CHAPTER 2 | OUIJA BOARDS
Ouija boards are a highly controversial topic. From religious communities advising against their use, to skeptics who claim the boards use small muscle movements and the subconscious mind, there is no real consensus. Are they evil? Do they even work?
History of the Ouija Board
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"1972 Ouija Board - Parker Brothers" by Brett Streutker is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. |
Historically, the idea of speaking with the dead is not unheard of. However, Ouija boards are a more modern phenomenon, truly coming into being in the 19th century. In the Western world, the popularity of a movement called Spiritualism – which consisted of speaking with the dead and conducting seances – became increasingly popular. This created the perfect setting for a tool that would allegedly allow anyone to commune with the deceased.
Initially advertised as a fun toy, people in the 19th and 20th centuries used the board both for entertainment, and to console themselves. For example, some sources say that the popularity of Ouija boards increased in the 1920s and in other stressful times for Americans, with demand for the boards during the Great Depression resulting in the opening of more manufacturing facilities to produce the mysterious boards.
The public view of Ouija boards changed later in the 20th century. What was once a fun pastime became a threat to one’s spiritual well-being. Some people believe this correlates with the 1973 release of the film The Exorcist. The author of the novel The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty, also had some personal experiences with a Ouija board, experiences which led him to believe that he was truly speaking with otherworldly spirits.
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"Ouija board" by scriptingnews is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. |
Imp or Ideomotor?
The real question behind Ouija boards is ultimately whether they actually allow communication with the spirit realm. There are a plethora of opinions on the issue, informed by religion, culture, and personal experience. Those who believe that Ouija boards do actually contact some sort of spirit are split on if this is a good thing, or a bad thing.
For example, Christians are known for generally objecting to the use of the board, advising that the user may be contacting demons. Christian fundamentalist and Catholic groups have gone on record, labelling the boards as evil and even burning them. Some Muslims believe that Ouija boards can contact jinn, spiritual beings which can use their free will to do good or commit sin and cause people to stray.
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"Demon (Horror Fantasy)" by Maxwell Hamilton is licensed under CC BY 2.0. |
I couldn’t find a lot about Dharmic or Eastern religions and their views on Ouija boards, but one reddit post on a Buddhism forum advises against using Ouija boards because it may cause harm to the attached spirit using it to communicate. From my own experience in pagan forums, I know that there is no consensus on Ouija boards in pagan groups. Some pagans use the board as a tool of divination and communication alongside tarot, while others decry the board as too dangerous and unpredictable.
But what if Ouija boards aren’t a supernatural phenomenon at all? The ideomotor effect causes very small movements in the muscles. They are not conscious movements, so to a person using a Ouija board, it would seem that an outside force was manipulating the planchette. This could cause bored, excited, or desperate people to subconsciously spell out words and answers to questions that are seemingly coming from the spiritual realm.
Experiences
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"Ghost fear" by @Doug88888 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. |
I posted on social media, requesting users to share their Ouija board experiences. Unfortunately, I didn’t get very many responses. However, there are many forums and articles online where people recount their Ouija board stories.
This Reader’s Digest article shares thirteen Ouija board experiences, including the planchette moving around without spelling any words, or even moving on its own. This Reddit thread includes the story of a board that spelled out the name of somebody who had actually existed and died. One person recounted the time they used a board that gave them the correct information about a friend’s deceased father, even though they had never met the man, and the friend was not touching the planchette.
I have had experiences with a Ouija board, personally. I didn’t buy a manufactured board. I used cardboard from a cereal box and wrote the letters, hello, goodbye, and yes and no. I cut out a little planchette as well. I brought it to a sleepover with friends when I was around 14, where we used it and allegedly spoke to some sort of farmer. I used it again in my foster mother’s apartment when I was 15 or 16, where a little girl spirit apparently decided to stop by and say hello.
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"Disney - Haunted Mansion" by Express Monorail is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. |
The second friend and I put our fingers on the planchette and requested that the spirit spell out the word written on the paper.
T-A-C-O.
Yup, the word was taco. I was a bit disappointed my friend hadn’t chosen something more related, like “ghost” or something similar. But I guess the complete randomness of the word and situation attests to the reality of what we experienced. This wasn’t planned, there was no way for her to communicate what word she used without alerting me. Her back was to us when she was writing. If any skeptics have a possible explanation for this, I’d love to hear it.
I no longer have the board, but I hope to someday get a real one. There are so many beautiful Ouija boards out there. Just take a look at these:
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| Sold by Growing Sun on Etsy |
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| Sold by MoonlitBlossomGifts on Etsy |
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| Sold by cursed4life on Etsy |
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| Sold by Pandora Witch Shop |
What do I believe about Ouija boards? I know that they’re mysterious, controversial, and beautiful. I believe that I need to always keep both an open mind, and a rational mind. I believe in spirits, but I also know that I have no real, concrete proof. So, while I believe that the boards work, I also know that I don’t truly know. I’d never make an important decision based on my beliefs regarding the board, and I’d never let a Ouija board sway me to make a choice that I didn’t think through rationally. But I do believe that souls, spiritual beings, deities, and more exist. Whether or not the beings using the board are positive or negative depends entirely on the situation.
Have you ever used a Ouija board?
Sleep well,
-Wren
Because of my parents and their beliefs, I was never allowed to even touch one of these in box at the store. I remember trying once when I was a wee little one and my mother smacked my hand so fast I freaked out. She never slapped our hands as children but she did this time and told me never to touch it because that was how the devil and demons got through. She seemed so shaken up by the whole ordeal.
ReplyDeleteI heard a story that my grandma used them when she was a kiddo and had a hard time getting rid of it later. They had to burn it but it still came back the next day on her bed. I take that with a grain of salt.
I've always wanted to try but I won't alone because that's not good I've read and no one around me is brave enough lol. Even my partner who doesn't even believe in spirts and such still won't do it... just in case. *eye roll*
Great post!