The ouija ( , ), also known as a spirit board or talking board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0–9, the words "yes", "no", occasionally "hello" and "goodbye", along with various symbols and graphics. It uses a (small heart-shaped piece of wood or plastic) as a movable indicator to spell out messages during a . Participants place their fingers on the planchette, and it is moved about the board to spell out words. "Ouija" is a trademark of , but is often used to refer to any talking board.
believed that the dead were able to contact the living and reportedly used a talking board very similar to a modern Ouija board at their camps in Ohio in 1886 to ostensibly enable faster communication with spirits. Following its commercial introduction by businessman on July 1, 1890, the Ouija board was regarded as an innocent parlor game unrelated to the occult until American spiritualist Pearl Curran popularized its use as a divining tool during .
and beliefs associated with Ouija have been criticized by the scientific community and are characterized as . The action of the board can be explained by unconscious movements of those controlling the pointer, a phenomenon known as the .
Some have "warned against using Ouija boards", holding that they can lead to . , on the other hand, are divided on the issue, with some saying that it can be a tool for positive transformation; others reiterate the warnings of many Christians and caution "inexperienced users" against it.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
