Ouija Boards....

[HelloWorld]

Like most of us, I grew up "knowing" that ouija boards are terrible things, that it is sinful to use them, and they can cause horrible things to happen in your life.

 

Is this true? What is up with them, anyway? How does it work? What about all of the horror stories I read about on the Internet when the spirits or demons summoned through the board light things on fire, make things crash to the ground? What about shaking and rattling boards that settle down and fly across the room if you put a crucifix on them? Like look at this story here:

 

Salem Witchboard

 

By Faith

 

1989 - Pacoima, California USA

 

About 10 years ago, my boyfriend found a Ouija board in the trash along with some other odd objects. It was no ordinary Ouija board, and wasn't made by Parker brothers. It was dated 1800's and made in Salem. It said something about the great massacre. It was double sided and all the letters were shadowed in red. It was twice the size of the normal Ouija board and twice the weight. One corner it had an ugly old witch, the second corner had a man with a crystal ball, the third corner had a man on a camel (I think) and the forth corner had a wizard. It was quite unusual. I have messed with Parker Brother's Ouija's before, but the spirits were weak compared to this one. They often spelled wrong, but usually for a reason. For instance: say yes on no. For those who still mess with even the store bought ones, be careful that you are not tricked into saying things!

 

The two spirits I talked to were very strong. They called them selves Jack and Bitch. They would call me filthy names. It would move so fast at times that my hand would slip off, and it would still be spelling dirty words. It knew so much about me and what was going on in my life, maybe because it sat in my room for months before I even touched it. Sometimes it would keep score as if we were competing in some kind of a game. It would rattle around when it wanted to talk to me. I was alone every time I messed with the board.

 

I could not believe the power this board had or the things it would say, and with such sarcasm. Once it was just going off on me, putting me down and just being down right malicious, so I grabbed the pointer, as it was sliding across the board, tossed it aside, now it was my turn to not only call it dirty names, but to get the last word in which was, " ha, ha, you can't say nothing!" then I put the board away. I can tell that it was mad because it was rattling loudly.

 

When I talked to this board, I would set in on my lap (keep in mind that this is a very unusual board). It told me things that would happen and so far it has been right. It referred to me as 2yz. Because I wouldn't fall for the tricks or say the riddles. I would start as if I were going to finish the riddle, but finish it off with my own words like "your mama! " or "ha, ha!" Just when they thought they had me, I would spoil it for them. I guess that is why they called me 2yz (too wise).

 

It started to become more fun for me when I realized that I can shut it up whenever I wanted. I could call it names and make it wait days before I would let it talk again. Another thing that was interesting was they, Jack and Bitch, could say all they want. When they got furious, they would talk about killing me in sick ways, but the really bizarre thing was the way they would sit and make fun of me. Some of the things they said were very funny . . . although unfortunately they were aimed at me. It just wasn't the things they said, but the way they said them, with such sarcasm that it was almost like they had a personality. They couldn't get me upset making fun of me, I was to busy laughing with them at my own flaws that they pointed out to me.

 

Even when I would say a dud like "hey, I bet you guys are board to death," the pointer would vibrate as if it were laughing hysterically. Of course, by this time, I realized that this was no alien or someone who past away or an entity on a different plane of existence, and it sure wasn't holy. Instead, it was two very powerful demons. I started thinking this is so bizarre and cool at the same time. I remember thinking that I was safe because they could only threaten me, they couldn't harm me physically. They know I am too wise to try to fool. I felt in total control, at this point.

 

Then the reality hit. I was caught with my guard down, blinded by false confidence. Somehow, they managed to trick me, even though, I knew not to say words unknown to me, especially out loud and in the presence of demons. But in a trance like state, I started to read the strange words, out loud (the word had allot of zzzz's in them). I knew what I was doing, and I knew it was wrong, but I didn't care. It actually felt exhilarating to the point where I wanted to say them. By this time, the words were flowing right out of me. I was no longer reading, but yet continued to say the strange words out loud.

