The Ouija

Ouija, also called Talking Board or Spirit Board, is a wooden board on which are written the numbers from zero to ten, the letters of the alphabet, as well as the words "yes", "no" and "goodbye". Ouija was created at the end of the nineteenth century, by the American entrepreneur Elijah Bond.

## meaning

First, a few words about what the popular Oujia boards are and what they look like. The most common flat boards are marked:

* letters of the alphabet
* numbers 0-9,
* with the words: "yes", "no", sometimes "hello" and "goodbye"
* various symbols (e.g. sun and crescent) and graphics are less common.

The game uses cues  ( *a small piece of wood or plastic in the shape of a heart or triangle* ) as a movable pointer to write messages during a session. Participants place their fingers on the index finger as it slides across the board to pronounce words. Ouija is a trademark of Hasbro (the second largest toy company in the world).

The original spidge board created in 1890.

Spiritualists believed that the dead could communicate with the living - reportedly in 1886 they used a tablet very similar to a modern Ouija board to communicate with spirits more quickly.

After a commercial introduction by businessman Elijah Bond on July 1, 1890, the Ouija board was considered an innocent party game that had nothing to do with the occult.

### A scientific explanation of how the Ouija board works

Ouiji's belief in paranormal and supernatural phenomena has been criticized by the scientific community and called  pseudoscience ... The operation of the array can be parsimoniously explained. unconscious movements of people controlling the indicator , a psychophysiological phenomenon called  the ideomotor effect  (The ideomotor effect refers to people moving or acting without awareness.)

## History of the Ouija Board

One of the earliest mentions of the writing technique used on the Ouija board can be found in China around 1100 in the historical records of the Song Dynasty. This technique is known as "writing on the board" fuji. The use of this way of reading signs as an apparent means of necromancy and communication with the spirit world continued under special rituals and control. This was the central practice of the Quanzhen school until it was banned by the Qing dynasty. Several complete scriptures by Daozansang are believed to have been written on the blackboard. According to one author, similar writing techniques were practiced in ancient India, Greece, Rome and medieval Europe.

## Modern time

As part of the spiritualist movement, mediums ("ghost communication") began to use various means of communicating with the dead. Media after the American Civil War carried out significant activities , supposedly allowing survivors to contact their missing relatives.

### Ouija board as a commercial parlor game

Couple Playing Ouiju - Norman Rockwell, 1920

Elijah Bond, a businessman, had the idea to patent a game that was sold along with a printed alphabet board. The board was similar to previous ones used by mediums to communicate with ghosts. Bond applied for patent protection on May 28, 1890, and is thus credited as the inventor of the Ouija board. Date of issue of the patent - February 10, 1891

Elijah Bond's employee, William Fuld , took over the manufacture of gadgets. In 1901, Fuld began producing his own cymbals called the Ouija. Charles Kennard (founder of the Kennard Novelty Company, which produced Fuld's plates and where Fuld worked as a finisher) claimed that he learned the name "Ouija" from using the tablet and that the ancient Egyptian word meant "luck". ... When Fuld took over the manufacture of boards, he popularized the more widely accepted etymology.

## A religious critique of the Ouija board

From the beginning, the séance board was criticized by several Christian denominations. For example  , *Catholic Answers* , a Catholic Christian apologetics organization, states that "The séance board is harmful because it is a form of divination."

In addition, Catholic bishops in Micronesia called for a ban on the use of tablets and warned parishes that they were conversing with demons using séance tablets. In their pastoral letter, the Dutch Reformed Churches urged their communicants to avoid séances because it was an "occult" practice.

Today, most Christian religions consider Ouija tablets to be one of the most popular and dangerous accessories for spiritualism , used by the medium to communicate not with ghosts, but actually with ... demons and the devil.

## Game Rules, Preparation and Tips - How to use the Ouija board

Using a Ouija board can be fun. Some people think it's a door to another world and warn against using a sign, but many people see it as harmless fun especially if you don't take it too seriously.

Christians warn of consequences use it and state it is an occult object.

Below are some tips and rules for playing spey, for people who have little faith in the "power" of the board.

