DISCUSSION

Initial Investigations: 1979 to 2010.

This one-man study started out with the simple desire to confirm or refute the observations and investigations of Guy Underwood as written in his book: 'Patterns of the Past' (London, Museum Press 1969). Expectations were undoubtedly created on reading this book but they were tempered by a good deal of scepticism. It was realized that Underwood's findings were multi-layered and included some fairly whacky speculations. However, it soon became apparent that he was describing an interesting bodily physical phenomenon - a muscular response generated by a change in homeostasis between the Left and Right hemispheres of the body. Although Underwood did not re-count the phenomenon in quite this way, his descriptions of it could readily be tested and therefore, one could confirm or rejected them by examination of one's own bodily reactions under the same basic experimental conditions described by him.

Attempts were undertaken to compare Underwood's accounts of his physical reactions with those of the author; however, Underwood's descriptions appear to change over time: his early accounts talk of 'influence lines' and 'streams' of direction i.e., very much influenced by the 'water' dowsing tradition whence he came.[1] Later he talks of the 'strength' of reactions; and of responses occurring in various patterns: such as parallel pairs characterised by 'triple' dips which he calls 'aquastats'; and of 'flow Lines' centred on a 'single' reaction zone; and of 'Track Lines' accompanying aquastats on each side and which '… frequently run parallel in pairs, usually at a distance apart of about 15ft'.[2]

[1] Underwood G, 'Archaeology and Dowsing' Part II. JBDS VII No.58, 296-306, Dec 1947. (Op.cit. Graves 1980).

[2] Underwood G, 'Track Lines', J.B.D.S. VIII, 22-28, 1948. (Op.cit. Graves 1980).

It should be noted that at the start of this project, no attempt was made to link the occurrence of the physical phenomenon to prehistoric or medieval archaeological sites - which was Underwood's main interest; in fact, during the first 20 years of the investigation such sites were positively avoided. It was decided that only when the reaction phenomenon's distribution within the 'normal' landscape was clearly understood could its occurrence within archaeological sites be appraised and evaluated. As Underwood himself states: (Chapter 17, P. 184):

'Looking back on my years of surveying…the complexity of this site (Stonehenge) would render it a far from ideal starting-point for any students sufficiently interested to put my results to the test.'

However, Underwood's archaeological surveying technique was adopted for the project as an essential tool to record where the reactions took place in the horizontal plane. Underwood found similar reaction zone patterns throughout the landscape of Britain leading him to suspect that the muscular reflex was a response to an 'external' stimulus, speculating that it was '…an unrecognized effect of some already established force, such as magnetism or gravity' (Chapter 2, P. 18). 

When Underwood's hypothesis and method of presentation was considered alongside some of his further observations - that both plants and animals appeared to respond to this same external stimulus - they suggested that the phenomenon was worthy of further exploration and should not be dismissed out of hand as the ravings of a deluded man.

Although my initial investigations satisfactorily established that the reaction's origin was not ideomotor, they started-off with the unquestioned assumption that the locations where this stimulus occurred must be 'static'. For how else could Underwood's account of features he found currently present on archaeological sites be linked to those same locations over a time span of several thousand years, as he claimed? That unchallenged 'static' idea was quite a handicap: it created a mental straight-jacket that took many years to shake off. It is essential to understand that Underwood's method did not employ long term, precise measurements over regular periods of time at one location - his methodology was more of a 'broad-brush' approach.

During the preliminary period of this project in the 1980's, the author had no real understanding of what was causing the reaction to take place or of the physical sense involved – my knowledge of the neuroscience behind it was non-existent. Initially the reaction was merely regarded as oddity for which there was probably a simple explanation that would eventually become apparent. Further, the ability to access a wide range of information using personal computers was not readily available in those early years. These factors possibly assisted in creating a sceptical and somewhat blank state of mind - one which was helpful at the time in that it reduced expectations. But, as has already been stated, there was an assumption at the outset that the reaction pattern was 'static' and this unquestioned stance persisted for many years and was only challenged once accurate recording of measurements started in 2011. Prior to that date the enquiries were somewhat sketchy, with more focus on the subjective and psychological aspects. The first priority was to explore the conditions under which the sense (or senses) involved could be trusted or not.

From the beginning, the muscle-reflex, amplifying instrument used was a slightly modified version of Underwood's 'Geodesic Link-Rod'. Other types of amplifying instrument are mentioned by him, but none of them were used at any point in this investigation - he describes the alternatives as being somewhat less sensitive. Other more readily available types of instruments, such as the L-rod, have been used by other experimenters but the results produced by them have been rather dubious[1].

[1] see Chadwick, D.G. and Jensen, L., "The Detection of Magnetic Fields Caused by Groundwater" Utah Water Research Laboratory Report. Paper 568. 1971.

An initial 'Practice period' was found to be a key requirement in order to sense the subtle changes in homeostasis within the body and to be able to use the instrument successfully. The acquisition of such unconscious motor skills is well documented in other fields, as widely separated as professional tennis players and classically trained musicians and dancers. [1]

[1] Nigmatullina, Y; Hellyer, P.J; al, et; 'The Neuroanatomical Correlates of Training-related Perceptuo-refllex Uncoupling in Dancers' Cerebral Cortex; Sept., 2013; 

It was no different in this investigation: the building up of neural connections to bypass conscious thought takes time and in this particular case, it required acquisition of the skill to keep the lower part of both arms locked steadily in the horizontal plane throughout the act of walking, whilst simultaneously holding the instrument between the fingers of left and right hands and maintaining instrumental balance using minimum finger pressure. 

The first question to be tackled was: 'Is this reaction being generated entirely from within the body or is it a response to an external stimulus?' Walking either slowly or at a brisk pace made no difference to the location of the zones of reaction, which suggested the phenomenon was not the product of other internal processes, such as upper arm or leg muscles or breathing control. However, there remained the possibility that there might be a subconscious response to visual stimuli in the surrounding environment. Thus, efforts were made to eliminate or reduce the potential influence of such stimuli by walking either with the eyes closed or at night. The cumulative results added weight to the idea that the reaction zones were also independent of visual stimuli thus, initial findings did not appear to favour 'ideo-sensory' as the stimulus behind the phenomenon. They seemed to suggest instead that the reactions were a response to a non-visible 'external' stimulus that was somehow connected with specific locations. Current neuroscientific research (Day et al, 1997; Mian et al., 2014) appears to confirm this possibility.[1]

[1] see Mian, O.S, Day, B. L., 'Violation of the Craniocentricity Principle for Vestibularly Evoked Balance Responses under Conditions of Anisotropic Stability', Journal of Neuroscience, 34(22):7696-7703, 28 May, 2014.

