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[Admin]

Mention the use of a Ouija board to a paranormal research group these days and you’ll get a lot of head shaking and statements about “opening portals” and “demonic entities”. Mention it to religious fundamentalists and you’ll practically see them shudder and back away on shaky legs, as if the board was created by Satan himself as a means of enslaving human souls.

How did the Ouija board and similar “talking boards” get this reputation? Is it deserved? How is it different than other methods of spirit communication?

EVIL? SAYS WHO?

The talking board has been around for well over 100 years. Its most popular incarnation today is the Ouija board, marketed by Hasbro. There have been many editions over the years and several imitators, but the concept is always the same: a board on which are printed letters and numbers; a planchette or pointer that spells out answers to questions when the users place their fingertips on it.

Marketed as a toy, the Ouija has been a best-seller for decades. When I was a kid, it was seen as a harmless, if mysterious and somewhat spooky diversion. It was especially used around the Halloween season when thoughts turn to ghosts and the unknown. We never took it very seriously, however. If it did spell out answers, each user suspected the other of making the pointer do it... or maybe – just maybe – it was moved by g-g-g-ghosts! But we never had the notion that it was controlled by demons.

This seems to be a relatively new idea. Where did this literal demonization of the Ouija board come from? I can’t say with 100 percent certainty, but I think this idea came from (or at least was popularized by) The Exorcist, both the book and the movie. In this work of fiction, pre-teen Regan tells her mother she’s been using the Ouija board by herself, conversing with someone named Captain Howdy. Shortly thereafter, she becomes possessed by the Devil.

Subsequent movies such as Witchboard, The Craft, and others further promoted the idea that the Ouija was a conduit to dark forces. Previous to these Hollywood productions, the Ouija was not generally regarded in this way. But the idea was also latched onto by many Christian fundamentalists, who tend to consider just about anything they don’t agree with as the work of Satan.

Then many paranormal researchers also came around to this way of thinking, but I've never come across any convincing evidence that would lead to this position. Yes, we’ve all heard the horror stories from people who claim to have serious negative experiences with the board. (In fact, you can read some of them in this site’s Tales of the Ouija section. Hey, a good story is a good story.) But how many of them can be verified? And how many of the tales are the products of active, highly suggestive, and eager-for-drama teenage imaginations? Yet the majority of paranormal investigators today will advise you not to use a Ouija board, taking the same stance as books such as Stoker Hunt’s Ouija: The Most Dangerous Game.

DEMONS OR THE SUBCONSCIOUS?

For the sake of argument, however, let’s say that at least some of these tales of terror are true. Some of them might be. Should we blame the board? Or should we blame the people using the board? In other words, where is this negativity really coming from? Is it coming from a demon, who I guess we have to assume is sitting around with nothing better to do, waiting for teenagers to sit down at a Ouija board to scare the crap out of them with a selection of supernatural antics? Or is it more likely that any effects – supernatural or not – arise out of the energized subconscious of the users?

If you read related articles of mine on this subject, you’ll know that I do not buy in to the notions of demons and possession. These are ancient superstitions – completely made up – for which there is no reasonable evidence. The idea of the Devil was created by humans to help humans explain to ourselves the evil that humans do. The sad truth is, however, that we create our own evil in the world. We’re responsible for it, not some discarnate demon. We create it, just as we create good in the world.

And what of the supernatural aspects? Just as it is now commonly accepted among most paranormal researchers that poltergeist activity – objects moved telekinetically, bangs on walls, and the rest of it – is created by the subconscious of a person or persons, so too can any extraordinary manifestations in a Ouija session be credited to the subconscious. Why is it often so negative? Because that is often the expectation of the users involved. Intention creates reality.

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[Nicole]

I have used a ouija board quite a few times and they really do work, well most of the time anyway.

I remember using the board with friends a few years ago in a dark room in a pub where everyone on the board was blindfolded. To make it all the more authentic, once everyone was seated round it, I turned the board round several times just incase anyone had tried to memorise where the letters were. The planchette moved exacly where it wanted to go and it made sense, a man came through who had died of cancer, he gave his name and he had come through for his daughter who was using the board.

Another time while doing a ouija board on an event, it began to do a countdown so it had to be closed down. It was taken home and cleansed, or so I thought. A few weeks later at a different event with a totally different group of people, the board again did a countdown. The group had no idea of the previous countdown, so it ruled out the group subconsciously moving it. So some other force was moving the board.

Of course there is a stigma attached to the board, most people use it as a party piece when they are drunk and they just mess about with it and there is those who deliberately manipulate the planchette to move where they want it to go. This happened at one of our events a couple of years ago. A lady had been talking to us about her husband who had passed away very young and she was clearly upset about it, all the guests were sat listening to her. As we did a ouija it began to move straight away, which I thought was odd as sometimes we have to sit there a good 15 mins wating for something to happen and sometimes nothing happens at all. Anyway the planchette immediately spelt out the name of the ladies husband and began describing things the lady had told us about her husband. I noticed one particular lady who was making a big deal out of the man coming throuhg, appeared to be pushing the planchette so I asked her to take her finger off it and as soon as she did, nothing more happened. As soon as she placed her finger back on it, it began to move again so everyone knew it was her moving it. This is what spoils the use of the board and makes many believe it is the people on the board manipulating it.

