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31st May 2007, 05:00 PM
Experimental protocol for water dowsing
1 This protocol is designed to test the proposition that a particular individual ("the Dowser") is able to divine the presence of a quantity of water ("the Target") when it is concealed from sight, exclusively by means of dowsing.
1.1 The process as a whole ("the Experiment") will consist of a number of identical iterations of the same dowsing procedure ("the Trial").
1.2 Each Trial will be completed by the Dowser, and also by an independent individual agreeable to all parties ("the Control"). The Control will operate under exactly the same conditions as the Dowser, but will attempt to locate the Target by means of guesswork alone.
1.3 Each Trial will produce a clear result (success or failure) for both the Dowser and the Control.
1.4 The Target shall consist of four pints of ordinary tap water, sealed in a bottle.
2 The Experiment will be administered by four individuals, who will operate in two pairs ("the Observers").
2.1 One Observer in each pair will be nominated by the Dowser, the other will be an independent observer who may be skeptical of the Dowser's claimed ability.
2.2 One pair of Observers will remain with the Dowser and the Control throughout the Experiment, and will not be present while the Trial is being set up.
2.3 One pair of Observers will set up the Trial, but will not be present while either the Dowser or the Control is performing the Trial.
2.4 All Observers will conduct themselves in accordance with both the letter and the spirit of this protocol; any failure to do so will invalidate the results of the Experiment, and may result in the Experiment being terminated immediately.
3 The Experiment will be conducted in a room ("the Venue") with no internal windows or similar apertures, and no external ground floor windows or similar apertures.
3.1 The Venue will not contain any microphone, security camera or other surveillance device.
3.2 Video and/or audio recording equipment may be present in the Venue subject to the agreement of all parties. Any such equipment shall not be connected in any way to any system external to the Venue. It is suggested (subject to the agreement of all parties) that such equipment should be left running uninterrupted and untouched by any party throughout the Experiment.
3.3 It is the explicit intention of this protocol to prohibit any means whereby any person, not present in the Venue while the Trial is being set up, could possibly ascertain the whereabouts of the Target.
4 The Dowser will be permitted to invite a reasonable number of supporters to attend the Trial.
4.1 The supporters may accompany the Dowser at all times throughout the Experiment.
4.2 All supporters are required to enter and exit the Venue along with the Dowser, in accordance with the requests of the Observers as required by this protocol.
4.3 Any failure by the Dowser or any supporter to follow the requests of the Observers or otherwise behave outside the letter or the spirit of this protocol will invalidate the results of the Experiment, and may result in the Experiment being terminated immediately.
5 The Venue will contain a number of possible sites where the Target could be concealed ("the Locations").
5.1 The number of Locations present will be agreed in advance in accordance with 12.1 below.
5.2 Each Location will consist of the following items:
5.2.1 A bucket, with marks on the floor to indicate its position for the duration of the Experiment.
5.2.2 An equal amount of sand inside each bucket, of a quantity sufficient to prevent the bucket from moving easily.
5.2.3 A plain square black cloth placed over the bucket, with its edges parallel to the walls.
5.2.4 A card bearing a single letter attached to the floor next to the bucket for the duration of the Experiment, to identify each Location uniquely.
5.3 All items used will be procured in advance, and should as far as possible be identical to each other.
5.4 The pair of Observers responsible for setting up the Trial shall equip themselves with an opaque container containing a set of identical tokens ("the Randomiser"), as follows:
5.4.1 One token to represent each Location, bearing the letter corresponding to that Location.
5.4.2 Some blank tokens, which bear no letter nor any other identifying mark.
5.4.2.1. The number of blank tokens will be agreed in advance in accordance with 12.3 below.
6 The Dowser will be afforded full access to the Venue before the Experiment begins, to ensure total familiarity with the surroundings and all arrangements stipulated by this protocol.
6.1 At this time, the Dowser should set up and conduct a series of test Trials, using the actual Target and Locations. Such test Trials shall not form part of the result of the Experiment, but will allow the Dowser to verify that no aspect of the Venue interferes with dowsing ability.
