Treasure Classifieds Forum

My head has been spinning with ideas and questions since Joe responded to Nick's skeleton key find with comments about how seldom he had seen one, and then immediately found one himself. And Ed found 3 rings after a layoff and came right back in 2 days with 3 more!  Has anyone else had an experience with finds that seemed to go beyond the expected or probable. I have been studying and reading much over the past few years trying to come up with a concept of what "luck" really is, and if it is truly random or if it can be influenced. Joe seems to think it can be influenced, and so do I,  but I don't know what the mechanism is. I'm not talking about just digging more to increase chances of a find or digging where rings have been found before, for example.  I'm interested in things that exceed the expected norms. I'd love to hear from you.

The most efficient influence on luck is preparation.

Thanks for the reply Dusty. That's the answer I get from reading about this in scientific literature, from statisticians, and even from philosophers. And I accept it. But when you are thoroughly prepared is there a difference between results and luck? I just like to let my mind roam and wonder if there is something that we experience from time to time that laws and logic do not explain. And the whimsical me hopes there is. Side thought Dusty- I remember my scout motto "Be prepared". Thanks again for the input.

(04-18-2016 11:11 AM)Dusty Wrote: [ -> ]The most efficient influence on luck is preparation.

Exactly! It's also the law of averages. For example...

It is HIGHLY unlikely one particular number, say 22, will come up 5 times back to back in Roulette. However, there have been billions of spins of Roulette wheels in the world, so it surely has happened, no matter how unlikely the odds, since the sampling of data is so large.

I'm sure you've been on other forums over the years. How many times have you seen 2 or 3 gold coins posted in a short period of time, or a few seateds or morgans found in the same week? It's not likely, but surely possible, and has happened countless times.

Scott posted a silver cigarette case here about 2 months ago. Couple days later, someone posted almost the exact same piece.

Then, too, there's the subconscious at play...

I'm not a big believer in "magic thinking" kind of stuff, like dowsing, ESP, and all that. However, the subconscious is very real, and extremely powerful, IMO.

How many times have you gone to sleep trying to remember something, and it will NOT come to you, yet, upon waking, the information you couldn't recall the night before has been supplied you?

Aside from skill & equipment, I believe there are many other variables at play in this hobby, some of which may not be readily explainable, but definitely have a hand in our success...or lack thereof.

Joe

I wouldn't call it luck, but more of an intuitive feeling of things just going right. For example, I'd been using Conductive sounds since I got the SE Pro. I did pretty well but I was missing something. It was just one of those feelings. A ton of guys told me in the past to switch over to Ferrous sounds. I'd tried it a couple of times and it just threw me off. About a month ago I said to myself I'm going to start using Ferrous until I get it! Well, needless to say, I got it!! Sometimes those little high tone squeaks with the screwy digital numbers are real diggers. I'm also cranked on sensitivity, almost to max. The SE becomes a completely different machine in Ferrous. But the strange thing is this, I have become a different machine as well. I am seeing the understanding of what I'm looking at and hearing better with Ferrous than I ever did with Conductive. And digging all mid tones now more than ever.

So it's the learning curve that a detectorist has to learn through hard experience long before he knows what he's actually doing.

And I know this is sort of off topic, but I'm a retired bricklayer. We had a saying back in the day, "Become one with the wall." So the same thing really goes for detecting. "Become one with the targets." If I'm oughta sorts for the day and have been flustered or upset about something, and then I go detecting, it turns out to be a total flop!! On the other hand, when I'm relaxed, have a new area and retain my focus, I usually end up killing it. I notice that a great deal.

When you get out of your vehicle at your site, take a deep breath, relax your mind, focus on what your machine tells you, and then don't go looking for finds, expect them!

Ed/Ohio Dirt Fisher

Okay Shade will tell you something i believe brings me luck and most times honestly works. GO AHEAD LAUGH GUYS. When i am detecting the woods if i see a tree bowed over i walk under it and shortly after i do usually find something cool. Also i try not to forget the medallion i found that i wear. But i do find good relics without it. Like Joe said i  believe its all where the coil lands. No matter what we believe.

(04-18-2016 11:37 PM)scott demont Wrote: [ -> ]Okay Shade will tell you something i believe brings me luck and most times honestly works. GO AHEAD LAUGH GUYS. When i am detecting the woods if i see a tree bowed over i walk under it and shortly after i do usually find something cool. Also i try not to forget the medallion i found that i wear. But i do find good relics without it. Like Joe said i  believe its all where the coil lands. No matter what we believe.

Not laughing here Scott. Sometimes, if there's a light breeze in the woods, I'll follow the way it pushes me. Strangely enough, I find stuff. And that's real spooky!!

Ed