Ouija boards; A story and discussion?

Hey all.

The other day, my friends and I were discussing Ouija boards and the like, and I recalled a very strange story that my old RE teacher once told us.

Anyhow, this was when she had just started teaching, and it was with her first form group.
As she's an religious teacher, who, herself is Jewish and strongly follows her faith, they were discussing the afterlife, and some forms of spiritualism. A pupil got on the topic of using Ouija boards to contact the dead.

She strongly advised against doing so, as she'd heard too many stories of people having terrible experiences with such things. The students however, decided to go against her advice and did one anyway.

Whilst she was unaware that this was what happened, she noticed a couple of the pupils acting very strangely over the next few days, as though they were 'spaced out' or not entirely there.
This got progressively worse over the next few days, until eventually a tradgedy befell the school.

A student of the school, and a member of the teacher in questions form, had committed suicide. Whilst this is terrible on it's own, the note that he left only made the incident even more disturbed. It detailed how ever since he 'played' the Ouija board with a couple of his friends, when they had contacted some spirits, three spirits had been watching him. Never moving, never speaking, just standing in his room, watching him. He said how they wouldn't leave him alone, no matter what he tried.

I can imagine how disturbing and terrifying an experience this must be.. And unfortunately it drove him over the edge.

Now; whether or not the majority of you who read this think this is a load of crap or not, I don't mind. It's just something I'd like to share, and hopefully incite some of you to share your experiences.

So, how many of my fellow ATSers have used a Ouija board?
Tell us your story!
What was your experience?
Did it frighten you?
Would you reccommend it?
Would you condemn it and really fight against it?

reply to post by Robbed In Albion.


A Ouija board is no more magical than the keyboard I'm typing on right now. People who know nothing about the ideomotor response sit down and subconsciously move the pointer and because they are in the mood to be scared they assume it a paranormal occurrence.

If the pointer could move by itself, free of the human variable, then and only then could it be called paranormal.

As for people's weird stories, mostly anecdotes, urban legends, coincidences, etc.

I'm not saying that something weird has never happened with a Ouija board present merely that it is not the board itself that summons or communicates with anything paranormal.

I would not mess with it.

I have tried it a couple times a long time ago and there is definitely something eerie about the whole experience.

But in the end, its up to you whether to do it or not.

-Sol

Unfortunately, I think this is complete bunk. There are no spirits or souls that wish you bad luck.

If one has passed beyond the tangible thing we call life, they are free and unconcerned with the living.

The dead are free from the schackles of life. They go on and love free and live free.

Originally posted by Titen-Sxull
reply to post by Robbed In Albion.

 

A Ouija board is no more magical than the keyboard I'm typing on right now. People who know nothing about the ideomotor response sit down and subconsciously move the pointer and because they are in the mood to be scared they assume it a paranormal occurrence.

If the pointer could move by itself, free of the human variable, then and only then could it be called paranormal.

As for people's weird stories, mostly anecdotes, urban legends, coincidences, etc.

I'm not saying that something weird has never happened with a Ouija board present merely that it is not the board itself that summons or communicates with anything paranormal.

I'm not suggesting in any way that the board is particularly magical, etc., I'm just interested to see what sort of experiences people have had with them, and whether or not the people who truly believe they can contact spirits, without the use of Ouija boards or other paraphernalia have to say about them.

Originally posted by SolarE-Souljah
I would not mess with it.

I have tried it a couple times a long time ago and there is definitely something eerie about the whole experience.

But in the end, its up to you whether to do it or not.

-Sol

I'm not deciding whether or not I want to do one. As I've said, I'm just interested in what other people have to say about them, as I've heard some odd stuff.

Originally posted by brilab45
Unfortunately, I think this is complete bunk. There are no spirits or souls that wish you bad luck.

If one has passed beyond the tangible thing we call life, they are free and unconcerned with the living.

The dead are free from the schackles of life. They go on and love free and live free.

I'm sure this is an opinion which many on this board would like to debate? For example, those who believe in spirits of demons, shadow people, etc.

I for one am unsure whether or not I believe in that sort of thing, but I've heard some weird stuff from close friends & relatives who've had bad experiences with it.

To be honest, I was expecting a bit more of a warm response, but as is, I'll take what I get!

I once bought a Ouija board because it looks cool and I liked the spooky-fun idea of it. The reality was, after a few sessions of nothing happening, it found its way into a closet. It later reappeared for my yard sale.

reply to post by Titen-Sxull


As a sidenote; so the person that committed suicide, whether this 'story' is completely truthful or not, would you say it was because of a paranormal experience, or they had some underlying medical condition which caused them to become a bit unstable after using a Ouija board?

Originally posted by electropop
I once bought a Ouija board because it looks cool and I liked the spooky-fun idea of it. The reality was, after a few sessions of nothing happening, it found its way into a closet. It later reappeared for my yard sale.

Maybe you just don't have the gift.

On a serious note, fair enough! I guess not everyone has a 'spooky' experience with them then. I take it most of you here are firm disbelievers in this sort of thing?