6.2 At the conclusion of the test Trials, the Dowser will sign a declaration to the effect that:
6.2.1 Every aspect of this protocol has been understood and agreed by the Dowser.
6.2.2 All the stipulations of this protocol have been effected correctly.
6.2.3 The Experiment represents a fair process for testing the Dowser's claimed ability.
6.2.4 No environmental or other circumstances are present which may interfere with that ability.
6.2.5 No intentionally fraudulent technique of any kind will be used during the Experiment.
7 The Experiment will consist of a number of identical iterations of the Trial.
7.1 The number of iterations of the Trial will be agreed in advance in accordance with 12.2 below.
7.2 Each Trial will follow the same series of stages:
7.2.1 The Observers responsible for setting up the Trial will set up in accordance with 8 below.
7.2.2 One party (as determined in 7.3 below) will complete the Trial in accordance with 9 below.
7.2.3 The other party will then complete the Trial separately, in accordance with 9 below.
7.2.4 The Observers responsible for setting up the Trial will check the Venue in accordance with 10 below.
7.3 Prior to the commencement of the Experiment, the Observers responsible for administering the Trial will toss a coin to establish which party (the Dowser or the Control) will first complete the Trial in the initial instance. In the second instance of the Trial, the other party will complete the Trial first, and thereafter the two parties shall alternate.
8 The Trial will be set up in accordance with the following procedure by the pair of Observers responsible for setting up the Trial, who shall:
8.1 Enter the Venue alone, noting the exact time when they do so and so informing the Observers responsible for administering the Trial using a simple prearranged signal.
8.2 Remove all buckets from the Locations, then draw one token blindly from the Randomiser.
8.3 If the token drawn corresponds to a Location, push the Target into the sand inside a bucket and position it on the marks at the corresponding Location; or if the token drawn is blank, remove the Target from the Venue altogether.
8.4 Make a written record, countersigned by both observers, of the Location number where the Target has been placed, if any ("the Answer").
8.5 Replace the token in the Randomiser.
8.6 Place buckets containing only sand on the marks at all Locations other than that which may contain the Target.
8.7 Ensure that the arrangement of cloths and buckets at all Locations is identical, and is in accordance with the protocol.
8.8 Vacate the Venue, having competed the setup procedure within a prearranged length of time.
8.8.1 The time allowed for completing the setup procedure will be agreed in advance in accordance with 12.4 below.
8.8.2 In the event of any unforeseen difficulty preventing completion of the setup process within the agreed time, the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial shall notify the Observers responsible for administering the Trial that the setup procedure is not yet complete, using a simple prearranged signal which does not allow for any conversation with any other party.
8.9 Not re-enter the Venue until it has been vacated by everybody present during the Trial.
8.10 Never introduce into or remove from the Venue any object of any kind (other than the Target), nor move any object which is present in the Venue (other than those which constitute the Locations).
8.11 Never make any attempt to communicate in any way with any party involved with the Experiment, other than pre-arranged signals to other Observers as allowed by this protocol.
9 The Trial will be conducted in accordance with the following procedure by the Observers responsible for conducting the Trial, who shall:
9.1 Ensure that no person other than the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial enter the Venue while the procedure for setting up the Trial is being followed.
9.2 After the agreed length of time for setting up the Trial has elapsed, and the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial have left the Venue, invite the first party due to complete the Trial (in accordance with 7.3 above) to enter the Venue and inform them that the Trial may commence.
9.3 Ensure that the Dowser has adequate opportunity to investigate all Locations using any dowsing technique, including the use of dowsing rods, crystals or any other similar objects.
9.4 Ensure that the Dowser, the Control and any supporters do not touch any part of any Location during the Trial.
9.5 Ensure that the Dowser, the Control and any supporters do not employ any form of apparatus or technique (electronic, magnetic or otherwise) capable of detecting the Target by any means other than dowsing, either during the Trial or at any other time during the Experiment.
9.6 Ensure that both the Dowser and the Control record in writing the number of the Location which is believed to contain the Target, if any ("the Prediction").
9.7 Ensure that the Prediction is countersigned both by the party who made it and by both Observers.
9.8 Ask the party who made the Prediction to leave the Venue, then invite the other party (in accordance with 7.3 above) to enter the Venue and repeat steps 9.3 to 9.7 above.
9.9 Ensure that the Venue is vacated at the conclusion of the Trial.
9.10 Inform the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial that it has been completed, using a simple prearranged signal which does not allow for any conversation between the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial and any other party.
