Ouija boards, psychics, etc.

I've been in a ghost-hunting group (a Scientific one) and I've done the Ouiji many times seperately from the group. If nobody pushes the glass, nothing happens. I've been to the most reportedly haunted places all over the UK and have emerged as a total and utter sceptic.

It's a very useful word for scrabble, though!

I worked in a university and students in a male hall of residence held a ouija session. They managed to raise a poltergeist. I don't know exactly what they unleashed, but it terrified them. Poltergeist activity is supposed to be linked to troubled adolescents.

I am a very spiritual person (not spiritualist...there is a difference).

Having used a ouija board when I was young and talked to others who did I would say AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE. There is a lot we do not know about ourselves and what the mind is actually capable of...

Nothing is safe if you are depressed, nervous or suffer from any form of mental illness. That applies to established religions as well. If you are delusional, it makes no difference whether the voice in your head is from God or the Devil.

We played with an Ouija board years ago and, frankly, it was hilarious. The replies we got were often very rude and always silly - sometimes we laughed so much, we could barely hold on to the glass. It has nothing to do with genuine spirituality, of course, nor is it used in the Spiritualist church.

In our case, all the people playing with the board were either atheists or, like myself, Pagan. Atheists, of course, don't believe in the Devil and Pagans don't either. You're less likely to be scared of something you don't believe in. Basically, it's just a silly, but sometimes funny, game with an exaggerated reputation. It's only dangerous to people who are highly susceptible.

allule - even more so on a triple!

I too dabbled in the Ouija board at college but I certainly wouldn't do it now and certainly not in my own gently haunted house

My grandma made her own version, playing it at parties was her party piece. We never saw her doing it, but she was great at making knocking noises for answers, we all knew it was her, but could we spot how she did it, Noooooo!!

What's happened to the science factor here. There is no after life or God. Have a butchers at Stephen Hawkins on you tube

Did Ouija when I was a teenager & it terrified me!
Many years later - working for a publishing co.- I did some market research for advertisers in a Psychic publication. Most were rubbish but 2 were totally correct in every detail-although it took a few months for it all to happen in my case. I was told I was pregnant- not to my knowledge at the time. Told it was a boy- true- a very big baby -10lb 8oz so true. Told to keep the number 5 in my mind- born 5th May. Many other things too.
The girl I went with was told a lot of very detailed info. about an accident her husband had been in & the outcomes that were to follow. She said it was total nonsense & then went home & told him & he confessed he had been in an accident the week before but had not told her in case she worried-he was 'done for leaving scene of accident' just as predicted.
My Mum went to a spiritulist church for a while & was amazed at the info she got that was true but I still keep a very open mind as I think 95% of it is all nonsense.

ElaineRI55 you are the only one who mentions being a Christian (at least of the messages I've read) and I just wanted to let you know I agree with you 100%. There is a spirit world and it has a very dark, evil side (Satan's kingdom, sorry folks if that seems like mythology to you - how else can we explain the truly awful things that happen) and of course God's side, which is only good. The Bible warns us not to mess with any kind of consultation of spirits...It is truly dangerous.

A Ouija board isn't rubbish I have used one when I was much younger but would strongly advise against it .
In the late 60's it was being sold as a game which it most certainly isn't I guess the film will start people dabbling again

As a Christian, I believe God's command not to consult with spirits etc which includes ouija boards. I come from a family where my grandparents were into that kind of thing, and it destroyed my family. Although God has given everyone free will, that, to my mind is a problem because things like spiritualism, witchcraft and all occult practices, seem to open a door to your whole family. I don't know why that is, but the thing is, you have the freedom to choose but your children and grandchildren get it inflicted on them.

I am a Christian as I said, and I listen to what Jesus is saying to me. If I need to know something He tells me and guides me aright.

I agree with you Penstemmon

When I was around 13, these boards were a big craze. Older teenagers lured us into joining in. I was really scared and couldn't sleep for months. We had a lot of horrible messages including one who said it was the devil. Whether it's real or not, it's not a activity I will ever get involved in again.

leurMamie I did mention that the college padre (who was also a C of E vicar) did warn us most strongly not to meddle with the ouija board; he said we could unleash forces over which we would have no control.
Certainly, I do not believe that anyone was pushing it, fingers all on the glass very lightly and it moved incredibly fast - in the end there were barely any fingers on it at all, then it smashed.

It depends whether you believe a) in the existence of a spirit world and b) that, if it does exist, that it is evil.

As a Pagan, I don't believe in Satan. I don't think we need evil spirits as an explanation for all the bad things that happen in the world. Natural disasters happen because, whether we like it or not, nature is both a creative and destructive force. As for human evil, I think we're perfectly capable of doing terrible things without the Devil whispering in our ears.

I never worried about the Ouija board because I don't believe that evil things are lurking around, waiting to invade our minds. On the other hand, I do believe that it is easy to frighten yourself and, if you are sufficiently vulnerable, it could prey on your mind. I also think Ouija has nothing to do with genuine spirituality. It's just a bit of silliness.

I'm sure many people believe in the existence of a spirit world without also believing that it's 'evil'.

Of course human beings are perfectly capable of behaving in atrocious ways without incitement by any supernatural entity, but I don't think anyone's saying that on this thread, are they?

Some things are best left alone, and Ouija boards seem to be one of those things..however, I went to a Psychic/Clairvoyant once to accompany a friend. I was very sceptical and didn't tell her a thing about myself, not even mentioning that I was with the woman who had consulted her before me, and she told me some small matters that happened when my mother died, and which I had almost forgotten, and also made several remarks about my children which were spot on. I hadn't told her I had children, and I have to say I left there with mixed feelings.

Ouija boards are dangerous because only one person is using/controlling it. So there is only you to be possessed. A glass with letters on a table is usually used by several people at once. If you are using a ouija board then there is only you to be possessed by a nasty spirit. If you can believe in these things, then don't use it. I would like to say that I don't believe and that it's nonsence, unfortunately I have had wierd experiences that cannot be explained, some of them without a ouija, seance, or a medium being involved. Just avoid!!

But what's the point if they only tell you things you already know? I thought people wanted some sort of message from their departed loved ones, not trivia about their own lives...

(to Rosina)

A small group of us did this at college (with letters and a glass I think). It came up with some letters and while we were doing it there was a major incident a couple of miles down the road. Looking at the letters they spelt out the beginning of two words, one the beginning of the noun for the incident and the other the beginning of the location. In my early twenties I went to a seaside clairvoyant (no idea why, maybe for a laugh, can't remember if my companion went too) and she came up with something she couldn't possibly have known. Unnerving.

I'm sure I would think it was nonsense if I hadn't had an unnerving experience myself once. As you do some friends and I decided to set up a ouiji board and have a go. As others have experienced soon the glass started whizzing around. Two of the four people leaped away leaving just two of us. At one point there was only me touching the glass and it was still whizzing around (with no help from me). The message was from a relative of someone i knew (who i didn't know was deceased). Never again!

DH and I have agreed that whoever dies first will try to come back and have chosen a bizarre code word. We won't go looking for a spirit sign but if someone tells us they have a message from the other side but can't say the word then they're def fake.

Neither of us expect to be contacted or if the situation arises be told the word