However, when considered in isolation it was difficult to entirely rule out the possibility that the reactions were an unconscious response to a visible object seen in the immediate environment thus, specific strategies were employed to help reduce this likelihood: such as starting off a series of plots of the reaction distribution pattern in a visually neutral area (e.g. the middle of a field) and then working towards a track or field boundary. By such means the likelihood of being able to anticipate how a 12- to 15-metre-wide repeating pattern would resolve itself beforehand was greatly reduced. The result of these initial tests confirmed Underwood's findings - that old tracks and field boundaries were often related to these lines of reaction: i.e., they were suggestive indicators of a pattern that appeared more likely to be 'sensory-motor' in origin and historically, to have been produced by a stimulus that was external to the body of those responsible for the original construction. More evidence supporting this idea came to light by the observation that recent tracks made by animals, whether sheep, cows, badgers, or deer, all appeared to follow certain 'double pulse' elements of the pattern, while avoiding strong 'single' or 'triple' elements. By inference, this suggested that these animals were aware of and responding to the same stimuli that was causing the investigator to react. Similar observations regarding animals were also made by Underwood, but he bundled it with rather dubious additional speculations - associating their behaviour with health and water.[1].

[1] See Underwood G, Patterns of the Past' (Abacus reprint edition 1977 (Chapter 6, P. 60-65).

What was cause and what was effect was not clear when the investigation's initial tests were carried out in the 1980's and 1990's. However, with the realization that the phenomenon was widespread (found from sea level to hill tops, and in geologically different distant areas) it seemed increasingly likely that these subtle changes in homeostasis were being brought about by an 'external' stimulus. But at this early stage such a conclusion could still only be regarded as tentative - it lacked groups of individuals to test and with which to compare in identical circumstances.

It was thought that checks on the 'directional line of the reaction' (the Vector) might show a connection to the Magnetic Field distribution but none could be found. In widely separated locations the compass directions taken by the Vectors were highly variable. This was puzzling and was contrary to the initial expectations of a more rigid structure in the 2-Dimensional plane.

The initial exploration of the reaction zone's form in the Vertical plane raised awareness that the stimulus behind the reaction had an asymmetrical form, curving upwards in 3-Dimensions but no measurement of angles was made and no photographs taken. However, the 3-D character of the form was never far from mind and a remained a key element throughout the later period of the investigation. Unfortunately, all this early exploration work lacked specific measurements and was undoubtedly impressionistic and should be regarded as no more than a series of sketches by an investigator who was blindly feeling his way around the subject. There was a constant feeling of self-distrust: that the senses were playing some sort of trick, or the brain was inventing something far beyond reality.

To make any further progress in understanding the phenomenon it was realized that a more rigorous scientific approach was needed and so specific measurements, laid out on a detailed plan was introduced. The method allowed the distribution of the reactions over the whole of the Barnbarroch site to be plotted with a reasonable degree of precision. It was hoped that by adopting this approach a clearer picture might possibly emerge – one that might help in identifying the source bringing about the stimulation. It was essential to find some way of establishing whether the reaction pattern was occurring independent of buildings or on the other hand, possibly at a subconscious level, visual or otherwise, whether it was in some way related to a built mass – be they walls, dykes, or other man-made built structures. 

The first full plan (1987) hinted at some sort of intersecting pattern in the 2-D horizontal plane but it was compiled over an extended period and made under a subconscious assumption that the pattern was likely to be 'static' i.e., it appeared to confirm and support this initial misguided view. The implications of such a method of approach were not fully understood at the time. The drawing seemed to provide very little additional information other than establish a scale to the pattern's layout, and confirm that certain vectors sketched out in 1979/80, were still present seven years later. The method was inadequate and required refinement but it was a starting point.

From 2011 to Spring 2014.

A second, more ambitious attempt to create a single plan of the reaction distribution in 2011 was slightly more successful in that it captured key 'Horizontal Plane' elements of the pattern's interlocking 'criss-cross' nature, and confirmed the existence of a 4th Vector direction. But, in the act of producing this plan, the involvement of a 'time' dimension became manifest; consequently, although elements of the original pattern still appeared to be present, this second plan indicated that the 'static' hypothesis could no longer be supported. However, it was still not clear at this stage whether the complexity of the perceived subtypes of reactions that were being felt ('single', 'double', or 'triple' pulse) had movements independent of each other, or whether they were all linked and were perhaps elements of a larger single resonating pattern of some kind. The hypothesis seemed distinctly possible but it had to be considered alongside an alternative i.e., that this 'grouping' was an indication of 'pattern making' within the brain - something invented to make sense of the incomprehensible – treating as true 'patterns of information for which there is no justification in experience' [1]. 

[1] Edward de Bono: 'The Mechanism of Mind' Pelican Books, 1969. Chapter 34, p.247.

These unresolved questions would have to be answered at some point soon; but intervening, there was an inconvenient complication. A physical change in the observer's occurred. For many years the amount of concentration and muscle tension applied when holding the amplifying device had been relatively high and a certain level of rigidity in the hand and arm had been the norm; but to maintain this level for any length of time had been physically exhausting. Having become much more conscious of the actual bodily sensations involved – in particular the gentle pressure on the finger tip that the amplifying device produced when the spring was deflected - a more relaxed way of holding the instrument came about; one requiring a much lower degree of muscle tension. This made the task of making observations considerably less tiring and thus, permitted a much longer period of time that could be devoted to the surveying activity. Most importantly however, the lower muscle tension produced a significant increase in the recorded spacing of the pattern – it was virtually doubled. The strong 'single' pulse that had originally been felt and recorded as repeating every 4 - 6 metres, now occurred at approximately 8 - 12 metres.

