Arguments Against Ouija Boards

by Joe Wetterling

Moorestown Ghost Research has a strict "no ouija board" policy. I'd like to present several of the reasons for which we've made this decision.

A Less-Than-Impressive History

Jason Hawes, of The Atlantic Paranormal Society, has written a brief article on the history of ouija boards. In brief, the board was developed by the Kennard Novelty Company and fiercely promoted by William Fuld when he took over in 1892. The rights to the design were sold to Parker Brothers after Fuld's death.

There are several theories on the origin of the name. For instance:

"Fuld declared that Ouija was the Egyptian word for good luck. It's more likely, however, that he derived the name from the Moroccan city of Oujda."₁
"The name 'ouija' comes from the French and German words for yes, 'oui' and 'ja.'"₂

The history of the ouija board stretches back only about 150 years and remains within the United States. This is hardly the ancient communication device that some believe it to be.

The Danger of Opening a Door

"People... believe that this board is a doorway to another plain of existence... and due to this can put the user in great danger from malevolent spirits."₃

In using a ouija board, you are offering your body as a conduit for spirit communication. Your intention may not matter; if you think it is a game, you are still asking questions and expecting your hands to move without consciously directing them. That implies some loss of control, which could be taken advantage of by a demonic presence. Using the ouija board "opens the door", so to speak, for demonic activity. I do not know whether its possible for a faithful person to be possessed, but, at the least, I believe obsession is possible. (Obsession, in this case, is when someone is attacked from outside rather than from within (possession).)

Consider an analogy. When I leave my home, I lock the door. I do this because I don't know if someone might take advantage of my absence to try to rob my home or harm my family. I've never actually seen someone standing outside on the sidewalk in a ski mask, waiting for me; I lock the door because I can't be certain on what I cannot see now or in the future and I want myself, my family, and my home to be safe. Leaving my door open would be an invitation to walk in and do harm; its making the invitation that is the point, not whether or not someone is waiting to accept it.

Pascal's Wager approaches the existence of God as a "bet" - if you believe in God, you stand to win everything; if you do not believe, the best case is that you lose nothing; there is no gain. We could take a similar approach to deciding whether or not to use a ouija board. The possible outcomes are:

You use the board. Ouija boards are doorways to demonic activity. Something bad happens.
You use the board. Ouija boards are harmless toys. Nothing happens.
You do not use the board. Ouija boards are doorways to demonic activity. Nothing happens.
You do not use the board. Ouija boards are harmless toys. Nothing happens.

If you bet on ouija boards being dangerous objects, then whether you are right or wrong, the outcomes are the best possible.

Christian Censures

According to Christian beliefs, not all spirit communication is un-Godly, yet the use of ouija boards is prohibited. A distinction can be made, by looking at the sources, between communication with spirits (and perhaps profiting spiritually) and trying to summon, control, and profit (physically) from the spirit world.

Hebrew laws, set down in Leviticus 19:31 and Deuteronomy 18:10-11, for examples, prohibit summoning spirits and seeking the counsel of mediums. In every case, the implication is that contact is originating from the human world - contact is being sought.

There are, however, numerous positive examples of spirit contact in Scripture. In 2 Maccabees 15:12-16, the Jewish leader Maccabeus is visited by two ghosts on the eve of battle - the high priest Onias and prophet Jeremiah. In Matthew 17:1-14, Jesus is visited prior to his crucifixion by Moses and Elijah. An interesting quality of both of these cases is that communication was received rather than sought.

While spirit communication does exist and can be positive, there is a censure against seeking it out, including, then, the use of a ouija board. We can speculate on the reason for this - allowing us to receive communication but not to seek it. It seems likely that the laws are there, at least in part, for our protection; there is no way to be sure of who or what we reach through the use of a ouija board or other means of communication.

References

Hawes, Jason. The History of the Ouija Board. Online. Accessed 5-26-2006. http://the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com/arthunters/ouija.html
McAdam, D.J. Ouija Boards. Online. Accessed 5-26-2006. http://www.djmcadam.com/ouija.htm
Hawes, Jason. The History of the Ouija Board. Online. Accessed 5-26-2006. http://the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com/arthunters/ouija.html