Speiji board pattern with moon and sun symbols

### First, preparation

1. Gather your friends ... Technically, Ouija can be played alone, but one of the main rules is that you cannot play alone, so you must play with at least one person. The more people you collect, the more noise and noise will confuse the ghosts.
2. Take care of the mood ... Before contacting the "other side", try to cheer up by dimming the lights, using candles and lighting incense.
	* It is best to try it in the evening or early morning.
	* Remove all distractions. There should be no loud music, noise from the TV and running children. The game requires your undivided attention to be successful.
	* Turn off your phones! Phone ringing during a game spoils the atmosphere and spoils the mood.
3. Prepare the place ... According to the original instructions for the game, place the board on the knees of both participants, with their knees touching. When there are more people, we can sit in a circle so that everyone can access the indicator and the board.

### A few tips to get you started

1. A neutral place ... Consider using the Ouija board in a neutral place - it's often not recommended to use it in your own home.
2. Be patient ... Sometimes a ghost needs a minute to warm up. You may not get a response right away. Do not give up.
	* Myths about "moving the index finger to warm up" mean nothing. The answer comes from the spirit, not the pointer - some ghosts can move the pointer faster than others.
	* Sometimes the pointer moves quickly and sometimes very slowly. If receiving a message from a whiteboard feels like waiting for a phone call, don't fret. Wait or close the board and continue a little later.
3. Be polite and keep calm. ... If you talk to a very communicative spirit, talk to him! Be friendly. This will encourage him to cooperate with you. You may not get the answers you want. It is not the spirit or fault of the government. Anger or violence will just spoil the atmosphere of the board and the room.
4. Just start ... It is better not to overload the spirit with long and difficult questions.
	* Your first questions should have simple and short answers, for example:
	* How many ghosts are there in the room?
	* Are you in a good mood?
	* What is your name?
5. Symbols on a board ... Some boards have symbols - the sun and the moon tell you which spirit is in contact with you. If it comes from the sun, that is good; if it comes from the moon, it is bad. If you have an evil spirit, thank it for its time and say goodbye. When the indicator misses goodbye, it means the evil spirit is gone.
6. Be careful what you wish for ... The last thing you want to think about is imminent death all night long. If you don't want to know the answer to a question, don't ask it. But if you decide to ask about your future, remember that it will be a joke. Like us mere mortals, spirits cannot see the future.
	* Don't ask stupid questions - the ghost may not want to waste time. Not to mention how long it takes to write a reply!
	* Don't ask for physical signs. That's just asking for trouble.
7. End of session ... If at any point you get scared or feel that the session is getting out of control, just close the board by hovering over "Goodbye" and say, for example, "We're ending the meeting. Rest in peace".

### As soon as we play

1. Pick a Wednesday ... Appoint one person to "control" the game and ask all the questions - this will prevent chaos and make the game flow easier. Also, have someone write down the answers where the marker stops.
	* All players must be able to ask a question. Consider the questions one at a time, but ask the medium to direct them to the board personally.
2. Place your fingers on top ... Ask all players to carefully place their index and middle fingers on the index finger. Move it slowly and focus on what you want to ask. Press your fingers into it, but without much effort; if you hold it too tight, the pointer stops moving just as easily.
3. Develop an introductory ritual ... It can be anything - a prayer, a greeting or even trinkets scattered around you.
	* Have the medium greet the spirits and confirm that only positive energy is welcome.
	* If you want to talk to a deceased relative, keep something important (something personal) nearby.
4. Ask a question ... They should (especially at the beginning) be simple, uncomplicated.
	* If your ghost shows that it is angry, it is best to end the game and continue later.
	* If you start getting rude or vulgar responses, don't get discouraged and don't respond with rude behavior. Don't scream if you're too scared, just say goodbye to the ghosts and end the game.
5. concentrate ... For best and effective results, all players must clear their minds and focus on the question at hand.
	* Every player should be serious and respectful. If you have a friend who laughs or asks you to ask funny questions, scold them or throw them out of the room.
6. Observe the movement of the index finger ... Sometimes it moves very quickly, but more often it moves slowly - if everyone is focused and attentive, the hand should withdraw slowly.
	* Make sure no player is moving the pointer alone - if so, point them out.
7. End your sessions ... If the prompt starts making eights or counting from Z to A or from 9 to 0, end the activity by saying goodbye. Any of these three things mean the ghost is trying to escape the board. It is very important to say goodbye to ghosts. You wouldn't want to be dumped suddenly, would you?
	* Ask the medium to say it's time to end the session and move the clue to the goodbye symbol on the board.
	* Of course, if you like to spend time in the shower, say “Goodbye!” and wait for the board to go one by one to say goodbye.
	* Pack the game in a box.