This physical transition to a much greater distance between pulses was most unsettling at the time, and undermined confidence in the whole project. However, it was decided to temporarily set the problem to one side; and simply carry on recording with the new expanded status and confront the divergence later. Eventually it was concluded that the change was an internal physical matter and was derived from the 'tuning' of the observer's senses, while the outstanding key fact remained - the physical change made no difference to the alignment of the Four Vectors. The 'Direction and Shape' of the external stimulus are its quintessential features and they remained the primary focus of the investigation. It is hypothesised that, all other things being equal, the density of 'reactions per metre' is an entirely separate matter and appears to be a feature of the human perceptive range and thus, highly likely to vary between individuals and will depend on their sensitivity to a particular harmonic, and to their physical state at any one time. That there is a degree of subjectivity in this investigation cannot be denied but it should not be allowed to detract from its principal findings.

During the period throughout 2013 – 2014, when this transition in the perceived density of reactions was taking place, attempts to establish what kind of movement was involved were not particularly successful. Memory and expectation were a problem when lunar influence was being investigated, particularly when working indoors for a few minutes every hour throughout several days spanning each Full and New Moon period. Such efforts to check whether a location had undergone a short-term shift were a failure and created a general distrust in what the observer was perceiving. Working on a timescale as short as 'hourly' appeared to be at or beyond the error limits of the observation method. Thus, if shifts of a few centimetres were taking place and then sudden large shifts were recorded, it was not possible to say with any certainty whether the differences were based on external reality or being derived from expectation and delusion resulting from short-term memory retention.

Spring 2014 to October 2015.

The large number of 'day to day' observations introduced in the Spring of 2014 instilled more confidence in the results than did the previous 'hourly' attempts. These new observations were made predominantly outdoors and carried out over a broad area of the site; and their breadth and quantity was such that daily changes in position at any one location went beyond what might be retained in the investigator's short-term memory of the previous day.

The recorded results showed that in some areas there was a back-and-forth switch in position from New to Full Moon - but not everywhere it must be emphasised! At the time, this lack of consistency was puzzling and could not be immediately accounted for. However, blissful ignorance of the reasons, under these particular circumstances, did have the benefit of giving the observer's expectations or delusions very little on which to materialize; at this stage of the enquiry the investigator had scant knowledge of the likely forces involved. One vague notion entertained was that perhaps the large tidal range of the Solway - a huge volume and weight of water moving back and forth every day and less than a mile from the site might somehow be responsible for what was being observed (rather than the Moon's position in space).[1] Checks on the available data for the Earth Tide phenomenon established that the daily up/down range amounted to only a few centimetres in Galloway[2] and although it should not be ignored, even when considered in combination with 'Ocean Tide Loading', it was thought unlikely to be playing the major part in the Horizontal Plane movements being recorded.

[1] In fact, Ocean Loading can make a very small (5%) difference to Earth Tide movement. At the Bidston Observatory a tilt equivalent to 1 inch over 16 miles was recorded, showing a downward tilt towards the Irish Sea during high tide.

[see also Farrell, W. Earth tides, ocean tides and tidal loading. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. A 274, 253–259 (1973).

Jentzch, G. Earth tides and ocean tidal loading. Lecture notes in Earth sciences. P 145-171 (2005)].

[2] Baker, T.F. 'Earth Tides and Ocean Tide Loading', Bidston Observatory in retrospect. Nov.2016. https://www.bidstonobservatory.org.uk/earth-tides/

However, it was speculated that this tidal or lunar effect was perhaps something separate and thus, one which might be hindering attempts to capture a picture of the form, hence all the measurements and subsequent drawings created in the latter part of 2014 and the whole of 2015 were routinely carried out in a 2 or 3-day period spanning the 1st and 3rd Quarter Lunar phase. The intention being that 'on site' measurements would coincide with Solway Firth Neap Tides - when water movement would be at a minimum with low tide occurring around midday. The hope was that this initial strategy would minimise any potential shifts in the various Vector positions and simplify the main aim – which at that time was the capture of the Vector distribution in the horizontal plane.

Dowsing: Physiological vs psychological.

A necessary part of this study was the direct observation of dowsers in action to see what features they might have in common. Investigations were first carried out in July 2014, and then again in November; with a follow-up group study in May 2023. Although not particularly rigorous, all of the observations suggested that a group of dowsers using L-rods were likely to have several reaction zone locations in common with the author, but that density of reactions or their width could vary between individuals, possibly based on how experienced they were. The results also appeared to validate Underwood's conclusion: that the L-rod tended to be significantly less sensitive for picking up reactions when compared to his Link-rod.

Unfortunately, the word 'Dowsing' or 'Divining' comes with so much unwanted pseudoscientific and delusional baggage that its very mention may well have already confined what has been written here to the bin of any clear-thinking reader. All the extraneous dowsing happenings have to be extracted and separated from the reflex reaction phenomenon. Unfortunately, the whole sphere of dowsing is a messy combination of interests: Mystery & Earth Energy, Health & Healing, Underground Water, and Archaeology – much of it delusional and wrapped in a pseudoscientific mantle. Little wonder then that all attempts to verify dowser's claims have failed; and yet most dowsing groups unwaveringly cling to their belief systems. The very word 'Dowsing' is inseparable from its dictionary definition: 'To search for water or minerals'; and the only alternative word offered is 'Divining' - which is usually defined as: 'To discover (something) by guesswork or intuition.' Such stuff takes one into the realms of psychics and crystal-gazers. As Solco W. Tromp states, in his 1968 article (which he wrote long before the breakthrough in neuroscience):

'This apodictic denial of the possible existence of an unknown physiological sense organ by important scientific institutions and the fact that so many charlatans are interested in the subject, create a great reluctance on the part of the scientist to enter this field of research.'[1]

[1] Tromp S.W., 'Review of the possible physiological causes of dowsing' (International Journal of Parapsychology, 10, 363-391), 1968.

It would appear that whenever dowsing has been examined under experimental conditions, the investigator's set up and their results have been strongly influenced by the participants.[1]

[1] Hansen, G.P. 'Dowsing: a review of experimental Research'. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol. 51, No. 792, October, 1982, pp.343-367.

