The Science of Basic L-Rod Dowsing

Dowsing has been a known practice for at least 500 years, with some evidence suggesting it may have been used for millennia. Historically, dowsers used a forked, Y-shaped stick, following the movement toward the presence of water, minerals, or other objects located beneath the ground. Today, the most common tool used is a wire bent into the shape of an “L,” leading to the term L-rod dowsing. Only a few of dowsing’s many forms appear to have a clear physical basis, such that some physical phenomenon in the environment causes a physiological response in the body. Despite the many studies performed in the past, none have resulted in a comprehensive, testable explanation for how dowsing works.

This book reviews and critiques some of the common explanations for L-rod field dowsing, describes an investigation into various aspects of L-rod dowsing, and proposes a mechanism which explains the physical observations. Building on the prior scientific studies, it presents a theory based on well-known scientific principles for the physical component of dowsing.

Richard Warburton, who holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Southampton and a J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law, has spent most of his career in new product development and is an inventor with more than 20 patents. He lives near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Richard Warburton
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 304
Bibliographic Info: 118 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9401-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5169-9
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vii
Symbols and Abbreviations Used in This Book ix
Preface 1
1. Introduction 3
2. General Observations of the Dowsing Signal 10
3. Preliminary Observations and Requirements for the Dowsing Effect 17
4. The Psychology of Dowsing 22
5. Radioactivity and Subatomic Particles 33
6. Gravity 37
7. Parallel Bands and Fields Produced by Rotating Objects 39
8. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance 46
9. Sound 49
10. Electric Fields and Static Electricity 51
11. Telluric Magnetism and Currents 59
12. Nature of the Dowsing Response 66
13. Location of Dowsing Sense Organ 82
14. Magnetism and Magnetic Fields 88
15. Electromagnetic Fields and Dowsing 100
16. Dowsing Frequency Band 112
17. Source of Electromagnetic Radiation 124
18. Resolution of Dowsing Signal 131
19. Memory Effects 152
20. Depth 170
21. Measuring the Dowsing Response Instrumentally 191
22. Dowsing in Three Dimensions 206
23. Mechanisms for Detection of Magnetic Fields in Animals 210
24. Interaction of Electromagnetic Fields with Biological Systems 218
25. Remaining Mysteries and Interesting Reports 235
26. Conclusions 243
Final Words 247
Appendix: Properties of Waves 249
Annex: Instrumentation Used 261
Chapter Notes 265
Selected Bibliography 290
Index 291