Do Ouija Boards Really Work? The History of the Talking Board
by Alex J. Coyne © Gifts for Card Players
The Ouija board was first released in 1891 after being patented by Elijah Bond, and it’s since become one of the most controversial board games ever created. There are some who believe Ouija boards are nothing more than a harmless tabletop game, while many other people believe that talking boards are a way to contact the spirit realm.
When I was a child in the 1950’s our family often played with an Ouija board, asking random questions. One afternoon my mother asked a general question about the future and the Ouija spelled out ‘Fire.’ This was frightening understandably and even more so when the next day while walking along her waterfront property she found burned logs in a retaining wall. ‘Fire’ had clearly been a warning from another realm!
The Exorcist (1973) is credited with bringing talking boards back to mainstream attention in the 1970’s. According to the movie, the demon Pazuzu is allowed entry through the girl’s use of a witchboard – and this sparked both interest and fear in commercial talking boards.
Here’s what you should know about the infamous Ouija board.
Are Ouija Boards Real?
Ouija boards achieved their initial popularity through the height of the Spiritualism movement. Seances were reported to bring psychics or mediums in touch with otherworldly realms; however, many mediums of the time were later found to be charlatans intentionally fleecing their audiences for fame or money.
For a while, talking boards faded into the background as the Spiritualist movement declined in mainstream popularity. Talking boards, witch boards or Ouija boards became news again with the rise of horror movies like The Exorcist.
Are Ouija boards really a way to contact the spirit realm?
Opinions about Ouija boards and their use are still varied today. There are some people who believe in the supernatural or mystical power of these boards, while many of its critics say that movements are the players’ subconscious intent (“ideomotor movements”) at play.
The History Channel explores some of its mystical or occult views:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-99mlV5iTE
Smithsonian Magazine covers the rise of the cultural obsession that came with the popularity of talking boards:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_zwRPZJyio
Do you think Ouija boards reach into other realms?
How Ouija Boards Work
An Ouija board is a flat board marked with the letters A–Z, the numbers 0–9, and the words “yes,” “no,” and “goodbye.” It usually includes a movable pointer called a planchette, which participants rest their fingers on during use.
To use it, two or more people lightly place their fingertips on the planchette. One person asks a question, and the planchette appears to move across the board, spelling out answers by stopping on specific letters or numbers.
Some believe that Ouija boards are a manifestation of what’s called the ideomotor effect. Automatic writing and other guided actions are believed to be subconscious instead of supernatural – and critics of the talking board say that it’s truly the player moving the planchette.
Instead of being guided by a spirit hand, the ideomotor effect applies to subtle muscle movements not necessarily processed by the conscious mind. Players are moving the planchette, say its critics, and will be inclined to information the player already knows or wants to know.
Dowsing rods, pendulums and automatic writing are also said to be applications of the ideomotor movement instead of being examples of true psychic encounters.
For example, if you held out your hand and wished it to move down instead of consciously trying to move it … You might notice that your hand drops very, very slowly as though being moved by an invisible force.
What do you believe?
Watch what happens when someone brings a vintage talking board to the show Pawn Stars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXY2mhCDYZg
Ouija Boards in the Movies
Regardless of what you might believe about Ouija boards, they’re still popular – and you can still find classic talking boards at yard sales, stores, attics and in many movies!
Here are some of the most popular screen appearances featuring the infamous talking board:
Miniseries: Ouija (2024)
Ouija is a lesser-known French mini series that features a group of friends and – of course – a talking board they should never have messed with. Soon after they encounter the Ouija board, strange things begin to happen to everyone who was sitting around the table. If you don’t speak French, of course, you can stream it with subtitles.
The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring (2013) imagined paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren chasing after ghosts at a farmhouse. The talking board is an important plot point, and brought back the classic trope made popular by The Exorcist: y’know, about not playing with talking boards in the dark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntRW9N3KVmc
Ouija (2014)
Ouija (2014) has turned into a multiple-movie series, but began with this one. If you needed one more reason to be unsettled by the idea of spirits around a planchette, this movie might be the perfect addition to your movie night playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBLmBdn2QF8
Ouija: Origins of Evil (2016)
Ouija: Origins of Evil is one of the high-rated sequels from the Ouija film franchise. The movie explores an earlier setting than the first film, and it instead takes place set in 1967. Like other films, it comes back to the idea that playing with talking boards are an ominous gateway to possession instead of a game. It makes for a very memorable movie!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJIcZGEjjwo
Witchboard (1986)
The movie Witchboard (1986) is almost everything that you would expect from a horror movie of the time: there’s cheesy music and a slightly corny plot, and you know exactly what you’re going to get from this slasher-era flick. Most of the plot is about, well, you guessed it: not playing with talking boards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBV125UHJ2k
It was recently remade into a sequel that didn’t do quite as well achieving cult status as the original. You can watch the trailer for the remake here (YouTube).
Get Your Ouija Here
The name Ouija is a combination of the French and German words for yes: Oui and Ja.
However, it was initially believe to mean “good luck” at the time of its patent. Back then it wasn’t as easy to type something into a search engine to verify its etymology!
Ouija boards have become popular again, and these days you can find various talking boards hosted online. That’s right: ouija boards can now connect the spirits to your smartphone or computer!
Some online ouija boards allow users to type in a question, while others simply ask the user to visualize and ask what they want to know.
Because there’s no physical planchette, some internet-based Ouija-boards will automatically move the planchette around – while others require the user to place their finger or mouse on the equivalent digital spot.
Some of these ouija boards include:
- OuijaBoard.us (https://www.ouijaboard.us)
- BrainJar Ouija (http://www.brainjar.com/dhtml/ouija/)
- PsychicScience.org Spirit Board (https://psychicscience.org/spirit)
- E-Tarocchi Ouija (https://www.e-tarocchi.com/ouija/)
- The Museum of Talking Boards: WebOuija (https://www.museumoftalkingboards.com/WebOuija.html)
There’s one further step: some online talking boards incorporate an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to answer your spirit communication questions. Hasbro – today one of the main original Ouija creators – has an AI-powered Ouija that you can find at Ouija.com.
Where Can I Buy a Ouija Board?
Ouija boards or witchboards can usually be bought at many places that sell board or card games. Also, occult or esoteric stores also have Ouija boards in their collection. Even today the Ouija board draws many different opinions and interests!
Classic talking boards can be purchased from Amazon, where you will find a fine selection.
Websites like Etsy and Pandora Witch Shop can also connect you to the perfect planchette for you.
