Theories Thoughts

Crystal Memory by Shawn McKenzie

Ghosts & Spirits by Julie Grove

Spirit Energy by Julie Grove

The History

© Copyright 2006 by Shawn McKenzie
All Rights Reserved.

            The history of the OUIJA® Board is not precisely accurate as to actual recorded dates, or its actual origin.  Much of its history is claimed and rumored.  For instance, it is claimed that the French Spiritualist M. Planchette in 1853 invented the Board’s planchette that today slides around the smooth surface on felt tipped legs.  However there is no record of any Spiritualist named M. Planchette, well known or otherwise, however the word “planchette” in French means “little plank” or “board.”  This device was also named before “little plank” as “little basket”, and before that as “little table”.  There have been many claims that the OUIJA® Board evolved from table tipping, where the table tipped or “rapped” on the floor a number of times to indicate a letter in the alphabet.  This was a long and tedious process to spell a single word.  Then the Mediums started using Alphabet Pasteboards in 1848.  Here the Medium would move their hand over the letters until by divine intuition their fingers came to rest above one of the letters. It was soon after that the first planchette came into play.  It was a heart shaped device with a pencil (or other writing device) at the tip.  The Medium would rest his hand on the planchette and the device would move around to write out the letters.  But even this method was considered too sloppy and hard to read.  Some found it easier to remove the planchette and use only the pencil.  However many believed it crucial to use the correct equipment in order to properly contact the spirit world.  It was sometime in the1850’s that the “Dial Plate” or “Psychographs” were invented.

            The Psychograph was a metal wheel with letter and numerals on it, along with “yes”, “no”, and “goodbye”.  There were many variations of this device, with spinning wheels and moving needles that pointed to the proper letter or number while some portion of the device was in contact with the Medium (one version the Medium had to move their fingers in the direction the wheel moved in order to maintain connection with the communicating spirit.).  This device was briefly on the market, but American and European toy companies kept pushing use of the Planchette, most likely because they were easer and cheaper to make as well as simple to use.  In the end it would take seven men with very different backgrounds to put the first “talking board” into nearly every home in America.  Charles Kennard, Harry Wells Rusk, Colonel Washington Bowie, Elijha J. Bond, William H.A. Maupin, E.C. Reiche, and William Fauld pooled their land resources and money to create the Kennard Novelty Company of Baltimore Maryland.  They were all risk takers willing to try something new, and they were also Free Masons.  William Fauld was not head of the company at that time, and most of the Patents were filed under Charles Kennard’s name, so it is hard to determine who the father of the OUIJA® board truly was.  Fauld’s family and the Bowie family insist it was William, and it was known that William was filled with inventions and improvements, so it could very well be true.  The Board was designed and marketed around 1890, and by 1891 it was selling rather well.  The original Patent filed under Bond’s name was refilled with an improvement to the board on February 18, 1891 as the “Talking Board”.  This version was much like the Dial Plates where the movable piece was fixed on one end and could swing in an arc to point at the letters, numbers or words.  This was Charles Kennard’s final act with the Company.  Kennard was shortly removed from the company (it was said he was not a wise business man) by being voted out.  Bowie became the manager and Fuld the supervisor.  The Company was moved and became the “OUIJA® Novelty Company” in 1892.  On July 19, 1892 William Fuld had his first OUIJA® Board patent in his name.  His new patent added a strange new layout to the board, as well as the “finger” or movable piece in the talking board.  By 1898 William realized that he could not devote all of his time to the toy company while maintaining his Customs job, so he brought in his brother Isaac Fuld as a partner.  In 1901 they had a falling out that would result in a long battle over control of the talking board, which would cause William to fight to keep his OUIJA® Board as the authentic version and top seller. Later his brother Isaac created his own version of the board and William took him to court.  Isaac claimed he did not violate the law because his movable piece used rollers instead of felt tipped legs.  However to date no sample of the rolling table has been found. William changed the company name to William Fuld Manufacturing Company during 1905 to 1907. 

             William applied for another Patent improving the talking boards January 24, 1914.  By this time William had claimed to use the OUIJA® himself to reports, stating the Board told him to be prepared for big business.  After building a three story building to accommodate his new production in 1918, the gamble paid off.  By 1919 William filed another Patent which revolutionized the movable piece of his game.  In 1924 William quit his customs position and dedicated his full time to his OUIJA®.

