Ouija Boards

[Damian]

Thanks Shell! 

I picked up a Ouija Board at Toys-R-Us today.  All they had were glow-in-the-dark Ouija boards, so this beauty has a glowing board AND planchette.  How could I say no?  LOL!   

[PPI Jason]

Also just to help see who has what , and who can bring what things -
I have a HandyCam ive yet to use and also a lil Flip Video camera.
so just in case we fall short on video cameras I could bring one or both.

Hi Shell,

I'd suggest, and this goes for all of us, that we bring all of our equipment to the experiment (with the exception of Miller's DVRs which I think would be over kill unless you guys think differently).

In a situation like this (i.e. an experiment that keeps evolving as we get new ideas) it's probably better to bring it and not need it than to need it and not bring it. I plan on bringing my Hi 8, my recorder and mics, my KII, my Tri-Meter, and, of course, my handy dandy Mel Meter.

I'm also looking forward to these experiments. Hopefully we can get some time frame finalized at the next meeting and during some of the subsequent forum posts.

[ljiljanac]

Thanks Shell! 

I picked up a Ouija Board at Toys-R-Us today.  All they had were glow-in-the-dark Ouija boards, so this beauty has a glowing board AND planchette.  How could I say no?  LOL!   

Okay so I guess I will take the one I bought back to Toys R Us. 

[PPI Tracy]

Thanks Shell! 

I picked up a Ouija Board at Toys-R-Us today.  All they had were glow-in-the-dark Ouija boards, so this beauty has a glowing board AND planchette.  How could I say no?  LOL!   

Okay so I guess I will take the one I bought back to Toys R Us. 

Wasn't the experiment going to involve two of them?

[Damian]

Sorry about that Lillie...I think maybe I misunderstood.  For some reason I had in my head that we would have 2 of the Toys-R-Us specials, and then Karl was going to make one (possibly using blood?).

Do we have use for 2 of the Toys-R-Us Ouija boards?

Also, I'm working on pulling a small vibration motor out of an old cell phone.  I plan to find a button-cell battery that will power it.  I'd like to try putting the vibration motor on the planchette as another experiment...the thought being that the vibration offered by the vibration motor could replace the theorized ideomotor effect, and we can see if a planchette with a vibration motor can give us intelligent answers on the board (dubious on this one working).  A vibrate motor is a less-than-accurate replacement for the pulse vibrations and pulse frequency that come from our fingertips, but I can't seem to get the idea out of my head, so I'm gonna make it.  LOL!

[Gary]

Lillie, I don't think you should take yours back.... keep it.  It would be a good idea to use both.  Then you both can take them back together and be like, "These things gave us different answers!"

[PPI Tracy]

For some reason I had in my head that we would have 2 of the Toys-R-Us specials, and then Karl was going to make one (possibly using blood?).

Whew. Okay folks...sorry but that is where I draw the line.  I'm bowing out. Besides, the more I think about this, the more I worry about whether or not it would put my family at risk.  Specifically, Taylor.  Especially with what has happened to her over the last several years.  I'm just not comfortable with it.  I'll support you and cheer you on, but I'm going to sit by the sidelines.  I think I let my common sense escape me and in it's place, morbid curiosity jumped in.  I need to be a responsible parent.  I hope you all don't think I'm nuts.  Actually, it doesn't matter. I feel like it is risky and I have to listen to my gut instinct on this.  I had one bad experience with the OB.  I don't want to repeat it.  (and I sure as hell don't need any more unseen guests in my house.  there is no more room at the inn!)

[PPI Karl]

I'm not planning to open a vein for this experiment, but blood sacrifice is part and parcel with the rituals that many ascribe to the "Satanic" use of a Ouija board. 

I think I gave enough blood at my dentist's office yesterday.  (Spent two and half hours in a dentist's chair being fitted for a crown.  I broke my back molar a couple of weeks ago.)  I'm not really planning any sort of blood sacrifice for a Ouija board.  In fact, my whole tactic on this is to make a version of a Ouija board that is to spirit communication what drag is to haute couture:  over-the-top, with a whimsical note of bathos.

