The Mystery of Ouija Boards

Tweet

When the 19th century came round Ouija boards began to be viewed as a dangerous object dealing with the occult. However there were people who embraced this form of entertainment for parties. If was fascinating to think about a group of people lightly placing their fingers on the planchette or pointer and then watching as “spirits” glided over the letters and numbers marked on the board to spell out different messages. Soon it appeared that the Ouija board was both scientific and spooky. What is known as the ideomotor effect happens when someone moves themselves or an object without being conscious of their actions. When this kind of an action is combined with a strong subconscious need for an answer, such as when using a Ouija board, it leads those participating to move the planchette without any real knowledge of doing so. A study was done in 2012 investigating this effect, having test subjects answer factual yes or no questions both verbally and with a Ouija board. The group participating with the board were blindfolded and told that they’d be answering with another person. Once the experiment got under way the partner removed their hands from the planchette. When it came to questions that they weren’t sure about the participants using the Ouija answered correctly 65% of the time as compared to just 50% of the time when responding verbally. What this study suggested was that people have a “second intelligence” deep within their subconscious mind that can only be gained access to under the right conditions. It is sort of like when you know the answer to a question but it does not come to mind right away however eventually you might remember it. Therefore in a way it makes Ouija board games more like psychological experiments instead of a way to communicate with the dead. It is still advised to use the Ouija board with caution and to not go beyond certain measures if you are seeking answers from the world beyond but if you just want to expand your knowledge and attempt to discover the secrets kept deep within your brain then you can have lots of fun with it. What do you think of the Ouija board and have you ever used one?