Just when you least expect it, silver in the hole

[ironsight]

Been thinking back on a lot of my silver finds and one thing keeps popping up.
It usually happens when i least expect it.
I'm talking about sites where silver is scarce like a pounded park for example.

I'll be searching a site with few finds even sometimes on the verge of being silver skunked and bingo out of nowhere a silver coin.
In most of those cases i was either:
-day dreaming about things other than detecting
-or for a lack of a better term my mind was blank, thinking about nothing at all
-or i was frustrated thinking on giving up on that site, basically finding keepers now out of my mind, just thinking only on getting a McRib.
Basically i was NOT exclusively concentrating on detecting.

Could it be that in a semi-subconscious state, the subconscious takes control and directs us to an area with keepers?
An area we wouldn't search with an active logical state of mind? Or an area swept during a previous detecting session and some how missed the coin back then.
This phenomena doesn't happen all the time but enough times that leads me to believe there might be something to it.

Does this happen only to me or is this something all of us experience at times?

 

[mudpuppy]

Yep, I agree 100%...both on gold and silver....you sort of have a focus, dream and target in mind before you arrive on site, when your mind is in a neutral relaxed dream state....

Takes me @30 minutes to get there, the more I practice this Sport, the less that time frame to get there becomes...Once a guy gets his mind in neutral, very relaxed, great finds start pouring in...same thing happens when hunting or fishing, very relaxed and at a mental state of peace..."In the Zone"

It is a phenomenon only experienced by people involved in a pursuit oriented or competitive situation...almost as if a person is invisible and 'one' with the surroundings that bend the constraints of time, physics, and logic...Quite similar to the 'force' Luke Skywalker experienced...cant really quantify or measure it logically, but it works none the less. So you are not crazy or alone in your concept.....

Heck, even Reggie Jackson alluded to this mental state when he was "In the Zone" ...He said he could see the stitches on the baseball flying at him as soon as it left the pitchers hand, said it was all slow motion, said he knew he would hit it out of the park, and seemed to take an hour for that ball to get to him...

Maybe not all people can access this state?
Mud

 

[BillF]

You aren't alone. About the time I feel that all is lost and I'll never find another piece of silver.......ever, I get a nice surprize. And like you and Mud said its when I start drifting off and not thinking about detecting.
I might have to think about some sort of artificial substance to facilitate daydreaming. Ha! Just kidding.....maybe.

 

[mudpuppy]

Upon further reflection on your initial premise. A lot of people do indeed get in "The Zone"... some kid playing a video game has experienced it...surgeons, truck drivers, construction people, even somebody pulling an 8hr shift of repetitive boring work..anybody that works with their hands.....the mind slips into neutral, and time goes away...

Regarding detecting though, it is sort of hard to stay in it, a fellow may only have an hour before some miniscule distraction such as a cell phone ringing, or a person wanting to chat pulls you right out of it...once its lost, that day is over..its so hard to crawl back into it with all the ambient noise, takes a tremendous amount of focus....So for us, its no wonder we continue to find a masked or missed easy silver in a pounded park! Theres only so many really great days in a year to detect when everything is 'just right'...staying in 'the zone' for long periods is difficult for us, even fellows experienced and at an advanced skill status....a guy might only have an hour or less to really be in it, and he has to be in the right spot during the perfect conditions to maximize the skill...

I say skill because that is what it is...getting and staying in 'the zone' takes years of dedicated practice, realizing its coming, and recognizing it when it does, then making hay for the duration of it...

A fellow really needs to focus those perfect times at all the right places and understand their own internal 'clock' when 'the zone' typically manifests itself...for me its in the dead hours of the night or very early in the morning...I cant hunt worth a damn past noon, unless its really overcast and cool out, and those are about 2 days per year... Thats why getting really good and fast on target retrieval comes into play...you may only have an hour to really wipe out a once in a Lifetime place before you lose "the zone"....Thank you for this wonderful topic ironsight! It is a hell of a drug!...firing on all eight and being in 'the zone'...
Mud.

 

[Mrmikejackie]

It usually happens to me right after I get distracted, someone approaches and starts talking to me or my phone rings, etc. Headphones back on, take a few steps and BAM! Happens all the time. Mike

 

[tabman]

When I'm in the 'zone' I know it and feel it. I slow down, take my time and concentrate. It's very peaceful and relaxing. When I'm in the zone I do very well at finding good stuff. Maybe it's because I feel good and slowing down, taking my and concentrating is the key. Rubbing my Genie helps me get into the zone.

tabman

 

[BarberBill]

My fishing success often fits this picture, lol.
BB

 

[ironsight]

For me its that i'm 'not' concentrating on detecting but somehow still aware of my detector's indications (like an awakening alarm clock) when out of the blue i find a totally unexpected keeper.
There are times when active focused concentration is a must like in a dense iron grave yard. But even in that case, sometimes i've still been surprised with a keeper when my mind was wandering.

I think one has to have a lot of experience with one single detector for this phenomena to occur. Basically a detectorist has to become 'one with their detector' for a lack of better words. Its all difficult to put into words.

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I sometimes wonder why I do some of the things that I do. Last Summer I was at the beach wading with my Excal. For some unknown reason I did a 90 degree turn and walked out of the water back to the upper edge of the surf wash area. Got a target and dug a small 14K ring with a teeny diamond. Put in my pocket and walked back into the water. To this day I have no idea why I walked out of the water back onto the beach. But I am real glad that I did.

 

[Goldstrike]

Not quite on the topic but I thought I'd like to add the following:
It seems that I find some of my best finds almost near the time I first start detecting or in the first 5 minutes or so AND also when I'm in the process of finishing or thinking of finishing detecting for the day.
There have been times when I'm walking off the beach, dog tired and just swinging (or almost dragging) my detector with those last dregs of hope that I'll find something, even if it's a stupid Quarter or a junk earring, anything to make me feel the hunt was not for nothing!!! Or something at least that was worthy of posting on the 'Today's Find' forum!
This phenomenon doesn't happen all the time but often enough to make note of! Anyone else experience this phenomenon as well?

 

[team sidewinder]

I have to agree with Goldstrike. When I finally check the time and need to be quitting I just can't help but to start finding things even though I am swinging fast hurrying back to the car.

 

[ironsight]

Hey Goldstrike and sidewinder, that same thing happened again today.

First quick hunt of the season mainly to see if all my detecting gear is up to speed.
I chose a well pounded area of a park where i found seated's, Barbers and Indians last year. Long story short got skunked in that area...only a few corroded nails in my junk pouch to show.
Headed back to my jeep disappointed while swinging wildly all the way thinking getting skunked is not a good way to start the season... not even a stink'n zincoln!

Low and behold out of nowhere i got one of those dumb luck hits, a 6" wheatie and unfortunately only 6 more clads. Only spent about 15 minutes in that area as i was tired by now and ready for Miller time. So i had enough and quit for the day but gonna go back to that area in the future.