Experimenters tend to place too much emphasis on what the dowsers 'believe' is the source of their stimulus. The so called '1986 Munich Barn Experiment' is a classic example of this and worth closer scrutiny. The physicists (Wagner, Betz, and Koenig) were given a grant by their government to investigate an 'Earth Ray' (Erdstrahlen) to which many German Dowsers believed they were responding. Unfortunately, for ease of experimental set-up and observation, the team chose to investigate the Dowser's claim: that they were able 'to detect water moving in a pipe'. Not a good choice - water dowsing was not really what they had supposedly set out to investigate and so they did not really tackle the primary reason for the investigation. According to a translation of their report, the team concluded that: 'Some few dowsers, in particular tasks, showed an extraordinarily high rate of success, which can scarcely if at all be explained as due to chance.' However, later analysis of the physicist's data by J T Enright in 1995 (and reiterated in 1999) [1] showed that their results were indeed little better than chance. Enright's examination and translation of the way the experiment was conducted is very interesting and most revealing. In his 'Skeptical Inquirer' article Enright describes one particular part of their methodology, carried out as a preliminary before the dowsers were tested moving over the water pipe, as thus:

"Before a critical test series, each dowser was asked to determine whether there were any places along the test line (without pipe present) that seemed to provide stimuli that could be mistaken for the target (presumably indicating natural sources of 'earth rays'). In quite a large number of cases, two or three such locations were reported along the 10-meter line. 'Earth rays' are seemingly nearly everywhere! …(A given dowser often reported different artefact locations on different days; natural sources of 'earth-ray' stimuli are apparently transient.)"

[1] Enright J T 'Testing Dowsing: The Failure of the Munich Experiments' Skeptical Inquirer Vol 23.1, Jan/Feb 1999.

Unfortunately, the details of this secondary data are not readily accessible but at least the experiment serves as an example of how selective bias, by those arranging the study, had a far-reaching effect on the result. The results from this preparatory stage of the experiment seem to have not been given a second thought, and yet they are, quite possibly, of critical importance when viewed from the standpoint of this current project. Two or three locations for stimuli found within the 10-meter experimental area should be worthy of note; and why no one questioned the change of location of these stimuli on different days remains a mystery – time was obviously of no consequence to those conducting the experiment. Earth tides, ocean tides, or planetary orbits have long and inconvenient time scales which were apparently given no consideration. The investigators produced data in need of explanation and none was given. Evidence suggests that those carrying out the Munich experiments had started out with too many preconceived, and ultimately wrong, ideas about their subject. Enright concludes:

(These) ". . . experiments are not only the most extensive and careful scientific study of the dowsing problem ever attempted, but—if reason prevails—they probably also represent the last major study of this sort that will ever be undertaken". (Enright 1995,369).

If experimenters focus on dowser's beliefs and their so-called responses to electromagnetism, moving water, E.S.P, or 'spirits of the dead', then little wonder their results prove to be negative: facts need to be separated from fiction. All humans possess a sense of balance: it is how we stay upright; indeed, all vertebrate creatures - fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals - possess a gravity monitoring system based on otolithic organs; it is an ancient and essential part of all their 'balancing' systems. 

The link that connects this disparate bunch of people who call themselves 'Dowsers' is the simple fact that they often 'feel' something at the same 'time' in the same 'place' as many of their compatriots. Thus, although dowsers may have delusions (and there is plenty of experimental evidence supporting this fact) that, in itself, is not sufficient grounds for assuming they are all deriving their hand/arm movement internally from their conscious or subconscious minds – which is the unfortunate assumption that Michael Brooks makes in his article on dowsing in the New Scientist,[1]

[1] Brooks M 'Why Dowsing makes perfect sense', New Scientist, 29 July, 2009

Brook's narrow focus completely overlooks the existence of the vestibulospinal reflex and how such a reflex is likely to manifest itself. The activity of Dowsing may have the trappings of a religion (with belief systems beyond scientific measurement) but its key feature remains the physiological element, 'the bodily movement'; and this needs to be examined in isolation. It must be accepted that some dowsers identify rather more stimulus locations over a given distance than others (see Chadwick, Duane G. and Jensen, Larry, "The Detection of Magnetic Fields Caused by Groundwater" Logan, Utah: (1971). Reports. Paper 568. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/water_rep/568/) but whichever human sense is examined – be it vision, smell, hearing, or, in this case, balance – a certain amount of individual variation is normal and to be expected.

However, the outstanding feature to emerge from all my observations of dowsing individuals was the uniform direction assigned to any one zone along the horizontal plane; the actual frequency with which reactions took place (i.e., the number of zones crossed at right angles over any given distance) appeared likely to vary from individual to individual, but nevertheless the zone most likely to generate a response was the 'single' strong pulse. The establishment of this fact should allow other investigators in the future to be able to confirm the existence of the Grid & Lattice structure as their starting point, even if this involves observing groups of traditional dowsers using the L-rod, rather than subjects specially trained in the use of a 'Geodetic Rod' or similar reflex amplifying instrument. Ideally future experiments recording reaction locations should follow standard practise and be carried out by a 'neutral' observer rather than the principal investigator i.e., by one without prior knowledge of any previous positions and thus, avoid accusations of selection bias. Precise measurement of reaction locations may be more difficult for those recording them if subjects are using L-rods, rather than the instrument used by the author, but nevertheless if the observation time span is sufficient, it may even be possible for enough evidence to be gathered in the horizontal plane to the confirm the accuracy of the Lunar and the Solar oscillation pattern described herein as well as the 'Grid & Lattice'.

The direct monitoring of changes in muscle tension between the two hemispheres using some form of electrodes or vestibulospinal sensors may be possible in the future. The brain imaging techniques being used at Nottingham University are particularly exciting in this respect, although at present the subjects movement is severely restricted.[1] 

[1] Boto. E., 'Moving magnetoencephalography towards real-world applications with a wearable system', Nature 555(7698) · March 2018.

At the Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, within the Institute of Neurology, UCL specific movements are being monitored. Professor Brian Day's team, report:

'We tested…by measuring the direction of balance responses to electrical vestibular stimulation across a range of head orientations and stance widths in healthy human. We conclude that…a strictly craniocentric view of vestibularly evoked balance responses is inadequate. The balance system appears to assign different degrees of relevance to components of vestibular input signalling head motion in sagittal and coronal planes of the body, leading to different strengths of vestibulomotor coupling in those planes.' [1]

[1] Mian, O.S, Day, B. L., 'Violation of the Craniocentricity Principle for Vestibularly Evoked Balance Responses under Conditions of Anisotropic Stability', Journal of Neuroscience, 34(22):7696-7703, 28 May, 2014 

At some point in the future, it would be worthwhile carrying out psychological tests to compare subjects trained in the use of dowsing rods with those of a non-dowsing control group. Such tests should be capable of confirming whether or not a group is responding subconsciously to something 'visible' in their surroundings or responding to an independent 'non-visible' external stimulus; or on the other hand, whether their response locations are simply chosen at random. No reliable psychological investigations exploring the phenomenon appear to have been carried out within the last 40 years or so - it is surely time it was re-examined?