            In 1920 the Baltimore Talking Board company came into the legal spotlight, run by Charles Cahn and Gilbert Michael.  They had no connection to William Fuld’s company but must have leased the right to use the name OUIJA®.  They claimed that the talking board was a spiritual tool and not a game or sporting good, and therefore should not be taxed as such.  They took the IRS to court (Strangely enough with Bowie Jr. represented them, the same who always represented William Fuld in Court.) and it was ruled that the board was not a spiritual tool, and therefore OUIJA® Boards were considered taxable.  In 1919 Fuld extended his patents giving his talking board the trademark “Mystifying Oracle®”, and “WE-JA®”.  He also manufactured OUIJA® jewelry and Oil for rheumatism.

            On February 24, 1927 disaster struck.  William was on the roof of his three story building when a flag pole needed to be repaired.  He fell backwards off the back of the building, catching himself momentarily on a window’s ledge, then fell to the ground.  His wounds were minor with but a few bruises, broken bones and a concussion, but during the trip to the Hospital one of his broken ribs slipped and pierced his heart.  William’s children took over the company, and his son William A Fuld applied for a patent on a newer version of the OUIJA® board.  His Patent was granted on April 9, 1932 for the electrically equipped Mystifying Oracle®.  The Invention could have revolutionized the talking boards, but it was made of metal and cost three times the amount of the original board.  The movable Planchette would spark light as it made contact and rolled across the surface.  The Depression made it impossible for people to spend their money frivolously and the Electric Mystifying Oracle® didn’t sell well.  After a year of lowered sales, the remaining boards were melted down.

            By 1940 there was a renewed interest in the board.  William A Fuld renewed his Patents and improvements to give us the OUIJA® we see today.  Other companies came out with their own versions of the board with colorful graphics and designs, but be it through disinterest or a declining market, they all folded to the Fulds.  The Fulds relocated their company two more times, the heirs continuing to renew their Trademarks and Patents.  Then OUIJA® sales climbed again, and the Fulds were approached by Robert Barton of Parker Brothers.  On February 23, 1966 the Fulds no longer had any association to the OUIJA®, and Hasbro Inc. now owns the Trademarks OUIJA® and Mystifying Oracle®. 

(NOTE)

                        The words “Salem Mass.” appear on the older boards as Parker Brothers bought the rights while shifting its facilities to Salem Massachusetts.  The designing and manufacture of the original boards were started in early to mid 1800’s in Baltimore Maryland and did not move to Salem Massachusetts until the mid to late 1960’s.  This version of the board changed by the early 1970’s.

The OUIJA® Board

The Tool

I received my first OUIJA® board when I was six years old.  It was originally my Great Grandmother’s board, one that she had bought when my Great Grandfather died.  My Great Grandmother during her last few weeks of healthy life had wheeled my younger brother and I into her bedroom on her wheel chair and promised us any one thing that we could take home.  My brother came out with a figurine made of hand blown glass, but when I went in, my eye spotted something that was unexpected.

It leaned up against the bedroom wall, the back side facing my view.  A long rectangular box with writing I couldn’t even read yet.  As soon as we entered the room, I pointed my finger at it.  “I want that.”  There was a time of debate and explanation, the only reason I went home with that board was because she had made a promise.  She didn’t even know how the board had found its way out of the closet and into her room.  She claimed it was at the bottom of the closet buried beneath everything else, and that she herself hadn’t used it for several years.  It took all summer for my brother and I to finally get it to work, which was surprising since the house we grew up in was Haunted.  It was slow in responding, and its spelling was rarely accurate.  It was phonetic in the spelling of its words and the meanings to its answers.  So it took us more time just to learn how to understand it.

Within two years of practice we had half of the kids in a square block coming over to use the Board.  Before each session I would repeat the rules to everyone that my Great Grandmother gave me, rules which she told me were to always be followed.  If properly used there shouldn’t be any trouble, but to always remember, there was always a chance something could go wrong no matter how cautious or how strongly the rules were followed.

The Rules

Never use the Board alone.  Always have at least one other person with you, and face each other if at all possible.  The reason for this was to be sure there would be enough combined energy to handle a bad situation if one should occur.  The reason for facing each other was so that the Users could focus upon the other in order to keep their energies working together.  Also never have too many people involved, this could allow for too many varying attitudes and energies which could generate confusion and produce poor results.

