Ouija board..."just" a game?

Parker Brothers Ouija Board game
planchette

I had an interesting conversation today with a friend on Facebook...talking about the Ouija board and why it has never been pulled from the store shelves because of public outcry over the dangers/possible mental and emotional trauma that these so-called "just games" can create...especially with children. One has to wonder what parent would be willing to buy a game with such a negative history (and stigma) for their child. (For that matter, what adult would chose to mess with something that is often-times dark?)

Some form of the Ouija board (or spirit/fire key board or talking board) has been around since 1100 CE, in historical documents of the Song Dynasty in China. According to Wikipedia
Following its commercial introduction by businessman Elijah Bond on July 1, 1890, the Ouija board was regarded as a harmless parlor game unrelated to the occult until American Spiritualist Pearl Curran popularized its use as a divining tool during World War I.
And it seems that from that point on, it's been all downhill with the reputation of this 'game'!

While it's said that there have been scientific studies done that claim that the Ouija board is harmless, and that the movement of the planchette is "explained by unconscious movements of those controlling the pointer, a psychophysiological phenomenon known as the ideomotor effect": where-in a person sometimes "reacts reflexively to ideas alone without the person consciously deciding to take action". (Yet try to find such a study online!)

What I did find interesting while doing some research on the Ouija board, there are hundreds of websites that have frightening stories and warnings not to use them. Amongst those, are a few sites that are Christian oriented, such as  ChristianCourier.com. In their article titled: What About the Ouija Board?, the author cites a couple of Bible verses that show that it goes against God's teachings, as contact with the dead is "futile".

Yet there are many, many more people out there, who will tell you that the Ouija board does communicate with not only the dead, but spirits that are/can be evil in intent...that using the board is much the same as opening a gateway to an astral plain better left alone.

About.com has an article: Is the Ouija board dangerous? and it states in it that:  
These spirits are often very confused and may have died a violent or sudden death; murder, suicide, etc. Therefore, many violent, negative and potentially dangerous conditions are present to those using the board. Often times several spirits will attempt to come through at the same time but the real danger lies when you ask for physical proof of their existence! You might say, 'Well, if you're really a spirit, then put out this light or move that object!' What you have just done is simple, you have 'opened a doorway' and allowed them to enter into the physical world and future problems can and often do arise."
Another warning comes from Our Ultimate Reality that expounds on the fact that the Ouija board is NOT just another board game...that there are very real dangers associated with its use. The last two paragraphs of the article: The Ouija board and its hidden dangers couldn't have been stated better: 
...the use of a Ouija board should be strongly discouraged. Due to the nature of the way this instrument functions it is much more likely to attract malevolent low-level Astral entities than well-meaning or even helpful inner-level beings. Those who do attract lower level beings ultimately stand a very high chance indeed of suffering possession and/or serious mental illness, both of which would be nearly impossible to overcome by modern medical means. The only solution to such a serious situation involving inter-dimensional forces would be an exorcism carried out by a highly experienced practitioner of which there are very few living today.

The most sensible solution therefore is to resist any such temptations completely, leaving the Ouija board and similar instruments such as a tumbler with playing cards and automatic writing very well alone for your own safety and for the safety of those around you.
Wise words, indeed.

Yet the biggest question of all...why are Ouija boards still sold...knowing all that we do about them? Even though they are no longer as popular as they once were (thankfully--they faded out after the 1970s pretty much) but the fact remains...they still can be found for purchase. 

If you are a concerned parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, friend...whatever, speak out against this so called 'game'! There is no productive purpose in having one...especially in a home where there are children. This piece of cardboard is akin to a loaded gun...no good can come from having one around!

Thanks for reading! 

Comments

  1. I certainly agree that anyone should stay far away from a ouija board or anything similar.
    cyn

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  2. Hi, Cyn...I couldn't agree more!

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  3. Back in the 70's, when I was a kid, one of my girlfriends went to a sleepover party with a bunch of her friends from school. My friend was a devout Christian (now a missionary for almost 30 years) & told me about the girls bringing out the Ouija board. She refused to participate, but stayed in the room with them. Strange, scary things DID happen with the board. She told me about it, but what I remember the most was her saying the bedroom door flying open & slamming shut. Scary, indeed!

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  4. My experience wasn't as dramatic...but I won't go into that now as that is the topic for the next blog! Hee-hee!

    The Ouija board is not a 'regular' board game...there is some kind of dark threat to it...how or why, I don't know...I just know that there is.

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  5. Great blog, Deb! Including the research. Looking forward to reading about your personal experience with it.

    Laura, that is pretty scary indeed! There are too many stories about this piece of 'toy' for it to be just a harmless game. I firmly believe (ok, I'm a conspiracy theorist but prove me wrong) that this ties in with the enemy's agenda to destroy souls. So glad your friend was wise enough to not get involved. I'm sure she won't be caught dead (excuse the pun) near a Ouija board again.

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  6. Thanks, Marg. I have read both sides of this argument for years, but after having my own personal experience, and still having never met anyone with a "positive" experience from the board...I am dead-set against them.

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  7. I've never heard a positive experience either, except for Pearl Curran who died a millionere.

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  8. Exactly, Marg. There is not many who have had a positive experience with them!

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