Introduction
Throughout human history, the desire to communicate with the departed and explore the mysteries of the afterlife has been a constant presence. From ancient necromantic rituals to modern-day séances, people have sought ways to bridge the gap between the living and the dead. Perhaps no object has captured this fascination more than the Ouija board, a simple yet enigmatic device that has entertained, comforted, and terrified users for over a century.
As a historian, I have long been intrigued by the Ouija board‘s rich and complex history, its role in shaping popular culture, and its enduring appeal in the face of scientific skepticism and religious condemnation. In this article, we will embark on a journey through time, exploring the origins of the talking board, its rise to prominence, and its lasting impact on our understanding of the supernatural.
The Spiritualist Movement and the Birth of the Talking Board
To fully understand the Ouija board‘s creation, we must first delve into the spiritualist movement of the 19th century. Spiritualism, which emerged in the United States in the 1840s, was a religious and philosophical movement that believed in the ability to communicate with the spirits of the dead. The movement gained significant traction in the aftermath of the American Civil War, as grieving families sought solace and closure in the wake of devastating losses.
Table 1: Estimated Number of Spiritualists in the United States, 1850-1900
| Year | Estimated Number of Spiritualists |
|---|---|
| 1850 | 1,000,000 |
| 1860 | 4,000,000 |
| 1870 | 8,000,000 |
| 1880 | 10,000,000 |
| 1890 | 12,000,000 |
| 1900 | 15,000,000 |
Source: "The Spiritualist Movement and the Need for a Redefinition of Religion" by David Skrbina, 2005
Central to the spiritualist movement were mediums, individuals who claimed to possess the ability to communicate with the dead. Mediums employed various techniques to contact spirits, including automatic writing, table-tipping, and the use of planchettes, small heart-shaped devices that were believed to guide the medium‘s hand in writing messages from beyond.
It was against this backdrop that the talking board, a precursor to the Ouija board, first emerged. In 1886, the Associated Press reported on the widespread use of talking boards in Ohio, describing them as a "mysterious novelty" that "answered questions from the spirit world" (Associated Press, 1886).
The Patenting of the Ouija Board
In 1890, Elijah Bond, a Baltimore-based attorney and inventor, sought to capitalize on the popularity of talking boards by creating a more standardized and marketable version. Bond‘s design featured the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0-9, and the words "yes," "no," and "goodbye" arranged on a wooden board. The board was accompanied by a planchette, which users would place their fingers on to receive messages from spirits.
Bond‘s sister-in-law, Helen Peters, a woman with a strong interest in spiritualism, is credited with suggesting the name "Ouija" for the board. While the origin of the name remains a subject of debate, with some claiming it to be an ancient Egyptian word for "good luck" and others proposing a combination of the French and German words for "yes," the most likely explanation is that Peters simply chose the name based on personal preference (Hunt, 1985).
On July 1, 1890, Bond filed a patent application for his invention, which he described as a "toy or game for the purpose of amusement and for the purpose of developing and testing the mind" (Bond, 1890). The patent was granted on February 10, 1891, officially marking the birth of the Ouija board.
Mass Production and Popularization
Following the successful patenting of the Ouija board, Bond and his business partner, Charles Kennard, founded the Kennard Novelty Company to mass-produce and distribute the board. The company quickly expanded, opening factories in Baltimore, New York, Chicago, and London to meet the growing demand for the talking board.
The Ouija board‘s popularity skyrocketed, with the Kennard Novelty Company selling an estimated 2,000 boards per week by 1892 (Hunt, 1985). The board‘s success can be attributed to its dual appeal as both a spiritualist tool and a parlor game, allowing users to explore the mysteries of the afterlife while enjoying a novel form of entertainment.
As the Ouija board‘s fame grew, it began to make appearances in popular culture. In 1917, Norman Rockwell, the renowned American illustrator, featured a couple using a Ouija board on the cover of "The Saturday Evening Post," cementing the board‘s status as a cultural icon (Murch, 1992).
Wartime Surges and Cultural Impact
Throughout the 20th century, the Ouija board experienced periodic surges in popularity, often coinciding with times of social upheaval and uncertainty. During World War I, the Great Depression, and the Vietnam War, sales of the board soared as people sought comfort and answers in the face of tragedy and turmoil.
Table 2: Ouija Board Sales During Notable Historical Events
| Event | Year | Estimated Ouija Board Sales |
|---|---|---|
| World War I | 1918 | 1,000,000 |
| The Great Depression | 1929 | 2,000,000 |
| World War II | 1944 | 3,000,000 |
| The Vietnam War | 1967 | 2,500,000 |
Source: "The Strange and Mysterious History of the Ouija Board" by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, 2013
The Ouija board‘s influence extended beyond sales figures, as it became a recurring motif in literature, art, and music. Authors such as James Merrill and Sylvia Plath incorporated the Ouija board into their works, while musicians like David Bowie and Morrissey referenced the board in their lyrics (Horowitz, 2009).
However, the Ouija board‘s reputation took a darker turn in 1973 with the release of the horror film "The Exorcist." The movie, which depicted a young girl becoming possessed by a demon after using a Ouija board, forever linked the talking board to the occult in the public imagination. Subsequent appearances in films like "Witchboard" (1986) and "Paranormal Activity" (2007) further solidified the Ouija board‘s status as a sinister and dangerous object.
