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Linesmachine - a homemade board should work just as well as one purchased and yes a glass will be fine to use. In fact, going off the energy thing a homemade board would perhaps provide more energy to the experiment as you have had the thought and put the energy into it if you get what I mean. I would also say that it does not matter if there are two of you or twenty two of you - it is the intent behind what you are doing that matters.
Good luck :)
 
linesmachine said:
McAvennie_ said:
but, as I said before, ouija boards are one thing I'm still very wary of. Quite happy not to test my non-belief...

See, I can't be like that. I can't just stay away because I'm worried about the implications. I HAVE to find out for myself whether or not certain Fortean "things" are real or not....or at least whether or not there is good ground for speculation.

Fair enough - FWIW I generally agree with that attitude, but I've also learnt over the years to listen to my subconcious. But of course, nothing may happen for you anyway.

I note the apparent lack of anyone reporting anything demonstrably good as a result of a session with an Ouija board. I don't mean 'mummy and daddy are here on the other side and doing just fine' but something verifiable. Mind you, bad effects under experimental conditions woould be as interesting as anything else, its just I'm an optimist and would like good things to happen :) . Even the term 'bad' is I guess pretty subjective when we are in the realms of 'psychic phenomena'.
 
Cochise said:
I note the apparent lack of anyone reporting anything demonstrably good as a result of a session with an Ouija board. I don't mean 'mummy and daddy are here on the other side and doing just fine' but something verifiable. Mind you, bad effects under experimental conditions woould be as interesting as anything else, its just I'm an optimist and would like good things to happen :) . Even the term 'bad' is I guess pretty subjective when we are in the realms of 'psychic phenomena'.

After a recent discussion with my fellow paranormal camper regarding exactly this subject we have decided to initially attempt to use the Ouija board in a "safe" and spiritually positive/responsible way. If this doesn't get us anywhere then I am...gulp...happy to report that we will use any method we can to create a response. I've been pm'ed some excellent advice regarding the first half of this and am now researching the darker side.
 
Ask for the reverse of the first half - remember it is your intent that seals whatever fate :twisted:
 
Ouija board - nonsense, but I wouldn't touch one

I personally wouldn't touch one, not because of the supernatural but because of the amount of people who have advised against it.

Do you think that maybe young impressionable people or infirm minds could get a serious bout of paranoia which could then lead to a mental illness of some kind?

I know I'm particularly impressionable....
 
Maybe. imo you really need a robust mindset and approach to this to avoid messing with your own head, perhaps it would be an idea to decide in advance what standard you're setting for something supernatural happening and how you're going to mitigate against subconscious but otherwise human interferance and also just plain chance.

eg if I really was going to take a shit on a ouija board, the 'risk' would be that something really rotten happens shortly afterwards which would have happened anyway but which I might then freak myself out thinking i'd 'made' it happen, which is to say that would be confusing chance/the universe cocking the fuck with me gun with an actual effect, and also making the assumption that even if there was supernatural involvement, it couldn;t have happened anyway without my pissing off the spirits, or something.
 
See, I can't be like that. I can't just stay away because I'm worried about the implications. I HAVE to find out for myself whether or not certain Fortean "things" are real or not....or at least whether or not there is good ground for speculation.
Bravo - that's how I feel about this stuff. I do believe there are more things in heaven and earth etc but I don't see why one should be afraid of finding out what's out there and confronting it. I feel certain there are "ghosts", for example, because I've experienced one or two, but I dont ascribe any particular power to them. They just seem to be some phenomenon we dont understand, that may or may not involve anything concious, and they seem pretty innocuous on the whole. I dont know if there are evil demons out there, but if I can pick one up playing with a Ouija board then chances are I could pick one up tying my shoes backward or something. So should I live my life in terror of attracting demons because of some innocent word, thought, or action? If these things are so all-powerful, why are they barred from coming around unless I perform some arcane voodoo? I feel like the more I confront things that scare me, or are supposed to be scary, the less power they have over me. Bring it on, baby. Go ahead, make my day.
 
I feel like the more I confront things that scare me, or are supposed to be scary, the less power they have over me. Bring it on, baby. Go ahead, make my day.

That's how it strikes me too. However, that doesn't mean that I'd play with a ouija board again. I've done that and feel that there's nothing scarier going on than a bit of unconscious pranking.
 
escargot1 said:
I feel like the more I confront things that scare me, or are supposed to be scary, the less power they have over me. Bring it on, baby. Go ahead, make my day.