I tried one with a friend's mom once. Something bad happened all right. My mom found out and scolded me. I got some vague and inaccurate answers to questions that were so inconsequential I don't even recall exactly what they were. Something to do with a pet, I think. I was a bit too scared to ask it questions I might not want to know the answers to. No ghosts showed up. It was only spooky because our youth pastor had warned against them so much and built up the idea that demons would explode out of it or something. The friend's mom was a devout Catholic. So is it safe to assume that Catholics are not prohibited against using one?

Three generations of my family played/used the Ouija Board together when I was a child.

Ages from 6 to 75, and nothing otherworldly or shocking happened.

The spookiest thing about it was simply the fact that it was supposed to be spooky, which of course is what gives it, its allure and appeal.

Having said that, I do think some of the stories that are told regarding people and Ouija Boards are telling of one very interesting thing, and that is that it truly does not take much for some people to abandon the instilled and indoctrinated shared reality of God, King and Country that bind us all together in a very similar belief and perspective of what our reality is.

Personally no, I don’t believe that ghosts, demons, or beings from other dimensions would require an Ouija Board to summon them into interacting with the living in this dimension. If they exist, they would certainly be able to initiate contact at times and places of their choosing without an Ouija Board coming into the equation.

Some would argue that people playing with Ouija Boards are more open or susceptible to perceiving these apparitions as a result.

Personally though, I believe that those rare cases are either hoax perpetrated to make the event seem spookier to the other people engaged, or in the case where people might genuinely believe that three spirits have nothing better to do than watch the rather dull meaningless and uneventful life of a school aged child, I would contend it is out of boredom and a desire to make one’s life less than meaningless and uneventful, that causes some to break with reality and imagine such things are occurring.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


Thanks for the insight!

I do feel that the board itself is merely a prop in most cases, but as I said, I have heard some very odd occurences, as well as seen YouTube videos (for example, people ask for a sign of a presence, and suddenly a very relaxed cat becomes on edge, and shoots out of the room), they may just be coincidences.
This is all what I thought I'd here. Whilst it may not necessarily be paranormal, it's certainly an interesting look at the human mind, and how easy it is to manipulate and bend ours, and others, perceptions of what's real and what isn't.

And as for the spirits having nothing better to do, I suppose I'll have to agree with you there!

Oddly enough, I'm just about to make one myself. I want it to be to my specifications and just spoke to a friend about it for some time yesterday. He agrees that, as with all other things, it's the intent you use when you do anything occult or esoteric. The practice itself is not toploaded with one spin or another. You create that yourself. If you have doubts about the spin of your own intent, that is the only danger you'll encounter.

And just as a side note, I've had a spirit watching me for a couple of days. But don't worry, my predisposition to suicide is zero to nil. I haven't got the resolve and strength it takes to carry out something like that.

People have such funny ideas about things.

Would it be possible to discuss the Ouija in a positive light? As mentioned above, I am just about to embark on making my own Ouija board and I would love some input on what would make it really good. I will use both English and Finnish letters, as I'm in Finland, as well as numbers and the usual "yes", "no", and "fare well", but what symbols, words, etc., would be beneficial to incorporate right from the start? Any ideas?

reply to post by CosmicEgg


So do you intend the use the Ouija board you'll be making to communicate with this spirit? And do you feel that it is malevolent, or an apparition of someone who died in your house, perhaps?

And as for suggestions on what to include, I could only go as far as to suggest what I've seen on most boards; Yes, no, goodbye, A-Z and 0-9.

reply to post by brilab45

I was a big skeptic of all things spiritual until one day at the hospital a woman was going from person to person in a nightie flashing them she had nothing on underneath,she got to stand in front of me then I saw her pupils change then a male voice introduced itself,hello my name is,forgotten now but it was latin,good luck bastard' then the eyes changed again and she was off flashing again,this is as true as I sit here,the problem with a ouija board is there is no protective circle which is an invitation to trouble.But yes there is bad mother spirits out there i'll vouch for that.

