Always Say Goodbye: Once you’ve finished your session, remember to say goodbye and thank the spirits for their communication. This helps close the connection and prevent any lingering energy. But it was William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel “The Exorcist” – together with its 1973 film adaptation – that cemented the the Ouija board’s sinister reputation in the popular imagination. Blatty based his story on an actual case of an allegedly possessed boy that occurred in Maryland in 1949. According to a “diary” seen by Jesuit priests Blatty met at Georgetown University, the boy had been introduced to the Ouija board by an aunt who was interested in Spiritualism; the first signs of the boy’s possession began shortly after the aunt died. Blatty’s story took these details and filled in the gaps. To deactivate the Ouija Board, any nearby player must say "Goodbye", which will make the planchette disappear. The Ouija Board can then be left alone safely. The Ouija Board will also deactivate automatically if the player holds the board and exits the investigation area. With fingers on the planchette, users take turns asking the board questions. They should be simple questions that can be answered on the board. When a question is asked, the planchette should move and answer the questions given. The movement is supposedly the response of a ghost trying to communicate. In that year, The Exorcist scared the pants off people in theaters, with all that pea soup and head-spinning and supposedly based on a true story business; and the implication that 12-year-old Regan was possessed by a demon after playing with a Ouija board by herself changed how people saw the board. “It’s kind of like Psycho—no one was afraid of showers until that scene… It’s a clear line,” says Murch, explaining that before The Exorcist, film and TV depictions of the Ouija board were usually jokey, hokey, and silly—“I Love Lucy,” for example, featured a 1951 episode in which Lucy and Ethel host a séance using the Ouija board. “But for at least 10 years afterwards, it’s no joke… [ The Exorcist] actually changed the fabric of pop culture.”

A traditional Ouija board set consists of the rectangular board with an alphabet, numbers from zero to nine, and words "yes", "no", and "bye", and a small planchette with a magnifying glass, to make reading the messages from the other side simple and accurate.

Skeptics often point to the ideomotor phenomenon when explaining a Ouija board. Basically, this means that you act based on your subconscious. For example, if you ask a question and really want a specific answer, you could subconsciously move the planchette to get the response that you want. If you ask, “is anyone there?”, and want there to be a spirit there, you could unknowingly move the planchette to ‘yes’.

If you are experiencing depression, it may be good to avoid using a Ouija board. That kind of energy draws in malevolent spirits. I’ll give you a brief whizz through the story, but there’s plenty more juicy information on the Museum of Talking Boards. The first Ouija mass-manufactured game as we know it, was invented in 1890 in response to the American spiritualism movement of mid 19th century America, when a wave of the middle and upper class population basically started trying to communicate with dead relatives and spirits in their spare time, usually through the help of a female mediums. But it was William Fuld, a US customs inspector who was leased the rights to manufacture the Ouija board, who would become known as the father of the Ouija board. He sold millions of them, marketing them as a toy to children. Increased the sanity drain for ghost's current room and bone location from 40% and 20% respectively, to both 50%. Spirits who talk to you through your Ouija board can tell you anything they want. Just because a spirit says something does not mean it is true. A spirit try to win your trust by telling you they are a long lost relative or the spirit of a small child who needs your help. In reality, the spirit could be malevolent.This patent file from the United States Patent Office shows that the office required the board to be tested before a patent would be granted. Remember, the controversy surrounding Ouija boards is as much a part of their mystique as their alleged supernatural powers. In the end, it’s up to each individual to decide whether they believe in the existence of spirits and the potential of Ouija boards to connect with them. The Ouija is technically a game which allows communicating with spirits and the dead. It’s not designed or intended for children. And can be dangerous if you don’t understand what you are doing. It’s a mysterious tool that can help you search for answers from the other side. Do you need to be a spiritualist for it to work? Yes, Ouija boards can be dangerous. You may have begun just wanting an answer. Still, some negative ghosts and demons may want something else entirely. And once you let them into your world, you may have a war trying to get them out. Elijah Bond filed a patent for the Ouija Board on the 28th of May 1890. Earlier methods of spirit communication, like automatic writing, were used in China around 1100 AD. Since its invention, its popularity has soared, and millions have sold. In 1901, William Fuld took over the production. He had Charles Kennard, owner of Kennard Novelty Company, carry out his manufacturing.

Once the players are ready and are sat around it, each of you needs to place a finger or two on the Planchette. Take turns asking the dead and spirits questions. Leave plenty of time for the spirits to reply. The movement or movements of the Planchette may be very slight at first. Try not to press your fingers down too hard, or it may stop the spirits from controlling it and responding to your answers.It’s just another term for Ouija. And it is for spiritualists to communicate with the spirit world. How to play the game But if Ouija boards can’t give us answers from beyond the Veil, what can they tell us? Quite a lot, actually. While there is no scientific evidence to support the existence of spirits or the efficacy of Ouija boards, the belief in their supernatural capabilities remains strong for many individuals. Conclusion Despite such warnings, sales continued to grow. They peaked during 1960s, when, boosted by counterculture and popular interest in the occult, the Ouija board outsold Monopoly.

Talking boards work. When you call upon the dead, they do like to come in and give answers to your questions. It’s a mysterious phenomenon when you see it happen, and you usually get tingles down your arms. They have grown massively in popularity recently, and it’s fun to play with a group of friends. It’s handy to have some EMF devices around, and there are usually large EMF spikes whilst playing with Ouija Boards. Look out for tiny movements of the Planchette at first. Once the spirits gain more energy, the movements should increase. And you will see letters the Planchette move between the letters. Hopefully, you will find the answers. Why will it not work for me? Communicating with the dead was common, it wasn’t seen as bizarre or weird,” explains Murch. “It’s hard to imagine that now, we look at that and think, ‘Why are you opening the gates of hell?’” Yes, talking boards do really work. They are far from being a toy. And you should only use one if you have researched, know the rules, and protect yourself What to do if the Planchette moves on its own?You should wrap it in several bags and throw it in the bin. You don’t want to burn it, or bad things may happen. And you don’t want it to fall into the hands of a child. Bagging it up several times and putting it in the bin will have the least risk of a harmful effect. Alternatively, you can sell them. If a buyer is going to buy one, it saves you from having to dispose of it, and they may save some money. What not to ask Overall, these online boards are still great options to use. Whether you want to experiment with one, or communicate with a known spirit, there is no harm in using one of these free boards to help you. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Ouija Board Danger Warnings: A Paranormal Advisory If a spirit starts communicating with you by making the planchette make a figure 8 or infinity symbol, immediately end the session by saying “goodbye”. This is another way malevolent spirits have revealed themselves.