Metaphysics & Psychology

New study investigates the fear people have of using a Ouija board

By T.K. Randall
August 15, 2025

Image: Ouija Board
Credit: goodfriendo / CC BY 2.0 (adapted) A staple of horror movies, paranormal investigations and mediumship sessions, the Ouija board is typically 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.

While many dismiss them as supernatural claptrap, others remain convinced that they are the real deal - even warning people against their use in fear of summoning something 'unnatural'.

For some, such fears are so genuine that they dare not touch or even set eyes upon one.

To explore this further, researchers decided to run an experiment in which 84 volunteers - some skeptics and some staunch believers in the paranormal - were asked to use a Ouija board.

To make the situation as convincing as possible, the sessions were undertaken at night outside an abandoned hotel that had previously been used as a hospital during the Spanish Civil War.The participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire both before and after the session.

The findings indicated that those who already believed in the paranormal experienced high levels of anxiety, altered states of consciousness and the perception of supernatural occurrences.

The skeptic group, meanwhile, experienced none of these things.

The researchers concluded that it was the belief itself, as oppose to supernatural activity, that produced the fear as those who did not believe in the paranormal were not similarly impacted.

They also noted that the experiment showed that the board itself was totally harmless.

Source: Psychology Today

Tags: Ouija Board