Whimpulsive

Oh Ouija, can I . . . .

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The Ouija Board "game" by Parker

This is, believe it or not, the advertisement that ran in 1968 for the Ouija Board, sold by Parker Games.  The blurb beneath the image reads as follows:-

Funny how a boy seems to make the best partner!

Especially if he’s open-minded and willing to give the OUIJA Talking Board a fair try.  You can ask it absolutely anything. . .questions about love, school, money, travel, work, other people or the future.  Makes a great Christmas present for anyone who likes the fascinating experience of exploring the unknown.

Now, given that the Ouija seems to generate fear, speculation and criticism, one has to wonder why Parker Games were selling this as a toy.    There are many claims – not only by Christians, but by other spiritual paths – that by using the Ouija you’re giving out an open invitation for demonic possession, but you’ll also get the other side of the fence which claims that this is all twaddle and it’s just a game and nothing harmful can come of it.

One such example of the second stance is the ever “vocal” Skeptic’s Dictionary, which states very clearly:-

Some users believe that paranormal or supernatural forces are at work in spelling out Ouija board answers. Skeptics believe that those using the board either consciously or unconsciously move the pointer to what is selected. To prove this, simply try it blindfolded some time Have an unbiased bystander take notes on what words or letters are selected. Usually, the results will be unintelligible.

Hmmmm. . . .usually, the results will be unintelligable?  So, does that mean that occasionally the results do make sense?  Well, which is it… ? 

Straight Dope give a more interesting explanation of how they think the Ouija works.

What makes the pointer move? An effect similar to that which occurs in dowsing, known as the ideomotor effect. This is a fancy name for involuntary/unconscious movement, such as a dowser’s hand flicking enough to move his stick when he passes over an area he knows has water. (In fact, Cecil has discussed this very subject.) The basic point is that your muscles can move without your consciously thinking, “move to the word YES.” As the Skeptic’’s Dictionary says, “suggestions can be made to the mind by others or by observations. Those suggestions can influence the mind and affect motor behavior. What is purely physiological, however, appears to some to be paranormal.” In other words, if you believe this stuff and are trying to get the spirits to answer questions proving that they are all-knowing, and you ask a question that you already know the answer to (for example, “What’s my father’s name?”), odds are that your own hands will do the rest by spelling out your answer. That’s where trying it blindfolded comes in (provided you haven’t memorized the board, obviously). If it’s spirits, they should be able to guide your hands no matter whether you can see or not. But if it’s you doing it unconsciously, the blindfold will screw things up.

Then there’s The Museum of the Talking Board, who believes the board is bringing messages from your subconscious.

On the other side of the fence, Dale Kaczmarek, President of the Ghost Research Society, wrote a regularly repeated article called Ouija: Not a Game, where he says:-

Most often the spirits whom are contacted through the Ouija are those whom reside on “the lower astral plane”. These spirits are often very confused and may have died a violent or sudden death; murder, suicide, etc. Therefore, many violent, negative and potentially dangerous conditions are present to those using the board. Often times several spirits will attempt to come through at the same time but the real danger lies when you ask for physical proof of their existence! You might say, “Well, if you’re really a spirit, then put out this light or move that object!” What you have just done is simple, you have “opened a doorway” and allowed them to enter into the physical world and future problems can and often do arise.

Brad Steiger, a prolific author of supernatural subjects, stated his opposition to the use of or the ownership of a Ouija in his article Mothers, Don’t let your children grow up to play with the Ouija Board, where he recounts his investigation of a 17 year old girl who experimented with the ouija – with dire consequences:-

She thought she had the knowledge to contact spirits through the board but unfortunately she had neglected to assume a prayerful attitude to guard against malignant influences.

Hans Holzer, one of the most respected paranormal investigators of the last 50 years or so, also warns against the Ouija.   Edmund C Gruss quotes Holzer in his book The Ouija Board: A Doorway to the Occult:-

Those who wish to use the Ouija board as a parlor game I advise to think twice. There is always the possibility – rare, I admit, but conceivable – that one of those playing the board is a genuine trance medium without realizing it. In such a case, the board can become an easy entrance for a disincarnate person… who might next take over the personality of the medium and manifest under conditions where no controls are possible.

Yet, even those who believe the Ouija can be used without causing any harm still recommend a cleansing is performed before an experimentation.  Some people will say a prayer over the board, others will perform a circle ritual where you visualise a circle of protective white energy surrounding yourself, the board, the people with you and even the room.

My own personal feellings on the Ouija is that it can be a very dangerous thing to play around with and, if you must use it, you should treat it with the utmost respect, while not taking what it may tell you in a literal sense as the words that come through generally are not 100% specific.  I have used the Ouija in my dark and distant past and it is not something I am likely to do again in a hurry.  I am of the firm belief that dysfunctional people will attract dysfunctional entities and should never use a Ouija board or channel in any way!

I’d be interested in hearing about anyone’s experiences with the Ouija, if you’ve had them.

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Tags: channelling, divination, ouija, spirits, talking boards