That being said, no one should participate in this experiment--or any experiment--if it makes them uncomfortable.  I'm totally supportive of your decision, Tracy.  But, to put at ease anyone's concerns about my involvement in this, truly I take the Satanism motif of a Ouija board no more seriously than I take Gene Simmon's forked tongue in Kiss.  Like I said, it's a form of drag.  My point in suggesting it at all is simply this: by pushing the limits of the experiment to these ridiculous and comical extremes, we may be able to show that the folklore about demon communication, etc. is not a feature of the Ouija board, itself, but rather is brought to the game by those involved who have a strong psychological or emotional investment in the idea of Satan and demons.  With someone like myself who has zero belief in the reality of demons, much less the Ouija board being an inherently optimal vehicle for their communication, I'm obviously more suited to take up this part of the experiment.  However, no one should feel pressure to participate in it.  If I have to do it alone, I have no problem with that, either, and I would be totally understanding of that. 

[ljiljanac]

Lillie, I don't think you should take yours back.... keep it.  It would be a good idea to use both.  Then you both can take them back together and be like, "These things gave us different answers!"

omg Gary   lmao      

Damian.....No worries.  Unfortunately I took it back this morning. 

Tracy....I respect your decision 100% and don't blame you. 

Karl....You said something interesting about participants bringing in their psychological and emotional investments into the game.  I agree with you 100%.  I believe in good spirits, evil spirits, those in the middle, and angels.  I do not believe that an OB conjures them up or is the doorway to the spirit world.  I believe that a spirit manifests itself with or without the presence of an OB and may use it to communicate.  Maybe.  Either throguh the board itself or the person handling the planchette.  I believe that a spirit will send the message of "GET OUT!" by whatever means is available (ie OB, EVP, AVP, slamming open the front door, or chasing you out with a cane.......that one was for you Tracy.    )  I am not convinced by any message received through any means that is physically controlled by a person.  Our subconscious minds are powerful and can provoke physical responses by our bodies. 

I like Damian's idea about not touching the planchette.  I guess the only question movement of the planchette would raise is whether any of us have telekinetic powers that no one knows about.  I mean really, people...we kinda ARE a weird crazy bunch.   

[PPI Tim]

When are you doing this experiment?

[PPI Debra]

When are you doing this experiment?

Tim,

No date yet. Depends on schedules.

[PPI Tracy]

Honestly -This freaked me  out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqn0YdpK80g

"LA LA LA LA...*fingers in ears...eyes tightly shut*...LA LA LA LA"

[PPI Jason]

I'm lost, or forgetful, or both. Am I in charge of organizing this one or is someone else in charge?

I don't mind handling it. I just don't want to step on anyone else's toes. I think this one was placed on hold until our schedules cooled down, but i wanted to make sure someone is in charge of making sure that this thing happens when our availability opens up. 

[PPI Debra]

Jason you are not lost. (But i am!)
We are waiting for the schedule to free up. It isn't top priority.
Also, I am responsible for trying to talk the property manager into letting us have the rickety old clubhouse for free on a weekend night. I'll need a target date to do that.

[Gary]

Maybe we can try to get something arranged for the first or second weekend in June?  My May is looking pretty full right now, plus that will give us a good month to prepare or build whatever we need to do to be ready.  We can discuss other details at our next meeting?  Any thoughts or objections? 

[Damian]

Sounds like a plan to me.  Do we have another meeting date set?

[PPI Jason]

No meeting date set yet. I'm sure when things slow down for Karl he'll set one up soon.

As for the experiment, June sounds good. I'm available any weekend in June, but the 2nd weekend or later would be ideal. I'll be at the Gillespie Field Airshow on the first weekend in June.

[Gary]

Hey everyone, so, we have our next meeting schedule for the end of this month.  Everyone should bring their last minute ideas for this experiment, because we were planning on doing this at the beginning of June.

Debra, would you still be able to rent out the hall at your place?  I'm really excited to get this going.  Is everyone still on board?  And of course, that means anyone who is 100% comfortable with it!

