Ghosts & Hauntings

Ouija boards proving popular this Christmas

By T.K. Randall
November 28, 2014

Image: Ouija Board
Credit: goodfriendo / CC BY 2.0 (adapted) It's easy to forget that the Ouija board, a device commonly associated with hauntings and spirit communication, is actually classed as a children's toy in most shops.

A staple of horror movies, paranormal investigations and mediumship sessions for over a century, the board is normally operated by having participants place a finger on a planchette which then moves between the printed letters and words to spell out a message from beyond the grave.

Even when it was originally introduced to the commercial market by American lawyer and inventor Elijah Bond back in 1890 the Ouija board was presented as nothing more than a toy. It wasn't until the board was used by spiritualist Pearl Curran during World War I that it started to gain a reputation for being something a little more than a simple plaything.Despite its association with the supernatural however sales of the Ouija board remain strong.

This year the Halloween movie 'Ouija' enjoyed unexpected success among moviegoers and has since brought about a whole new spate of purchases intended as gifts for the holiday season.

A glow-in-the-dark version for sale online is even believed to be one of this year's biggest sellers.

Source: Independent

Tags: Ouija Board