WOODLAND HILLS : Ex-Aerospace Engineer Hones Dowsing Skills

As a man firmly rooted in science, Alvin Kaufman had to work hard to convince himself that the little wire rods could speak to him.

But, once he got used to the tell-tale swivel of the wire in his hands, the retired aerospace engineer became a full-fledged dowser--scanning the area near his Woodland Hills home for water, using a process he cannot understand.

Dowsing, the practice of using the movement of metal rods, wooden sticks or pendulums to find buried objects or answer questions, is often dismissed as foolishness, a cross between sorcery and charades. But dowsers, as well as farmers, contractors and water officials nationwide, say the practice can be highly effective.

“I read many books on the subject, pro and con,” said Kaufman, 75. “But most were con, written by people who had never witnessed or tested it. As an engineer, I don’t base things on opinions.”

Kaufman, who said he worked for companies such as Hughes Aircraft Co., Litton Industries Inc., Lockheed Corp., McDonnell Douglas Aerospace and Northrop Corp. for 43 years, said he first became interested in dowsing about a quarter century ago, when he invited a man who manufactured metal detectors to speak to a group of engineers.

The speaker, who helped the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power find underground pipes, astounded the audience when he said, “I have to tell you, dowsing works better,” Kaufman said.

After he had honed his own dowsing skills, Kaufman measured the force behind the movement of his dowsing rods, which seem to turn of their own accord in response to his questions, and published his findings.

But even now, Kaufman is perplexed over what makes the rods swivel in his hands. “Some people say it’s Satan that’s helping make the rods move, and other people say God is helping,” Kaufman said. “It could be something in your subconscious mind, as far as I can tell. But nobody knows for sure.”