# Who is Safer Playing with the Ouija Board? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 12, 2012, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269 "2012-01-12T10:32:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Theophane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Theophane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theophane)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/1 "2012-01-12T10:32:09Z")
Let me start by strongly recommending that **no one play with the Ouija Board under any circumstances ever!** We’ve all heard the stories. Who is safer playing with the Ouija Board-- a rational skeptic or a believer? Is the person who doesn’t believe in demons safer from said demons than someone who wholeheartedly believes in them? ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/2 "2012-01-12T11:11:14Z")
Depends upon the script writer. Clearly the smarty pants sceptic will be the first to be possessed in any teen screamer movie. Unless there are more than just the believer and the sceptic, in which case the standard form requires that a couple of the bit players meet gristly ends first. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/3 "2012-01-12T11:48:34Z")
First, I believe that a question about the safety from demons doesn’t belong in General Questions, but let me put it that way: I’d recommend people who believe in the supernatural and want to play with the Ouija board to include an informed skeptic to the party, because this way there’d be someone present who might explain the [supposed occult mechanisms of the board](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideomotor_effect) to any “believer” who might have freaked out. ---
**Author:** ![Theophane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Theophane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theophane)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/4 "2012-01-12T11:49:59Z")
Thanks, EH. I wasn’t quite sure where to put this post. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/5 "2012-01-12T12:24:09Z")
The skeptic and the believer are at equal risk of demon possession. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/6 "2012-01-12T12:30:34Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > The skeptic and the believer are at equal risk of demon possession. And the chance of that occurring outside of a teen slasher flick is 0.0000000000000000000% (number rounded off for ease of writing, actual number has 132 more zeros in it) ---
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/7 "2012-01-12T12:34:23Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > The skeptic and the believer are at equal risk of demon possession. Except that the believer might _think_ s/he’s been possessed and freak out accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/8 "2012-01-12T12:38:10Z")
What if you’re playing with a Ouija board while alternately repeating “Bloody Mary” and “Candyman” into a mirror and then you receive a phonecall which turns out to be coming from inside the house and when you check the phone you find a bloody hook hanging from it? _ **WHAT THEN???** _ ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/9 "2012-01-12T12:42:43Z")
Moved from General Questions to IMHO. **samclem** , Moderator ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/10 "2012-01-12T12:43:28Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > And the chance of that occurring outside of a teen slasher flick is 0.0000000000000000000% (number rounded off for ease of writing, actual number has 132 more zeros in it) Your delicate sense of irony is noted. ---
**Author:** ![IntelliQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e99b99/32.png) [@IntelliQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IntelliQ)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/11 "2012-01-12T12:46:49Z")
> [@Theophane](#): > > Let me start by strongly recommending that **no one play with the Ouija Board under any circumstances ever!** We’ve all heard the stories. > > Who is safer playing with the Ouija Board-- a rational skeptic or a believer? Is the person who doesn’t believe in demons safer from said demons than someone who wholeheartedly believes in them? It’s no more dangerous than Chutes and Ladders, to anyone. (with the exception of using the pointy end of that “floating” thing as a weapon) ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/12 "2012-01-12T12:50:54Z")
If you take the viewpoint that Ouija boards can mess certain people up in the sense that they convince themselves “evil” stuff is happening and let the paranoia commence, then the believer is in more danger. As I said though, not from demons, from their own subconscious. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/13 "2012-01-12T12:52:17Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > What if you’re playing with a Ouija board while alternately repeating “Bloody Mary” and “Candyman” into a mirror and then you receive a phonecall which turns out to be coming from inside the house and when you check the phone you find a bloody hook hanging from it? _ **WHAT THEN???** _ Call Harry Dresden? ---
**Author:** ![Theophane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Theophane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theophane)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/14 "2012-01-12T13:02:04Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > The skeptic and the believer are at equal risk of demon possession. Theoretically. Just like the believer of germ theory and the skeptic of germ theory are at equal risk of contagious disease. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/15 "2012-01-12T13:07:35Z")
> [@Theophane](#): > > Theoretically. > > Just like the believer of germ theory and the skeptic of germ theory are at equal risk of contagious disease. Um, no. Disease organisms are real and don’t care if you believe in them or not. “Occult” nonsense like an Ouija board only hurts you if you believe it or someone who believes it hurts you. Or if they bash you in the head with the Ouija board. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/16 "2012-01-12T13:07:38Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > And the chance of that occurring outside of a teen slasher flick is 0.0000000000000000000% (number rounded off for ease of writing, actual number has 132 more zeros in it) Since the population of the earth is 7 billion, we will need to put an error bar of plus or minus 1.4 E-10 on that. So the probability of demonic possession is approximately 0 plus or minus 1.4E-10. We will need to increase the sample size to reduce the error so we better get busy. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/17 "2012-01-12T13:13:10Z")
> [@Theophane](#): > > Theoretically. > > Just like the believer of germ theory and the skeptic of germ theory are at equal risk of contagious disease. A germ theory denier has no reason to adhere to proper hygienic practices which will increase his chance of contracting a contagious disease, and no reason to seek antibiotic treatment, which will increase the likelihood of serious problems from the diseases he does contract. A demon denier doesn’t have any effective demon precautions or demon treatments to avoid because of his stubborn dubiousness. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/18 "2012-01-12T13:15:34Z")
> [@Theophane](#): > > Thanks, EH. I wasn’t quite sure where to put this post. arts leisure entertainment? -} cafe society imho. first time skeptics are a must for bringing out the spirits. darken the room place a few mirrors and candles around and open a window in an adjoining room. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/19 "2012-01-12T13:24:21Z")
Is running with a ouija board safer or more dangerous than running with scissors? Could you put an eye out? Safety-minded parents need to know! ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269/20 "2012-01-12T14:10:29Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > We will need to increase the sample size to reduce the error so we better get busy. Good point. I’m going to start impregnating women like a man possessed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-safer-playing-with-the-ouija-board/609269.md?page=2)