Dowsing Paperback – June 7, 2010

As a child I used a crystal pendulum to find lost things. My parents often used muscle testing when deciding a between homeopathics or tictures, and as an adult knew of farmers and other "regular" people who would hire dowsers to find water, minerals or othernatural resources on their property. I never knew that these weren't mainstream practices until I was an adult. Recently I became interested in developing my skills with the pendulum (to find lost things, usually). I bought this book to take with me on vacation, having only read a sample.The book talks some about pendulum dowsing and muscle testing, but practically speaking it mainly instructs on mostly on using L Rods (like they use to find water or minerals), which was fine with me since I don't have as much knowledge or first hand experience using those.The book focuses a lot on the historical, religious and socio-political context of dowsing, and how these factors have kept or promoted dowsing as a practical and useful tool - or openly practiced professional calling.This is a really well researched and written book that was fascinating and easy to read. It's an important book to help get a better understanding of the religious, historical and scientific background and effects on the perception and practice of dowsing.There is some practical how-to dowse information, but it's definitely not a how-to book. It dispells a lot of the "mystical" and "occult" narratives connected to dowsing, and really puts it in the realms of the scientific. It doesn't focus on the larger question of IF dowsing works, but on the HOW it works, from an energetic and scientific point of view. It's a must-have book for anyone who dowses, has hired a professional, dowser or is interested in learning about how to use dowsing as a tool. I literally couldn't put this book down- it was especially fascinating to learn about how dowsing was invested in as a science, and used for information gathering during the cold war, first in the Soviet Union, and then in response by the United States.I did use some of the tips as I practiced (like grounding myself, how to frame questions clearly, etc.). I am pretty new at using the pendulum for others (with confidence), but while reading the book gave it a try and actually successfully used it to to help someone locate something that her family member had hidden generations before- under a kitchen tile!

Ms Brown early on in her book, Dowsing: The Ultimate Guide for the 21st Century, sketches what amounts to a world history of dowsing, incorporating her perceptive insights concerning that history's dynamics. I've never encountered such a wonderful, revealing discussion of the roots of dowsing anywhere else. And to my mind this type of historical perspective is essential background material for anyone involved with the art of dowsing. I don't think it's too much praise to state that this history, as the author has articulated it, is a unique gift to the entire world-wide dowsing community.The author does spend pages on discussions of energy, scientific outlook, and cutting-edge physics as these relate to and support the reality of the dowsing response. I had read most of this sort of info in various places before so was a tad bored with it and fast-forwarded through it. However, this material could certainly be of value to someone who hasn't encountered it elsewhere and needs a mental boost in confidence as regards the reality of dowsing.However, for myself as a new dowser, the highlight of this book is the way the author offers concrete couching tips to assist the beginner in first locating, and subsequently developing a viable relationship with, one's own personal dowsing response. This is just simply priceless information, no two ways about it. I mean, there are other dowsing books that offer some of this, but not in the way Ms Brown does. I'm beginning to suspect her basic tips regarding finding a way into this skill may very well be the reason I am already starting to tap into this ability, instead of miserably failing at it as I did when I first attempted to learn dowsing some years ago.On the strength of one quite dismal and dismissive review of this book on Amazon, I almost didn't buy the book. All I can say is, I'm glad I disregarded that review and purchased the book on Kindle.

The information in the first part of the book is sufficiently detailed to allow anyone to try dowsing. I had never before read of applying dowsing to medicine. An interesting book from a master dowser about how she thinks it works, how she applies it to medicine, and resources for the interested.

these kind of books I can relate to. though growing up Dowsing was with sticks looking for water, remember? and Pendulum's where pointed ended necklaces, string and needle ( used to guess the baby's sex before sonograms took all the fun out of it) that you could ask yes or no questions to and it would give you a answer.. I learned before 10 by my mom and later after her death learned that my ancestor's were witches? well it explains the Pendulums lessons along with card fortune telling. anyway if you are into these things and I like both ways, went camping with a metal detector couldn't find a thing, held it straight out said take me where you want and found right away a old can buried a foot down and a old railroad track? makes you think doesn't it? who wants to get together in RI for a put them all to the test afternoon with the girls...lol...I do

This is the first book I ever read on dowsing. I learned so much, I am frankly astonished. This book is eloquently written, thoughtfully researched and supported by real life stories. The author comes across as deeply genuine and passionate about her craft. By the end of the book, she succeeds in inspiring a curious novice to enter the wonders of the quantum field, to practice dowsing, to fail and to get up and stay with it. We can find water, help people and animals heal, connect with plants and explore the mysteries of the universe. I am so excited about what I learned in this book, I wrote my first book review here! Now, I am going to dowse!