| Editors
Note:
Playing with a Ouija board can be very dangerous, especially
if you do not know what you are doing. You have been warned!
If you intend to go ahead please, at the very least, read
the articles on psychic protection.
Many
different schools of thought exist on the usage of channeling
boards, aka "Ouija boards." Some believe them to
be a tool of the devil, while others believe them to be a
sham. Still, the notion persists that they are useful tools
for contacting beings from another realm. Exactly what are
these "Ouija boards," where did they come from,
and how do they work?
According to Webster's College
Dictionary, the ouija board is "a board game consisting
of a planchette that is placed on a larger board marked with
words, letters, etc., that can spell out messages presumably
from telepathic or spiritualistic sources." Somehow this
concise definition lacks the romantic vision that has surrounded
the Ouija board for decades. Perhaps there is a better way
to explain this spiritual device.
The art of channeling has
been documented since the ancient Egyptian era. It has undoubtedly
been in use for much longer, probably as long as man has suspected
the existence of a world beyond that which he could see. Commercially,
the channeling board appeared at the middle to end of the
19th century. The production of this "board game"
began as a small business that eventually fell into the hands
of Parker Brothers, the board game company. A few different
manufacturers have picked up the idea and created their own
versions of the board, though very few of them have marketed
them as toys.
The internet is full of stories
of individuals' experiences with channeling boards. Undoubtedly,
people are getting these things to work, to actually spell
out comprehensible messages. However, no one quite agrees
on the source of the planchette's movement.
There are four main theories.
The most widely accepted explanation for the phenomena associated
with channeling boards is that spirits or some other beings
from the "other side" are speaking to us with the
planchette and board as tools. Some report that the spirits
are moving the planchette in answer to the questions, while
others believe the ghostly beings are actually being channeled
through the users' bodies, thereby making the users hands
move the planchette.
Others theorize that the planchette
moves via the users own power, and the responses are not ghostly
in nature, but a psychic phenomenon in which the users' own
ESP reveals the answers. The third rationalization is that
the board's answers are really subconscious thoughts and feelings
emerging, much like a session of hypnosis. Lastly, of course,
is the skeptic's view that the movement of the planchette
is solely due to the ideomotor effect (involuntary movement
of the muscles in the hands and wrists).
While it is tempting to rely
on Science and deny all existence of outside forces, the fact
remains that nearly every user of the ouija board board has
received an actual message. Whether that message comes from
within us or from a spiritual dimension may be disputable;
the fact that there is a message is not.
As I have studied many articles,
books, and musings regarding the use of the channeling board,
I have not found a single set of resources that agrees on
any one group of procedures for proper use of them. Many warn
not to use the board alone, while others insist this is perfectly
safe. Some explain the necessity for the users to have an
experienced medium in control of the board at all times, and
yet others encourage all users, old, young, experienced, or
novice. Several experts recommend the use of board opening
and closing rituals in order to prevent evil spirits from
coming through. In addition to the numerous usage instructions,
I have also read many warnings about the infamous ouija board.
Skeptics denounce the boards,
claiming they are purely the board game they are marketed
to be. Christians especially take exception to the boards,
insisting they are tools of the Devil. Their literature sites
many Bible verses condemning the use of the satanic items.
Even some believers in the supernatural reject channeling
boards, claiming that the spirits do not hold the knowledge
that users seek. The greatest fear, that of possession, is
well documented in books, anecdotes, and Bible verses, and
dramatized in horror movies.
How does one using a ouija
board obtain satisfactory results and maintain safety? However
differing the opinions of the experts are, there are a few
words of advice that all agree on. First, when speaking to
a "spirit," use common courtesy. "Please"
and "thank you" go a long way. Do not attempt to
anger the spirits or show them disrespect as many users have
learned to regret these actions. Secondly, take all answers
with a grain of salt. If users are speaking with beings from
another place and/or time, who is to say that they know the
details of his or anyone else's future?
While I do not profess to
know all the answers, I can, however, provide my humble opinion.
The experience is what one makes of it. I do not believe that
protection rituals need be performed by each person who wishes
to operate a board. However, one's frame of mind undoubtedly
directly influences the results. Setting up a ritual complete
with candles, meditation, fancy garb and the proper tools
and lighting puts the inner self in the right mood to participate.
The ideal way to use the ouija
board, however, is best left to the individual and what he/she
feels is necessary to set the correct ambience. One may start
with another's ritual, then add or subtract as is felt necessary.
Of all the theories and ideas
available regarding the channeling board, there is one concept
in which I am confident. If a group of teenagers sets out
to conjure up some nasty ghouls, then that is what they are
likely to accomplish. Should a couple of serious occult students
sit down with a channeling board, hoping to simply make contact
with the "other side," then that is bound to happen
safely. A skeptic, bound and determined to denounce the powers
of the board, will find just what is expected...nothing. The
board itself is nothing but a tool. Just as with a hammer,
it can be useless, dangerous, or very helpful.
Authors
Details: Tara Scharlau
Tara Scharlau is a critical care nurse who has always
had an interest in Ouija boards. At the age of 16, she
created her first handcrafted board. Now Tara owns and
operates her own business, Taramisu's Custom Channeling
Boards, where you can purchase a handmade board of your
own. |
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