Ouija on the Web - Page 2
© M. Williams.
There are plenty of skeptics to whom the ouija board is little more than a piece of decorated wood. To give them their credit, Facts About the Ouija Board points out that a great number of the spirits contacted claim to be the shades of famous people, an observation that tends to cast doubt on the validity of the alleged spirit communications. Jesus Christ seems to be a favorite, as does Socrates and the archangel Michael.
Science would have it that muscle impulses cause those involved to unconsciously move the planchette (ideomotor effect). This coupled with an unconscious desire to receive certain answers serve as an explanation for the entire phenomenon. The Skeptic's Dictionary makes a powerful case for science in its powerfully matter-of-fact way. Posession?-not possible, as the ouija board, quite simply, does not facilitate spirit communications.
Ouija as Art
For some, the controversy is not the main concern. The ouija board has survived over 100 years of our history-a testimony to its popularity. In fact, so completely did the ouija grasp the imagination of the public, that it was featured on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in May of 1920. As with any enduring interest, the board's design has evolved as a mirror of the many changes in our culture over this period. It's lasting popularity has placed the ouija firmly in the category of collectible, and it has become an objet d'art for many serious collectors. The Museum of Talking Boards features a gallery of ouija boards from the past, and the beautiful boards featured at Tiramasu's Custom Channeling Boards exemplify the modern art of the ouija.
It's surprising just how large, and diverse, the 'ouija web' is. Check out these unique sites to round out your online ouija experience:
Among the more unique offerings, and doubtless on collector's lists everywhere, is the 1933 pamphlet advertising the glow-in-the-dark Mystifying Oracle featured at Ouija Witch's Web.
If you'd prefer to make your own board, the better to empower it with your own personal energies, complete instructions are offered here, delivered with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Although its an official website for a yet-to-be-released motion picture, Nine Tenths is the site to visit for visual effects. Navigation is strictly intuitive (hint: move your cursor around the ouija board).
In 1973, The Exorcist opened in movie theatres. Find out about the impact it had on the public perception of ouija boards, and read the true story upon which the movie was based at Castle of the Spirits.
 |
