowsing work? Can dowsing truly deliver us from
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fear and pain, as Walter suggests? If dowsing is a
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spiritual practice, what warnings should Christians heed? Is it grounded
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in the occult? or is it just a tool people
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can use to get answers to their questions about life?
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In this article, I'll address those questions, as well as
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some historical perspectives and modern-day reflections about the practice. What
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is dowsing? Dowsing may sound obscure or inconsequential, but it
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has made its way into modern-day pop culture through film,
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which shows that at least some people consider it interesting.
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In Coraline, Focus Features, 2009, for instance, the protagonist uses
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a forked stick, which is unfortunately made of poison oak,
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to find an ancient well. Meanwhile, in The Princess Bride,
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20th Century Fox, 1987, Inigo Montoya uses his father's sword
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as a dowsing rod to find the film's hero, Wesley.
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Perhaps these examples seem silly, but they do a nice
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job of illustrating how dowsing works. Historically speaking, it seems
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to go back centuries, if not millennia. The history of dowsing.
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Imagine holding two rods and using them to help you
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find groundwater or minerals such as silver. It appears this
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was the original purpose of dowsing. Some accounts trace dowsing
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back thousands of years to ancient Egypt and China based
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on interpretations of ancient artwork as depicting divining rods, but
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the archaeological evidence for these claims remains uncertain. During the
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Middle Ages, German miners used two forked rods to help
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them find metal. One German tribe, the Frisians, apparently used
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divining rods to find murderers, and Marco Polo seems to
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have used dowsing as well. According to the U.S. Geological Survey,
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dowsing has historically been popular in the U.S. in rural settings,
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where people wanted to avoid digging wells that turn up
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no water. Instead, they hoped the dowsing rods would steer
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them in the right direction. Over time, a shift has
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occurred and the focus is no longer on groundwater. Instead,
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dowsing has become associated with spiritualism and the occult. Practitioners
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use dowsing to find invisible energies, diagnose physical illnesses, and
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manifest or even talk to spirits. Wellness influencers on social
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media claim they can use dowsing to reveal hidden knowledge
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and raise the world's vibrations. Some even claim to be
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able to answer questions about the future. Dowsing is very
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similar to playing with a Ouija board, writes Sarah Coughlin,
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although within spiritual circles, dowsing is considered to be much
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more reliable. Before we get into reliability, let's talk about
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how dowsing is supposed to work. The tools of dowsing.
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Although it seems a variety of options are available to dowsers,
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three types of tools are commonly used. A forked stick,
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L-shaped metal rods, or a pendulum. One isn't necessarily better
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than another, but practitioners have their preferences. With regard to
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the forked stick, a person holds one end of each
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fork in their hands with the main stem pointing forward,
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and they walk slowly, carefully, concentrating on what it is
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they hope to find. According to proponents, the stick moves
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downward when they've arrived at the correct location, a movement
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supposedly connected with the energy found below ground. Proponents believe
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that the movements generated in dowsing tools, such as spins, oscillations,
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or vibrations, are not caused by the object itself, but
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by an interaction between the energetic field of what is
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being consulted and the sensitivity of the dowser. As I
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will explain later, this doesn't mean that the dowser necessarily
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believes anything supernatural is happening or that occult forces are involved, though,
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as noted, many today do. According to an allegedly naturalistic view,
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the dowsing mechanism is supposed to relate to the energies
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or vibrations proponents believe are found in all of creation,
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from electrons and atoms to stars and planets. The L-shaped
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rods are used in a similar way to the stick,
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but the person holds one rod in each hand with
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the long ends pointing forward. When they arrive at the
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appropriate location, the rods move. Some practitioners, like Megan from
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Solar Glow Meditations, believe the rods can be used to
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facilitate conversations with spiritual beings. The rods give them the
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ability to detect something beyond their consciousness. Finally, some dowsers
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use a pendulum, which is a small crystal or weight
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suspended on a chain or string. The pendulum moves back
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and forth or in circles to help the practitioner find
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something or to interact with spirits. Pendulums seem to be
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popular in the spiritual side of dowsing, especially when practitioners
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have questions about their relationships, health, or future events. Beyond water,
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dowsing as a spiritual practice. As spiritualism and the New
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Age blossomed, so too did dowsing and other so-called spiritual practices. Today,
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practitioners believe that dowsing rods and pendulums can not only
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find water but also locate lost objects, provide answers to
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life's questions, and open up a gateway to the spirit world.
