Ouija boards
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[edit] Definition
The idea of the Ouija board goes back to the fourth century, when priests would hold a pendulum over a block with letters carved into it and attempt to channel messages from God by observing the changing swing of the pendulum. But the modern Ouija board didn't show up until 1890, when a group of game makers began to make and sell them. Nowadays, it is still sold at game stores from several makers, including Parker Brothers.
Once the board is placed on a table, and the planchette placed in the middle of the board, the operator lightly places his fingers on the planchette. As he relaxes and waits, something amazing happens: the planchette moves, seemingly all on its own. More mysteriously, the operator can then ask questions, and the planchette moves to an appropriate answer.
Often, multiple operators use the board, usually no more than three. They all have their hands on the planchette, and yet, it seems to move with singular determination towards the answer. Most questions are "yes" and "no" questions, because of the ease of getting an answer, but more complex answers can be spelled out with the letters.
Many people insist they're speaking with spirits of the dead. Others say they open a line of communication to beings in another plane, who can provide knowledge and wisdom previously unknown on Earth. Still others attack the Ouija board, saying it is an instrument of the occult which allows demons to spread evil through the world; these people often call them "witch boards" and say that the effect is due to necromancy.
[edit] How it works
The effect isn't caused by ghosts or astral spirits or demons; it's simply the Ideomotor effect. As the operator or operators relax, minute twitches in their muscles cause the almost frictionless planchette to move around the board. At that point, the suggestion sets in, and the operator's subconscious mind causes the planchette to move to an appropriate response.
Operators easily attribute the movement of the planchette to spirits because it doesn't seem at all like they're providing enough force to move it themselves. This is why the planchette must be virtually frictionless to work. This effect is heightened with more than one operator, since the already-miniscule force required to move the planchette is now divided among them. Once the planchette gets moving, it is very easy for the operators to think that the planchette should (say) be moving towards "yes," and therefore that is exactly what it does.
[edit] Experiments
The simplest experiment is to simply get a Ouija board and try it. Most people find that the planchette easily moves on its own and that the answers come with no prompting from them. But this is unreliable, as the Ideomotor effect can be very misleading.
A better experiment would be to have someone who knows the spirit allegedly being contacted be present, but not an operator. That person could then ask questions that he but none of the operators know the answer to, and see if the board gives an accurate response. To avoid giving anything away, it is best if this person writes down the question and the operators try and obtain an answer with that person out of the room. When these experiments are performed, the correct answers show up no more often than one would expect by chance.
Perhaps the most convincing proof for the Ideomotor effect being responsible comes with the person who is supervising the experiment to have the operators work blindfolded. While blindfolded, the operators can give coherent answers easily, but if the board itself is turned 180° without their knowledge, then the planchette moves to where they think the answer should be, rather than where it really is. An actual spirit shouldn't be fooled by this.
[edit] References
- CSICOP: Ouija in the Classroom
- Skeptic's Dictionary: Ouija board
- The Straight Dope: How does a Ouija board work?
- The Museum of Talking Boards
- An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural: Ouija Board
- Penn & Teller: Bullshit! episode covering Ouija boards
