# What's the dope on "dowsing" for graves? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 23, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380 "2011-02-23T20:58:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Submerged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Submerged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Submerged)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/1 "2011-02-23T20:58:44Z")
I’ve been following the news and recent conviction of the serial killer, Gary Hilton, in Florida. Evidence indicates that he’s probably killed about half a dozen people. However, there is a small fringe group of “crime junkies” or whatever they are called, on the internet who are convinced that the guy has killed scores to hundreds of victims. Several of them claim that they are using “dowsing rods” in the woods where the killer often camped and that the rods clearly indicate that there are victims’ graves there. They complain loudly and bitterly that law enforcement is refusing to investigate due to some coverup or whatever and that the graves are being ignored. :rolleyes: Here’s a link to a page with some dowsing claims: [Cheryl Dunlap Murder-Evidence Connected To GHM | Websleuths](http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58428&page=5) Guy says _“I am a grave dowser and have the ability to locate graves”._ I have done a bit of googling on this “dowsing” thing, looks like a bunch of nonsense. But seems like a who lotta people actually believe in it. Here’s a link about Department of Energy testing dowsing: [http://www.time.com/time/columnist/jaroff/article/0,9565,231110,00.html](http://www.time.com/time/columnist/jaroff/article/0,9565,231110,00.html) So, what’s the straight dope on “dowsing”? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/2 "2011-02-23T20:59:35Z")
It doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/3 "2011-02-23T21:02:14Z")
> [@](#): > > …looks like a bunch of nonsense. But seems like a who lotta people actually believe in it. You seem to be working with the assumption that these two statements are contradictory. ---
**Author:** ![Submerged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Submerged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Submerged)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/4 "2011-02-23T21:18:50Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > You seem to be working with the assumption that these two statements are contradictory. Sorry, you’re right, they aren’t. What I wanted to say is that there sure seem to be a lot mainstream (eg not fringe new-agers or whatever) people who swear by it. If you google it, you’ll find dozens of cites for employees of utility companies use dowsing rods on their jobs: > **[Dowsing For Graves And Other Wives Tales](https://famhist.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/dowsing-for-graves-and-other-wives-tales/)** > > If you are like me, there are graves of your extended family that have either lost their grave markers or were never marked for a variety of reasons. In my family, three of my great aunts and uncle… ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/5 "2011-02-23T21:24:15Z")
> [@Submerged](#): > > Sorry, you’re right, they aren’t. What I wanted to say is that there sure seem to be a lot mainstream (eg not fringe new-agers or whatever) people who swear by it. If you google it, you’ll find dozens of cites for employees of utility companies use dowsing rods on their jobs: > > [Dowsing For Graves And Other Wives Tales « FamHist Blog](http://famhist.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/dowsing-for-graves-and-other-wives-tales/) You name the silliness, and I can show you the multitudes that swear by it. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/6 "2011-02-23T21:28:39Z")
Dowsing is an old art used all over the world. Dowsing is used to try to find lots of things but water, underground minerals, and buried utility lines are the most common. It is a strange phenomenon that you can try yourself. Dowsing rods made out of wood or metal will seem to very forcefully pull in a certain direction if you hold them in front of you under tension. It is a psychomotor effect but a powerful illusion even to the person doing it. Sometimes people can be convinced that it works because water or minerals are just about anywhere you did in some areas making for a strong confirmation bias. Other times, people just get lucky or basically already know where something is based on other clues and they just use the dowsing rod to confirm them. Dowsing for graves isn’t a traditional use for it but some people belief it works based on psychic intuition and can be used to locate anything you want it to. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/7 "2011-02-23T21:29:32Z")
Dowsing doesn’t work. Proof of that is the lack of winning the [million-dollar prize](http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html) that has been offered for many years by the James Randi Educational Foundation in Florida. Anyone who can demonstrate – under proper observing conditions where cheating is ruled out – an ability to find something using any kind of dowsing procedure can claim the prize. Many have tried, none have succeeded. Please have those utility workers or that gravedigger apply for the prize so they can win it. Should be easy if their claims are valid. Should be a failure if they aren’t. So the straight dope on dowsing is it is bull. Bigtime bull. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/8 "2011-02-23T21:43:22Z")
