Expert: Michael Watson - 7/23/2009

Question
hi, my question regards pendulum dowsing, i read a lot about it but science says it's scam, so is it true that one can forecast future and using it
i'm interested in forecasting soccer games, i'm betting on draws(X) but so far results are not very good, what can you tell me, can i rely on it or should i forget it
thanks
krasimir, Bulgaria

Answer
Hello Krasmir -

Apologies for the delay with my reply ....  I've been traveling and had limited opportunity to get my email.

Pendulum dowsing (especially for divination and forecasting the future)isn't really the same thing as the uses of pendulums in hypnosis, which is my area of expertise.

I think that pendulums make people think of hypnosis, because of it's iconic use as a focusing devise in old-time hypnosis and in movies and such.

A more significant use of pendulums is their use as a signaling device. Through hypnotic suggestion, ideomotor signals can cause the pendulum to swing in response to questions, even when the subject is not consciously aware of the answer.  It can swing one direction for "yes" and another for "no". These responses are thought to come from the unconscious mind.  Similarly, hypnotists often employ a simple unconscious finger movement in the same way.

However, the use of pendulums to predict the future is a different matter.  The unconscious mind doesn't have knowledge of the future.  So the response is most likely to be the dominant thought in the unconscious.  If you really deeply believe that a certain team will win ... or if you're a great fan of one team or the other, or even if you're worried that your team will lose .... these are all factors that could, through ideomotor action, cause the pendulum to swing.

Yet your question intrigues me ... because, on the other hand, your unconscious mind is pretty sophisticated, and it might be a more accurate predictor than your conscious mind could be.  If you know a lot about the teams involved and your unconscious mind can use that information to make a VERY educated guess, it could be accurate.  But I really don't know for sure.  I'd recommend that you take some time to study it.  Make predications over the course of a season or two ... but don't bet money .... just keep a log.  And if you discover that you've got a good predictor, THEN use it.  If it's good, it'll be more than worth the effort and the wait .... and if it doesn't work, it won't be a disaster.


Best wishes in your endeavor,
Michael