General Question

WhatThaF's avatar

Is it safe to play the Ouija board?

Asked by WhatThaF (168points) October 18th, 2009 from iPhone

The Ouija board is used to, supposedly, talk to the unseen “spirits.” There’s a board with letters, numbers, and a Yes & No. A planchette, that triangular arrow, is used to spell out the words/numbers when participants hold their fingers over it.. While asking questions to the “unseen”.

I haven’t played the Ouija in years, but I’m thinkin about doing so for Halloween. I know it the planchette moves when you ask questions.. but I don’t believe it’s evil——-So it’s okay to play the board game, right? ...since I don’t believe it is evil?
My mother played Ouija when she was younger, and claimed the board spelled out “Lucifer.” so-called Psychics say it’s dangerous.. (off the Internet). My friend reads tarot cards and she really believes it’s evil but she’s never played it before.. She says we should say some kind of prayer before and after we play Ouija… Lol.

I’m skeptic.. Nothin’s really hurt me in the past nor did I believe it’s demon-ness.

What do you all think of the Ouija board? Have you played Ouija and What are your experiences with it? Do you really believe it’s dangerous? Entertainment purpose only?

Also, where can I find accurate information about the history of Ouija? I’ve been surfing the web.. But I’m seeing different stories. Anyone, Please suggest where I can get some info?

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66 Answers

PretentiousArtist's avatar

Yes I play it all the time
Suckas would try to get Boardwalk all the time.

Jeruba's avatar

Okay? Sure. It’s just for fun. What’s not okay is to take is seriously or try to use it to mess with somebody else.

aphilotus's avatar

It’s only dangerous if you want it to be dangerous.

Brenna_o's avatar

NO ABSOLUTELY NOT. It opens up doors to many awful things. Sickness, demons, and so much more. If I were you I wouldnt even go near one. They arent real its just demons who have changed their form to look like the person/animal you want to see. My friend was ready to kill because of it.

Sarcasm's avatar

It’s totally safe.
It’s not safe, however, to say “biggie smalls” 3 times into the mirror.

chyna's avatar

No it’s not safe. Just don’t do it. If you do, keep looking behind you, someone is there, watching…

cookieman's avatar

It us perfectly safe to play the Ouija Board.

However, it is not safe to taunt the Ouija Board.

poisonedantidote's avatar

Objective observations and scientific peer review studies and evidence have proven beyond any doubt that ouija boards are nothing more than a psychological illusion compounded with a muscular phenomenon. and thus totally safe at least assuming that no ones imagination gets the better of them. all and any harm could only come from a placebo effect.

You may want to look in to the James Randi foundation and the work he has done over the years with this kind of thing.

The idiomotor effect → link

J0E's avatar

Ouija? Yes.
Jumanji? No.

Axemusica's avatar

I used to have an obsession with them for months when I was a teenager. Then once everyone took their hand off from freight or whatever and only mine remained on it. The thing was still moving and that’s when I took my hand away and never touched one again.

Facade's avatar

In my opinion, no.

Psychedelic_Zebra's avatar

it’s no different than playing Monopoly, except you don’t get $200 for passing GOd. Only the superstitious would take the Ouija board seriously. It’s about as dangerous as knocking over the salt shaker.

judochop's avatar

I had a bad experiance with one of those things once. Really bad. Like really, really bad.

We were playing with it. A friend and I. We turned down the dimmer lights. We were trying to channel Elvis between joint hits. We kept smoking and
coughing. Just when my friend was asking for Elvis he coughed and it came out Hellvis. Big mistake. I got up and ran to the light. Smacking my head and stubbing my toe.

Those things are pure evil. I lost a nail.

Beta_Orionis's avatar

As long as you don’t stab someone with the letter finder…

erikaVT's avatar

I think it’s safe. I was told that it went against God to play with the board. But the way I see it-if God is going to punish 12 year old girls for trying to entertain themselves at a sleepover, then that’s not really something I can admire.

SuckaFreeCitizen's avatar

I don’t think I’m very superstitious, but I also think we don’t have all the answers as far as certain paranormal phenomenon are concerned. I know a lot of it is very fake and absurdly superstitious, but I honestly can say I’ve experienced some things of a paranormal nature that I can’t explain. As a result, I’ve never quite mustered the courage to give a Ouija board a go. All I can say is: try it and find out, if you dare. ;-)

cjmegatron81's avatar

Ouija boards are stupid. Nothing is going to happen to you.

ragingloli's avatar

it is safe as long as you only do it for fun and not start to believe that it actually works. once you start thinking that you have contact with ghosts, it has already started to damage your brain and you should cease at once.