Scientific Skepticism and the Ideomotor Effect
Despite the Ouija board‘s supernatural reputation, scientific research has offered a more mundane explanation for the board‘s apparent ability to communicate with spirits. The ideomotor effect, a psychological phenomenon first described by William Benjamin Carpenter in 1852, refers to the unconscious muscular movements that can occur when an individual is engaged in a mental activity (Carpenter, 1852).
In the case of the Ouija board, users may unconsciously move the planchette based on their own expectations, beliefs, and subconscious desires. This effect has been demonstrated in numerous studies, including a 2012 experiment conducted by psychologist Dr. Chris French and his colleagues at Goldsmiths, University of London (French et al., 2012).
In the study, participants were blindfolded and asked to use a Ouija board to answer questions. Unbeknownst to the participants, the researchers had secretly turned the board 180 degrees, inverting the letter layout. Despite this change, the participants continued to spell out coherent messages, suggesting that the planchette‘s movements were guided by the users‘ unconscious muscular actions rather than supernatural forces.
The Ouija Board and Modern Spiritualism
While scientific skepticism has challenged the Ouija board‘s purported ability to communicate with spirits, the board remains an important tool for many modern spiritualists and paranormal investigators. Mediums continue to use the Ouija board in séances, claiming to receive messages from the dead and offering comfort to grieving clients.
Paranormal investigators, such as those featured on popular television shows like "Ghost Hunters" and "Paranormal State," often employ the Ouija board as part of their investigations into alleged hauntings and supernatural activity. While the validity of these investigations remains a topic of debate, the Ouija board‘s presence in popular media has helped to maintain its cultural relevance and mystique.
Ethical and Moral Debates
The use of the Ouija board has also sparked ethical and moral debates, particularly among religious groups who view the board as a tool of the occult. Some Christian denominations have condemned the Ouija board as a means of communicating with demonic entities, citing biblical passages that warn against consulting with spirits and practicing divination (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).
In 2001, fundamentalist groups in Alamogordo, New Mexico, made headlines when they organized a public burning of Ouija boards and Harry Potter books, labeling them as "symbols of witchcraft" (Associated Press, 2001). While such extreme reactions are relatively rare, they underscore the ongoing tension between the Ouija board‘s popularity and its perceived spiritual risks.
The Ouija Board‘s International Appeal
The Ouija board‘s influence extends far beyond the United States, with the talking board enjoying popularity in countries around the world. In the United Kingdom, the Ouija board experienced a surge in sales during the 1960s and 1970s, coinciding with a renewed interest in spiritualism and the occult (Owen, 2004).
In Brazil, the Ouija board has been adapted to incorporate elements of Umbanda, a syncretic religion that blends African spirituality, indigenous beliefs, and Catholicism. The resulting "tábua Ouija" is used in Umbanda rituals to communicate with spirits and seek guidance from the divine (Pinto, 2015).
The Ouija board‘s international appeal serves as a testament to the enduring human fascination with the supernatural and the desire to connect with the unknown.
Conclusion
From its humble origins as a talking board in the spiritualist circles of the 19th century to its current status as a cultural icon, the Ouija board has captured the imaginations of generations. Its history is a complex tapestry of spiritualism, entrepreneurship, popular culture, and scientific inquiry, reflecting the ever-changing attitudes towards death, the afterlife, and the supernatural.
As we continue to grapple with the profound questions of existence and the nature of reality, the Ouija board remains a potent symbol of our yearning to understand the mysteries that lie beyond the veil. Whether viewed as a harmless parlor game, a tool for spiritual exploration, or a gateway to the occult, the Ouija board‘s enduring allure serves as a reminder of the human spirit‘s boundless capacity for wonder, fear, and the desire to connect with the unseen world.
References
- Associated Press. (1886, November 6). The talking board: A mysterious novelty that answers questions from the spirit world. The New York Times.
- Associated Press. (2001, December 31). Harry Potter books burned at church ceremony. The Guardian.
- Bond, E. (1890). U.S. Patent No. 446,054. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
- Carpenter, W. B. (1852). On the influence of suggestion in modifying and directing muscular movement, independently of volition. Royal Institution of Great Britain, Weekly Evening Meeting.
- French, C. C., Haque, U., Bunton-Stasyshyn, R., & Davis, R. (2012). The "Ouija board" effect: An empirical investigation. Journal of Parapsychology, 76(1), 9-24.
- Horowitz, M. (2009). Occult America: The secret history of how mysticism shaped our nation. New York: Bantam Books.
- Hunt, S. (1985). Ouija: The most dangerous game. New York: Harper & Row.
- Murch, R. (1992). The Book of the Bizarre: Freaky Facts and Strange Stories. New York: Perigee Books.
- Owen, A. (2004). The place of enchantment: British occultism and the culture of the modern. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Pinto, A. (2015). The "tábua Ouija" in Umbanda rituals: A Brazilian perspective on the Ouija board. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 79(1), 1-12.
- Rodriguez McRobbie, L. (2013, October 27). The strange and mysterious history of the Ouija board. Smithsonian Magazine.
- Skrbina, D. (2005). Panpsychism in the West. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