Ideally, if the use of hand-held muscle amplification devices could be by-passed altogether, the associated psychological uncertainty that comes with the use of such subjective instruments could be avoided. When the probability of responses being identified as 'ideo-motor' can be eliminated or at least reduced to 'highly unlikely', the field will be clear to focus on the external nature of the stimulus triggering the Vestibulospinal Reflex.

The 'Wee-G' Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Sensor (MEMS) gravimeter developed by the School of Physics and Astronomy at Glasgow University appears to mimic certain aspects of the body's Otolithic organ gravity monitoring system, but it has tended to be deployed in situations where it remains static.[1]

[1] Middlemiss, R., Samarelli, A., Paul, D. et al. 'Measurement of the Earth tides with a MEMS gravimeter', Nature 531, 614-617 (2016).

Further, its 'long-term' deployment is defined as 'days or weeks' not months or years. hence, the results of a follow-up trial of their latest MEMS device showed it was able to trace the earth-tide movement over a continuous 19-day period. However, the gravitational changes monitored were clearly not the same as those traced by the author – observing once each day over many years, as a glance at the accompanying graph of their published results shows (see fig. 3.0 below).  Their continuous '19-day Earth Tide' graph for April 2019 has been given a superimposed trace by the author corresponding to one reading at Midday each day (green line). The graph shows a rising earth tide movement of approx. -75 𝜇Gal at both New Moon and at the subsequent Full Moon from a relative position of zero (0 𝜇Gal) at 1st quarter. This movement is clearly not the 3-D oscillating cycle as revealed by the author's investigation - the MEMS device measures a very different aspect of gravity.

* Prasad A, Middlemiss R. et al 'A 19-day earth tide measurement with a MEMS gravimeter' Nature (2022) 12:13091. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16881.

Fig. 3.0

The Glasgow University MEMS gravimeter is intended to be used as part of the NEWTON-g Gravity Imaging project – where several of these units will be used in a closely linked group to create a pixel image of changes in gravity over time at a single location. During 2021/22 it has been deployed in a static array near the summit of Mt. Etna for a geophysical project but the makers say that it could be mounted on a drone, which implies that in the future it may be highly mobile.[1] [2]

[1] Carbone, D., Antoni-Micollier, L., Hammond, G., et al. 2020. "The NEWTON-g Gravity Imager: Towards New Paradigms for Terrain Gravimetry." Front. Earth Sci. 8:573396. doi: 10.3389/feart.2020.573396.

[2] Nikkhoo M., Rivalta E., 'Surface deformations and gravity changes caused by pressurized finite ellipsoidal cavities' Geophysical Journal International, Volume 232, Issue 1, January 2023, Pages 643–655 

Gravitational 'Drift' is regarded as problem with these 'relative' gravimeter units (in part due to spring stretch) requiring them to be readjusted periodically to match readings from an 'Absolute' gravimeter, which in itself appears to be unable to produce continuous readings over extended periods. Whether any of the drift recorded by these machines has a connection with the movements revealed by my investigation remains to be seen, the time scales are so different. If the way MEMS devices are used is modified - possibly to a linear arrangement or something similar - they may at some time in the future prove to be a useful tool for independent verification of the gravitational wave characteristics described herein.

Transition Period – Winter 2014 - 2015.

By the winter of 2014, the direct mapping of reaction locations across the whole site was clearly indicating the existence of a 'Grid and Lattice' of overlapping vector pairs. No such system was described by Underwood; who instead, focused on a pattern of unidirectional parallel lines; nonetheless, his plans of Cathedral layouts show vague hints of what he calls 'Aquastats' running parallel along the length of the Nave intersected by others at close to 90° - particularly at the 'Crossing'. In addition, he observed large deviations from a true East-West axis when examining the Nave of certain individual cathedrals; he concluded that such deviations were an acknowledgement by the builders of the underlying pattern existing at that specific site i.e., prior to them laying out the foundations [1] . These particular observations by Underwood have all been confirmed and borne out by this current investigation.

[1] Underwood G, 'The Pattern of the Past', Chapter 6, p 175-179, Abacus edition, Sphere Books, 1977.

In Germany during the 1930's & 1940's the medical doctor Manfred Curry (1899-1953) was also investigating the 'Dowsing' response, but his primary focus was on the possible health implications stemming from exposure to harmful rays (Ger. Erdstrahlen). He believed that the dowsing response was a physical reaction to one such ray [1] (and hence the Munich Experiment already discussed).

[1] Curry M, 'Curry-Netz. Das Reaktionsliniensystem als krankheitsauslösender Faktor. Reaktionslinien, Reaktionstypen, Polare Felder. Gesammelte Aufsätze' collected essays, Editor: München, Herold,1984,ISBN 9783921485026 

Curry's conclusion that phenomenon was a response to an external force is supported by my investigations, but his apparently misguided connection with ill-health of a particular configuration of the pattern at a specific location does not appear to be supported and has failed to be verified by mainstream science – and yet numerous practitioners of his methods continue to promote them to this day. Nevertheless, if these 'beliefs' are set aside and one focuses instead on his simple 2-Dimensional, horizontal plane, attempts to map-out the pattern of where these dowsing responses took place, his findings might be viewed with more interest. For instance, the 'diagonal' lattice pattern he describes has a number of features in common with the vectors revealed by my investigation: namely a repeating pattern of a similar scale, with intersecting vector directions broadly NW/SE and NE/SW. Käthe Bachler, a disciple of Dr. Curry's 'Radiesthesia' theory, reported a similar layout of diagonal responses in a hospital courtyard in El Chochis, Bolivia. In an English translation of her book she notes:

'I found the separation of the lines at 4.5 to 5 metres…I feel each line or strip to be about 75 cm wide, but their width varies, according to the weather.' [1]

[1] Bachler K, Living J, 'Earth Radiation', Holistic Intuition Society, (1976), 2nd Ed. 2007.