 

While I was still in a trance, my five year old nephew came into the room. He had a terrified look on his face and said "No don't say it, don't say it!" He looked like he was having a seizure or something. At that moment I went from an unexplainable feeling, to being incredibly terrified and unable to let go of the board. I felt like it had a hold of my arms! My nephew got up off the floor and grabbed my grandfather's crucifix (that one he carried with him in a war) and placed it on the board. The board flew off of my lap! I could not believe that a crucifix could really work as a protector. I thought that was just a myth, maybe it was the fact that my nephew just broke the hold it had on me, but that didn't explain why it flew across the room. So I put the cross on the board again to see what would happen and sure enough it would rattle. I did it a few times in hopes that it would regret what it was trying to do.

 

After that, I decided this thing had to go. I told my nephew not to touch it but he did. It told him to run away because none of us loved him. Jack and Bitch told him that they let me look into the future and that I owe them. So (stupidly) I talked to them again and was told that I did not keep my part of the bargain, and that they wanted me to finish saying the riddle (I am not going to quote the riddle in fear of what would happen) cause the riddle had to do with giving them my other nephew. Once I figured out what they wanted and just as I was ready to stop, it told me to go out side because the kids were out in the street. I did not want to believe the deceiving board, but, I couldn't take any chances, so I looked out the window to the front yard were the kids were playing and did not see the them. I ran outside looking franticly for any sign of the kids. I ran up the street a little ways, before I realized this had been a another trick.

 

I ran back to the house yelling for my two nephews, in a panic, then heard the young one crying in the bathroom. I opened the door and the bathroom had smoke and flames. Thank God they were all right (my nephews have never done anything like play with matches before). I asked my nephew why he would do some thing so stupid and apparently when the Ouija board told him to run away. It also told him to take his little brother in the bathroom and to start the fire. He began to cry with a pleading voice, and said, "please get them away from here, please throw it away. It's not a game. It's real, real bad!"

 

This coming from a little boy who had no clue about this kind of stuff, could be the one thing to open my eyes to what I had been doing. I started to breakdown and cry, asking myself out loud "Why I was jeopardizing my family? How could I knowingly invite demons in my home! What was I thinking? Please forgive me God!" My nephew was still crying and said, "They are against God. They were only using you!" That there was enough to totally convince me that my nephew, only being 5yrs old and not knowing anything about the spirit world, by saying the things he said, had to have come from somewhere else. I still to this day believe that if he was not there at those times, that I may have been possessed or have unchained something evil?

 

It has been over ten years now since I have seen my nephews because the parents do not let them talk to me. I was young, it was a mistake, it was dumb, but I'll tell you one thing right now, we all came out of it with a faith in God that we'll hold forever. Now it is clear to me how Jack and Bitch led me to believe that I was too wise. It was just more of their trickery. It was clear to me why Jack and Bitch sent me on a wild goose chase outside . . . so I would not smell the smoke in the bathroom!

 

Then, I remember thinking, my God, just the things that have happened in those few days alone should have scared me smart. When I first started, it called me names and the fact that it would move without me touching it, would have scared just about anybody away. Then I was doing this stuff alone, that really makes me wonder why I kept going back to it. I normally would have been scared to death on the count of the fact that I'm a big scardy cat (I'm still to this day afraid of the dark.)

 

What then, could have made me so brave and daring? Was it the excitement? Was it because I couldn't believe what was happening to me? Or was it that each time I used it, the unexplainable feeling got stronger and stronger? I look back at the incident and I think of how unbelievable it all was! The only conclusion I can come up with about the unexplainable feeling is that they were not feelings of my own. But rather the emotions of the evil spirit's, overwhelming feelings of getting what you want.

 

I had a friend dispose of it, at least I hope she did! Since then, odd things have occurred. Right after all of that, I was still able to talk to them by way of pen and paper. I know it sounds crazy to someone who never been through it, but I hope someone out there knows about this unique board and can help me make sense of it. The only thing I found out about it was that all the other things that were found with it, were objects used for satanic rituals (I'd rather not say what those objects were).