Always be serious.  Do not play games with the spirit or spirits you make contact with, even if they have a sense of humor.  There could be a chance the spirit may be playing with you instead of the other way around.

Never yell, demand, insult, or make fun of the spirit.  To do otherwise may anger the spirit and make for a bad session.

Always treat the spirit with respect.  Regardless of the type of spirit or session, always treat it with respect.  Some of the dearly departed still carry human baggage from their former life, and for the most part still behave in a human emotional manner.  This also helps maintain a favorable session with possible future favorable sessions.  The last thing you want is for a spirit to hold a grudge.

Never believe everything a spirit tells you.  Sometimes a spirit may be happy to have some kind of contact, especially one that’s wandering or lonely.  It may not know the answer to your question and worry that if it says doesn’t know, you will send it away.  So the spirit may lie in order to keep the session going.  Also you may have a spirit who thinks it fun to mislead you, either as a joke or out of malice.  Remember that not all spirits know the answers, some less than others, and some may not even care.  Some will tell you what you want to hear, or lure you into continually re-contacting it so it can “feed” off the energy being produced from the session.

Always get a spirit’s name, or one that it will answer to.  This isn’t always a reliable rule, but it helps the spirit to know if you are calling it or another.  If a spirit doesn’t have a name, then give it one so that your own energy will focus on either that particular spirit next time, or on a different one.  It is the focus of the people’s minds during a session that directs the energy towards its purpose.

Ask only one question at a time.  Don’t confuse the spirit by asking it more than one question at a time as this could agitate the spirit and cause for an unfavorable session, or cause the spirit to stop communicating all together.  It is best to have the person who is “in charge” of the session to ask the questions.

Designate one person to be in charge.  Always have one person who is “in charge”.  It’s easier for the spirit to know who to reply to and avoids conflict with those in the session trying to make decisions or ask questions.  This is the person who calls to the spirit and then when the session is over, asks the spirit to leave until the next time.  Others working the board may quietly offer up questions to be asked or give ideas, but only one person should “control” the board.

These are the basic rules that were given to me, and they worked well for the last thirty-five years.  However as my own experience using the board grew, I found other rules and methods that enhanced the experience of Board use.

Prepare for the session in advance.  Following the above rules, it is best to have one person in charge.  However it is reasonable to designate someone else to ask the questions.  The person “in charge” makes the initial contact then states to the spirit that one other person will ask the questions, and that the spirit should try to answer the questions as truthfully as possible.  Also it should be stated that it is ok for the spirit to say it doesn’t know the answer if it in fact does not know.  It is also easier if the questions are thought of ahead of time and written down, adding last minute after thoughts once the list is completed.  It is also best to have at least three people (and no more than five) involved in the session.

Two to four people handling the Planchette, and one to write down the answers.  The person “in charge” should be the one to call off each letter or number to the person keeping record regardless who is asking the question.

Never keep a session going too long.  Even if you have never had a bad experience with the Board, it is always best to anticipate the chance of a bad session.  This could include a spirit who tries to keep things going too long to allow it time to establish a stronger connection for its own purposes, and it helps prevent the break-down of discipline among the people involved with the session.  I have found that fifteen to thirty minutes at a time to be best.  Even if you have more questions, you should tell the spirit it is time to leave for a while, and then take at least thirty minutes to “regroup”.  This helps maintain focus with the people involved as well as maintaining some measure of control over the sessions.

Always discharge / dismiss the spirit at the end of the session.  This is a basic rule which was not listed above, however I am listing the method of dismissal here based off what I have found to work best for me.  The person “in charge” ends the session politely but firmly.  The spirit is told that “we” have to go now, and that “they” (the spirit) has to leave for now until called again.  Others involved with the session should either nod or say “yes” in agreement (again politely) and the spirit should be thanked for communicating with the group regardless how the session went.  Once “goodbye” is spoken and the Board replies “goodbye” as well, the Planchette is removed from the board and the board put aside or away.  If the spirit does not want to go it must be stressed (respectfully and politely) that it is time to leave.  If for some reason the spirit refuses to leave do not argue or try to convince it, just end the session with the last “goodbye” and put the board aside.  In a case like that it may be best not to use it again until the next day.

