Ouija Board--Real or Fake?

[luminum]

But metaphysics is unscientific, and for a metaphysical product that is marketed as one that "anyone" can do, it shouldn't have to adhere to statistical sample sizes and trials. You're testing to see if it works, and if the null hypothesis is that "anyone" can do it, then two who can't is conclusive enough. Theoretically, Ouija Board isn't a product or pharmaceutical that has limited effectiveness based on one's physical body or the conditions of one's illness.

If Ho: p = 1; Ha: p < 1, then Penn and Teller's "study" has already taken steps to reject Ho. I imagine it only takes at most 2 people in a pool of 25 to make <100% a significant relationship.

 

[The Reviewer]

Ddouble, I'm totally agreeing with you and want to just reiterate the message. Providing your mind/body as a medium for spiritual communication is just dangerous. We as humans are no match for what we can not see. It's like taping your eyes shut and thinking you're going to drive yourself to the beach for some "fun". There's a high probability you may run into something you can shake off. And now, to my soapbox: Pumpkin put Christian faith in the same category. There's a difference between the Holy spirit and practices where you invite demonic spirits into your presence. I know where you were going with your post, but these couldn't be more the opposite of each other.

 

[luminum]

In the mythos, that is. It's amusing to speak of how little we know about the metaphysical realm and highlight that by trying to categorize the metaphysical into very limited concepts of "good" and "evil." Forces are forces. You're much better off believing that no metaphysical force should be encouraged at all than to believe that some are working in your best interest and some are working against it. How much do you work in the best interests of ants and how much do you work against them?

 

[theFallenGod]

Ddouble, I'm totally agreeing with you and want to just reiterate the message. Providing your mind/body as a medium for spiritual communication is just dangerous. We as humans are no match for what we can not see. It's like taping your eyes shut and thinking you're going to drive yourself to the beach for some "fun". There's a high probability you may run into something you can shake off. And now, to my soapbox: Pumpkin put Christian faith in the same category. There's a difference between the Holy spirit and practices where you invite demonic spirits into your presence. I know where you were going with your post, but these couldn't be more the opposite of each other.

They are exactly the same being that both are unsubstantiated things based on folklore and fairy tales that people in both groups believe because a) someone told you you should believe in them and b) because the belief is already there they can't look at it rationally and therefore automatically jump to the irrational conclusion that things that have scientific evidence behind them obviously are the workings of the holy spirit/ demons. Therefore dismissing the fact that a mass manufactured toy used mainly to bilk unsuspecting and irrational people out of money and/or used to have some fun at teen-aged sleepovers is in no way, shape or form a gateway to demonic (imaginary) realms.

But if they scare you and you believe that imaginary creatures can come forth from a piece of plastic those are YOUR beliefs and you shouldn't be attempting to taint a simple game that some people just want to have fun with by trying to sway their minds into believing hysteria and mumbo jumbo.

 

[Ludlow]

Nothing about the quiji board really makes sense. Its a board with some letters and a planchette that can contact the dead. Just cardboard and plastic, manufactured in a factory, nothing spiritual was done with it, hell the keyboard I'm typing with is just as spiritual as a quiji board. Surely you don't need a board, just get a piece of paper, scribble down the letters and it'll work just as well. No need to pay money.

Well, there's a case to be made for such a theory, I'm sure.

The author, Stoker Hunt wrote a rather fascinating book on the subject. Many self-professed experts were interviewed and many accounts of use of the board by the experienced and less-than-experienced were included; partly to explore the psychological ramifications of the Ouija as well as to scrutinise the possibility of real phenomena. One of the "experts" (I use the term which the necessary dose of skepticism) interviewed by the author asserted that the board itself is not the igniting force for psychic or supernatural occurrences; rather it is the assemblage of consciousness of those individuals who have joined together with the intention- determined or not; serious or otherwise- of making contact with the spirit world; the board itself being the focal point and instrument for rudimentary communication. This convergence of communal will and mental energy creates a sort of "psychic beacon" to the spirit world; like a match suddenly lit in an expanse of darkness; the danger being that there is no telling what manner of spirits will spot this amassment of aural illumination and rush towards it to seize the opportunity to contact the living. In fact, he argued that those spirits who would be most likely to respond to this invitation to communicate would be of a less than wholesome and even a downright sinister character. He went on to discuss that the border that separates the world of spirit from the world of matter is inhabited by the lost, lonely, confused and troubled "earthbound" souls of those who either lived pernicious and destructive lives on the material plane or whose inability to accept their deaths and renounce their earthly appetites prevents them from realising their ascension to the higher levels of the spirit world. Furthermore, he warned that there were far more dangerous and nebulous entities roaming the darker levels of the spirit world; spirits who have never incarnated in corporeal form and are waiting for an opportunity to invade the lives of those who do occupy the earthly plane. He maintained that such spirits- whether they are lost and in search of help or wishing to feed malevolent, predatory desires- have the potential to wreak havoc or even disaster in the lives of those who have attracted their attention and who have no knowledge or experience of how to deal with the spirit world in a prepared, protected and legitimate manner.

It all makes for very creepy reading, I have to say, but my point in posting this was to convey the fact that there are those who do believe that the instrument of communication is secondary to the will to communicate; thus perhaps providing another perspective on the significance of the Ouija board itself and the debate surrounding its supposedly intrinsic magical or supernatural qualities or indeed lack thereof.