Who comes through on the board is open to speculation, could it be our loved ones? If the bible is correct, then could it be a demon? Fallen Angel, trying to trick us into thinking it is our loved ones. One thing I do know is, whoever comes through, sometimes it really does happen, sometimes it is real.

[Admin]

Like you say Nic, it's often used as a party piece by people who have no idea what they're doing with a ouija board. I've only ever had one experience with one, years ago, a group of us went down the basement of a nearby deserted convent school and the events of that night put me off for life (I guess our choice of venue wasn't the best   } I've always said, it's one of the simplest, easiest ways of messing around with evil and my advice would be to stay away from them unless you know what forces you're dealing with.  Do you believe that in the right hands, the ouija board can actually be a useful tool for contacting spirits for good purpose ?

I'd be interested in hearing more of your experiences though  

[Nicole]

I do believe that in the right hands a ouija board could be a useful tool for contacting the dead. You often hear tales of peoples experiences and they are nearly always dramatic and frightening, some may believe bad things are happening as a result of the board, but it's more often that not all psychological, others just like to dramatise their use of the board. You mention using a board to someone and they will say "Ooh no I'm not messing with one of those" even though they have never used one before and it is because they are basing their idea of the board on stories they have heard. I have had lots of things happen on the board, mostly good, very occasionally bad, as in an unpleasant person coming through and a lot of the time, nothing has happened at all on the board.

We had done a paranormal investigation at Terry's chocolate factory prior to it being knocked down to build flats and everyone wanted to do a ouija. I have to say, it was mainly the women who went on the board, the men didn't want to take part and preferred to observe. There was one particular lady who observed the board who had recently suffered a bereavment and none of the people on the board knew her or anything about her. Things were happening on the board but it made no sense to any of us as nobody had a clue who the person was coming through. The lady who had suffered the bereavment, whispered in my ear that she knew who it was coming through on the board so I asked her to lead by asking questions with her still standing out of the ouija session. The spirit spelt out the names and ages of her children and answered all of the questions correctly. The lady was gobsmacked as she had chosen not to take part as like so many others, she believed the boards to be dangerous and evil.

On other occasions, we have done ouija boards where the planchette has moved around and we have written down the letters spelt out, but it didn't even make up proper words, you get that sometimes.

I have a good friend who is a medium, he is a lovely man and I trust him 100%. He told me a strange story of an experience he had with a board as a teenager, he told me this same tale many times and recounted it to others and it was the same every time. He made a ouija board while he was a teenager and he still uses the same one to this day. Anyway as a teenagers, he had arranged to go camping with a group of friends and for a laugh they decided they wanted to do a ouija board, so my friend bought some wood and made his own.

In the evening they all sat round the board and began asking for someone to come through. A lady eventually came through, they asked her age and she spelt it out. They asked her what year she had died and she replied "I'm not dead, I'm very much alive" or words to that effect. She then told them she could prove she was alive and she then spelt out a series of numbers and told them to write it down, she told them it was her home number and she asked them to call her for confirmation when they got home. Of course when they got home, none of them dared to call the lady and 6 months passed. When they met up again, they decided to test the number and my firend was the one who had to make the call. He rang the number and before he could say "Hello" the lady said "I've been waiting for this call, I told you I was alive, you have your answer, now please don't call me again".

I have never experienced anything as weird as that, but it makes me wonder if the board can be used to contact the living, kind of like a telepathic telephone in a way, but knowing how to contact the living, or how to come through on someones board is a mystery to me.

[Nicole]

Another tale of the ouija board and how it can be misinterpreted.

My Auntie had had some friends sleeping over when she was a teenager, I can still remember this as she is only a couple of years older then me. She had decided to do a board with friends in her bedroom. The planchette began to move and they all freaked out, things happened such as a curtain suddenly started moving and an ashtray set on fire on it's own. I remember not long after this, sleeping at my Aunties and sleeping in her room. She told me there was an evil ghost in her room that she was convinced she had somehow released out of the board. Bearing in mind that while doing the board, all 3 of them had been drinking and drinking does alter ones perception of things.

Anyway a few years ago, we got talking about the ouija board again and I mentioned what she had told me about the things she claimed happened that night. She insisted that these things had indeed happened but she had come to realise that it wasn't paranormal. The curtain moving was caused by the window being open. Even the ashtray bursting into flames had a logical explanation. One of the sleepover guests had poured some nailpolish in the ashtray and then someone else had put a cigarette out in the ashtray which hadn't gone out properly, which then ignited the nail polish causing it to appear to burst into flames for a few seconds. So you see, if someone goes on to use a board thinking it's evil, then every little thing that happens can be put down to the use of the board, even though a perfectly logical explanation is staring them in the face.

[Nicole]

I'm on a tangent here lol.

