Just about anything you ever wanted/needed to know about the Ouija Board can be found here. There are other sites with Ouija information available, but this is by far the best site.
In case you don't have time to peruse the vast information in the Museum of Talking Boards, I'll run down the important basics.
Very Brief History of the Board
Coffin maker E.C. Reiche of Maryland modified the already in existence planchette to use with a wooden lap tray he had designed with the alphabet, numbers, and the words YES and NO on it. Many people and website attribute his naming the board “Ouija” to represent the French word, “Oui” and the German word, “Ja,” thus making the board a “Yes-Yes” board. This is a nice story, but incorrect. While using the board, a spirit told him that the word “Ouija” was Egyptian for luck. It isn't, but he named the board Ouija anyway.
Only interested in using the board to talk to spirits, he sold his invention to his friend Charles Kennard who made the first commercial Ouija Boards in 1886. Details vary depending on where you get your fact for the next few years of the board's life.
Some places show a patent was granted to Elijah Bond in 1891 for the first modern Ouija Board, while other places show the “Talking Board” patent was granted to Kennard and William H.A. Maupin of Baltimore.
In 1892 the shop manager for Kennard, William Fuld, forcefully took over the company and manufactured “Fuld's Talking Board. He even went to far as to claim he invented the board himself.
Parker Brothers bought the Ouija Board in 1966 when they coincidentally relocated their offices to Salem, Massachusetts. In it's first year with Parker Brothers the board outsold Monopoly with over two million sold.
What is the Ouija Board?
The Ouija Board is a tool. That's my short answer. My slightly longer answer is that it is an instrument used to communicate with another realm.
Are Ouija Boards Dangerous?
I have heard many people say the Ouija Board is dangerous, or evil. It is only as dangerous or evil as the person using it is. Ouija Boards can be dangerous, if the people using it do not understand how it works, or if they are using it irresponsibly. I liken it to a gun. Are guns themselves dangerous? Only in the hands of people who do not understand how they work, or if used irresponsibly.
No, daemons will not invade your house if you leave your Ouija Board lying around.
Now, having said that, it may be addictive. I had a roommate who not only became obsessed with the board, but also started relying on it to make life decisions for her. The board did not do this to her, that was her personality type.
I also have heard people try to blame the board for increased paranormal activity in their homes. This is where responsible Ouija use is important. Yes, there are rules, and you should always follow them.
But how does it work?
There are several theories as to what happens when Ouija Boards are used.
The first one is that the participants are actually controlling the pointer (called a planchette) with their minds, although they do not realize it. This is possible, but in that case, the person whose mind is moving the planchette must have some sort of PK ability; and in the instances where the board provides unknown information or future events, the person must have precognitive skills.
Another theory is that the participants are moving the planchette unconsciously by a mind link with spirits. What I believe is that the planchette is actually moved by unseen entities that guide the hands of the users.
Why does it work? My personal theory on that is simple. It opens the users mind to the possibility, and gives the entities a tool to use. I see the Ouija as a doorway to another side. What do I mean? Here's an example: Say you are in a foreign country and you do not speak the language. You are lost, or just lonely and want to talk to someone you understand who understands you. As you walk down a street you hear two people sitting and talking in your language! Wouldn't you go say hello?
Basics of using the Ouija Board:
Once again, I'll keep this simple. When you buy a Parker Brothers board, the first thing you will notice is that there are no directions. I see this as an “if you have to ask, you can't afford it” thing. Users should be familiar with how the Ouija Board works before they sit down in front of it.
Always use two or more people. I've seen places on the Internet that state you can use the Ouija with just one. Of course you can, but you shouldn't. Is it dangerous to use the Ouija alone, maybe – maybe not, but who is going to believe you if you do not have any witnesses? I personally like three or more. Two users sit facing each other with the first two fingers of both hands on the planchette. DO NOT PUSH DOWN!! Just gently rest your finger on it. When the planchette starts to move, just keep your fingers on top. Do not try to control it at all. If you feel some resistance from the other person, or if you hear a scraping sound, stop. Someone is pushing down or trying to control where the planchette goes. A good thing to check after each session is the felt on the bottom of the planchette. It should always be fluffed out and not shoved into the planchette. That is a sure sign of fakery.
The third person has the most important job. TAKE NOTES! Write down everything the board spells out next to the corresponding questions. I read through notes from sessions ten plus years ago and it is very eerie. Things that seemed trivial, or didn't make sense at that time do now. The reason I say take notes rather than tape record or videotape it, is because my personal experience is that electronic devices interfere with your connection. Which brings us to…
Turn off all electronic devices. Spirit energy seems to be made up of electronic impulses, and having any electronics on may block that energy from communicating. This includes televisions, radios, computers, cameras, tape decks, etc.
This is really more of a guideline, and it really does make the session much easier. Write down whom you wish to communicate with and any questions you wish to ask ahead of time. Funny as it may sound, there have been times I've gotten a great connection, but don't have anything to ask!