 

One other thing I would like to add, but I'm not sure if this is connected to the Ouija board or not, but around the same time all that was going on, when I would go to sleep, I sometimes felt like I was being held down, paralyzed, unable to move or scream. I sometimes felt like there was something inhuman near me. Every time this would happen, I would find myself flouting in the air almost like an out of body experience. It used to scare the hell out of me, but now I do not fight it, I go with it. I never remember what happens after that though and I feel as if my dreams are more then real!

 

 

 

 

 

How do you explain stuff like this??? I have a hard time believing that people would make stuff like this up. You know, this whole ouija board thing scares me more than hell ever did.

[♦ Fuego ♦]

I think it is entirely fictional, rather like the Blair Witch story. Stories like this abound in Christian circles about "devil" games in order to control people and keep them entrenched in fear of anything but whatever brand of Christianity is being pushed by their church. My Russian friends have a story about a video game that required people to sell their souls to the devil in order to win the game. They go into detail about the terror and misery that befell a boy that did this and how he went to hell and only in deep repentance was Jesus able to come in and save him from the demons... Just because there are creative people that can spin yarns doesn't mean that the stories are true. This is how the LDS church got started in the 1800's- Joseph Smith using his "seer stone" in a hat to translate golden plates that nobody could see.

 

There is a brief history of Ouija on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouija and they were quite popular in the 1800's when mysticism had an upsurge. People are always looking for some new gimmick to gain insight into "the spirit world" and there are always others willing to sell stuff to them.

 

History of talking boards: http://www.museumoftalkingboards.com/map.html

[Yrth]

Total nonsense, placed well in the account of Harry Houdini. The greatest escapist of the age was obsessed with 'the supernatural.' As the story goes, he offered $10,000 to the psychic that could definitively communicate with his late mother. Of course, this was 'beyond' everyone. But Mr. Houdini had another public challenge, that he could take a punch from any man. Then, one day, some guy slammed a fist into the artist's middle when he wasn't looking. Harry's injury was so severe that he died at the scene, a mundane end to a life immersed in the fantastic. Its rumored that of the two offers the first still stands, that Mr. Houdini would even adjust for inflation were ever some psychic to bring together he and his dear mother. But, of course, this is 'beyond' the abilities of all our psychics. You could try for yourself -- all you need is a Ouija board and some spare time($30.00 tops), and there's $10,000 and the mysteries of the dead to gain(Priceless!). But be careful, watch your back, lest someone in this life throw a fist to end yours.

[par4dcourse]

Oh get a grip already. Ouija boards? Really? That's all you have to worry about? Flying across the room at that.

Frow wikipedia:

Scientific explanation

Users subconsciously direct the path of the triangle to produce a word that is in that person's subconscious thought process. This subconscious behavior is known as ideomotor action, a term coined by William Carpenter in 1882. It is also known as automatism.[5] Some people may be convinced that the "powers" of the ouija board are real because they are unaware that they are in fact moving the piece and therefore assume that the piece must be moving due to some other "spiritual force". The subconscious thought process may produce an answer that is different from what the user expected in their conscious thought process—thus perpetuating the idea that the board has "mystical powers". Penn & Teller: Bullshit! episode on Ouija Boards, ran an experiment using unbiased participants. Questions were being asked to the late William Frawley with very strong answers. The participants were then blindfolded and the board was turned 180 degrees without their knowledge. With continued questioning, the planchette then traveled to bare areas of the board where the participants believed the "Yes" and "No" marks were located.

emphasis mine

Now the elephant that lives under my bed, he's real. I've seen peanut shells!!!!!

[florduh]

I've had great success with the board. It's fun, exciting and creepy (if you're good at it).

 

I do think there could be a danger to some because it does seem like genuine spookiness. It can make believers out of the participants who don't understand the real workings of the phenomenon. This experience could lead some into occult studies and obsession with a "spirit world." That, of course, is a fast track away from reality and rational thought.

 

But if a rational skeptic can suspend disbelief for a few minutes . . . it's harmless fun to push the planchette.

[HelloWorld]

I kind of want to try playing it sometime just to see for myself, but there is that lingering fear that some spirit or demon will come and destroy, disrupt, or curse some part of my life.

