Did you ever try it without
knowing whether the lead was switched on at the plug? I ask because it doesn't matter whether it's switched on at the plug or not - if it's not actually,
on, it's not drawing any current. It doesn't make any difference whether it's the switch at the plug or the switch on the mower that's off, the circuit isn't closed.
And have you ever heard of the
Ideomotor effect?
As for the whole dowsing idea, I don't think it's up to the sceptics to disprove it - it's up to the dowsers to prove it. Figure out exactly what you can and can't do and how to demonstrate it repeatably. If it
really works, it
must be possible to prove it. If the tests the sceptics design don't suit you, design better ones. People claim a very strong effect and very high success rates, so it should be
easy to prove. The fact that nobody who really claims to be able to do it ever seems to want to design and conduct a really good test which would absolutely prove that there really is something to it makes me suspect that deep down they
know it doesn't really work. I mean, if I believed I could do something like that, you'd better believe that I would want to prove it and understand how it works! I just can't understand how anyone could believe they have some inexplicable magical ability and yet not want to ask any of the obvious questions about it.