WhatThaF's avatar

Hmmmmmm… How about if I play it during the day at someone else’s house???? Lol.. I don’t know but I think it’d be fun to play. My friends are interested and curious about my Ouija board.. But at the same time, scared. I want to try to put them at ease and assure them they ain’t gonna die _ Purpose of Jokes and Fun, right?

WhatThaF's avatar

Thank yal for the feedback motherFluthers..

Darkness's avatar

No do not play with a gateway.

judochop's avatar

Ever see Ghostbusters? Yeah, well. I’m just sayin.

Jeruba's avatar

It is a toy.

jackm's avatar

Not safe at all. My friend died that way.

WhatThaF's avatar

@jackm ???? Are you serious…....

jackm's avatar

yeah, we were playing while he was driving. he couldnt look at the road for like 30 seconds while the ghosts made us say things. hes dead now.

not safe at all

WhatThaF's avatar

Okayyyy @jackm…. Nevermind _

peedub's avatar

It can’t be that threatening if Morrissey has a song about it.

Clair's avatar

I have a psychic circle which is just a beefed up ouija board. In my experiences I’ve learned:
-Prayers may sound silly but if you’re gonna be ‘silly’ enough to play with it, go ahead and be ‘silly’ enough to say the prayers. Everybody likes a guy that plays by the ‘rules.’
-Don’t try to pry into anyone else’s life or manipulate the board in any way. You will get manipulated yourself.
-Be polite. Seriously.
-Avoid the witching hour. I know it sounds cliche.
-Avoid being around electronics and lights and things. Spirits aren’t very responsive around these. I’ve got responses that they’re afraid of them.
-Don’t believe everything it tells you.
-Play around with who is on the board at the same time. Some people’s energy works well with Person A’s but not with Person B’s.
-Don’t let disrespectful people participate.
-If it feels wrong, don’t do what it tells you.
Some people can say that it’s all fake and maybe it is. But I’ve had experiences that I know I didn’t initiate. It’s a one of a kind experience. My family has told me their experiences in the past and it has always intrigued me and now I have more than them! My grandmother told me that when she was a teenager, she asked it who she was going to marry and when she was going to die. A few years later she married that man and got her arm cut off the same year it told her. She would have died had the fates not been perfectly in her favor.
Ouija boards can be fun. Don’t go to the board scared. But not cocky either. I wouldn’t advise doing it completely out of sport for Halloween either. Contrary to what a lot of people say, it is not a toy.
I’m never going to live this down…Most superstitious Flutherite ever.

Parrappa's avatar

Yeah, listen to Clair. You should be incredibly cautious and respectful to an inanimate object which poses absolutely no threat.

jackm's avatar

Damn, if any of you actually believe this, please watch this video.

Clair's avatar

@Parrappa hehehe. And let the heckling commence…

Jeruba's avatar

It’s about as dangerous as the things on this page.

ratboy's avatar

That you are even thinking such thoughts leads me to suspect that you’re already damned for all time. Go ahead and play—you have nothing to lose.

FireMadeFlesh's avatar

Well I don’t see how it could hurt you, but I would like to know why you would play with it. It cannot hurt you because the supernatural is purely imagined, so unless you have a particularly vivid imagination that makes your day dreams come true, then what’s the risk? Without having used one myself, I do not know what the appeal is. If there is any effect at all, it would be due to an entirely rational phenomenon, and probably something that is quite mundane once the mystery and perceived danger are stripped away. You never want to know the secret to a magic trick – magic is only fun as long as it remains mysterious.

IchtheosaurusRex's avatar

Roses Blue by Joni Mitchell

I think of tears, I think of rain on shingles
I think of rain, I think of roses blue
I think of rose, my heart begins to tremble
To see the place shes lately gotten to
Gotten to, gotten to

Shes gotten to mysterious devotions
Shes gotten to the zodiac and zen
Shes gotten into tarot cards and potions
Shes laying her religion on her friends
On her friends, on her friends

Friends who come to ask her for their future
Friends who come to find they cant be friends
Because of signs and seasons that dont suit her
Shell prophesy your death, she wont say when
Wont say when, wont say when