10 After the Trial has been concluded, the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial shall:
10.1 Re-enter the Venue alone.
10.2 Check that all Locations are still arranged in precisely the same manner as they were when set up.
10.3 Check that the Target is still present in the bucket corresponding to the recorded Location.
11 The Experiment shall consist of repeating the Trial over a number of iterations, as agreed in advance in accordance with 12.2 below. The outcome of the Experiment shall then be resolved as follows:
11.1 The Dowser, the Control, all Observers and any supporters will assemble in the Venue.
11.2 An opportunity will be given for any person present to highlight any concerns they may have that the conduct of the Trial was not in accordance with both the letter and the spirit of this protocol.
11.3 The Dowser will sign a declaration to the effect that:
11.3.1 All the stipulations of this protocol were effected correctly during the Experiment.
11.3.2 The Experiment represented a reasonable test of the Dowser's claimed ability.
11.3.3 No environmental or other circumstances were present which interfered with dowsing ability.
11.3.4 No intentionally fraudulent technique of any kind was used during the Experiment.
11.4 The countersigned written records of first the Control's Prediction, then the Dowser's Prediction, and finally the Answer for each Trial shall be revealed by the Observers, in the order in which the Trials were conducted.
11.5 If a Prediction coincides exactly with the Answer of a given Trial, then that Trial shall be considered a success for the party who made that Prediction; otherwise it shall be considered a failure.
11.6 All countersigned declarations, Predictions and Answers, along with any video and/or audio recordings of the Experiment, shall be made freely available for all involved parties to inspect, copy and/or make public as they see fit.
12 This protocol does not stipulate several specific details. These will be negotiated and agreed in advance between the Dowser and all Observers. They include:
12.1 The number of Locations to be present in the Venue (this number shall be between four and ten).
12.2 How many iterations of the Trial shall constitute the Experiment (this number shall be at least twelve, and should vary in inverse proportion to the number of Locations present).
12.3 The number of blank tokens present in the Randomiser (this number shall be at least two, shall be smaller than the number of Locations, and should vary in direct proportion to the number of Locations present).
12.4 The length of time required for the Observers to set up the Venue for each Trial (this duration will be agreed contingent on relevant practical considerations concerning the Venue).
Bruce Walton, UK-Skeptics © 2007
1 This protocol is designed to test the proposition that a particular individual ("the Dowser") is able to divine the presence of a quantity of water ("the Target") when it is concealed from sight, exclusively by means of dowsing.
1.1 The process as a whole ("the Experiment") will consist of a number of identical iterations of the same dowsing procedure ("the Trial").
1.2 Each Trial will be completed by the Dowser, and also by an independent individual agreeable to all parties ("the Control"). The Control will operate under exactly the same conditions as the Dowser, but will attempt to locate the Target by means of guesswork alone.
1.3 Each Trial will produce a clear result (success or failure) for both the Dowser and the Control.
1.4 The Target shall consist of four pints of ordinary tap water, sealed in a bottle.
2 The Experiment will be administered by four individuals, who will operate in two pairs ("the Observers").
2.1 One Observer in each pair will be nominated by the Dowser, the other will be an independent observer who may be skeptical of the Dowser's claimed ability.
2.2 One pair of Observers will remain with the Dowser and the Control throughout the Experiment, and will not be present while the Trial is being set up.
2.3 One pair of Observers will set up the Trial, but will not be present while either the Dowser or the Control is performing the Trial.
2.4 All Observers will conduct themselves in accordance with both the letter and the spirit of this protocol; any failure to do so will invalidate the results of the Experiment, and may result in the Experiment being terminated immediately.
3 The Experiment will be conducted in a room ("the Venue") with no internal windows or similar apertures, and no external ground floor windows or similar apertures.
3.1 The Venue will not contain any microphone, security camera or other surveillance device.
3.2 Video and/or audio recording equipment may be present in the Venue subject to the agreement of all parties. Any such equipment shall not be connected in any way to any system external to the Venue. It is suggested (subject to the agreement of all parties) that such equipment should be left running uninterrupted and untouched by any party throughout the Experiment.
3.3 It is the explicit intention of this protocol to prohibit any means whereby any person, not present in the Venue while the Trial is being set up, could possibly ascertain the whereabouts of the Target.
4 The Dowser will be permitted to invite a reasonable number of supporters to attend the Trial.
4.1 The supporters may accompany the Dowser at all times throughout the Experiment.
4.2 All supporters are required to enter and exit the Venue along with the Dowser, in accordance with the requests of the Observers as required by this protocol.
