Blind Dowsing

Dowsing /theory/ states, that the body of the dowser is the /medium/ and the dowsing rods is merely an amplification of the signal communicated. In order to minimize physical distractions, which might influence the concentration of the dowser, it would be worth thinnking about ways of reducing the physical stimuli received from the environment.
One simple way is to conduct dowsing with the eyes shut, thus eliminating visual perceptions and also any observations of the dowsing rod movement. When dowsing with an Y-Rod, one can acutally not feel whether the Y-Rod is moving or not. A certain amount of pressure is applied to it, disabling most of the conscious control over the device. But with our 3D - Accelerometer enhanced rods, we will be able to detect and analyse ("hindcast") the motions of the dowsing rods - even when conducted as blind dowsing sessions.


About the 'Sourcing Water' project:
Water in Singapore can never be taken for granted. Most of it is brought into the country from Malaysia, but the city-state is always looking for ways to produce its own supplies, with reverse osmosis being the most recent method. Mindful of this situation, the artists will be sourcing for water across Singapore in the weeks prior to the exhibition using an ancient, albeit completely un-scientific technique. Dowsing is the practice of using a rod or specially shaped stick to 'divine' the location of water underground. It was believed that magnetic energy would animate the rod if the dowser walks above a natural well. Despite numerous tests, no one has ever been able to prove that it actually works, but many continue to believe in its power - just like Homeopathy. As a fusion of body, instrument and landscape, dowsing was an pre-scientific form of location-positioning technology, and so for the artwork, the artists will try to combine this age old 'technology' with modern sensoring methods. The dowsing rods will be enhanced with GPS and Motion Sensors, allowing data to be collected to create a map of potential water sources that will be presented in the gallery. And if all goes well, we could end up with 'new' newater!

Georg Tremmel (Austria/Japan), Shiho Fukuhara (Japan) & Yousuke Nagao (Japan)
Collaborating with: Singapore-Delft Water Alliance (SDWA)

Presented at ISEA2008 Juried Exhibition
National Museum of Singapore

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Biopresence
• water
• dowsing
• science
• art
• ISEA
• DIY
• Environment

[babsmith1]

very different , keep the practise up

[grenangle]

Not blind tests but blind dowsres, lol.

[croozer351]

Yawn, dowsing is bunk.