 

I am sorry if I sound like I am overreacting. The reason I am asking about this, though, is so that I can "get a grip'.

[florduh]

HelloWorld, there are no spirits, demons or curses. If you still hold remnants of the old superstition, stay away from Ouija. It will just confirm your fears, even if you intellectually know better.

[HelloWorld]

HelloWorld, there are no spirits, demons or curses. If you still hold remnants of the old superstition, stay away from Ouija. It will just confirm your fears, even if you intellectually know better.

 

That is probably the best thing to do for now. I was just discussing it with someone her at school, and they said the same thing.

[burntwings]

I love reading about ouija boards. I've only had a chance to try one a few times though.

 

Once, my friends and I made our own, and used it in a really old historical place (super close to a building that had been a Civil War hospital) that a lot of people think is haunted. There were five of us there, but two did not take it seriously at all. One laughed at us (while also trying to use it) and the other, who was supossed to be our scribe, ended up drawing pictures of ghosts and claiming it was "automatic drawing."

 

My friend's mom (who used to be a youth pastor actually) gave her one for Christmas. It's super pink and super girly, but we tried it anyway. Nothing happened. There were three of us that time, and one of the girls was very doubtful, and I feel like we would have gotten some sort of response if she hadn't been there.

[HelloWorld]

HelloWorld, there are no spirits, demons or curses. If you still hold remnants of the old superstition, stay away from Ouija. It will just confirm your fears, even if you intellectually know better.

 

That is probably the best thing to do for now. I was just discussing it with someone her at school, and they said the same thing.

 

I wouldn't so much call it a superstition as "what if". Then again, I suppose, we would just be arguing semantics.

[GraphicsGuy]

Just remember that every Ouija board and/or D&D demon story is pretty much guaranteed to involve the "friend of a friend of a friend".

 

The only "first hand" story I've heard was from my former pastor who told some boys in his youth group to burn the board they were playing with. They called him 20 minutes later freaking out and saying that it "wouldn't burn".

 

He went over and anointed it with oil, prayed and then lit it.

 

Stupid kids just didn't know how to light a fire.

[Thurisaz]

I kind of want to try playing it sometime just to see for myself, but there is that lingering fear that some spirit or demon will come and destroy, disrupt, or curse some part of my life.

 

I am sorry if I sound like I am overreacting. The reason I am asking about this, though, is so that I can "get a grip'.

 

No worries, it's just a subconscious thing indeed. You find that with many other things and "games" too.

 

I've seen it demonstrated personally... a few groups of people were asked to let pendulums swing over something, having been told that if the thing starts to swing from side to side then the answer to a certain question asked was yes, if it swings around in a circle the answer is no. And it worked all the time. Then the groups compared their results...

 

...and it turned out that the "teacher" had told half the groups one thing, the other half the opposite thing. Yet it "worked" in every case. Guess why?

 

(Yes the participants knew in advance what the right answer would have been)

[OpheliaGinger]

My Russian friends have a story about a video game that required people to sell their souls to the devil in order to win the game.

 

Omikron: The Nomad Soul is one of my favorite games and it requires you to transfer your soul into a person from another dimension, all as a ploy for Astaroth to gain souls from this dimension.

[ShackledNoMore]

I was also hit hard when I was a xian with the sensationalist accounts of what happened when people played with Ouija Boards. For a long time after my deconversion, for years, I thought there must be some "weird shit" going on there that I did not (yet) understand or have an explanation for, despite being sure that there was neither a god nor a legion of demons to direct the planchette. I think the answer is that just because the accounts are wild, oft repeated, and spoken with an air of authority and urgency does NOT mean that freaky supernatural stuff is actually happening.

 

Anyhoo, I started a thread on this topic nearly two years ago, when I was fairly new to ex-c, so for more detailed commentary in my OP, and additional responses, this is the link to that thread. A user named .god gave a good response as well as some additional links.

 

The words are formed on the Ouija Board due to the ideomotor effect. Penn & Teller offer a great demonstration in this video. It's hilarious to watch what happens when the subjects try using the Ouija Board blindfolded.