Following on from Curry's work, another German medic, Dr. Ernst Hartmann revealed the existence of a second pattern of responses - a grid running fairly close to E/W and N/S. His writings, like Dr. Curry's, appear to have never been published in English which makes access to them difficult. Their work and ideas have quite understandably been heavily criticised, but again, the important point is not to connect to illness Curry's, Bachler's or Hartmann's association of their response locations, but instead to simply note how they describe the geographical layout of their responses. A comparison of the Hartmann Grid and the Curry Lattice is shown in diagrammatic form in Fig. 3.1 which shows their measurements and typical reaction zone widths. They are shown together with the layout of responses described by Anton Benker, another German dowser working in the 1950's. Benker detected a pattern of responses which appeared to overlay the Curry Grid; his pattern repeats every 10 metres or so in the horizontal plane, but in addition he also acknowledged that the Grid possessed a vertical element. His three-dimensional approach is interesting but unfortunately, again it is mired in 'Radiesthesia' theory. How much of it is theoretical and how much is based on direct observation is difficult to untangle. 

Fig. 3.1 Diagram illustrating the relationship of the Curry Lattice with the Hartmann Grid and the Benker cubic system.

A stubborn insistence on the precise orientation and layout of the pattern of responses, has drawn much criticism of this particular school of German dowsers and has caused their 'Grid and Lattice' proposition to be dismissed as geometrically unworkable when viewed on a global scale. Contaminated by Radiesthesia beliefs, the whole 'Grid' concept can easily be dismissed as fiction. The consequences of regarding the whole form's layout so rigidly are illustrated in Fig. 3.2 below, which shows how the so-called 'universal' grid pattern breaks down when viewed from the pole on the sphere of the Earth.

Fig. 3.2 Illustration of how the 'Flat' geometry of the Curry/Hartmann Grid breaks down at the poles when viewed on a sphere. 

By way of contrast, the findings of this investigation have shown that the mapped response pattern is much less rigid; and its depiction is in fact just a 'snap-shot' of a resonating mesh of waves in a constant state of flex and motion radiating outwards from the globe, with their small-scale orientation governed principally by the geological arrangement of nearby masses. Although the distribution of a 'Grid & Lattice' of responses has been described by German dowsers for decades, such a pattern has been dismissed as being 'Ideomotor' in origin. Such a dismissal flies in the face of several decades of Neuroscience research about the physical mechanics of how the Vestibulospinal Reflex operates. A reappraisal is long overdue regarding what is actually occurring when the human body is moving through space and interacting with the gravitational field. As Prof. Brian L. Day & his team at Sobell Dept. of Motor Neuroscience (UCL) state:

'We conclude that the vestibular-evoked balance response is automatic and immune to knowledge of the source of the perturbation and its timing. We suggest the reason for this difference between visual and vestibular channels stems from a difference in their natural abilities to signal self-motion. The vestibular system responds to acceleration of the head in space and therefore always signals self-motion. Visual flow, on the other hand, is ambiguous in that it signals object motion and eye motion, as well as self-motion.' [1]

[1] Guerraz M, Day B. L., 'Expectation and the Vestibular control of Balance', Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2005) Mar, 17(3): 463-9

To capture the simultaneous existence of this Grid and Lattice structure at any point on the curve of the Earth's surface, a different geometric explanation needs be sought to the one given by the Radiesthesia school of thought, one that is less prescriptive and rigid. An alternative solution to the problem might be one derived from spherical geometry. The surface of a globe can be divided into 12 'almost square' equilateral rhombi; each of which can be subdivided an infinitum. Figure 3.3 below, shows such a sphere with 12 divisions (column 1) and subdivided into 48 (column 2) and depicts the arrangement of the rhombi when rotated through 30°, 60°, & 90°.

Fig. 3.3 Illustration of how a sphere can be divided into 12 equilateral Rhombi (column 1) and then subdivided to produce an equilateral grid (columns 2 & 3). 

The transition from four rhombi meeting at right angles to three meeting at 120° at just twelve points on the globe is an interesting feature of true geometrical curved space. A practical example of this 'Equal-Area' spherical model is one that has been used to map the Cosmic Microwave Background pattern of the Universe: the map looks outwards in all directions from the central point of the Earth to create a 2-D globe on which to record the distribution.[1]

[1] See European Space Agency map: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2013/03/Planck_CMB

The key difference between this 'Equilateral Rhombi' global model and the layout of the investigation's actual Horizontal Plane results appears to be the fact that the pattern occurs in duplicate – the 'Grid' is overlapped by a 'Lattice'. The geometry is such that the two parts have an overlapping arrangement which changes over distance, unlike the rigid Curry/Hartmann grid. Further, the geophysical conditions at any particular location will modify how the pair's relationship is recorded to an even greater extent.

A 3-D Perspex scale model was created to explore how the relationship of the Grid to the Lattice changes over distance. It is shown in a series of photographs viewed from three different angles in Plate 3.4 below. The 'Grid & Lattice' model is constructed to show one particularly rare geometric combination where the 'Grid square' and 'Lattice diagonal' coincide to form a pair of intersecting crosses (see 🜹 in the bottom left corner).

Plate 3.4 Grid & Lattice wave model illustrating how their relationship changes over distance.

The intersecting Cross arrangement was not found at any point on the Barnbarroch site but these rare cross arrangements appear to have been marked where found in the landscape by our prehistoric ancestors using standing stones (see GPS tracks in Plate 3.5 [left] for the Dalarran Stone [NGR: NX 63880 79160] and refer back to tracks for the Kells Standing Stones shown earlier in fig. 2.129).

Plate 3.5 GPS Tracks recorded in the field surrounding the Dalarran Standing Stone (Feb.2019).

Years 2018 – 2021.

Accepting that an equal-area, global flexing grid structure such as the one illustrated is compatible with the current investigation's horizontal plane gravity model, then it is possible to move on to consideration of the vertical component. Having established that he structure outlined was a Standing Wave with an amplitude changing annually from 'positive' to 'negative' and a bi-annual equinoctial change in wavelength from ≥ 6.50 m to ≤ 3.25 m at the solstices, then the wave can be thought of as oscillating in the 40 – 100 MHz VHF waveband. In terms of the Gravitational Spectrum this equates to a frequency of between 10-5 – 10-6 Hz, and thus, represents oscillations consisting of days and of months. Strangely this particular frequency does not lie within the range being investigated by the current set of Gravitational Wave detectors or those being planned to come into service over the next decade. For instance, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) [1] detectors are concerned with frequency periods measured in milliseconds (100 – 104 Hz); while the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) [2] looks at objects displaying frequencies ranging from 10-6 to 10-9 Hz. i.e., periods counted in many years; and the proposed Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) [3] will have a range of interest which will be focused on periods of less than a day (100 – 10-5 Hz) and it is understood that any of its findings with a period as great as a month, or more, will be regarded as irrelevant! Thus, within the whole group of detectors a strange and unfortunate gap has been left, between 10-5 – 10-6 Hz, which equates to the days and months of measurements thrown up by this current investigation. It is hoped that the wave modelling derived from the investigation will prove to be of help and give direction to those searching for a better understanding of how Gravitational Radiation operates both within the Solar System and at a galactic scale.