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Dowser Gabriel Soka says, it serves as a gateway to
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a more subtle dimension of reality where mind, energy, and
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consciousness intertwine in a deep dialogue. Dowsing has to do
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with vibrations, which new agers believe exist in everything. As
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one raises their vibrations, the more access they have to
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their higher self, which leads them to their own godlike status.
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Walter explains, our viewpoint, once based in our wholeness, becomes
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one of compassion and love. Arriving at this viewpoint is
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how you discover that you are not what you thought
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you were. In fact, you are like a god in
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your own tiny universe, and that universe is you. To
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be clear, though, not all dowsers intend to use it
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as a supernatural practice. Rather, some use it more like
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a metal detector would be used at the beach. So
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we can't assume that all dowsers are willful occultists or
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are intending to practice the New Age spiritual side of dowsing. Indeed,
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the Some dowsers like Walter say it is not supernatural
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at all. Rather, it is using the natural link we
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each have with the field of infinite possibility, interacting with
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the quantum field when you address the universe. Although metaphysically dubious,
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it seems Walter views dowsing as a natural rather than
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supernatural phenomenon, even as he claims that it provides access
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to information beyond our human experience. What does the evidence
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say about dowsing? As with other new age and occult practices,
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there is no reliable empirical evidence to support dowsing. In
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the early 1900s, the U.S. Geological Survey, USGS, wondered if
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there was something to all the questions it was receiving
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about dowsing as a practice to find groundwater. So it
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researched the issue and, under controlled tests, discovered there was
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nothing to show that dowsers consistently outperformed chance. The USGS
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concluded that any claim that dowsing works to find groundwater
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is purely speculative. Nothing has changed since 1917. Anomalistic psychologist
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Chris French performed a double-blind study in the early 2000s
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on dowsing and got results similar to those achieved by
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the USGS. The dowsers were no more able to find
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the water than someone who was merely guessing. What then
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is happening when the rods... stick, and pendulum move? Psychologists
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say that it's a result of the ideomotor effect. The
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ideomotor effect is when our thoughts and expectations can trigger tiny,
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unconscious muscle movements. These movements are so minuscule that we
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may not even realize we're making them. The practitioner may
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genuinely feel as though they didn't make the tool move. However,
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there is no credible evidence to support the assertion that
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anything other than their own small involuntary muscle twitches or
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movements are causing the tools to work. In fact, it
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may often be a case of confirmation bias, which is
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a tendency to interpret behavior in a way that supports
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one's pre-existing beliefs. In other words, the dowser's expectations that
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the tools will move actually cause the involuntary muscle movement.
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But for them, the movement confirms that dowsing is real,
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whether it's helping them find water or receive answers from
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a spiritual entity. Ultimately, as I've stated, science does not
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support the validity of dowsing. Dowsers like Walter do not
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seem to care what the science says, though. He claims
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the human heart is the barometer of our truth. It
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should be to our hearts that we turn to assess
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the moments of our lives. Our hearts can guide our
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choices on how to interpret the moments and find meaning
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in them. Walter also explains away the ideomotor effect by
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saying it actually works in favor of dowsing. He writes,
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I support the idea that dowsing works mostly for the
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majority of people because it is using the ideomotor effect.
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If the ideomotor effect is a result of the body's
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physiology reacting to an unconscious stimulus, then that information must
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have originated in the quantum realm as that is where
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all information is stored and created. The ideomotor effect is,
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for me, the only logical way that dowsing might work
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for most of us, most of the time. Emphasis in original.
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Unfortunately for Walter, as noted, that's not how the ideomotor
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effect works. and he offers no evidence to support his
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claim that the effect is caused by hidden information originating
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in the quantum realm. The ideomotor effect is not proof
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that dowsing is working. It is evidence that it is not.
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Despite Walters' claims that dowsing is the safest way to
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access the spiritual side of reality, he has provided no
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evidence that it works. And for some, that's okay so
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long as dowsing isn't causing anyone harm. As is often
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the case with divinatory and intuitive practices, there isn't really
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science behind dowsing, admits Coughlin. But if you give it
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a try and find comfort in the responses you receive,
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there's no reason it shouldn't be part of your personal
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spiritual routine. Maybe just don't delete your maps app in
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exchange for a divining rod. Humorous, but still an admission
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that perhaps dowsing isn't all it's cracked up to be.
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How should Christians respond to dowsing? When contemplating a practice
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like dowsing, the spiritual implications seem clear. Although at first glance,
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these rods and pendulums may seem to just be material tools.