Whom do you want to talk to? Some people say to ask a general question like “Is there anyone who wishes to talk to us?” My experiences with that are almost always bad sessions. An open invitation like that attracts lower, or less intelligent, entities or worse yet, pranksters. Oh yes, they love to play pranks on us! That brings me to…
Never forget that they lie! Some of these spirits are very bored and will pretend to be someone they are not. Always ask control questions before moving ahead with your questioning. Once you get a spirit you are comfortable with, you might notice that you can tell if you are talking to them or not simply by the way the planchette moves. Just because you are talking to someone through the board and they say they know your future, take it with a grain of salt. Sometimes they are right on, but other times it is pure fiction.
Always ask for a name first. As soon as you have someone, find out who he or she is, or at least what name he or she wants you to call him or her. At times there may be more than one trying to come through. In that situation it is best to say goodbye and start over. It is also good to ask whom it is they wish to speak to.
Only ask one question at a time. Remember that they have to spell everything out one letter at a time. Wait until you have a complete answer before moving on.
NEVER finish a word for the spirit. Just because you think you know what they are spelling, you may not be right. Do not shout out what you think they are trying to say, let them do it. By doing that you may think you are helping them out, but in actuality you are taking over the conversation by making it really easy for them to only tell you what you want to hear.
Do not divulge personal information to the spirits until you are comfortable with whom you are talking to. They can use this information later to make you think they are someone else.
Not getting a good connection, or anyone you wish to talk to? Try switching partners. This is also good when one or both users start to get upper back cramps like I do after a few hours over the board. Another trick to try if things aren't working right is to ask the spirit what you could do to improve the communication.
If you or any member is overly tired, the board might not function properly.
Non-believers can ruin any séance. If they cannot approach the session with an open mind, it is best to wait for a time that the non believer is not present
If a spirit goes to “Goodbye,” let them go. And ALWAYS finish each session with each individual spirit by dismissing them. In other words, always say goodbye, and make sure that they do too. Do not remove your fingers from the planchette until the spirit has said goodbye.
Making your own Ouija Board:
With so many store available boards, why would you want to make your own? I've even seen directions for making one that included buying one to get the planchette! The only reason I can see might be if you are someplace and wish to use a board, but do not have one and all the local toy stores are closed.
Home made boards can work as well as the store bought ones. There are no special “powers” associated with the Parker Brothers version; it is just pre-made to be exactly what you need.
To make your own board, you need a large table space like a dining room table, as the surface must be totally smooth. Write the entire alphabet with each letter being at least one inch tall on a piece of paper. Next do the same with the numbers one through ten and the words “YES” and “NO.” Cut the letters and numbers and place them in a large circle on the table. The words go into the middle. A clear drinking glass turned upside down is your planchette and you are ready to go!
Historical Ouija Experiences:
Two fairly well known paranormal stories started with Ouija Boards.
In the early 1990's St. Louis housewife Pearl Curran began producing novels and poetry that she claimed came to her by channeling a spirit thought the Ouija Board. The spirit was Patience Worth, and books with Patience listed as the author are still available. Troy Taylor has the whole story on his site at
http://www.prairieghosts.com/pearl.html
When I was growing up I remember hearing a lot about the being named “Seth” who was writing books through poet Jane Roberts. Roberts began experimenting with the Ouija Board in the early 1970s and that is how she claims she made contact with Seth. The most popular of these books is “Seth Speaks.”
My personal experiences with Ouija Boards:
To date, I have had the most success in contacting the paranormal with the use of the Ouija board. I refer to Ouija Board sessions as séances, and that is what they are meant to be.
Although I stated earlier that I am most successful with Ouija boards when absolutely no electronics are on, I hope to capture EVP during a session in the future and I'm dying to have a successful session with my Sony Nightshot on, but haven't had any luck yet.
The most bizarre Ouija experience I have had is also one of the most recent. I was home alone and had just gotten in the shower when I saw the distinct shape of a man standing in the doorway. Somehow, this didn't alarm me, I actually felt revitalized. Throughout the following week, this image would not leave my mind. I was constantly thinking to myself, “who was that?” Fraught for answers, I called a friend that I seem to get the best Ouija connection with and asked her to visit so I could ask. Her husband took down notes during the session, and at the time I thought the answers were a bit cryptic. Re-reading them, the same thing kept coming up over and over again. I needed to find my friend Kyle that I had not talked to in a few years. Kyle was one of my best friends during my college years, and we had kept in touch since then by taking turns calling each other about once every year or two. This event prompted me to try to find out where he was. It took a few days, but I discovered that Kyle had suffered an aneurism and died. After learning this, the notes from the session made sense. It was Kyle I saw and spoke to through the board. He was someone who used to attend séances with me, and he knew I had success with them; it only made sense that he chose to contact me that way. At first I questioned why he didn't just make it clear who he was at the session, but I realize that I probably wouldn't have believed him and dismissed it as a mischievous spirit and left it at that without trying to find him.
