Although strongly discouraged by every reputable paranormal investigation group that I am aware of, including the IPRF, I felt that the topic of Ouija use should be covered since it is such a pervasive device that is easily obtained and tends to pique the curiosity of newcomers to the paranormal investigation field.

            Even though most people refer to all “talking boards” as Ouija boards this is a common mistake as “Ouija” is a trademarked name for the talking board currently manufactured and sold by the Parker Brothers game company. The etymology of the name “Ouija” however, is much older and originated from the French “oui” meaning yes and “ja” the German term for a response in the affirmative as well. The popularity of the modern talking boards stems from the Spiritualist movement in the U.S. during the mid and late 19^th century. Reinvented from earlier incarnations as a divination device the “new” Victorian parlor game was found to be a fun way to pass the time during cold winter nights. Before long popular belief began to warm up to the “talking board” and people began to believe that the board was much more than a just a toy for amusement as it was said that it could be used to contact deceased people, loved ones, etc. who had crossed over. From that belief its popularity skyrocketed, especially in the years during and directly after the American Civil War.

            In the 21^st century talking boards have maintained their popularity and in retrospect they even enjoyed a bit of resurgence during the witchcraft fad that swept through the U.S. during the New Age Revolution of the mid and late 1990s. If you are not familiar with the workings of talking boards it can be explained as the systematic belief and practice that the living can receive messages from the dead during a séance through the use of a talking board, such as an Ouija board. See figure 5.7 for a photo of a talking board.

Figure 5.7 – Photo Credit: Zaid Zolkiffli

            The participants in the séance place their fingers on the planchette, a triangular shaped piece of wood on rollers with a hole in the center that will spell out the message. As the séance progresses the planchette is reputedly guided over the board by unseen forces to spell out a message from the other side.

Why No Ouija?

            Depending on whom you talk to you can get a range of emotion out of people when discussing a talking board. Some will say that they are pure evil and thoroughly indestructible and others will say it is just a bit of fun and no harm can come of it. Going beyond the emotionally charged personal and faith based arguments as to why Ouija boards should or should not be used on a paranormal investigation we will briefly explore how the board works and through this vehicle, understand why they should not be utilized on serious paranormal investigations.

            The explanation behind how the talking boards work is far less mystical and esoteric as some may want to believe. Surely this will be a letdown for a certain segment of people as the mechanics of a talking board is actually a fairly simple and can be explained with simple scientific inquiry. During a séance a suggestive environmental mood is set, each of the participant’s place their finger on the planchette and a certain psychological expectancy is created. Throughout the course of the séance each of those who are participating are unconsciously making minute, involuntary movements that are part of a psychological motor based reaction called the Ideomotor effect.

            The first documented usage and explanation of the term Ideomotor effect was noted in some of William Benjamin Carpenter’s 1852 research works. Carpenter explained that the muscular movement, in certain situations, can be independent of the conscious mind. Tests by English scientist Michael Faraday, French chemist Michel Chevruel and American psychologists William James and Ray Hyman corroborate Carpenter’s ideas. What this means, essentially, is that honest people with good intentions can unconsciously engage in involuntary muscular movement that is consistent with their expectations on the outcome of a situation.

            The Ideomotor effect is a psychological reaction where a subject makes unconscious, involuntary movements sparked by variables in both the nervous system and the mind. This type of involuntary reaction is not a phenomenon unique to talking boards as it is also evidenced in the use of pendulums, automatic writing, dowsing and other such esoteric devices. Many times the movements of the above mentioned devices are attributed to supernatural or paranormal forces that the percipients believe to be operating in the area; however as explained previously; the true nature of this reputedly paranormal action is far less fantastic as the source for the movements comes solely from within the operator(s). Experiments with this psychological moto-response suggest that, at best, the messages are received by the participants themselves and translated as movements onto the board and at worst the movements are caused by a manipulative individual and / or their assistants in the séance group. The bottom line here is, with personal and religious beliefs aside, a talking board has no scientific value on a paranormal investigation and is considered by most to be a mystical curiosity at best and a superstitious vehicle to destroy credibility at worst.

            The IPRF scientifically differentiates between abstract spiritual beliefs and psychic abilities in the fact that there is a divisional line of separation between faith based beliefs and the manifestation of true psychic abilities. True psychic abilities can be validated and reproduced with a certain degree of consistency and accuracy which would lend credence to the claims of the psychic where as abstract spiritual beliefs, “feelings,” religious phenomenon and other manners of intuitive perception can not.