I disagree with yuo all. Ed and Lorraine warren were in my home when i was 13, playing with an ouija baord. A friend of mine an i layed with it, and sometimes ide move my hand off the eye thinking he was moving it..turns out he wasnt. SPirits are not goo spellers. In our case, the board told up it was jesus, god, satan, the virgin mary,..then told up the spirit was a 9 year old boy, who died on our street. I told my mom the next day..she said ot me, where did you hear that? I told her, the boar told me. turns out, back in 1964, a 9 year old boy somehow managed to hang himself off a porch of a house across the street.
my mom would talk about a small half disemboded cat with a buzzsaw shaped head roaming about the house. my younger sister one day, said she saw a man looking like george washington standing in our kitchen, cutting something with a knife. he turned around to look at her and thinned out then vanished. one night, me and my older sister were up late, talking about weird things going on in the house, lights turning on and off, the vaccum starting for a few second NOT pluged in..we heard a BANG from the ktichen. ran thir, and the doorknob was broken OFF the door apparates from inside the house! ( we lived in a crime watch neighborhood, and is not known for house break ins). i used to hear what sounded like a pebble being skipped across the floor in my closet and in attic in gargage. our cats then, would often stare at the ceiling like something was thier.
so! our neighbor at the time, an old lady, her sister was a nun, and knew a preist at a lcoal catholic church..he in turn contacted the warrens for us. they stayd about 4 days and tild us it was nothing too serious, but apparently, the board let in about 7, maybe 9 spirits one of them malovent, and was building negative energy up, in a closet next to my room. oh, and soemtimes behind my bed, ide hear scratching noises...
all wa quiet for 8 months,. one afternoon in my basement, watching tv, putting amodel car together i felt a bad presence enter the room. ilooked up and i swear!, i saw a disembodied semi clear balck apparition starrring at me, looked like it had a cloak or something on. i tried to get up and run out of the room, but couldnt i was frozen or as many have told me..i experinced psychic paralysis. i felt it pass through me, and a small galsss container of paint thinner next to me, feeling the energy discharge, broke in a circle completly off hte body of the glass container. never saw it aain or since.
that is my ouija board story,, and why i think they do invite trouble* this all happened to me, back in 1988.

reply to post by Robbed In Albion.


I'm not sure. The thing about mental illness is that some disorders can cause hallucinations that seem very very real so a person can have "paranormal experiences" that are actually all in their heads. In fact even a person who is not mentally ill can hallucinate. I really don't think someone committed suicide because of a real paranormal experience though I can't rule it out 100%.

There is research in the works to show that electromagnetism plays a big part in "religious" experiences (and paranormal ones). On the science channel, on Morgan Freeman's through the wormhole they did an experiment with a magnetic helmet, when the magnet was activated on a certain part of the subject's brain it produced the experience of someone else being in the room. This is a common theme in many paranormal and alien encounters, the feeling of someone being there, a figure that is hard to make out almost shadowy.



I've had paranormal experiences in the past but I remain skeptical of the idea of them definitely being ghosts or spirits or consciousness. I think more often than not it is our own brains playing tricks on us.

[edit on 25-7-2010 by Titen-Sxull]

Originally posted by anglodemonicmatrix
reply to post by brilab45

 

I was a big skeptic of all things spiritual until one day at the hospital a woman was going from person to person in a nightie flashing them she had nothing on underneath,she got to stand in front of me then I saw her pupils change then a male voice introduced itself,hello my name is,forgotten now but it was latin,good luck bastard' then the eyes changed again and she was off flashing again,this is as true as I sit here,the problem with a ouija board is there is no protective circle which is an invitation to trouble.But yes there is bad mother spirits out there i'll vouch for that.

Interesting.. Did anyone else in the hospital report anything else like this?

And you weren't on gas & air at the time were you?

reply to post by ziggy1706


So what happened to you from there? Did a priest come to perform an exorcism, or?

And I assume you'd advise our Finnish friend above NOT to construct his on board?

reply to post by Titen-Sxull


Again, thanks for the detailed response!

Yeah. I never really considered the child to have some sort of
underlying mental issue until a short while a go.. I personally can't see it being something to do with electromagnetism, as this went on for about a week. Then again, if there was a pocket of electromagnetism near this kids house, then.

And whilst I've never really encountered many stories about suicide from paranormal experiences, I'm sure you can empathise how terrifying that could be for a young child.

And really? Care to share your experiences?

I would like to note* i have ontacted ms. warren back in 2007. whats weird about it, i emailed her 4 months prior to january 2007. my father had died at the hospitol january 19th 2007. the smae night when i got home, she called me on my phone!!! thats weird.
she vagly remmebers me, as it was so long ago. she did say back then, they had gotten some stuff on tape. the reason i emailed her is because i want too see the tape. she was hesitant in allowing me to see it, or even look for it. she said i should forget about it all,as it could re invite trouble later on. theirs a big part of me that wants to re experince when htey were here, and what they got on tape!

reply to post by Robbed In Albion.

I do feel that the board itself is merely a prop in most cases, but as I said, I have heard some very odd occurences, as well as seen YouTube videos (for example, people ask for a sign of a presence, and suddenly a very relaxed cat becomes on edge, and shoots out of the room), they may just be coincidences.

It takes very little to spook a cat, hence the phrase "scaredy cat", mine (well actually it's a stray that I feed and spends way to much time here) get's spooked by my bicycle, my bicycle is from Colorado and not another dimension.

What you don't see in a YouTube video is what isn't in the camera's eye, so there is no telling if something off camera spooked the cat.

What you don't see in a YouTube video is the real context of what happens before and after the video is made.

In other words you don't know if it's just being shot to hoax people and to goof, and you don't know if they have all busted out laughing once the camera stops rolling.

YouTube for many people is a low budget amatuer Hollywood, and people do for a varied number of reasons put their artistic creativity into videos that they then post on YouTube.

Personally if I was a spirit I would be hanging out at Halle Barrie's house or an Aero Smith concert.

The Play Boy Mansion!

Or if I liked kids a Catholic Priest's house or office!

Ouch that hurt!