Ouija board
The Ouija (pronounced wee-jee or wee-jah) is a game board supposedly used to talk to the dead.[1] It is designed to be a fun activity based on self-deception.[2] They are also called "spirit boards" or "talking boards. It is a flat board with the numbers 0-9 and all the letters of the alphabet.[3] It has the words "yes" and "no" at the top with the word "goodbye" on the bottom. The board uses a planchette, which is a small wooden plank in the shape of an upside down heart. It has a glass circle (or plain hole) in the top. The player asks a question. Then one or more players guide the planchette to the letters or numbers to spell out a message.[2] However, Scientists know the game is based on the ideomotor effect.[2] A participant believes they are not controlling the message, that it comes from ghosts or spirits.[2] It can seem very mysterious.[2] But anyone can test a Ouija board by blindfolding or hiding the board from the ones moving the planchette.[2] What usually results is gibberish and no message.[2]
Ouija Board Media
An original Ouija board created c. 1890
Norman Rockwell cover of the May 1, 1920 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, showing a Ouija board in use
Wang Chongyang, founder of the Quanzhen School, depicted in Changchun Temple, Wuhan
Ouija board painted on a two-story building in downtown Austin, Texas
References
- ↑ Erin McCarthy. "A Brief History of the Ouija Board". Mental Floss. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Benjamin Radford (December 10, 2013). "Ouija Board: Demystifying the 'Mystifying Oracle'". LiveScience. Purch. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
- ↑ Linda Rodriguez McRobbie (October 27, 2013). "The Strange and Mysterious History of the Ouija Board". Smithsonian.com. Retrieved January 24, 2017.