For wanting to do a Ouija board for a laugh?

[EbbyEbs]

Next year DH and I are staying in a castle thought to be the most haunted in Britain. DH says he doesn’t believe in stuff like that, I’m on the fence really but more towards not believing. I think the most likely scenario if ghosts ARE real is that they’re historical residue and not intelligent entities. But even that is a stretch.

So, I’d like to do a ouija board when we’re there for a laugh. The castle is in the middle of nowhere so there isn’t much else to do on an evening other than drink (which I don’t do) and watch Netflix!

DH is point blank refusing saying he isn’t messing about with stuff like that. But he’s a non believer??! So what’s the harm?

If he doesn’t believe in it, am I being unreasonable to ask him to do it?

Big bang theory.

Clue is in the name.

Specifically the last word.

In any case, furniture does not fly round by itself, the dead don't walk through walls, dear old granny didn't contact you through a piece of wood to tell you she loves you and no amount of ranting about how it apparently did and was, like, super traumatising and you really saw it/heard it/felt it and you did cos you say you did and there are more things in heaven and earth and people who say it's bollocks are just big old meanie mean pants who are not open to believing ghosts moved the kettle blah blah blah will make me change my mind.

The burden of proof is on the person making the claim.

Nobody has ever, ever been able to prove their claims. There was even an actual million dollar (I think) up for grabs for anyone who could prove the supernatural or esp whatever the fuck. 1964-2015. 51 years.

It was never awarded. I wonder why that could be when there's sooooo much paranormal activity going on.

Ghosts and demons must be really shy since they never want to come out to play when their activities can be accurately recorded by impartial observers.

It's a bit of mass produced cardboard.

The idea that you can contact the dead through it is clearly fucking stupid.

It was James Randi's One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge and yes, it was never won. They would even carry out non-blinded preliminary control tests to ensure that the agreed conditions didn't have a negative effect on the claimant's ability to perform.

It's absolutely amazing that these people are always accused of being "closed minded". Randi literally issued an open challenge that ran for over half a century, offering a million dollars to anyone who could prove him wrong. How much more open can you get?

@EbbyEbs

You could get a white sheet and prowl the corridors at night making howling noises.

Don't blame me if you get arrested though.

Haven't RTFT as I can imagine the dribble on it about not messing with "the other side" with this bit of wood and a glass.

I've done it loads of times with other sceptics. Nothing ever happened because none of us were pushing the glass. Done lots of 'supernatural' experiments. Nothing has ever happened.

If this shit was real then there would be undeniable proof that could be filmed and verified.

Ouija is trademarked by Hasbro, along with the transformers Peppa Pig and My little pony.

The above should tell you that it is a load of rubbish.

And if anything happens after it will be you doing it not any spirits.

Ok I did have a look at some of the thread. Just as I could have written it myself...is there anyone out there who doesn't have at least one parent who "knew someone who did it and they won't talk about it" or other such shite?

So the "evidence" is a story passed down from before you were born about a family did one and you even admit it sounds unbelievable...and are using this as a basis nit to "risk it"

Why do you still want CCTV if it's already stopped?

I'm tired today and I don't understand that.

Can anyone explain?

@00100001 yes. I believe in spirits etc have been to spiritualist churches. I know many people think it's ridiculous which is a fair opinion.
I believe you shouldn't mess with them even if just because of psychological effects
Each to their own though

Ideomotor movement. Small, unconscious movements that you make yourself while truly feeling that you're not.

You can try it with a pendant on the end of a necklace (something with a little presence but not too heavy). Hold it up, dangle it. Now try to imagine, through sheer force of will, that it's moving from side to side. Now back and forth. Now in a circle. Now change direction. Just through your mind.

It absolutely feels like you're not doing it, but you are.

Despite the accusations of being closed minded etc etc, this works for me every time. In fact, I just tried it now with a chunkier than usual necklace and it worked. I truly don't feel like I'm causing it to happen. But I am.

If I were a vulnerable, suggestible person in a dark place mentally, I can absolutely believe the Ouija board would start spelling out my black thoughts. But it wouldn't be ghosts doing it.

I have an ouija board as a Halloween decoration. I think the planchettes can have some really pretty designs. I can remember watching the Derren Brown seance special that was shown back in 2004. Those that participated got themselves into a right state until he explained how they had been guided and influenced.

I think it would be kind of fun. But I don’t think that’s the point. Your DH has said he doesn’t fancy it. So that’s thats isn’t it? You sound about 6 years old trying to persuade him to play ‘your game.’ Do what normal couples do in hotels - watch a film and have sex.

From personal experience, please do not touch one.

Try 'Biggie Smalls'. That's only three times.

Why are priests the natural counter to 'spirits'? What sort of magical powers do they possess over and above mere mortals? Is it something they are trained in at priest school? Do they have a special containment unit in seminaries where aspiring priests can hone their powers against captive spirits? What if the spirit is an atheist, is the priest rendered powerless? What if it's a muslim spirit? do you call an Imam? do you need to mix and match your priest to meet the requirements of the spirit at hand?

Just don't do it. You only have to watch the Exorcist, which is based on a true story (albeit a boy in real life) to see what damage they can do.

@elm26

What happened? I've been listening to peoples encounters on a pod cast and am truly fascinated. I'd never do one though. x

I think Ghostbusters is the best bet if you're not sure which religion your haunting spirit is from.

Anyway, Ouija® comes somewhere between Mousetrap and Risk for entertainment and danger factor.

I love the aesthetic of it too, and gothic horror!

As regards things not being scientifically proven, I know 100% that my DM was occasionally acutely telepathic over very long distances - she would know in detail that something specific had happened, and would speak about it at the time, not after we’d later heard. In both cases I know of personally, she had dreamt it.

But her ability could never have been proved under lab conditions, because AFAIk it only ever happened when a family member was in acute distress.

But her ability could never have been proved under lab conditions, because AFAIk it only ever happened when a family member was in acute distress.

That's not why.

"occasionally acutely telepathic"

AKA complete coincidence.

I've had umpteen vivid dreams myself that have either fully, or partially 'come true'. There's nothing remotely woo about it, it's pure coincidence, down to the fact that occasionally I have vivid dreams about people who are known to me and events that are mundane enough to be plausible. Far more frequently I have vivid dreams involving people known to me and events that are completely outlandish and implausible, and to the surprise of absolutely nobody, those tend not to 'come true'.

This is why.

We dream multiple times every night. We dream about the people we know and care about. We know them well enough to dream about many plausible, and less plausible, scenarios. It is very common to dream things that subsequently come true one way or another, and also very common to contact people we love.

Confirmation bias means we will zone in on the few times it all coincided and make nothing of the zillions of times it didn't.