[ShadowWolf]

I use to think they were evil. Heard the stories of them screaming and frowning when you set them on fire, which I heard was also hard to do.

Then a bought one, got bored with it after a few minutes, then set it on fire (which was actually the only reason I bought one because I wanted to test that. I did find it was actually somewhat difficult to get burning, but I don't think most people realize it's made of a rather thick and sturdy material, rather than possessed by the devil. It didn't even fully burn up when the flames died.

[ShadowWolf]

I use to think they were evil. Heard the stories of them screaming and frowning when you set them on fire, which I heard was also hard to do.

Then a bought one, got bored with it after a few minutes, then set it on fire (which was actually the only reason I bought one because I wanted to test that. I did find it was actually somewhat difficult to get burning, but I don't think most people realize it's made of a rather thick and sturdy material, rather than possessed by the devil. It didn't even fully burn up when the flames died.

[Ouroboros]

Now the elephant that lives under my bed, he's real. I've seen peanut shells!!!!!

And I have one in the fridge. I've seen the footprints in the butter...

[HelloWorld]

Penn & Teller offer a great demonstration in this video. It's hilarious to watch what happens when the subjects try using the Ouija Board blindfolded.

 

Thank you so much for the video It was really helpful.

[Casey]

Ouija Boards? Who needs 'em? If you really want a familiar spirit, try this:

 

FIRST fast and pray three days, and abstain thee from all filthiness; go to one that is new buried, such a one as killed himself or destroyed himself willfully: or else get thee promise of one that shall be hanged, and let him swear an oath to thee, after his body is dead, that his spirit shall come to thee, and do thee true service, at thy commandments, in all days, hours, and minutes. And let no persons see thy doings, but thy fellow. And about eleven o'clock in the night, go to the place where he was buried, and say with a bold faith & hearty desire, to have the spirit come that thou dost call for, thy fellow having a candle in his left hand, and in his right hand a crystal stone, and say these words following, the master having a hazel wand in his right hand, and these names of God written thereupon, Tetragrammaton + Adonay + Agla + Craton + Then strike three strokes on the ground, and say:

 

Arise N. Arise N. Arise N. I conjure thee spirit N. by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thou do obey to my words, and come unto me this night verily and truly, as thou believest to be saved at the day of judgment. And I will swear to thee on oath, by the peril of my soul, that if thou wilt come to me, and appear to me this night, and shew me true visions in this crystal stone, and fetch me the fairy Sibylia, that I may talk with her visibly, and she may come before me, as the conjuration leadeth: and in so doing, I will give thee an alms mass deed, and pray for thee N. to my Lord God, whereby thou mayest be restored to thy salvation at the resurrection day, to be received as one of the elect of God, to the everlasting glory, Amen.

(English modernized)

 

There may be trouble:

 

The master standing at the head of the grave, his fellow having in his hands the candle and the stone, must begin the conjuration as followeth, and the spirit will appear to you in the crystal stone, in a fair form of a child of twelve years of age. And when he is in, feel the stone, and it will be hot; and fear nothing, for he or she will shew many delusions, to drive you from your work. Fear God, but fear him not. This is to constrain him, as followeth:

 

I particularly like the irony of the second last sentence; if you "feared God", you wouldn't use such blasphemy, would you now, but that aside:

 

There then follows a quite lengthy conjuration which those interested may read in full here. In the same place are to be found various magic circles to be drawn, magical Athames (ceremonial daggers) to be made, and astrological hours, all most necessary for protection etc etc.

 

This ritual if successful, will not only get you a familiar spirit, but will also grant you access to the fairy Sybilia, who will in turn give you a ring that will make you invisible if you ask her nicely. Nice piece of bling there dude!

 

Now before anyone tries this, please do bear in mind what Scot also said of this and other conjurations:

 

He that can be persuaded that such things are true ... may soon be brought to believe that the moon is made of green cheese.

And there, I think, endeth the lesson.

Casey

[Casey]

Well well well! I should scarcely have believed this little gem could have been written in the present day and age, had I not seen it with mine own eyes!