[1] https://www.ligo.org

[2] https://www.epta.eu.org/

[3] https://lisa.nasa.gov/

Current Global scale Gravitational Field maps show strength but do not depict wave structure. The LIGO team have confirmed that gravity does behave as a wave (as predicted in theory) and theoretical models depicting a flexing net have been put forward as a description of its form on a planetary scale; but not in sufficient detail to be able to produce a working model of it at a global scale. My investigations, as outlined in this paper, offer findings that will hopefully suggest promising new directions for research involving not only gravity, but perhaps in several other fields of interest.

Two key features of the investigation which were highlighted by the modelling diagrams, were the wave's Amplitude and its associated Switch of Polarity. A feature which needs to be considered in terms of the relationship between gravitationally attracted orbiting bodies of different mass. The oscillations produced by the Accelerations and Decelerations of the 'Minor Mass' relative to the movement of the 'Major Mass' appear to be the critical elements for attention. 

Evidence revealed by this investigation has shown that the positive/negative position of the Minor Mass relative to the 'Orbital Track' of the Major Mass directly corresponds in timing to when the wave amplitude oscillates positively or negatively. More specifically, whether the Minor Mass is situated between the Major Mass and a third, even more massive body or lies out beyond them both. The two significant examples of this 'Major-Minor' relationship to which we are exposed here on Earth are firstly, the Galactic Scale (3rd body) Sun/Earth relationship, and secondly the Solar Scale (3rd body) Earth/Moon relationship. (see figs. 3.5[a] & [b] below)

Fig. 3.5[a]. Annual Monthly orbital motion of the Earth in relation to the Sun on a Galactic scale throughout one year: sectional view (top) and plan view (bottom).

Fig. 3.5[b]. Changes in orbital motion of the Moon in relation to Earth during three different lunation cycles in 2016. (top) New Moon perigee - lunation 1154 (April); (middle) Last Quarter perigee - lunation 1157 (July); (bottom) Full Moon perigee - lunation 1161 (November).

🌕. Consider first the Galactic: during the 1st quarter of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, from Winter Solstice to the Spring Equinox, the Earth lies out beyond both Sun and Galactic Centre and is travelling obliquely in the opposite direction to the Sun. Moving away from the Sun, but constantly subjected to its gravitational pull, the Earth decelerates relative to the Sun's Galactic speed of approx. 220-230 km/s and reaches a minimum 'relative' galactic speed of approx. 188 km/s at the Vernal Equinox. At this point it trails at its greatest distance behind the Sun's track (see fig. 3.5 [a]). The results from the investigation over this time sequence show a 'positive' wave whose structure steadily decreases in amplitude until it reaches zero, while simultaneously its wavelength increases to a maximum ≥6.5 m. In the days leading up to the Vernal Equinox, just prior to crossing the Galactic Path of the Sun, the polarity of the wave switches and becomes 'negative'; it remains so for the whole of the subsequent six months of the 'Summer' - until just prior to the Autumn Equinox.

🌕. During the 2nd quarter of its orbit, after the Vernal Equinox, the Earth occupies the space between the Sun and the Galactic centre. Under the influence of gravitational attraction, the Earth begins to accelerate relative to the Sun's galactic speed and eventually catches up with it during the Midsummer/Aphelion period, at which point the Earth is travelling at its maximum galactic speed of approx. 235 km/s. Results corresponding to this 2nd Quarter period showed the wave steadily increased in amplitude and decreased in wavelength.

🌕. In the 3rd quarter of its orbit, still between the Sun and the Galactic centre, the Earth initially moves at a speed exceeding that of the Sun and thus, draws ahead of it, but all the while is undergoing a gradual deceleration – again due to the gravitational pull of the Sun. The Earth reaches its greatest orbital distance in front of the Sun by the Autumn Equinox - at which time its speed has dropped to approx. 195 km/s. Results from the investigation matching this period of time are similar to those recorded at the Spring Equinox i.e., the Wave steadily decreases in amplitude until it finally reaches zero, while simultaneously wavelength increases to a second peak. In the lead-up to the Autumn Equinox, as the Earth approaches and re-crosses the Sun's Galactic path to take up an orbital position beyond both Sun and Galactic centre, the polarity of the Wave switches back from the summer 'negative' phase to its original winter 'positive' phase. This state is maintained throughout the whole six months of 'Winter'.

🌕. Thus, after the Autumn Equinox at the start of the 4th and last quarter of its orbit, the Earth is initially ahead of the Sun but now moving relatively more slowly than it. Although the Earth begins to accelerate a little as the Winter Solstice is approached, the Sun is moving faster and eventually the two bodies pass each other. Investigation results from the Last Quarter showed 'positive' wave amplitude steadily increasing up to the solstice/perihelion period while wavelength decreased. After this final quarter, the Earth re-enters the 1st Quarter of its orbit and the cycle begins again (but just a little further along and around the Galactic Plane). 

🌗. Now consider the second 'Major/Minor' relationship, that concerning the Solar Scale (3rd Body) and involving the Earth/Moon. The accelerations and decelerations required of the Moon for it to maintain its elliptical orbit - while simultaneously following the Earth travelling on its orbital path around the Sun - follow a similar pattern to those just described for the Sun around the Galaxy (see figure 3.5[b]). Thus, in the first phase of the 7 or 8-day time span, as the Moon travels from New to 1st Quarter position it decelerates to around 29.2 km/s relative to the Earth's ecliptic speed (which is assumed to be approx. 29.8 km/s over any particular lunation cycle) and it moves in the opposite direction to the Earth's path. At the 1st Quarter point, the Moon is at maximum distance lagging behind the Earth - the equivalent of arriving at the Spring Equinox on a galactic scale. Results over the New Moon period during the current investigation showed that wave amplification, (which can be 'negative' in winter or 'positive' in summer if viewed at a standard observation height), rapidly decreased and reached zero at around the 1st Quarter segment of the orbit; thus, mirroring the galactic pattern seen at the Spring Equinox. However, there was scant evidence to suggest any significant short-term change in wavelength over this same 7 or 8-day period – which instead appeared to remain governed by the annual, Galactic scale cycle i.e., steadily expanding in the first three months of the year (Winter Solstice to Equinox) and then contracting in the next three months (Spring Equinox to Summer Solstice).

