Elle Richards
Growing Up with Ouija: A Personal Reflection
If you grew up in the 1980’s, there’s a good chance you encountered a Ouija board–or at least heard someone’s spine-chilling account of messing with one. They were a major creep factor in the pre-internet days, back when entertainment involved more than just scrolling. I remember girls gathered in circles, giggling nervously, trying to see if some random spirit from beyond could tell them if Jake was going to ask them out.
Nowadays, of course, you can just ask this stuff on Snap, or wherever, and get real-time feedback. But we, the children of the 80’s, had to relay on Tiffany’s dearly departed aunt to relay gossip from the spirit world. It was turned into an occult game of telephone, except with no cell phones and terrified 12-year olds with no access to Google.
Ah, the pre-internet days –when we entertained ourselves with spooky cardboard, questionable seances, and sleepover drama. But now, thanks to the beautiful chaos of the internet, we can research literally anything our heart desires. Me? I choose to study the mind because it’s endlessly fascinating how much potential our brains hold, especially when they’re making us think we’re talking to ghosts.
Let’s break it down: where did the Ouija Board come from and what’s the deal with it’s “powers.”
A (Brief) History of Ouija Boards
The Ouija board, believe it or not, was born out of a mix of parlor game fun and spiritualist intrigue. Back in the late 19th century, people were obsessed with communicating with the dead. Enter Elijah Bond, who in 1890 patented the Ouija board as a quirky way to do just that. And boom–an iconic tool of divination (or just an anxiety-inducing game, depending on how you look at it) was born. The board was simple: letters, numbers, “yes,” “no,” and a planchette to point at them.
At first, it was seen as a fun, innocent parlor game. But over time, it took on a much spookier reputation. It’s been demonized by religious groups (literally), embraced by spiritualists, and featured in way too many horror movies to count. Whether you see it as a communication tool or a doorway to demonic possession, the Ouija board has certainly carved out its niche in pop culture.
Religious and Occult Views
When it comes to religious perspectives, let’s just say the Ouija board doesn’t get a lot of love. Christianity, in particular, warns against dabbling with it, associating it with demonic forces. The Catholic Church is especially clear on its stance–Ouija boards = bad news. And hey, can you blame them? If you think you’re talking to Aunt Mildred but suddenly you’re hearing growls and the light flickers, maybe put that planchette down.
But outside the mainstream, certain New Age and spiritualist groups view the Ouija board a little more warmly. For them, it’s less about demons and more about connecting with loved ones who’ve passed on–or maybe even tapping into some higher spiritual knowledge. Occultists, on the other hand, tend to treat it with caution. It’s like a gateway, but whether it leads to wisdom or something a bit more sinister is up for debate.
The Science Behind It All
Now, for the science nerds out there (raising my hand here), modern psychology has a much more rational explanation for what’s happening when the planchette mysteriously moves. It’s called the ideomotor effect, a fancy term for when your body makes movements unconsciously.
You see, your brain, in all its glory, has the power to move your hands without you even realizing it. It’s not ghosts, it’s not spirits…it’s you! These subtle, involuntary movements are driven by your thoughts and expectations. And when you’re sitting around a dimly lit room with your friends, spooked out of your mind, it’s not hard to see how your brain could be tricking you into thinking that something otherworldly is at play.
Add in expectation bias (where you’re already primed to believe something will happen) and apophenia (our’s brains need to find patterns in randomness), and you’ve got a recipe for a supernatural experience that’s all in your head. Literally.
Scientists have even tested this under controlled conditions, and guess what? When people were blindfolded or when researchers moved the panchette without their knowledge, participants couldn’t produce coherent answers. In other words, no spirits were moving the planchette. It was just good old-fashioned human psychology at work.
Maybe it’s Demons, Maybe it’s Dead People…Maybe it’s Maybelline….
So what’s the real takeaway here? Is it demons? Is it spirits? Or is it just your own overactive brain making your think you’re receiving cryptic message from the beyond?
Honestly, it doesn’t matter. Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, just knowing that our brains are capable of creating such an experience is pretty amazing. I mean, who needs a haunted house when you’ve got the power of the human mind?
So, to all the Ouija enthusiasts and science nerds alike: the mystery may never be fully solved, but the fact that we can have this debate at all is proof of just how fascinating–and sometimes hilarious–our brains really are.