114 replies to this topic

[ouija ouija]

Imaginarynumber1, on 18 October 2012 - 10:00 PM, said:

I'm not the one making the claim. I don't have to prove anything.

The more things that one has to add to make their explanation make sense, i.e. you have to be sensitive, you have to be psychic, you have to believe, the less likely it is that the explanation is correct.
The simplest solution is generally the most correct. In this case, ouija boards don't do anything.

I don't remember asking you to prove anything, I'm simply saying that your experience up to this point causes you to not believe that anything happens when a ouija board is used ........ my experience causes me to believe differently.

Well, I know that you don't have to believe for the board to work. As for the sensitive/psychic aspect, they're pretty much the same thing. So 'all these things' are in fact one thing. Actually, I've just re-read your second paragraph and what you say just isn't true.

I'm just curious as to why you are so adamant that 'ouija boards don't do anything', just because you haven't experienced it. Wouldn't it be more logical to simply say 'this is something I have no experience of'? Maybe even add 'I find it hard to believe'. But as things stand you are closing your mind to an interesting debate. If you honestly aren't interested in that, then why bother to post in this thread? Why post simply to say ' this is nonsense ....... although I have no way of proving it is!'.

Does it not occur to you that one reason why threads keep being made about the subject is because there is something in it? Throughout the threads already made, people say 'I have been there when the planchette/glass moved!'. Of course some people are lying, some people are fooling themselves, but many are genuine ...... there's no sensationalism or drama in their account, they're simply relating something they witnessed.

[Imaginarynumber1]

ouija ouija, on 18 October 2012 - 10:53 PM, said:

I don't remember asking you to prove anything, I'm simply saying that your experience up to this point causes you to not believe that anything happens when a ouija board is used ........ my experience causes me to believe differently.

Well, I know that you don't have to believe for the board to work. As for the sensitive/psychic aspect, they're pretty much the same thing. So 'all these things' are in fact one thing. Actually, I've just re-read your second paragraph and what you say just isn't true.

I'm just curious as to why you are so adamant that 'ouija boards don't do anything', just because you haven't experienced it. Wouldn't it be more logical to simply say 'this is something I have no experience of'? Maybe even add 'I find it hard to believe'. But as things stand you are closing your mind to an interesting debate. If you honestly aren't interested in that, then why bother to post in this thread? Why post simply to say ' this is nonsense ....... although I have no way of proving it is!'.

Does it not occur to you that one reason why threads keep being made about the subject is because there is something in it? Throughout the threads already made, people say 'I have been there when the planchette/glass moved!'. Of course some people are lying, some people are fooling themselves, but many are genuine ...... there's no sensationalism or drama in their account, they're simply relating something they witnessed.

I was under the impression that is was an open forum and that I could post whatever I wanted, regardless of what I believe or disbelieve.

People keep making threads about ancient aliens, demons and psychic powers. Doesn't mean any of them are real.

It obvious that it's nonsense. Go film some ouija board activity. Let's see it happen.

[ouija ouija]

Imaginarynumber1, on 18 October 2012 - 10:59 PM, said:

I was under the impression that is was an open forum and that I could post whatever I wanted, regardless of what I believe or disbelieve.

People keep making threads about ancient aliens, demons and psychic powers. Doesn't mean any of them are real.

It obvious that it's nonsense. Go film some ouija board activity. Let's see it happen.

No one suggested you couldn't post here, I'm just wondering why you do.

Your second line: it also doesn't mean that they're not real!

It may be 'obvious that it's nonsense' to you, but to those who've experienced it, it isn't nonsense.

Apart from the fact that I have nothing to film with, my ouija board days were over decades ago! Psychic phenomena is notoriously difficult to reproduce 'at will' in contrived situations. The very nature of it means that it seems to require absolutely no interferrence for it to manifest itself ....... psychic events tend to come to the sensitive person unbidden; any demand or expectation to 'perform' doesn't seem to work. Whatever is producing the phenomena doesn't seem to feel a need to prove itself, it is simply there for some, not for others. (I'm going to bed now; it's after midnight here).

[coldethyl]

I hate the question, "if you don't believe why do you post?".  I started as a believer a LONG time ago and have since became skeptical.

I used a ouija board when I was a believer and got results.  I am not a sensitive.

I think the idea that you have to 'believe' to experience is also ridiculous.

I have seen numerous 'ghost' programs where the non believers were converted to believers by their experience.

Now to say if their experience was truly paranormal or not that's a different story.

[OrdinaryClay]

coldethyl, on 18 October 2012 - 11:48 PM, said:

I used a ouija board when I was a believer and got results.  I am not a sensitive.
...
Now to say if their experience was truly paranormal or not that's a different story.

Did you ever post your experience?

[ouija ouija]

Bling, on 21 September 2012 - 08:18 PM, said:

Yes I've heard bad things - it can summon demons etc, and I've also heard it's a load of nonsense.
We shall see what the experts say....