The ouija board can be an excellent tool to contact the dead, but it can be dangerous in the wrong hands, by that I mean in inexperienced hands. It's important to open and close the board correctly.

Heres a slightly easy way to understand the board and what opening it and closing it correctly means. By opening it in the right way, you are allowing contact, but contact from a distance if that makes sense? Ok imagine a stranger knocks on your door, you unlock the door and leave the chain on to keep that distance between you and the stranger. If the stranger had turned up at your door and said he just fancied a chat, you would not take off the chain and invite him in would you? Just like you would not go to bed on a night and leave your doors unlocked. It is the same with the ouija board, you have no idea who is going to come through, good or bad, so you need to take precautions to stay safe. Bad experiences only happen with those who are usually drunk or don't believe the board can work, so mess about and don't open it properly.

I remember a few years ago a friend of mine rang me at 3am while I was fast asleep. He was in a real panic, he was having a party, they had all been drinking and had decided to do a ouija. I cannot remember what had happened but he was terrified as he had not protected himself and was adamant he had released a spirit into his house. I had to talk him through closing down his board otherwise he wouldn't have dared sleep.

[Mystical]

I think the most common mistake people make with a ouija is that look at it as a toy.  After all they can be bought in a toy store,"Which makes no sense".  They tend to not take it seriously.  I mean for instance your child wants a ouija for xmas.  Those who do nottake the board seriously would have no problem just going and buying for their children.  Then if something happens in their home and the child is terrified they tend to brush it off as childish fears.  What if in fact the child has released something into the home?  I don't think they should be a toy.

[Nicole]

I can't understand why any store would sell a ouija board as a toy and aim it at youngsters. I know Toys R Us a while back was selling ouija boards and aiming them at 8 years old. I think those marketing them as toys has either never used a board, never done their research or just don't believe the hype.

[Mystical]

Does anyone know where the Ouija board originated from?

[Mystical]

History of the Ouija board
Interest in the mysterious ouija board has persisted for over 100 years. Learn its history. The devotees range from collectors of antique boards to true believers in its mystical powers.


Two people sit opposite each other at a table. On the table is a rectangular playing board with two curved rows of letters, one above the other. The top row runs from A to M, and the lower row runs from N to Z. Just below these is a row with numbers One through Zero. At the top left of the board is the word Yes, and at the top right, the word No. Near the bottom of the board is Goodbye.

On the board rests an odd little device, like a tiny heart-shaped table, with three legs that allow it to glide smoothly over the board's surface. The two people put their fingertips lightly on the little table, the planchette, and it starts moving. The planchette moves from letter to letter, supposedly under its own power, and spells out messages, or answers yes or no to questions put to it.

And so begins a session with a Ouija board, a game which is also known as the talking board and the witch board. Ouija boards were immensely popular between 1890 and 1950, and dozens of manufacturers competed with different versions, sometimes claiming that the Ouija was much more than just a game. Capitalizing on the the craze for spiritualism, they didn't hesitate to suggest that the Ouija was a portal to the spirit world, capable of putting one in touch with the dead of all ages.

The Ouija board wasn't so much invented, as it was refined. Communicating with the dead through spirit mediums swept the United States and Europe during the latter part of the 19th century. Seances were held, in which people sat around a table, waiting for the spirits to speak. The disembodied dead made their presence known by tipping the table, and knocking one of its legs on the floor. The taps were supposedly a code which the medium interpreted for her guests.

But table tipping was a slow and rather boring way to receive the spirits' messages. Some mediums chose to go into a trance and allow the spirits to speak through them. Others preferred automatic writing, believing that what they wrote while in the trance state came to them from the spirits. Numerous gadgets were also invented, some of them involving complicated gears and pulleys. Gradually, a simplified planchette and a standardized board evolved, becoming the Ouija board that we know today.

In 1892, in an early business takeover, William Fuld became the owner and president of the Kennard Novelty Company, which had developed the final form of the talking board. He then renamed it the Ouija Novelty Company. Fuld was such an enthusiastic promoter, even claiming that he had invented and named the board, that his name is still associated with it, and its actual originators are mostly forgotten. Capitalizing on public fascination with the exotic and mysterious far east, Fuld declared that Ouija was the Egyptian word for good luck. It's more likely, however, that he derived the name from the Moroccan city of Oujda.

Fuld went on to sell millions of talking boards, as well as other toys and novelties. In spite of fierce competition from other toy makers, his company dominated the market for 35 years. Thanks to his own talent for sensationalizing a simple toy, his accidental death in 1927 was turned into a lasting legend. His fall from the factory roof while doing repairs was rumored to have been a suicide, and to this day that story is still circulated as fact.

After Fuld's death, his family sold the company to Parker Brothers, which still produces the Ouija board, and owns all rights and patents. The popularity of the game has waxed and waned over the years, and controversy has centered on whether it is just a game or a real doorway to another plane of existence. People who believe in spirits and similar beings, insist that using a Ouija board can provide an opening for malevolent forces, placing the souls of users in danger.

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