Ouija board tips/tales/skepticism?

mwhitson14

DH and I have been experiencing some weird things in the house the last couple months. Lights turning on and off by themselves, our furnace coming on, shadows across our bedroom door, and dreams that we both have about someone standing at the foot of our bed screaming at us to get out. We've decided to borrow a ouija board and see if we learn anything. I'm pretty strongly against it due to my religious upbringing, but DH really wants to try it. Any ouija board tales, tips, tricks, doesn't work/does work kinda thing?

Nebb

DID YOU NOT WATCH PARANORMAL ACTIVITY! dont do it.

jasmineh7777

My tip would be: DON'T DO IT.
I am Catholic, and my Mom felt really strongly about not ever using those. I realize it's supposed to be a toy, but I think you are asking for trouble. I tried it once with some friends, and I really wish we wouldn't have. It was not only creepy, but I felt icky about it for months after.

tidetravel

Don't do it, unless you're prepared to deal with what you may find.

I've never played with Ouijas because of the freaky things I've experienced.  Didn't want to open that can of worms.  DH's mom and sisters are "seers."  His mom wouldn't let the thing in the house.

 

alixzafiris

Am I the only one who just sees those as being pieces of cardboard with a little planchette on them?

mandysmear

I 100% believe in ghosts and spirits.  But I don't think I believe in ouiji boards.

Night_Sprite

Do people really have ouija board experiences?  I've only ever had people move them while I was touching the dial thing.

danieliza1127

I'm with Alix and Mandy on this one.  Plus you have to 100% trust that the person you're doing it with won't just push the little thingy around and make it say whatever he/she wants.

vallyhoo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_ouija-board-tipstalesskepticism?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:758db216-3ace-44c7-a1ba-6a40d146794cPost:e4526113-dc87-4e9b-b9c7-8f459ae3eaeb">Re: Ouija board tips/tales/skepticism?</a>:
[QUOTE]Am I the only one who just sees those as being pieces of cardboard with a little planchette on them?
Posted by alixzafiris[/QUOTE]

No you aren't the only one.

And I still don't get calling him 'DH'. I just don't get it.

smokeybailey

I have played with Ouija quite a few times and nothing happened.  If you are looking to have some fun, then do it.  However, if you are legitimately concerned you should probably talk to someone who deals with this.  Check a local college or university for someone who might come out for free.

stephl3055

I guess I would be weighing out the pros and cons of trying it out versus not trying it out.  The stuff you described in your original post would freak me out to no end.  I wouldn't be stay in a house where stuff like that happened.  However, the other posters have obviously not had positive experiences with a ouija board.  Is there some other option?

J&K10910

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_ouija-board-tipstalesskepticism?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:758db216-3ace-44c7-a1ba-6a40d146794cPost:4d89dd04-1968-42b7-96c7-6127384f5ab5">Re: Ouija board tips/tales/skepticism?</a>:
[QUOTE]DID YOU NOT WATCH PARANORMAL ACTIVITY! dont do it.
Posted by Nebb[/QUOTE]

Yeah.  This.  And if you haven't seen Paranormal Activity, I'd say don't see it now.

jonchrissy

I used to be the one moving it on people. I don't trust them at all, I also don't believe in that kind of stuff.

Pirata13

Don't do it.  If you're that interested, try to find a medium or paranormal expert who can come to the house. Have you tried researching the house at all? Find out previous owners, if anything bad ever happened there etc?  I'd start with some old-fashioned sleuthing.  I wouldn't mess with it. You're clearly not comfortable with it, especially with your religious beliefs, so don't agree to it. Stick to your guns.

Nebb

I just dont think its something you want to mess with - maybe nothing will happen but maybe something seriously negative will. You dont want to have to deal with anything melevolant should you somehow summon that or cause it to be active.

jasmineh7777

A lot of churches really do discourage them, yes. They also discourage believing in a horoscope or seeing psychics.
I was told not to do it because if there is something, you are inviting it to interact with you.
If you are genuinely worried, I've heard that saying "Stop" when it happens can work. I don't know what specfici denomination you are, but I know Catholics can take holy water home and have their home blessed.

mwhitson14

Smokey, being in such a small town, the nearest we could speak to someone is a couple hours away. Sorry vally, I've just gotten used to typing it that way on here because I don't really use his name. I don't know what I think about it, real/fake/whatever, shane thinks it would be fun.

andyandhillary

If you are religious come and have a religious person bless your house.  I strongly believe in spirits and ghosts and have witnessed very creepy things happening.  Not all spirits are bad, though, they just might be trapped.  I'm Catholic and would have a priest come out but I'm not sure if protestants do that stuff too.   

