One possible answer is the ideomotor effect. So, if it isn’t ghostly messages from the other side, what is it? And yet we often hear stories from so-called “non-believers” who say that they have felt the planchette move over the board, spelling out words and telling them things no one else around the table could know. But given there’s no conclusive evidence spirits exist, the answer from sceptics and scientists alike would be a firm no. For those who believe in the ability to communicate with spirits, the answer would be yes. Ouija boards at workīut do Ouija boards work? It depends on who you ask. However, interest in spiritualism and Ouija boards more generally was rapidly revived after the second world war – and continues to this day. Even the Society for Psychical Research moved away from spirit communication, towards other paranormal phenomena such as extra-sensory perception (the ability to send and receive information with your mind) and haunted houses. This was largely due to many famous mediums who used the device being publicly debunked. So when the Ouija board was finally developed in 1890, it was an instant success.īut despite its early popularity, the Ouija board fell out of favour at the start of the 20th century. People wanted to be able to communicate with spirits as quickly as they were able to communicate with people using new technologies, such as the telegraph. This method captured the public’s imagination, but was quickly frustrating. This allowed them to spell out words and messages, supposedly from the dead. One of their most frequently used methods for communicating with so-called spirits involved saying the alphabet aloud and listening for a knock in response. It may first be partially traced back to the Fox Sisters, popular mediums in the 19th century who pioneered the spiritualism movement. The history of the Ouija board is a long and varied one. But though science suggests that ghosts aren’t behind the board’s mysterious movements, the explanation for how they do work isn’t as straightforward as you might expect. While some see it as a harmless parlour game, others swear by the board’s ability to communicate with those who have passed to the “other side”. To work, all participants must place their hands on the wooden pointer (or planchette) and ask any present “spirits” to answer their questions by moving the planchette around the board to spell out their response. Despite being around for more than 100 years, Ouija boards (a wooden board covered with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0-9 and the words “yes”, “no” and “goodbye”) continue to be a popular activity – especially around Halloween.
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