4.3 Any failure by the Dowser or any supporter to follow the requests of the Observers or otherwise behave outside the letter or the spirit of this protocol will invalidate the results of the Experiment, and may result in the Experiment being terminated immediately.
5 The Venue will contain a number of possible sites where the Target could be concealed ("the Locations").
5.1 The number of Locations present will be agreed in advance in accordance with 12.1 below.
5.2 Each Location will consist of the following items:
5.2.1 A bucket, with marks on the floor to indicate its position for the duration of the Experiment.
5.2.2 An equal amount of sand inside each bucket, of a quantity sufficient to prevent the bucket from moving easily.
5.2.3 A plain square black cloth placed over the bucket, with its edges parallel to the walls.
5.2.4 A card bearing a single letter attached to the floor next to the bucket for the duration of the Experiment, to identify each Location uniquely.
5.3 All items used will be procured in advance, and should as far as possible be identical to each other.
5.4 The pair of Observers responsible for setting up the Trial shall equip themselves with an opaque container containing a set of identical tokens ("the Randomiser"), as follows:
5.4.1 One token to represent each Location, bearing the letter corresponding to that Location.
5.4.2 Some blank tokens, which bear no letter nor any other identifying mark.
5.4.2.1. The number of blank tokens will be agreed in advance in accordance with 12.3 below.
6 The Dowser will be afforded full access to the Venue before the Experiment begins, to ensure total familiarity with the surroundings and all arrangements stipulated by this protocol.
6.1 At this time, the Dowser should set up and conduct a series of test Trials, using the actual Target and Locations. Such test Trials shall not form part of the result of the Experiment, but will allow the Dowser to verify that no aspect of the Venue interferes with dowsing ability.
6.2 At the conclusion of the test Trials, the Dowser will sign a declaration to the effect that:
6.2.1 Every aspect of this protocol has been understood and agreed by the Dowser.
6.2.2 All the stipulations of this protocol have been effected correctly.
6.2.3 The Experiment represents a fair process for testing the Dowser's claimed ability.
6.2.4 No environmental or other circumstances are present which may interfere with that ability.
6.2.5 No intentionally fraudulent technique of any kind will be used during the Experiment.
7 The Experiment will consist of a number of identical iterations of the Trial.
7.1 The number of iterations of the Trial will be agreed in advance in accordance with 12.2 below.
7.2 Each Trial will follow the same series of stages:
7.2.1 The Observers responsible for setting up the Trial will set up in accordance with 8 below.
7.2.2 One party (as determined in 7.3 below) will complete the Trial in accordance with 9 below.
7.2.3 The other party will then complete the Trial separately, in accordance with 9 below.
7.2.4 The Observers responsible for setting up the Trial will check the Venue in accordance with 10 below.
7.3 Prior to the commencement of the Experiment, the Observers responsible for administering the Trial will toss a coin to establish which party (the Dowser or the Control) will first complete the Trial in the initial instance. In the second instance of the Trial, the other party will complete the Trial first, and thereafter the two parties shall alternate.
8 The Trial will be set up in accordance with the following procedure by the pair of Observers responsible for setting up the Trial, who shall:
8.1 Enter the Venue alone, noting the exact time when they do so and so informing the Observers responsible for administering the Trial using a simple prearranged signal.
8.2 Remove all buckets from the Locations, then draw one token blindly from the Randomiser.
8.3 If the token drawn corresponds to a Location, push the Target into the sand inside a bucket and position it on the marks at the corresponding Location; or if the token drawn is blank, remove the Target from the Venue altogether.
8.4 Make a written record, countersigned by both observers, of the Location number where the Target has been placed, if any ("the Answer").
8.5 Replace the token in the Randomiser.
8.6 Place buckets containing only sand on the marks at all Locations other than that which may contain the Target.
8.7 Ensure that the arrangement of cloths and buckets at all Locations is identical, and is in accordance with the protocol.
8.8 Vacate the Venue, having competed the setup procedure within a prearranged length of time.
8.8.1 The time allowed for completing the setup procedure will be agreed in advance in accordance with 12.4 below.
8.8.2 In the event of any unforeseen difficulty preventing completion of the setup process within the agreed time, the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial shall notify the Observers responsible for administering the Trial that the setup procedure is not yet complete, using a simple prearranged signal which does not allow for any conversation with any other party.
