Extremely easy to manipulate. I played with one as a teen, once, but a friend got hysterical after the pointer spelled out a message supposedly from a comatose patient in a hospital (I wasn’t one of the two touching the pointer at the time, so that wasn’t my fault) and refused to continue playing. It’s as easy to fake as the supposed demonstrations of “psychokinesis” we’d do by making a held pendant swing back and forth or in circles, and because the muscle reactions are so slight, it’s even easy to convince yourself that you’re not doing anything to influence the motion.
I’d think that spirits would have an easier time of spelling out their wishes if the people touching the pointer were blindfolded; less interference from them that way. Maybe it’s against their union contract to do things that can’t be debunked in some fashion?
I agree with kambuckta; the biggest danger from a ouija board is actually believing that it’s real. Especially when teenage girls get hold of it, it can produce hysteria due to overreaction. I’d find it a lot more useful as a teaching toy, to do the blinded/coded version versus not, and show what a lot of nonsense it is.
If Ouija (yes,yes?) boards are real then wouldn’t that make Parker Bros. TOOLS OF SATAN!?! We should get our pitchforks and burning torches and run those evil doers out of town for tampering with the unknown…Also i’m pretty sure Cecil has dealt with this subject before, but as I believe only the daftest persons possible (excluding 13 year old kids) would not realise that Ouija boards are a game i’m not going to pursue the matter. I must add why is it that the mystical and ancient power of the Ouija was only harnessed this century…by a popular games manufacturer? The dark forces do indeed work in mysterious ways…
I was a little surprised a couple of years ago when my daughter seriously asked how Ouija boards worked. Of course she was 10 at the time.
I am currently unable to select appropriate words to describe my reaction to hearing ostensibly rational, intelligent adults suggest that there is anything mystical about them.
For those who think there Ouija boards have some “power.” Is there any magical, mystical claim that you reject? ESP? Dowsing? Leprechauns? Telekinesis? God/gods? Witchcraft? Palmistry? Etc. ad infinitum. How do you choose?
We had a get together at our house a long time ago and a self proclaimed witch was the prime personage.
As Cervaise suggested, the witch made an Uija board of her own, with bits of paper on which we wrote the letters of the alphabet and digits 0 thru 9.
Then, we used something from the kitchen - I think (can’t remember what it was) upon which we all placed our hands. Someone would ask a Question and the “thing” moved eerily about, spelling out the answers, replete with numbers when appropriate.
At the height of all these mysterious goings on, the front doorbell rang, so I got up and answered it. When I threw the door open, no one was there. Now, I swear to God, it had snowed lightly after we all settled in, and with the front light on, I clearly saw there were were no footprints whatever - on the path, nor on the steps.
Everyone took at least one turn looking for footprints. And my best buddy got very, very pissed off at me, convinced I was pulling a hoax.
I wasn’t of course.
I even went outside to see if someone had crept up well toward the side of the front door and used a long stick to push the bell button. No tracks anywhere.
Have to admit it was a litle eerie, but I think the bell business was an electrical glitch that kicked in at just the right time.
Don’t knock Magic 8 balls. Mine is able to predict the weather far better than our local weather personalities here. But I suppose that’s not saying much.
I know now that the Ouija board is a bunch of crap but when I was 13/14 I was terrified of the things and because of those memories I will not be anywhere near them today because what the head may know can be overriden by emotion.
When I became a teenager my father decided I needed some extra terror to keep me a good and complacent little victim so he made up this elaborate scheme where he got a quija board and convinced me I’d let out some evil spirit and that the only way to keep the spirit from killing me was for me to perform sexual favors on my father.
Anyway if his tales were real then I’d have to be posting to the SDMB from the other side too as I walked out of his twisted life and tossed the board in a dumpster years ago. He’s tried to tell me the ‘demons’ are back for me a couple of times since I left home but I ignored his messages and guess the demons must have as bad a sense of direction as I do
I’m open minded about someone being able to contact spirits. But I doubt it could be done by just anybody with a board and a plastic thingy. Most divination tools are handmade by the diviner.
they were a great way to freak out my friends, i know that much…i was 10 and i thought they were a total crock (still do - duh, theyre mass produced). sleep over at some friend’s house, bunch of girls, dark living room, us in our pajamas, surrounded by our sleeping bags as though they would ward off evil…earlier that night we’d done Light-As-A-Feather-Stiff-As-A-Board, so everyone was already hopped up on creepiness.
break out the board, everyone puts their fingers on it…i slyly rest my thumbs on the edge of the pointer, concealing them with the rest of my hands…we ask a question, it starts to move…everyone gets freaked out and removes their hands except me…i lift my fingers and start saying “Guys!! Guys!!! I can’t…my fingers arent touching but i can’t take my hands away!!”
boy were they scared =) i couldnt hold out, i just had to say soemthing “Uh…guys? my thumbs were pushing it…”
Holy shit, tanookie. You take good care of yourself now, y’hear? Fellow Dopers are kin. We don’t simply hear stuff like what you’ve told us without feeling it personally.
TheLoadedDog can you tell me what 'merkins and furriners are? I assume you are not talking about pubic wigs…I also assume some smart ass has already asked this question. but seriousley I would like to know.
I think ouija boards are great. If you put them on a little folding stand, they make a lovely end table…nice and sturdy!
I find it a bit unsettling that people actually believe in these things. Particularly people around here. Do you also believe that those witches that are smooshed up against a tree (with the broomstick coming out the other side) were not purchased at WalMart?
Oh…And by the way…Satin is Satan’s gay brother. He loves lingerie.
