# ouija boards **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 26, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards/177539 "2003-05-26T05:15:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![bullets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c2a13f/32.png) [@bullets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bullets)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards/177539/121 "2003-05-31T00:29:54Z")
well, how about this…i was in a room with two other people who were using the board. i was watching tv. neither of the two people knew anything about my parents, yet they were able to come up with the names of 2 of my uncles on my father’s side. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards/177539/122 "2003-05-31T00:42:31Z")
I’m sorry, Risk is not some toy to be trifled with. War games can and do routinely summon up the spirits of war generals/criminals. These people were largely unfulfilled in life, so they wander the spirit world waiting for someone to start playing a war game, such as Risk. If you want to avoid the likes of Pol Pot, Hitler, and Genghis Kahn hanging out in your game room, then you must burn this game at once! Or maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards/177539/123 "2003-05-31T01:59:53Z")
I find watching His4Ever and Lekatt debating each other strangely amusing. This should happen more often. Oh, and a test I think would work just fine is simply to have the player use the board to try to guess an object in a box in the room, with suitable precautions taken. Heck, you could even put it behind a curtain or something instead, to make sure the spirts can get a good look at it. Someday we need a “Grand Unifying SDMB Ouija Board Test”, including board burning parties! ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards/177539/124 "2003-05-31T14:38:41Z")
Once my friend was playing risk and while defending a country in North Africa a lone soldier won twelve rolls in a row to seriously slow a blue advance. In anger the blue player took the piece and smashed it, though managing to only take a corner off it. From then on my friend “had” to be red when playing with his board and the Sarge, as he called the piece, would always travel to his most important battles. So in conclusion, ghosts exist. QED. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards/177539/125 "2003-05-31T15:55:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bullets \* > \*\*well, how about this…i was in a room with two other people who were using the board. i was watching tv. neither of the two people knew anything about my parents, yet they were able to > come up with the names of 2 of my uncles on my father’s side. \*\* Did they say beforehand that they were going to guess your uncles’ names, or did they spell the names first and then you saw that you had uncles with those names? I asked you this before, but how common were those names? Were they like Bill and Ted or were they Like Ethelred and Ingmar? (I’m assuming itw as only first names) This is how cold reading works. A few common names, or dates or other suggestions are tossed out without context and the subject fills in the blanks. To me it sounds like the ouija users in your story were messing around, spelling out names, and you happened to notice that two of those names matched your uncles’. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards/177539/126 "2003-05-31T16:16:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lekatt \* > Everyone here seems to be an expert on the board, but no one has yet understood why it works. I do. It “works” due to [wishful thinking.](http://skepdic.com/wishfulthinking.html) > [@](#): > > Wishful thinking is interpreting facts, reports, events, perceptions, etc., according to what one would like to be the case rather than according to the actual evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards/177539/127 "2003-05-31T16:22:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lekatt \* > Let’s see, if the spirits use the arms of the players, would they not also use the eyes. If the players can use their eyes, why do they need the spirits? ---
**Author:** ![BytopianDream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de0a6/32.png) [@BytopianDream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BytopianDream)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards/177539/128 "2003-05-31T16:56:02Z")
I have used Ouija boards. I must have only contacted aliens and stuff… neither of us could understand each other. But in all seriousness: Do you guys who believe in ouija boards and other stuff seriously think scientists and government officials are covering this stuff up? I mean… I sure would like to be able to actually get Miss Cleo to tell me the lottery numbers for today. And I’m sure Mr. Ph.D. in physics would LOVE to contact Mr. Einstein to FINALLY find out what the Grand Unification Theory really is. But oh no, scientists are just EVIL guys dedicated to covering up anything dealing with spirit stuff. I guess I should just answer my own questions for you (just to be nice): 1. yes 2. using the spirits for personal gain is impossible (no matter how much money “Dude, I talk to spirits” guy is making) 3. scientists are evil and do cover it up [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-boards/177539.md?page=6)