[Damian]

I'm still in on this one for sure!

[PPI Debra]

Hey everyone, so, we have our next meeting schedule for the end of this month.  Everyone should bring their last minute ideas for this experiment, because we were planning on doing this at the beginning of June.

Debra, would you still be able to rent out the hall at your place?  I'm really excited to get this going.  Is everyone still on board?  And of course, that means anyone who is 100% comfortable with it!

Larry will know if we can have a free weekend night by tomorrow. Normally, it's free on week days and $50.00 a day on weekends. It takes an act of HOA (home owners association) congress to get something out of the ordinary approved here.

[PPI Debra]

Here is a link to an *alleged* ouija board contact. It' is like a science fiction novel. Very strange.

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=182022

[PPI Debra]

We have the clubhouse for a weekend day/eve for free! YAY!
Now we need to pick the day so I can reserve the place.

[ljiljanac]

Yaaaay!   

[PPI Tracy]

YAY!  (yes...I actually just said that)

[Damian]

Sweet!  I'm looking forward to this set of experiments.

[Damian]

Oh, and Debra, I read through a large chunk of the Ouija transcripts on the link you posted.

It's very sci-fi.  The thing that aggrivates me is that the author insists on being vague regarding whether the transcripts are fictional or not.  That very fact leads me to believe that it's a fictional account...similar to the marketing done when the Blair Witch Project came out.

But an interesting read nonetheless! 

[PPI Tracy]

Agreed on all points, Damian.

[ljiljanac]

I agree.  I don't have any interest in that genre of writing and have concluded that it is straight science fiction with no truth to it. 

[PPI Debra]

I agree.  I don't have any interest in that genre of writing and have concluded that it is straight science fiction with no truth to it. 

I feel the same way, which is why I put *alleged* in front of it.

[Darth Tron Dan]

Well, nothing like a last minute post, but with being sick on and off for about a month, here i go.

The experiences and theories already talked about are amazing. Tracy- WOW! I think that would have turned me white as a ghost (pun intended..lol) if that happened to me in my teens...also being Catholic, I think my parents would have found some way to have an Exorcism done on me as well..lol

I have only had one experience with an Ouija Board and nothing happened, but I think that is because I wasn't fully devoting myself to the experience. My Wife (Beth) and her Brother Richard decided to try it out in the Condo Beth and I lived in , in North Park...which was right in the area of the PSA Plane crash some 20-30 years ago. We heard kids playing in our rooms all the time, but funny thing was, there were no kids in the complex or around the complex. Beth wanted to see if we could contact anyone and so we decided to try it out. Richard and I thought it would be funny to move the planchette slightly, but all it did was piss off Beth....lesson learned.

As for my belief, I think the Board, like any "Belief Device", with enough energy devoted (and focused) could be used to open gateways to the Paranormal, be it good or bad. In many religions, the act of possession can be done just by one person inadvertently or purposely opening the portal for an entity to enter into themselves. With the focused energy of two or more persons, I think that would be more than enough energy to bring forth any number of things. I've been to New Orleans many times while I was in the Marines and saw a lot of the Voodoo religion down there and how strong the belief was. Also being stationed in South Carolina for 5.5 years, I saw a lot of it in the "deep woods" areas near the swamps. Even though I don't know a lot of about it, the people that do and are very devoted to it, channel all their energy and energy from their surroundings to help support their belief. So, I think that yes it is possible for the Ouija Boards to act as a gateway device, as long as there is enough focused energy devoted to it.

There are so many things unknown about the human mind and soul that for most people, it is INCONCEIVABLE (couldn't resist the Princess Bride joke  ) to acknowledge the existence of Paranormal events, because they are closed-minded to the experience. I feel sorry for those people because they are missing out on something extraordinary. Something we as Paranormal Investigators are privileged to enjoy and learn from. :-}

Anyways, that's my take on it ;-}

Also, if it's not too late, I would be interested in doing the experiment too. I have a Board (Toys R Us type) too. The experiment sounds very intriguing and sounds like it would be a great test of the old PBS (Paranormal Broadcast System) :-}