 

As a former magician myself, let me explain what charming little Harry Potter would have to do to arrive at the place he is at in these books. Let me walk you through an actual magical rite in brief. To achieve the power to fly, for example, the wizard might employ any number of rituals. He would have to determine what kind of elemental force is involved.

 

Flight or levitation would be of the AIR element.[7] This would determine the kind of robes, incense, candles, evocations, talismans or amulets and ritual tools used. Simply put, the wizard must use all the right tools and then cast a magick circle [8] and a triangle of manifestation. These are usually painted on the floor, or laid down in some sort of incense, sulfur or chalk. The wizard stays in the circle. There are certain prescribed numbers of candles or flaming pots that might be used, depending on the magical workbook and system used. The wizard would need to wear a certain colored robe — usually blue or orange for air. He would be armed with a magic wand (not a stick with a sparkly star on the end) because wands are usually attributed to the air element. He might also have sword, because it is often felt that to be prudent you should have a sword when doing evocations. With the wand or the sword it is believed that you can order spirits to obey you.

 

An evocation is the calling up of a demon or djinn (the Arabic form of our word, "genie."). The term evocation is used to distinguish it from the other common ceremonial magic practice called invocation. In magic, invocation is calling upon a higher being than yourself, such as an angel or god. Believe it or not, there are magical workbooks that involve calling upon archangels and angels and forcing them to obey you. Of course, a good angel could not be commanded by sorcery.[9] It therefore stands to reason that such angels would be fallen and evil. Evocation is used to call on lower-than-human beings such as demons or elementals.[10]

 

The actual ceremony (aside from preparation) can take a long time. The wizard summons the spirit into this "triangle of manifestation." This is a triangle painted or inscribed on the floor about a meter on each side. This is the evocation. There will be lots of incense burnt, partially because this is believed to give the spirit some sort of material basis with which to materialize. The goal is to actually get the demon to appear visibly in the triangle, but in a form that is not too disturbing to the wizard’s sensibilities.

 

And there's more! Over to you again, Mr Credulous Idiot:

 

What follows is an actual account of a ceremonial magic rite that went very wrong. The magician had set up his circle in the garage after painting all the windows over with black paint. He done all of the ceremonies described earlier and had called up a demon into the triangle. The garage was filled with the smell of incense and the howling of the demon. It was not happy at being confined to the triangle.

 

After almost four hours of cursing and adjurations back and forth between the wizard and the demon, the room had grown very dark. There was no light left but the candles and the lurid coals of incense. The very chalk lines on the floor marking the circle and triangle seemed to shimmer in the gloom. The demon seemed just about to buckle to the will of the magician. Then, all of a sudden, the telephone rang!

 

Without thinking, the magician reached out of the circle to answer it. With a horrid scream, his entire body disappeared in a belch of flame, along with the demon. In a second, the garage was empty of all but the faithful, terrified scribe sitting in the corner and the smell of roasting human flesh. The magician was never heard from again, and left behind a wife and child. The ultimate irony of that tragedy is that there was no phone in the garage!

 

Yeah, that can happen if yer meth lab explodes! On second thoughts, maybe the moon ismade of green cheese. And its craters are full of bull droppings!

Casey

[Yrth]

Now the elephant that lives under my bed, he's real. I've seen peanut shells!!!!!

And I have one in the fridge. I've seen the footprints in the butter...

 

LOL that one really made me laugh ty

[Brought None]

Oujia board?

Pft... I console to a higher authority...

 

The Magic 8-Ball.

[Legion]

I have an electric Ouija board, but I can’t figure out where the batteries go.

[Ouroboros]

I have an electric Ouija board, but I can’t figure out where the batteries go.

Maybe you need the old manual Ouija board first, so you can ask the spirits where the battery lid is located. You think they know?

 

That would be quite an interesting experiment. Ask the spirits something that the participants can't guess or know, like "What is the cubic root of 7.8 to the 10th decimal?"

[Legion]

I have an electric Ouija board, but I can’t figure out where the batteries go.

Maybe you need the old manual Ouija board first, so you can ask the spirits where the battery lid is located. You think they know?

I'm sure the spirits know Hans, but I don't use those old fangled manual Ouija boards.