Things to Remember

Always treat the spirit as you want to be treated.  I have found this to work quite well, and though I have had some “over active” sessions, I do not feel I have had a bad one.  If you think as a spirit as being a person as far as its “feelings” and treat it with respect, you shouldn’t have too many issues.  Every spirit is different as every person is different, some may require more care than others.

Do not use the Board while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.  These things not only weaken your energy but can attract bad results.  Also never use the Board while angry or depressed, as this too could attract a not so favorable spirit.

No matter how experienced or how well you follow whatever rules, something could go wrong.  There is no such thing as an “Expert” in this area.  Anything can go wrong no matter how prepared one may be.  Anticipate and plan for such an event.  Such an event could include a spirit attaching itself to the Board, in which case the board needs to be discarded or destroyed, and a new one to take its place (if one is still inclined to use the Board as a tool).

There are many stories about the OUIJA® Board, most I have heard are usually bad or filled with strong warnings.  I have spoken to several people who have also stated they have never had a bad experience using one.  A few people who have never used the Board have told me they think it’s the “Devil’s” work, and its “evil” and no good can come from it.  However in some cases this can be a similar attitude as the Romans had about other cultures’ belief systems, that if it wasn’t their own, then it was pagan, or evil, and according to some cultures even Christianity is considered evil.  It is my opinion that the Board is definitely not for everyone to use, especially for those with the idea that it is evil.  Such opinions would most likely produce the exact results they expect because they know it will happen (or want it to) and then their belief is justified.  One’s intentions and focus, as well as beliefs generate an attitude that will focus the energy while using the Board to produce a result based from that focus.   The best attitude if using the Board is to remain neutral and open minded, yet cautious and aware.

During the many years I used the Board I paid attention to my surroundings as well as to how the Planchette moved and spelled out the words.  Each spirit has its own personality and traits just as we do, and sometimes even motives similar to human ones.  After a while I was able to sense the energy of the presence and learned to separate the different presences by how it not only made my body feel, but what comparisons the presence’s caused my mind to make with my own memories and images that I relate to and that have meaning to me.  I was able to know if a spirit was angry, cruel, sad or happy or just being playful because the presence stirred similar emotions (though not always exact) in myself.  I then compared the presences’ energies to what I sensed with people, combining the signature movements of the Planchette as to human ‘body language’ in order to get an idea if I was being lied to or not.  After a time I didn’t have to use the Board to know if there was a spirit about, or what personality type it was and soon I could even sense what its motivations might be.  So even though I was able to sense things as a small child, the board actually helped me to focus what ability I may have had, and exercise it so that it got stronger.  After that I went on to other methods to make contact to the other side, eventually coming to the conclusion that science can not only detect and record (based from a lot of research) spiritual presences, but could also prove such presences do indeed exist.

Medical science convinced me that science can prove the existence of spirits.  The energy of the human body can be detected, measured and recorded, same as brain waves.  Not only that, but these recordings can then be interpreted to bring about a physical diagnosis.  Later it was shown that the human mind can will events to happen, or send thoughts to another.  Some people willed themselves to live many years beyond a diagnosis that gave no hope for survival, healing cancer or other wounds beyond typical explanation.  Then the actual study of the paranormal came about, where sounds and voices mysteriously appeared on tape and film when no one has heard or seen them in the room.  As the interest grew and technology advanced, even more evidence became available.

  The trend of using the Board wore off by the time I was thirty years old. I still have two of my own which I made by hand with my own specifications based off my own experiences and needs.

  Occasionally I still use the Board, but less every year.  Its not due to any bad experience or even boredom, its simply that after a while any tool that is used no longer can do for someone what it did when it was first used.  Sooner or later you need to find a new tool or better one that can get you to your destination, or add a tool to give better results.  I have used the Board for a total of thirty six years, and in the last five of those have been using science to help gather evidence of what the Board helped reveal.  Perhaps soon science will take over my even occasional use of the Board, or any of the other tools I have used or may still use.  On the other hand sometimes the simpler the science the better the result.  Too much technology can just as easily get in the way of desired results as well.

The best tool to choose is the one that fits you and your own abilities, but never rule out the possibility that another’s tool can be just as effective for what it was designed for.  Science can bring together the feasibility and potential of the ‘archaic’ methods as well as prove itself to be equal if not in most cases more efficient, and it can offer evidence.