> [@Submerged](#): > > Several of them claim that they are using “dowsing rods” in the woods where the killer often camped and that the rods clearly indicate that there are victims’ graves there. They complain loudly and bitterly that law enforcement is refusing to investigate due to some coverup or whatever and that the graves are being ignored. :rolleyes: Dude, if you can bring a rod, you can bring a shovel. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/9 "2011-02-23T21:51:03Z")
Literally The Straight Dope on Dowsing: > **[Does dowsing for water really work?](https://www.straightdope.com/21341336/does-dowsing-for-water-really-work)** ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/10 "2011-02-23T21:54:17Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Dowsing doesn’t work. Proof of that is the lack of winning the [million-dollar prize](http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html) that has been offered for many years by the James Randi Educational Foundation in Florida. Oy Vey. I assume you know what you’ve done? Might as well wave a red flag at a bull. Oh well, I’ll bring the popcorn. Multi-page trainwreck incoming. Should be highly amusing, though. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/11 "2011-02-23T23:50:16Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You name the silliness, and I can show you the multitudes that swear by it. In other words, Argumentum Ad Populum is still a fallacy. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/12 "2011-02-23T23:53:48Z")
It actually works just as well as dowsing for water or oil or anything else! It’s got that going for it at least… -XT ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/13 "2011-02-24T00:36:12Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Oy Vey. I assume you know what you’ve done? Might as well wave a red flag at a bull. I know, I know. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Maybe one in a hundred will actually listen. ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/14 "2011-02-24T01:46:54Z")
Is this unusual? There is a very old grandmotherly type lady in my area that dowses for graves to help out a cemetery restoration group. This is the only woman I am aware of that claims this ability, most (all?) portrayals in the media seem to be male. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/15 "2011-02-24T02:20:27Z")
> [@Heyoka13](#): > > Is this unusual? Is _what_ unusual? That people believe the most ridiculous stuff without thinking? Sure. Is dowsing for graves more unusual than dowsing for anything else? No. People have claimed to find anything and everything with a dowsing rod or pendulum. The only thing that _hasn’t_ been claimed is the one million $ prize for doing it, however, so that should tell you something. > [@](#): > > There is a very old grandmotherly type lady in my area that dowses for graves to help out a cemetery restoration group. > > This is the only woman I am aware of that claims this ability, most (all?) portrayals in the media seem to be male. Interesting, but many fields are predominantly male. Does that mean anything to you? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/16 "2011-02-24T04:40:28Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > In other words, Argumentum Ad Populum is still a fallacy. If that’s what you believe… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/17 "2011-02-24T10:06:20Z")
Where is Peter when you need him? ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/18 "2011-02-24T13:32:57Z")
> [@Heyoka13](#): > > Is this unusual? > > There is a very old grandmotherly type lady in my area that dowses for graves to help out a cemetery restoration group. > > This is the only woman I am aware of that claims this ability, most (all?) portrayals in the media seem to be male. I was visiting distant relatives in Louisiana, and an older aunt was a huge promoter of this. :rolleyes: She demonstrated to us how she could determine where a grave was, what the sex of the dead person was, and which end had the head. :eek: I let her teach me the whole process, and of course kept my opinion to myself. It was very entertaining, although later in the car my wife and I laughed our asses off. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/19 "2011-02-24T13:46:46Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Oy Vey. I assume you know what you’ve done? Might as well wave a red flag at a bull. > > Oh well, I’ll bring the popcorn. Multi-page trainwreck incoming. Should be highly amusing, though. > [@PlainJain](#): > > Where is Peter when you need him? This not-very-surreptitious baiting of other posters ends here. Knock it off. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380/20 "2011-02-24T14:51:02Z")
What’s to stop these bitterly complaining “crime junkies” from digging up one or more of the alleged burial spots? Bring a skull in to the authorities, and you’ll have their attention fast. > [@](#): > > Guy says "I am a grave dowser Thanks. Now I’ve got this O’Kaysions song in my head. \*I’m a grave dowser I’m a grave dowser Here comes one now Mmmm, mmm, mmm Whenever I detect Bodies that no one else expects I play the game I do so well, oh\* There is also potential here for a spin-off from my sure-to-be-a-hit TV series, _Cadaver Dog_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dope-on-dowsing-for-graves/572380.md?page=2)