Ouija

The ouija see followers of spiritism as a tool to get in contact with spirit beings . Other names are alphabet board , witch board , Witchboard or soul Schreiber .

Description and history

On a Ouija board, characters are shown, usually the alphabet , as well as the digits and the words "yes" and "no". On some boards there are additional words like “Thank you”, “I'm waiting”, “End”, “I'm going”, or the like. There is also a pointer that can mark the characters. To use it, you should put your hands or fingers on the pointer and wait some time for the pointer to move on the board. The guide of the pointer should not consciously influence the movements on the board. The marked characters should then result in a message. Often these messages are interpreted as paranormal signals that come from supernatural beings or forces ( ghosts , deceased).

In 1891 the Ouija board was patented by the American inventor Elijah Bond . A year later the patent was bought by William Fuld , who modified the Ouija board and applied for a second patent on it. He made a fortune with him. In 1966, the Baltimore Talking Board Company , the company Fuld founded, sold the rights to the Ouija board to Parker Brothers .

Usual explanation of the phenomenon

Just imagining or perceiving a movement activates motor centers in the brain , with the result that the muscles begin to perform the imagined movement. So when the participants touch the pointer of the Ouija board and expect movement, then they unconsciously exert pressure through the smallest muscle movements and set it in motion. This can give the impression that it moves completely by itself. One explanation here is that the "messages" arise in a complicated group dynamic interplay between the expectations ( suggestion ) of the individual participants.

A similar procedure can be found with the back of the glasses .

Dealers offer additional pointers with a magnetic core for the Ouija board, with which one can specifically generate supposedly paranormal messages.

Similar phenomena

Since attempts to communicate using assisted communication with people with autism or Down syndrome , scientists have repeatedly pointed out the parallels between this technique and Ouija in terms of form and content. Representatives of “assisted communication” reject this criticism. You admit that some of the written results may be based on a “Ouija effect”. But this could by improved training of supporters to prevent workers mentioned.

literature

Stoker Hunt: Ouija. The Most Dangerous Game. HarperCollins, New York 1992, ISBN 0-06-092350-4 .
Kathleen M. Dillon: Ouija. In: Gero von Randow (ed.): The stranger in the glass and other reasons for skepticism, discovered in the "Skeptical Inquirer". Rowohlt, Reinbek 1996, pp. 107-121; first engl. (1993): Facilitated Communication, Autism, and Ouija. In: Skeptical Inquirer. Volume 17 (3), pp. 281-287
Eleonore Jacobi: Ouija. Channeling and helping life with the magic board. Ansata, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-7787-7225-2 . (from an esoteric point of view)
Nerthus von Norderney: Ouija. Gates to other worlds through rituals and seances. Bohmeier, Leipzig 2007, ISBN 3-89094-545-7 . (from an esoteric point of view)
J. Edward Cornelius: Aleister Crowley and the Ouija Board. Feral House, Los Angeles 2005, ISBN 1-932595-10-4 . (from an occult point of view)

Movies

Witchboard - The witch trap . USA, 1986, directed by Kevin Tenney
Ouija (2003) . Spain, 2003, directed by Juan Pedro Ortega
Ouija (2007) . Philippines, 2007, directed by Topel Lee
The Ouija Experiment . USA, 2011, directed by Israel Luna
Ouija - don't play with the devil . USA, 2014, directed by Stiles White
Ouija: origin of evil . USA, 2016, directed by Mike Flanagan
Verónica - playing with the devil . Spain, 2017, directed by Paco Plaza

Web links

Museum of Talking Boards. English page with many pictures of witch boards from 1891 to today.
Glass back witch board. German site about Ouija and related topics.
Ouija , article in an English encyclopedia of occultism (with photo).

Commons : Ouija - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ http://www.google.com/patents?vid=446054 US Patent 446,054
↑ http://www.williamfuld.com/ouija_patentsandtrademarks_williamfuld.html
↑ http://www.williamfuld.com/ouija5.html
↑ Cecil Adams, Ed Zotti: How does a Ouija board work? . The straight dope. July 3, 2000. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
^ Robert T. Carroll: Ouija board . Skeptic's Dictionary. October 31, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
↑ z. B. www.unleashyourdreams.co.uk/Unleash_Your_Dreams/PK_Planchett.htm
↑ s. Dillon (1996); Herman H Spitz (1997): Nonconscious Movements. From Mystical Messages To Facilitated Communication . Mahwah (NJ)
↑ s. Anne M. Donnellan, Martha R. Leary: Movement Differences and Diversity in Autism / Mental Retardation. Madison (WI) 1997.
↑ Douglas Biklen: Communication Unbound: How Facilitated Communication is Challenging Traditional Views of Autism and Ability / Disability. New York 1993

[1] ttp://www.google.com/patents?vid=446054 US Patent 446,054

[2] ttp://www.williamfuld.com/ouija_patentsandtrademarks_williamfuld.html

[3] ttp://www.williamfuld.com/ouija5.html

[Adams-4] Cecil Adams, Ed Zotti: How does a Ouija board work? . The straight dope. July 3, 2000. Retrieved July 27, 2011.

[Skepdic-5] Robert T. Carroll: Ouija board . Skeptic's Dictionary. October 31, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2011.

[6] z. B. www.unleashyourdreams.co.uk/Unleash_Your_Dreams/PK_Planchett.htm

[7] s. Dillon (1996); Herman H Spitz (1997): Nonconscious Movements. From Mystical Messages To Facilitated Communication . Mahwah (NJ)

[8] s. Anne M. Donnellan, Martha R. Leary: Movement Differences and Diversity in Autism / Mental Retardation. Madison (WI) 1997.

[9] Douglas Biklen: Communication Unbound: How Facilitated Communication is Challenging Traditional Views of Autism and Ability / Disability. New York 1993