8.9 Not re-enter the Venue until it has been vacated by everybody present during the Trial.
8.10 Never introduce into or remove from the Venue any object of any kind (other than the Target), nor move any object which is present in the Venue (other than those which constitute the Locations).
8.11 Never make any attempt to communicate in any way with any party involved with the Experiment, other than pre-arranged signals to other Observers as allowed by this protocol.
9 The Trial will be conducted in accordance with the following procedure by the Observers responsible for conducting the Trial, who shall:
9.1 Ensure that no person other than the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial enter the Venue while the procedure for setting up the Trial is being followed.
9.2 After the agreed length of time for setting up the Trial has elapsed, and the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial have left the Venue, invite the first party due to complete the Trial (in accordance with 7.3 above) to enter the Venue and inform them that the Trial may commence.
9.3 Ensure that the Dowser has adequate opportunity to investigate all Locations using any dowsing technique, including the use of dowsing rods, crystals or any other similar objects.
9.4 Ensure that the Dowser, the Control and any supporters do not touch any part of any Location during the Trial.
9.5 Ensure that the Dowser, the Control and any supporters do not employ any form of apparatus or technique (electronic, magnetic or otherwise) capable of detecting the Target by any means other than dowsing, either during the Trial or at any other time during the Experiment.
9.6 Ensure that both the Dowser and the Control record in writing the number of the Location which is believed to contain the Target, if any ("the Prediction").
9.7 Ensure that the Prediction is countersigned both by the party who made it and by both Observers.
9.8 Ask the party who made the Prediction to leave the Venue, then invite the other party (in accordance with 7.3 above) to enter the Venue and repeat steps 9.3 to 9.7 above.
9.9 Ensure that the Venue is vacated at the conclusion of the Trial.
9.10 Inform the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial that it has been completed, using a simple prearranged signal which does not allow for any conversation between the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial and any other party.
10 After the Trial has been concluded, the Observers responsible for setting up the Trial shall:
10.1 Re-enter the Venue alone.
10.2 Check that all Locations are still arranged in precisely the same manner as they were when set up.
10.3 Check that the Target is still present in the bucket corresponding to the recorded Location.
11 The Experiment shall consist of repeating the Trial over a number of iterations, as agreed in advance in accordance with 12.2 below. The outcome of the Experiment shall then be resolved as follows:
11.1 The Dowser, the Control, all Observers and any supporters will assemble in the Venue.
11.2 An opportunity will be given for any person present to highlight any concerns they may have that the conduct of the Trial was not in accordance with both the letter and the spirit of this protocol.
11.3 The Dowser will sign a declaration to the effect that:
11.3.1 All the stipulations of this protocol were effected correctly during the Experiment.
11.3.2 The Experiment represented a reasonable test of the Dowser's claimed ability.
11.3.3 No environmental or other circumstances were present which interfered with dowsing ability.
11.3.4 No intentionally fraudulent technique of any kind was used during the Experiment.
11.4 The countersigned written records of first the Control's Prediction, then the Dowser's Prediction, and finally the Answer for each Trial shall be revealed by the Observers, in the order in which the Trials were conducted.
11.5 If a Prediction coincides exactly with the Answer of a given Trial, then that Trial shall be considered a success for the party who made that Prediction; otherwise it shall be considered a failure.
11.6 All countersigned declarations, Predictions and Answers, along with any video and/or audio recordings of the Experiment, shall be made freely available for all involved parties to inspect, copy and/or make public as they see fit.
12 This protocol does not stipulate several specific details. These will be negotiated and agreed in advance between the Dowser and all Observers. They include:
12.1 The number of Locations to be present in the Venue (this number shall be between four and ten).
12.2 How many iterations of the Trial shall constitute the Experiment (this number shall be at least twelve, and should vary in inverse proportion to the number of Locations present).
12.3 The number of blank tokens present in the Randomiser (this number shall be at least two, shall be smaller than the number of Locations, and should vary in direct proportion to the number of Locations present).
12.4 The length of time required for the Observers to set up the Venue for each Trial (this duration will be agreed contingent on relevant practical considerations concerning the Venue).
Bruce Walton, UK-Skeptics © 2007