Fact or Fiction: Dowsing Rods

"I know very well that many scientists consider dowsing as they do astrology, as a type of ancient superstition. According to my conviction this is, unjustified. The dowsing rod is a simple instrument which shows the uncanny reaction of the human nervous system to certain factors which are unknown to us at this time."
 - Albert Einstein

The act of dowsing has been around for thousands of years, possibly originally developed for divination purposes, or fortunetelling. In the Middle Ages, people dowsed to find the truth during trials. Dowsing, as practiced today, is commonly used to find water, various metals, and many other things. Many paranormal investigators today like to use dowsing rods in their investigations.

But do they really work?

I don't know. Scientifically, it doesn't make sense. But it's strange how they seem to work. It could be possible, but I consider them unreliable due to a number of reasons, such as

• Environmental conditions. Even a slight wind could move the rods.
• People subconsciously tend to create an illusion of what they want to see. While you think you are holding the rods perfectly still and upright, you could actually be tipping them, causing them to move where you want them. 
• You cannot possibly hold the rods still while walking. 

While I'm sure you could convince a ghost to move the rods, are you sure you're not moving them even the slightest to get the answers you're looking for? 

I'm not saying they don't work, because I don't have proof that they do or don't, but I am saying that they are not reliable enough for investigative purposes. There are plenty of better methods out there.

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