When all the black cards come you cannot barter
No, when all your stars are stacked you cannot win
Shell shake her head and treat you like a martyr
It is her blackest spell she puts you in
Puts you in, puts you in

In sorrow she can lure you where she wants you
Inside your own self-pity there you swim
In sinking down to drown her voice still haunts you
And only with your laughter can you win
Can you win, can you win

You win the lasting laurels with your laughter
It reaches like an arm before you sink
To win the solitary truth youre after
You dare not ask the priestess how to think
How to think, how to think

I think of tears, I think of rain on shingles
I think of rain, I think of roses blue
I think of rose, my heart begins to tremble
To see the place shes lately gotten to
Gotten to, gotten to

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/joni+mitchell/roses+blue_20075293.html

Unless you are very, very grounded, leave this shit alone.

Psychedelic_Zebra's avatar

A-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

breedmitch's avatar

Do the Parker Brothers say some sort of incantation over the box before they ship it out?

CMaz's avatar

“It’s only dangerous if you want it to be dangerous.”

Needed to be repeated.

ABoyNamedBoobs03's avatar

no, ghosts will come out of the walls and molest you….

come on, really? ghosts?

Sarcasm's avatar

They’re not ghosts.
They’re SPIRITS. It’s way more spooky, and way more real! Sheesh

fundevogel's avatar

if you’re worried you could always wear a helmet. If you’re still worried start with alphabet soup or refrigerator magnets.

deadbutterflies's avatar

idk who to belive O_O i wanna belive psychedelic zebra! but i have watched to many horror movies . and its my freakin b- day today!!!! i made a homemade wigi board!!!1 out of cardboard, paper, and a sharpy :D and now im scared to use it cuz since I I! made it the bad spirits will be conected to me and latly i have been hearing and seeing strange things at night ?:S can anyone tell me what to do plz!!!!! im only 14!!!!! ._. dont judge me! im looking for help and this poped up what do i do to play it safe read a page outa the bible and light whiote candels? can anyone help? and telll me what to do?

Beta_Orionis's avatar

@deadbutterflies burn some sage, ask the house to stop bugging you, and chill out. You’ll be fine.

jackm's avatar

@deadbutterflies
You have no chance to live. The spirits get really angry when you make your own instead of buying one. I would say your farewells now.

deadbutterflies's avatar

O_O ok beta thank you and now im more scared thx to freakin jackm!

Beta_Orionis's avatar

@deadbutterflies It’s okay; he scares us all a little at some point. ;)
Welcome to Fluther!

deadbutterflies's avatar

thanks :) and ps i have not even use the homemade one i just made it it looks kool :) so im not going to die right? and ps my house ant haunted i think its just me part of the time freakin my self OUT! xDDDD i have ahbbit of doing that :)

deadbutterflies's avatar

o.o helloooo? anyone there? lol

deadbutterflies's avatar

do you think its safe to play with a homemade wigi board?

J0E's avatar

I think it’s effects have already begun, you can’t spell ouija…AHHHH!!!!

deadbutterflies's avatar

haha . there funny ouija board i learned it wigi x]

Beta_Orionis's avatar

@deadbutterflies a home-made version is as safe as the mass-marketed, or even a uniquely crafted, version.

Also, Fluther doesn’t function as a chat room. Responses can take minutes, hours, even days. You might want to browse through some existing questions and read the guidelines to get a feel for how we operate. :)

deadbutterflies's avatar

oh ._. sorry im new at this hehe…... but the spirits will not haunt me if i play with mine they will not attact to me/ and if they do can i burn mine and they will leave?

jackm's avatar

Please watch this video all the way through.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA5uYhXpa-E

deadbutterflies's avatar

ok? ._. do i want to :S

J0E's avatar

@deadbutterflies You do realize that you are making a very large assumption that these things even work, right?

jackm's avatar

@deadbutterflies
Yes, it explains how the board works.

Beta_Orionis's avatar

oh, endless September

deadbutterflies's avatar

hey i watched this when i was reading this i clicked it yah i say this video u put it made me feel better xD

J0E's avatar

translator senses foreign language…does not compute.

deadbutterflies's avatar

oh and sorry joe xD

deadbutterflies's avatar

well i will be quiet now sorry 4 bothering you and thx beta and jackm :)

Clair's avatar

@deadbutterflies You may have learned to spell it ‘wigi’ but it’s not even pronounced ‘wigi.’ The most common correct pronunciation is ‘wee-ja.’

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