As I said in the previous Ouija thread, it's not something of which I have first-hand experience. Do I believe that the board can be used to contact the spirit world? Well, I believe that there are those who have used it who are sincere in their reports of its effectiveness; the real question for me is whether the results are in fact a subliminal externalisation of the subconscious or a genuine manifestation of the supernatural; or perhaps even a mixture of both! I would also like to think that I'm open-minded enough to recognise the sometimes extremely strange nature of life and the world around us and how, despite the day-to-day mundanity of existence, not everything is necessarily as it seems to be...

 

[The Reviewer]

They are exactly the same being that both are unsubstantiated things based on folklore and fairy tales that people in both groups believe because a) someone told you you should believe in them and b) because the belief is already there they can't look at it rationally and therefore automatically jump to the irrational conclusion that things that have scientific evidence behind them obviously are the workings of the holy spirit/ demons. Therefore dismissing the fact that a mass manufactured toy used mainly to bilk unsuspecting and irrational people out of money and/or used to have some fun at teen-aged sleepovers is in no way, shape or form a gateway to demonic (imaginary) realms.

But if they scare you and you believe that imaginary creatures can come forth from a piece of plastic those are YOUR beliefs and you shouldn't be attempting to taint a simple game that some people just want to have fun with by trying to sway their minds into believing hysteria and mumbo jumbo.

I disagree. We simply have different beliefs. Ludlow, I like your style man -- that was extremely well written.

 

[godson112]

Me and my friends used to do them when we were drunk and I was always skeptical. I don't really believe it.

 

[Fire]

I disagree. We simply have different beliefs.

Yes, but there are wrong beliefs

 

[Curiosities]

Just FYI, it doesn't even have to be "enchanted", a piece of paper with numbers and letters on it can work.

But it can lead to bad stuff.

 

[thisisinteresting]

The power of the human mind, as someone said. I've listened to a hypnotizing audio file that has gotten me with my eyes closed to completely effortlessly lift my arm straight up while lying down and being completely unaware of it. The human mind is very interesting.

 

[bluedragon4]

My aunt, cousin, and I use to play with one ALL the time when I was around 12 or 13. It was spooky and fun. I don't really remember stuff it told us. I use to fake them out sometimes and move it, lol. You really can move it to where u want without barely touching it. We also use to go to traveling carnivals and see side shows and my aunt was known to do a spell or two. Don't ask, lol. Good times.

 

[Ludlow]

Ludlow, I like your style man -- that was extremely well written.

Thank you kindly.

 

[theFallenGod]

I believe the world is flat so you should all beware when you fly otherwise you may fall off the edge of the earth and fall into the great abyss.


Please don't fly or go sailing. According to all the maps I have ever seen the world is flat as paper and you might fall off if you go too far. Look at all the evidense of the world being flat... Open any atlas and you will see plain as day that the earth is flat.


I also believe that you should stop having gay sex if you want to get into heaven. The bible is a book of truth written by god himself and he states that having man on man relationships is a sure fire way straight to hell...

So please beware when you have gay sex. If you think it's not true than why do so many people believe the same thing?


I also believe that a piece of plastic is a gateway to hell and if you play with it you may open that gateway and set loose several dozen or so malevolent spirits that will haunt you and make you spit forth split pea soup.

So please beware when you play with it... and don't play monopoly either because that can be just as evil... I would also stay away from connect 4 ... I have read several things about how evil the power of four together as one can be....






Don't be a sheep... There is nothing real about it unless your mind conjures such things and makes you THINK they are real... Don't get drawn into disillusion and hysterics because a few people with weak wills and easily mislead minds tell you it's so real and so evil

 

[frankfrank]

Hold on Imma ask piper, prue and phoebe

I **WOODEN** fuck around with this if I were you...

In the other Ouija thread, it was mentioned that, if you decide to get rid of an Ouija board, DO NOT BURN IT. Get it as far away from yourself as you can.

 

[frankfrank]

Citing witches as a source of authority is not helping your case, my friend.

Witches ARE a valid source of authority when talking about such matters.

 

[frankfrank]

Totally real. I'm not kidding. My friend and I were using it, and we asked the spirits to send us a sign, and the planchette spelled out:

XGIXBJNQ

That freaked us the hell out.

Lex

The spirits must have been Scrabble players, using those high-value letters.

(But, seriously, I think it does open up things we don't understand - I heard tales long ago within my family but I forget how they went now...)

 

[Semirhage666]

LMFAO who would buy one of those?

 

[Dolmance]

Considering the history of the item and the logical problems relating to its function, I'm inclined to believe that whatever results are produced derive from the actions and intentions of its human manipulators than external, spiritual influence. That said, I am not wholly closed to the idea that it may become a legitimate focus for some external influence; I merely lack the personal experience or exposure to even half way convincing evidence that such is the case.

 

[Joshua_me]

I **WOODEN** fuck around with this if I were you...

Well, maybe it's *BARK* is worse than it's bite...



(Try the veal !)

 

[CGHJ]

I'm a pretty hardcore skeptic, although I do believe in ghosts because I've lived in two houses that had them, including the one I'm in now. Believe what you want, but I've seen shit move, therefore I believe and that's all there is to that. However it's hard for me to believe that any spirit would waste it's time communicating through a ouija board...although I've never tried it, for the following reason:

My aunt used to do the ouija with her friends, and she told me about it many years later. She claimed that you could tell the diff between the planchette moving on its own, or someone dragging it around, and indeed she popped out her old board and drug the planchette around and it was pretty obvious that she was pulling it. But I've never felt the 'spirits' move it so I dunno.

One of her friends she used to do it with had an experience that caused her to put away her board forever. It had been 10 years on when I asked her about it, and it's been 20 years since I asked her and I still remember her reaction to this day--she went white as a sheet and wouldn't say a word about it, except, "Don't fuck with the ouija board."

I never have.