Screen vs. Paper: Can You Dowse from an LCD Tablet?

A few months ago, I started experimenting with something simple — and it's quietly changed how I dowse. Here's what I found after swapping printed charts for a digital screen.

Dowsing with digital charts displayed on an Android LCD tablet — the pendulum responds over the screen
Dowsing from a digital LCD tablet — the pendulum shown is the Orion pendulum, courtesy of Erich Hunter.

The Experiment

Instead of carrying around printed dowsing charts, I started using a basic Android tablet with an LCD screen. No fancy setup. No specialised dowsing app. Just a tablet, a browser, and the chart-making tool I've been building on the side.

The result? Hundreds of charts in one device. New layouts created in minutes whenever an idea strikes. No printing, no laminating, no clutter. It's made life much easier — I can carry my entire collection with me, test different layouts on the fly, and experiment freely without burning through paper.


The Interference Question

Let's address the elephant in the room — or rather, the radio waves in the room.

These days we're surrounded by electromagnetic fields: Wi-Fi, cellular signals (3G/4G/5G), Bluetooth, geopathic stress, and countless other frequencies — especially if you live in a city. You can't realistically eliminate all of that every time you sit down to dowse.

So the question is natural: does a screen add yet another layer of noise?

What the Theory Says: LCD screens emit low-frequency electromagnetic fields from their backlight circuitry and driver electronics. In theory, this could interfere with the subtle bioenergetic field that dowsing relies on. But theory and practice don't always align — which is exactly why I wanted to test this.

What I Found

After three months of regular use, here's the honest answer: I haven't noticed any difference.

The responses I get from digital charts on this LCD tablet are just as consistent and clear as paper charts or engraved wooden boards. Whatever interference is present — from the screen or from the environment — doesn't seem to affect the quality of the information I'm receiving.

I tested with multiple chart types: yes/no/maybe layouts, percentage scales, multi-layer designs with sub-labels. In every case, the pendulum response was comparable to what I'd get from a printed version of the same chart.

Practical Takeaway: If you've been hesitant to try digital charts because of interference concerns, my experience suggests there's little to worry about — at least with a standard LCD screen. The convenience far outweighs any theoretical downside.

One Caveat: OLED & Refresh Rates

I do have a feeling that OLED displays or high-refresh-rate screens (120Hz and above) might behave differently. Here's why:

OLED screens use pulse-width modulation (PWM) to control brightness — they rapidly flicker at frequencies that can be perceptible to sensitive individuals. Some people even report eye strain or headaches from OLED screens, which suggests a genuine bioenergetic interaction.

Similarly, high-refresh-rate displays (120Hz, 144Hz, or higher) cycle their pixels more frequently, potentially introducing a frequency that could resonate — or interfere — with the dowser's field.

Untested Theory: This is pure speculation at this point. I haven't tested OLED or high-refresh screens enough to say either way. If anyone in the dowsing community has experimented with different screen types, I'd genuinely love to hear about it — the data would be valuable for all of us.

What the Community Says

Since sharing my experiment, several dowsers have reached out with their own experiences using digital screens. Here's what they've found:

Corinna Crummenauer

Thank you for sharing your experiences! I have also dowsed over the screens of my phone and PC, and found it to be as accurate as usual. The only comment I might offer is that I am not particularly fond of the sensation in my fingers as they detect the energy from the devices.

Alex Mihnea

I also bought a tablet and using it for charts! It is really great!

Rajiv Sardana

I too do dowsing on my laptop screens and my android phone and have got with similar results 💜👍

Mike Walsh

Fascinating. Since I started using dowsing charts with any frequency, mainly down to you and Raymon Grace, I took to using them on my iPad. I have always used the fingers of my left hand as a percentage indicator so was able to check the accuracy for percentages as well as Y/N. I have never had any issues.

Linda Workun Pasquali

I always try to keep my electronic devices away from the area I am dowsing in or doing healing work in. The frequencies coming off them feels like it throws me and my pendulum off. But, I also am very much a chart person, and if I am away from my printed charts, I either sketch one out on a piece of paper, or I use my hand 🖐🏻 or fingers for percentages, yes/no, or even choices, like apple, orange, banana, grapefruit, cherry! I assign them to my fingers, and dowse the answer. Keep up the amazing work, Devendra! It is wonderful and very much appreciated!

Ayrton Silva

I use my phone too, I think it is very reliable. Maybe the device has some negative impact but even paper graphics become impregnated with time.


Make Your Own Digital Dowsing Charts

If you'd like to create your own custom dowsing charts — whether for digital use or print — check out Dowsing Chart Maker.

It's a side project I've been building whenever I get free time, and it's gradually growing with new features. You can design multi-layer charts with custom labels, colours, gradients, and fonts; export them as PNG or PDF; and share them via URL — all from a browser, no app download needed.

Open the Studio


The Verdict So Far

The majority of dowsers who've tried digital screens report consistent, reliable results — with only a minority noting sensitivity to device frequencies. If you've been on the fence, the collective experience suggests it's well worth trying for yourself.

About the Author

Devendra A. Kulkarni

Creator of DowsingChartMaker.com and a lifelong dowsing enthusiast. Building tools to make custom dowsing charts accessible to everyone, anywhere.

First published July 2026
This article reflects personal experimentation and observations. Results may vary between individuals and screen types. Always test for yourself and practice ethical dowsing.