Velikovsky, in Stargazers and Gravediggers, page 249, mentions dowsing and the suggestion by some psychologists that it may be due to extra sensory perception. He then said that Moses struck a rock with a rod and caused water to flow – and therefore dowsing was a very ancient practise. Mainstream cannot explain how dowsing works – but it does (or rather, some people have the gift and other don't, and there are lots of amateurs that dabble, but not too successfully). The fact it works is illustrated by the fact that government agencies use dowsers to locate water pipes etc. Major construction companies also use dowsers – and some engineers are actually exponents of the art. Even archaeologists are known to seek the help of dowsers – not in search of water though, but to discover where best to excavate by finding out what is under the ground (in the way of physical remains such as walls and ditches).
However, was Velikovsky right and was Moses a dowser?