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For many dowsers, they are much more than that because
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of their purpose. These days, the intent for many dowsers
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isn't finding water or metal. Rather, the intent is to
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find access to hidden answers to life's difficult questions and
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reaching the higher version of oneself. Some practitioners believe dowsing
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can detect invisible energies, connect them to their higher self,
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or even provide spiritual guidance. Unfortunately, it seems that some
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have determined dowsing is a gift from God, too. The
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truth is, though, that just because something exists in God's
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creation does not mean that he endorses it. Deuteronomy 18
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is an important passage for Christians to consider. It says,
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Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their
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son or daughter in a fire, who practices divination or sorcery,
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interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who
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is a medium or spiritist, or who consults the dead.
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Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.
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Because of these same detestable practices, the Lord your God
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will drive out those nations before you. Deuteronomy 18 verses
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10 to 12. Here, God clearly tells his people not
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to practice divination or seek out certain sources of supernatural knowledge.
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To employ dowsing instruments in an attempt to communicate with
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spiritual beings, predict future events, or receive supernatural knowledge or
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spiritual guidance is to be actively involved in occult practices
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that are explicitly prohibited by Scripture. The issue isn't only
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that something seems strange or mysterious. It's about where we
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are turning for guidance and whether we are seeking knowledge
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in ways God has told us to avoid. The New
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Testament warns us about this kind of practice, too. In
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Acts 16, Paul encounters a woman who practices divination. What's
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interesting is that she actually says something true about Paul
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and his companions by declaring them servants of the Most
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High God. Acts 16, verse 17. That didn't make her
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divination acceptable, and according to Scripture, Paul reached his limit
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with her. Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned
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around and said to the Spirit, In the name of
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Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her.
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At that moment, the Spirit left her. Acts 16, verse 18.
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In other words, just because something seems to work or
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someone claims to have gotten an accurate answer, that doesn't
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automatically mean it's acceptable or appropriate for Christians. We have
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to be on guard against falsehood. Scripture exhorts us to
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test the spirits to see whether they are from God,
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because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
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1 John 4, verse 1. Further, as Christians, we must
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test all prophecies, then hold on to what is good
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and reject every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 21-22.
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Put simply, we are not supposed to believe every spiritual
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claim we hear, even if someone says they are hearing
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from God or Jesus. We are supposed to use discernment.
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That means looking at the evidence, considering ordinary explanations, and
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comparing spiritual claims with what the Bible actually teaches. Proverbs
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3-5 tells us to trust in the Lord rather than
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relying solely on our own understanding. James 1, verse 5
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encourages us to ask God for wisdom. Our feelings shouldn't
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dictate reality in our lives. In fact, Contrary to Walter's
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advice to trust our hearts, the Bible explicitly warns us
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that the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure,
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Jeremiah 17, verse 9. As Christians, we can examine practices
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like dowsing honestly, understand what people believe about them, and
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recognize when something conflicts with our faith. We all want certainty.
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We want to know what will happen, whether we're making
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the right decisions, and what we might be missing. That
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desire is understandable. But sometimes in our search for answers,
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We can be drawn toward practices that promise more knowledge
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or control than they can actually deliver. As Christians, we're
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called to seek wisdom, test what we hear, and trust
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God in what He has revealed and in what He
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has chosen not to reveal. Thus, when we encounter dowsing
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or another practice that claims to provide hidden spiritual knowledge,
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we don't need to panic. Instead, we need to ask
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good questions, think carefully, and evaluate those claims in light
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of Scripture. Ultimately, our confidence and hope do not come
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from a rod, a pendulum, or access to some supposedly
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hidden source of wisdom. It comes from knowing Christ, knowing
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His truth, and trusting Him even when we don't have
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all the answers. He is our blessed hope. Titus 2,
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verse 13. Lindsay Medden-Walt.
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Please make sure you're subscribing to all of the podcasts
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00:16:49.480 --> 00:16:54.539
available from the Christian Research Institute. We have our flagship podcast,
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the daily Bible Answer Man podcast from CRI President Hank Hanegraaff.
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This is a question and answer format that is available
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Monday through Friday. And also there's a best of the
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week episode on Saturdays. You'll want to make sure that
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explorations of critical issues that are confronting Christians today, Hank
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listeners to think Christianly about the questions that matter most
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Research Journal Reads, which are audio articles of Christian Research
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Journal content. our sister podcast, Postmodern Realities, which features interviews
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of their articles. And don't forget to subscribe to our
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newest podcast from the Christian Research Institute. It was launched
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this year in 2006. It's called Commitment to Reality with
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Dave Hanegraaff. All of our podcasts are available on any
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subscribe to the podcasts of the Christian Research Institute. Thank
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