That's how it strikes me too. However, that doesn't mean that I'd play with a ouija board again. I've done that and feel that there's nothing scarier going on than a bit of unconscious pranking.

I think that, by confronting something and trying to explain it/understand it we take away some ofthe mystery that powers the fear over us.

I personally have never been afraid of ouija boards...hopefully thatSids about to change!

Although if escargot is correct I may just be confronted by some innapropriate touching? :no-no:
 
I asked 12 ouija board eBay sellers if their board was haunted and only one said no. Actually he said it was new, unwrapped and pristine, and it might be haunted but he didn't know as it was unused.
 
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linesmachine said:
I asked 12 ouija board eBay sellers if their board was haunted and only one said no. Actually he said it was new, unwrapped and pristine, and it might be haunted but he didn't know as it was unused.

Those eleven others wouldn't be likely to say "No, actually there's nothing supernatural about it at all - it's just a trick!" would they?
 
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gncxx said:
linesmachine said:
I asked 12 ouija board eBay sellers if their board was haunted and only one said no. Actually he said it was new, unwrapped and pristine, and it might be haunted but he didn't know as it was unused.

Those eleven others wouldn't be likely to say "No, actually there's nothing supernatural about it at all - it's just a trick!" would they?

I think you've missed the point, I didn't ask them if ouija boards are supernatural. I asked them if the boards were haunted, something that they hadn't specified in the item listing. And tbh, if I was selling a ouija board and someone asked if it was haunted I'd say "why don't you buy it and find out?". Are you suggesting you would lie instead? ;)
 
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I don't think I'd be selling them in the first place. I'd probably tell them it was a Victorian parlour game that really caught on or something like that. But if ghosts aren't supernatural, what is?
 
I've been full of a cold these last two days (my days off), so I stayed indoors and read and watched a bit of TV I saved on Sky+. Watching one QI Stephen Fry mentioned that sale of the ouija board(which is owned by Hasbro) plummeted in 1976 after the film 'The Excorcist' came out. He said that Hasbro claimed it was a game which would reveal answers that you already had in your head. But surely its far too similar to the planchette to get away with that one.

I was further surprised to find that Hasbro are still selling it (although they advise it for people 17 years and older). In this litigation crazy age I'm surprised that they are still selling it.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.js ... Id=2266493
 
All major corporations have a budget for dealing with nuisance suits. As long as a product doesn't rack up enough expenses to reduce the project margin, of course they'll keep selling them.

And litigation-crazy and superstitious as this age is, consider whether, if you were a lawyer, you would really want to bring a case in front of a judge claiming that an alphabet board and a plastic pointer led to a claimant being harassed by evil spirits!

I have yet to hear a Ouija horror story in which anybody involved even thought to go to the law about it.
 
I can see the headline: "immigrant shops satanic threat to our children." :roll:
 
As I've mentioned before, years ago Mr Snail bought quite a few of the more ornamental boards and displayed them on the wall over his staircase, facing towards next door.
His neighbour, Phil, reckoned that his house suddenly became heavily haunted and his girlfriend was frightened away.

The boards face towards my bed now but I haven't had any problems.

Nobody'd DARE haunt me. ;)
 
escargot1 said:
As I've mentioned before, years ago Mr Snail bought quite a few of the more ornamental boards and displayed them on the wall over his staircase, facing towards next door.
His neighbour, Phil, reckoned that his house suddenly became heavily haunted and his girlfriend was frightened away.

The boards face towards my bed now but I haven't had any problems.

Nobody'd DARE haunt me. ;)

After spending some time on t'web looking at boards, I also started to think about purchasing an antique-y one for ornamental purposes (I rather like the design and thought it might be more interesting than what's already on the walls). But Mrs Machine said no. Apparently her Christian mother might get spooked by them. Now I'm determined to get them up all over the house :twisted:
 
Spudrick68 said:
What about a handmade ouija board toilet seat?

That awful smell? That's a haunting, that is.
 
This thread has inspired me to buy one of those antique ouija boards for my new office!
 
Good work rev_dino, I applaud you. Let us know of any reactions you get from staff/guests?
 
It'll probably just cement my reputation as "eccentric Brit"!
 
BlackRiverFalls said:
What about a handmade ouija board toilet seat?

Why didn;t I think of that first?

Might have to make one now. :p :lol:
If a spirit comes through while you're sitting on it you might shit yourself. :)
 
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