🌕. During the 2nd Quarter Lunar period, while moving towards the 'Full Moon' orbital position, the Moon accelerates to a speed of approx. 30.4 km/s and passes the Earth - both travelling on parallel paths in the same orbital direction. (The equivalent of reaching the Summer Solstice/Aphelion point on a galactic scale). The results spanning this 2nd phase showed amplification normally switching to either 'negative' at Full Moon in summer or 'positive' in winter (depending on observation height) and steadily increasing to reach a peak within a day or two of being Full.

🌓. After accelerating past the Earth, the Moon gradually decelerates in the 3rd Quarter and by the end reaches its furthest point ahead of the Earth – when both bodies are momentarily travelling forwards at the same speed - the galactic equivalent of arriving at the Autumn Equinox. The Investigation results over this 3rd time period showed that amplification decreased and gradually fell back to around zero, after which point polarity reversed.

🌑. In the 4th and final phase, from Last Quarter to New Moon, a period of deceleration takes place, down to approx. 29.2 km/s i.e., slightly slower than the Earth's orbital speed as the two bodies are moving in opposite directions and therefore the Moon's orbital path is shortening. (Corresponding on the Galactic scale to the period when the Earth is beginning its shorter orbital journey from Autumn Equinox to Midwinter Solstice). Investigation results from this last segment of the lunation showed that the polarity of the New Moon amplification was normally the opposite to Full Moon polarity and increased to reach a peak within a day or so around the New Moon. The exception to these 'normal' lunar switches of polarity occurred whenever a particular lunar phase coincided with either of the two equinoctial points: at such times the 'Galactic Scale' (3rd body) switch of polarity took precedence and an overlap of New and Full Moon polarity position was observed.

Of additional interest is the direction of wave shortening relative to the ground surface – one that is indicated by the changing vertical location of Inflection Points. The results have shown that as Midsummer is approached and wavelength shortens, the 'Low' Inflection Point rises steadily (and the 'Central' IP appeared to rise too but only very slightly - but without specially constructed facilities, it is difficult to measure accurately because of the substantial height involved [>3 metres]). Conversely, after Midsummer, as wavelength once more increases, the 'Low' IP descends (but by what distance it is difficult to ascertain and pin point accurately due to amplification decreasing towards zero as the Autumn Equinox approached). However, after the Autumn equinox, in the winter half of the year, evidence suggests that the 'Central' IP continues to descend slightly as wavelength shortens towards the Winter Solstice and Perihelion. After this point it begins to rise again. As things stand at the moment one can only speculate on whatever is actually behind this rise and fall of the Inflection points. The shift in direction appears to occur at both solstice points which suggests that the distance from the Galactic centre might possibly be the critical factor bringing about this flexing change of direction. Whatever is behind this subtle shift, it is a feature to be noted.

The investigation has revealed that both the Solar and the Galactic (3rd Body) 'Major/Minor' mass sequences are reflected in the consistent pattern of observations recorded over the 10+ years of compilation. The amplitude of the Lunar secondary, 29.5-day oscillating wave pattern has been shown to mirror and be embedded within the Earth's major broad annual movement. The complex series of images assembled from the investigation appear to confirm that the wave form is a part of the structure of Geo-Gravitational Radiation. However, while some exploratory measurements of the harmonic relationship of the parts have been made – in particular the 'Single' pulse to its companion 'Doubles', no further attempts to explore the wide 'triple' element within the overall 8-pulse pattern have been undertaken. At some point in the future such investigations would undoubtedly be worthwhile to establish if they are part of the true character of the harmonic structure or whether they are derived from the observation method. The increase in spacing of the pattern that came about when muscle tension was relaxed are aspects that would require exploration by cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists. The force of gravity is felt throughout every square centimetre on the earth's surface therefore any sensory response that indicated spaces or gaps is likely to be derived from a 'tuning in' to certain elements that make up this gravitational field and thereby they signifying a degree of awareness to sensory input.

Although the key observations made in this study were confined to only a small portion of the UK, it is not unreasonable to assume that they are applicable to anywhere on Earth's surface; evidence from others using conventional dowsing techniques have recorded similar reactions in the USA, Bolivia, Germany, Cyprus, Russia and Australia. However, such wide-ranging additional studies are beyond the scope of this investigation and inevitably must be left for exploration in the future, most likely by individuals other than the author.

Conclusion:

This particular investigation of the vestibulospinal reflex response has been made by one single individual recording his own very specific balancing response; as such the results require geophysicists (and astrophysicists) to confirm that they make sense and are not in conflict with what is presently known about how the gravitational field operates. When that first tentative confirmation is made by them, it should then be possible for Cognitive Psychologists to press ahead and make further progress in structuring similar experimental investigations with groups of individuals. Any advances in knowledge by this route will require Geophysicists to have confidence in the Psychologist's experiments, and will also require Geophysicists to have an input regarding how the experiments are structured to produce the required answers to any outstanding questions. The use of the human body as a tool for researching the structure of gravity does not come without serious drawbacks. Using the vestibular sensory system in this way requires experimenters to exclude, as far as possible, the subjective, frontal cortex part of the brain - otherwise the movements observed are likely to become 'ideo-motor,' rather than being derived from the reflex 'sensory-motor' response. The expectations of the experimenter, as well as the subject, need to be kept to a minimum to avoid bias: it is essential to know the difference between 'Delusion' and 'Reality'. Commonality of reaction across a group of individuals, each observed in isolation under strict experimental conditions, should be able to identify individual differences in sensory perception and give confidence in the overall results obtained by this approach. The initial findings of this investigation have hopefully demonstrated that there is great potential to expand our limited knowledge of gravity by following this cross-disciplinary route.