Pirata13

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_ouija-board-tipstalesskepticism?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:758db216-3ace-44c7-a1ba-6a40d146794cPost:73dee8d0-38f2-47b7-b7eb-b8d85ef62288">Re: Ouija board tips/tales/skepticism?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Ouija board tips/tales/skepticism? : No you aren't the only one.<strong> And I still don't get calling him 'DH'. I just don't get it.
</strong>Posted by vallyhoo[/QUOTE]

THIS.

FutureMrsDudley55

I don't believe in the Ouija boards eithers. A friend of mine and I tried to do it one time, and it didn't do anything. Just another piece of junk.

jasmineh7777

There are lots of things you could do to discourage these kinds of things from happening.
I think using a quija board would only encourage more activity. I don't think that's what you want, and if you're scared, it's not fun.

Pirata13

Maybe talk to your pastor and see if they do any kind of blessings like Catholics do. He may be able to refer to a Catholic priest who may be able to do it if he can't do any kind of blessing. But I definitely think you should go the route of research first if you're really not comfortable with the board. I don't know how I feel about the board, but I definitely don't think I'd be comfortable using it either. And there's definitely some serious stuff going on, I'd try to find out if anything ever happened at the house.

Can you post on Craiglist or something to see if there is anyone more local who would come check things out? The university/college idea is a good one.  But maybe putting something out there online will get you in touch with someone who can help. 

andyandhillary

I would steer away from the Ouija board because you don't know what kind of spirits you're dealing with.  It could go very wrong. 

jasmineh7777

Interesting that those people who don't believe in it didn't have any experiences. Maybe your beliefs do have a lot to do with it.

andyandhillary

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_ouija-board-tipstalesskepticism?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:758db216-3ace-44c7-a1ba-6a40d146794cPost:bbcf6cc2-b7ec-43b8-a580-e0d12d911e64">Re: Ouija board tips/tales/skepticism?</a>:
[QUOTE]Interesting that those people who don't believe in it didn't have any experiences. Maybe your beliefs do have a lot to do with it.
Posted by jasmineh7777[/QUOTE]

Or maybe they don't believe it in because nothing has happened to them, eh?

LeighPA

[QUOTE]I 100% believe in ghosts and spirits.  But I don't think I believe in ouiji boards.
Posted by mandysmear[/QUOTE]
I agree. I think Ouija boards are too easily and too often subconciously powered by the participants.

georgia_bride09

[QUOTE]Am I the only one who just sees those as being pieces of cardboard with a little planchette on them?
Posted by alixzafiris[/QUOTE]

Nope. I mean, do people also believe "Light as a feather, stiff as a board" works too? Come on now.

september's bride

Used one once, and will never ever use one again. Never.

debjwes

when i was in middle school we lived in a house that was built on an Indian burial ground. My sister had a lot of weird paranormal stuff go on in her room. So we decided to use the ouija board.  For us it moved. We used it a couple of times. They "spirit" said his name was CED. I thought my sister was moving it the whole time.  But one time we were using it and the phone rang, i answered and all i heard was static. This was a landline phone. No answer, so i hung up. It rang again, same thing.

Then later we were sitting in the living room, we were moving and the living room was empty besides one of those tall lamps that catch fire easily. All we saw on the wall was a shadow of a scythe. SCARY!  we would hear coughing from upstairs when no one was there. But we stopped playing with it.

smokeybailey

I think the bigger issue is that your husband is pushing you to do something that is in direct opposition to your religious beliefs.

If he wants to do it, let him, but you should not be a part of it.  I don't think a Ouija board is going to make any bit of difference.  It's a Parker Brothers game not a key to the portal of hell or something. 

However, if you are against it (as many people are), he should respect you and not expect you to take part.

Is your question-what should I do to find out if my house is haunted or is it-should I do this thing that my husband wants to do that I am opposed to?

shellydiane820

Has anyone ever listened to the album "Frances the Mute" ?  That's all I got.

I think the Milton Bradley ones are hokey, but I don't think I woud touch a real ouija board if I saw one.