To not understand ouija boards?

[FairyPig]

So I've been reading on here (and other places) how these things aren't to be messed with, they're dangerous, they bring unwanted things into the house, how they're scary, etc.

I'm not wanting to dispute people's experiences but I honestly don't get it. It's a board with letters on and a glass in the middle. How does a board with numbers on and a glass enable ghosts and evil spirits to get through? How does a board enable a portal to be open to all sorts of evil spirits? What make an ouija board different to any other board to make them 'dangerous', 'scary' and 'not to be messed with'?

Speaking of ghosts and demons, why would they even need a portal to get through, can't they get through themselves?

Again not trying to dismiss anyone's experiences but I am seriously baffled how a board with numbers on and a glass can be magical and be able to do these things.

I've also recently learned that Toy's R Us in the US sell them, not sure if they sell them in UK branches, but that did make me go considering how many adults take them seriously and seem scared of them.

That aside, even though logically it seems silly to me I would still never use one. You know, just in case...

[SeaTurtleVomit]

Does cold reading work on the same way as intuition then? Or is it along the lines of noticing something like a wedding ring and asking leading questions to find out probable family issues?

I've done tarot cards.

You sort of just poke around a bit for a reaction and then go on that. Being "psychic" isn't hard. It's about micro-expressions and subtle body language.

It's also slightly about knowing a little about human psychology. Look up depressive writing. Unhappy people speak a certain way, happy people speak a certain way. People that have something to hide act a certain way.

The rule is mostly just, do no harm. Give good predictions, and people will make it a self fulfilling prophecy (and then credit you for "predicting" it).

[Shannith]

Anyone watched any Derren Brown lately?

Then tell me that people can't influence other people to believe anything.

[SirChenjin]

Politicians do it all the time Shannith - the crap that people will believe it astounding

[queenofthemountain]

I once did one at a friends house when i was about 20 or 21 It came up with the name 'Stewey ' Don't know anyone of that name.and then the message .''Queen' killed Stewey on the ironing board.
I had swatted a fly earlier at home on the ironing board.Ha ha it must have been poor Stewey !!

[Shannith]

sirchejin and queen must be the fly. No other reasonable explanation.

Until someone you knows that starts with an S has an unfortunate accident with a person starting with Q.

[SirChenjin]

Bzzzzzzz......

[Shannith]

Swat. There goes the S for you queen

1 down, one to go...

I can put a Q in my username if you want and it's all true :)

[araiba]

what's there to understand?

it is a board with letters and numbers on. thats it. nothing more.

It is actually owned by Hasbro- the toy manufacturer

Its part of a whole industry that tries to separate the weak, vulnerable, stupid or desperate from their money. I include psychics, clairvoyants, homeopaths, astrologists in this group of complete guff

[jammygem]

To derail the thread for a moment: part of my job involves bookings at the local theatres, and when we have a famous "psychic" come to our town, us staff always find it interesting how her 'promoters tickets' are dotted around the seats. Usually 'promoters tickets' are just one whole row - it would be interesting to see if the audience members she has the most luck with are sitting in those seats...

To come back to the thread - I've never tried a ouija board, but I'm so good at scaring myself silly I'm not sure I'd want to. I've heard many stories throughout the years, and that's been enough for me thankyouverymuch.

[fluffyraggies]

I feel very sorry for all the vulnerable people who pay money to go to psychics for comfort. It's quite obvious these days (with the common knowledge of cold reading we have via Derren Brown, and knowledge about the power of suggestion etc.) that 99.999999999% of these psychics are fraudsters. Knowing and understanding this doesn't mean there is NOTHING to believe though. Nothing 'woo'.

Woo things fascinated me through teenage hood and my 20s and early 30s. Lots of strange experiences throughout my life (see all my posts on the current spooky thread - again! ) Even through all this it was fair to say i saw the fun side of woo and being scared. I didn't firmly believe anything. Can see how most stuff could be explained away. Never did an ouija board. Opportunity never arose.

One experience i had a couple of years ago has really rocked me. Not ouija board related. Broad daylight. It took a while before i could talk about it and now i'm left very wary and frankly confused. I certainly wouldn't touch a ouija board now. Nor be in a room with one.

How do they 'work'? Why do they work? Interesting stuff. Is it all in the mind? ... Mostly i'd say. I wouldn't want one in the house, because i'm not sure.

[AlexVause82]

I used one many years ago, just me and my friend. I wasn't moving it...I thought he was - but it spelt out his late grandfathers name and he was crying, tears literally bouncing off his face.

That whole evening was horrific and it really messed with my mind for months. I was convinced something was following me etc and I later suffered with mental health problems and now have anxiety.

Whether its true or not, just dont mess with them!

[SirChenjin]

How about you just take the 'ann' and the h out of your name instead?

[MyBaby1day]

I have heard SO many bad stories of people using them and my Mum (yes I know) but she has too. As for your question OP, any method like this to attract and contact the dead are wrong and I would advise anyone NEVER to have anything to do with one.

[mollypup]

I did one when I was about 15 at my friends house which happened to be a converted barn. The 5/6 of us held our fingers so lightly on the glass and it began moving very quickly with substanial force. The 'person' was spelling out a whole manner of things, telling a detailed story. I cannot believe for a second anyone in that circle would have been able to do that so confidently, knowing where letters were that had only been laid out moments before.

[mollypup]

Sorry, the relevance of the barn was that the story was being told by a young boy who had died in the barn many many years ago.

[NewLeafExpat]

this whole thread freaks me out! no idea whether I believe in it or not but thinking about it too much scares me, therefore I would touch one!

[Hakluyt]

a nice clear explanation of how it works

Anyone who's worried by all this, please read my link and stop worrying!

[TalcumPowder]

Can I just point out again that the stories of 'bad stuff' are virtually all hearsay or involving suggestible kids/teenagers?

[Hakluyt]

And happened a while ago and have therefore grown in the memory/telling.

[sashh]

U2TheEdge

I would be thinking, "Why are you telling me about the wallpaper? I would rather know something useful"

[TalcumPowder]

Absolutely. And often involves some knowledge of a tragedy associated with the place where the ouija board was used. For instance, did the participants in Mollypup's story a few posts up already know about the boy's death in the barn? Presumably the friend who lived in the converted barn knew the story and told it to the others...

[Panzee]

Exactly, TalcumPowder. All the weird stuff that happened to us was when we were 15 year old drama queens.

[SirChenjin]

Not here - I remember perfectly well what happened

Are you suggesting that all bad things that happen to teenagers grow in the memory/storytelling? Or only the things that you don't believe?

[Hakluyt]

"Are you suggesting that all bad things that happen to teenagers grow in the memory/storytelling?"

No, of course not. But many do. And the stories of bad things happening with ouija boards are all so very similar that there is a lot of folk memory and urban myth about them. Read the article I linked to. It's very interesting.

[SirChenjin]

I did read your article, but I found the BBC one to be better. It certainly explains it.

I'm curious - "many" become worse? I disagree. Bad memories don't tend to become worse - they are already bad enough. We might forget the minutiae, but the overall recollection and feelings associated remains the same.

On that note, go to run.