I don't know of any claims that the ouija board can 'summon up demons' as in 'we saw a demon standing in the room. He was as solid as we are'. The ouija board facillitates communication with 'spirits', not manifestation of them.

[ouija ouija]

Thomas J, on 21 September 2012 - 08:21 PM, said:

No, children's toys don't really appeal to me any more.

http://en.wikipedia....deomotor_effect

Quoting the article you've given a link to: 'The validity of these experiments has not been proven'.

[ouija ouija]

mysticwerewolf, on 16 October 2012 - 06:07 AM, said:

my mother on the other hand didn't even need to touch it, just hold her empty hand over it and it moved all over the board ( this was the real one not the home made one)

This is very interesting ...... I'm amazed no one has commented on it   ....... no ideomotor effect working there ......

Edited by ouija ouija, 19 October 2012 - 03:46 PM.

[ouija ouija]

coldethyl, on 18 October 2012 - 11:48 PM, said:

I hate the question, "if you don't believe why do you post?".  .

I think the idea that you have to 'believe' to experience is also ridiculous.

I hope that that first sentence is not directed at me, because that is not what I said. What I said was: if someone is not interested in a debate about this, if someone is not interested in discussing the opposite view to theirs, what is the point of posting here? If they just keep repeating 'nothing happens with ouija boards; ouija boards are nonsense', and completely disregarding the experiences others have had (unbelievable!) ....... well, honestly ....... I just wondered why someone would do that. What they are saying, in essence is 'my experience is the only one that is valid'.

Only one person in this entire thread has said that you probably have to 'believe' for it to work(and that wasn't me!).

[coldethyl]

ouija ouija, on 19 October 2012 - 03:44 PM, said:

I hope that that first sentence is not directed at me, because that is not what I said. What I said was: if someone is not interested in a debate about this, if someone is not interested in discussing the opposite view to theirs, what is the point of posting here? If they just keep repeating 'nothing happens with ouija boards; ouija boards are nonsense', and completely disregarding the experiences others have had (unbelievable!) ....... well, honestly ....... I just wondered why someone would do that. What they are saying, in essence is 'my experience is the only one that is valid'.

Only one person in this entire thread has said that you probably have to 'believe' for it to work(and that wasn't me!).

Not said in this thread.  It's said all the time though.  Not directed at you, but honestly 'believers' (and I hate labeling because I'd love to believe again) do the same thing.  They have a rational explanation put forward to them when they are asking for a solution to something that happened but then they just keep saying 'it couldn't have been that' for inane reasons such as:

we have no neighbors
all our wiring is brand new
we don't have animals in our neighborhood
etc.

Then they get angry and ask why skeptics post here at all.

That is the only point I was trying to make.  That's really why I didn't quote you.  I enjoy your posts and wasn't accusing you of the above.   Just frustrated from what I've explained here.

[Bling]

Wow I'm loving this thread, thanks for all your input!

[Bling]

For those in the know, can I just ask....I'm thinking of setting up a homemade ouija board on our dining table. Using the alphabet written on pieces of paper taped around the edge of the table, also with the words Goodbye, Yes and No. Then instead of a wooden planchette, use an upturned glass, and have a candle lit nearby. The pets will be in another room and we will be sober!
I've read on a site someone gave me here that at the start you should say something like "With the power of the elements, spirit guides, angels and higher self, I and the users of this board are protected from all negative spirits, entities, energies and influences". But what if I don't believe in some of these things? What would be the atheist version??!!

[ouija ouija]

I'm an atheist and I would feel happy using that. No god is mentioned. You could either write your own 'statement of protection', or use the one you mention with the thought that the spirits would get the general gist of it and know who was welcome and who wasn't!

[AshenPhoenix]

Imaginarynumber1, on 18 October 2012 - 10:59 PM, said:

It obvious that it's nonsense. Go film some ouija board activity. Let's see it happen.

In my experience, video evidence is discredited by skeptics.  It's too easy to edit the film with special effects.  The only sure cure for a skeptic is for them to experience it for themselves... and even then in some cases they write it off as some sort of neurosis.

[AshenPhoenix]

Bling, on 19 October 2012 - 10:16 PM, said:

For those in the know, can I just ask....I'm thinking of setting up a homemade ouija board on our dining table. Using the alphabet written on pieces of paper taped around the edge of the table, also with the words Goodbye, Yes and No. Then instead of a wooden planchette, use an upturned glass, and have a candle lit nearby. The pets will be in another room and we will be sober!
I've read on a site someone gave me here that at the start you should say something like "With the power of the elements, spirit guides, angels and higher self, I and the users of this board are protected from all negative spirits, entities, energies and influences". But what if I don't believe in some of these things? What would be the atheist version??!!

Things like this make me nervous for you Bling.  If one of your friends has experience with the spirit world I recommend them running the show and calling upon their spirit guide for protection.  That's what they're there for.