Archive #128 Ouija Boards
Episode 29, Jul 11, 09:30 AM
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Today, we dive into the shadowy world of one of the most iconic and controversial tools in paranormal lore: the Ouija board. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this episode explores the board's curious history, the rules of safe use, and the terrifying stories that have cemented its spooky reputation.
🕯️ So light a candle… and remember — never play alone.
📜 Quick Overview: What Is a Ouija Board?
Before it became a horror movie staple, the Ouija board began as a serious tool for spiritual communication in the late 1800s. Born during the rise of Spiritualism, the board was first patented by Elijah Bond and later mass-marketed by William Fuld. From its supposed Egyptian name (which isn’t actually Egyptian) to its place on modern toy store shelves, the history is stranger than fiction.
🔮 Origins: Spiritualism, Séances & Society
The roots of the Ouija board are tangled with grief, war, and spiritual longing. We discuss:
🕯️ So light a candle… and remember — never play alone.
📜 Quick Overview: What Is a Ouija Board?
Before it became a horror movie staple, the Ouija board began as a serious tool for spiritual communication in the late 1800s. Born during the rise of Spiritualism, the board was first patented by Elijah Bond and later mass-marketed by William Fuld. From its supposed Egyptian name (which isn’t actually Egyptian) to its place on modern toy store shelves, the history is stranger than fiction.
🔮 Origins: Spiritualism, Séances & Society
The roots of the Ouija board are tangled with grief, war, and spiritual longing. We discuss:
- The Fox Sisters and their role in launching the Spiritualism movement.
- How the Civil War created demand for spiritual contact.
- Famous believers like Mary Todd Lincoln and Arthur Conan Doyle.
- Why Elijah Bond’s “talking board” was a faster, more convenient alternative to traditional séance methods.
👻 Portal or Parlor Trick? Debating the Paranormal
Is it all in your head, or is something darker at work? We break down the ideomotor effect vs. actual spirit contact, and highlight how stories, the ones that don’t end when the session does, fuel the board’s eerie legacy.
📏 The Rules: 10 Commandments of Ouija
Wanna use a Ouija board? You’d better follow the rules. We cover the essential guidelines, including:
Is it all in your head, or is something darker at work? We break down the ideomotor effect vs. actual spirit contact, and highlight how stories, the ones that don’t end when the session does, fuel the board’s eerie legacy.
📏 The Rules: 10 Commandments of Ouija
Wanna use a Ouija board? You’d better follow the rules. We cover the essential guidelines, including:
- Never use it alone
- Always say goodbye
- Don’t use it in your home
- Avoid death-related questions
- Don’t provoke the spirits
- Beware of ZOZO
- Cleanse the board
- Assign a reader
- Avoid emotional vulnerability
- Remove the planchette when not in use
These aren’t just traditions — many consider them spiritual survival tips.
😈 Real Case: The St. Louis Exorcism
Step into the real-life horror that inspired The Exorcist. Meet Roland Doe, a grieving boy whose Ouija session turned into a month-long battle against a dark force. From levitating objects to priests under attack, this case is one of the most documented — and disturbing — exorcisms in U.S. history.
🕊️ Church’s Response & The Rise of Ouija Panic
The Catholic Church, though cautious, found the evidence in the Roland Doe case compelling enough to greenlight an official exorcism. Following the success of The Exorcist film, public opinion shifted. The board was no longer a novelty — it became a symbol of occult danger, viewed by many as a real gateway to evil.
👁️🗨️ Coming Up Next: The Zozo Phenomenon...
In our next spine-tingling installment, we’ll uncover the terrifying legend of Zozo — a mysterious and malevolent entity said to haunt Ouija boards around the world.
🎥 An Orphan’s Spiritual Journey: The Possession of Alexandra Huerta
In 2014, a viral video showed 16-year-old Alexandra Huerta in what looked like a demonic possession after using a Ouija board and ingesting a powerful hallucinogen. Was it a drug-induced episode—or did something supernatural occur? This segment explores the collision of grief, belief, and biochemistry.
⚠️ When Ouija Boards Turn Deadly: True Crime Stories
From murder conspiracies to acts of violence, this segment dives into chilling real-life crimes where the Ouija board played a central—or at least blamed—role. Were the boards just scapegoats, or did something darker guide their hands?
🎙️ Real Encounters – Ouija Stories from Reddit
Reddit users share their most unsettling Ouija board experiences—from near-death warnings and lingering nightmares to eerie messages that later proved true. Real or imagined, these stories leave a lasting chill.
🎬 Hollywood and the Horror Effect
Explore how Hollywood transformed the Ouija board from a quirky party game into a symbol of terror. From The Exorcist to today’s horror hits, this segment looks at how pop culture reshaped public perception—and summoned new fears.
🧠 What Science Says About Ouija
A 2025 study revealed that believers in the supernatural experience a 25.5% spike in anxiety after using a Ouija board, often entering altered states of perception. Meanwhile, nonbelievers felt little change. Another study found that participants using the board unconsciously answered questions more accurately than when guessing aloud, suggesting it taps into hidden knowledge rather than spirits. Science sees the board not as a ghostly tool, but as a window into our own minds and anxieties.
📝 The Poetic Side of the Board
Literary scholar Langdon Hammer and poet James Merrill viewed the Ouija board as a metaphor for poetic inspiration. Merrill used it to "receive" lines from spirit voices, which he shaped into verse—blurring the line between external dictation and internal creativity. From early 20th-century writers claiming ghostly collaborators to modern poetic theory, the Ouija board becomes a powerful symbol for the mystery of artistic voice.
📚 Robert Murch: Keeper of Ouija’s Secrets
Meet Robert Murch, the world’s leading Ouija historian and founder of the Talking Board Historical Society. He’s spent decades researching the board’s origins, curating museum exhibits, consulting for films like Ouija: Origin of Evil, and even transforming his home into a Ouija museum. Murch believes the board “works,” whether through spirits, the subconscious, or psychological suggestion—its influence, for better or worse, is undeniable.
🪞Final Thoughts: Should You Use a Ouija Board?
Believers warn: follow the rules—never play alone, always say goodbye, and don’t trust what answers you get. Skeptics argue it’s all subconscious suggestion. But love it or fear it, the Ouija board has fascinated and frightened people for generations. Whether it speaks to ghosts or just ourselves, its stories aren’t going anywhere.
Pronunciations
🗣️ Ouija — WEE-juh
🗣️ Planchette — plan-SHET
🗣️ ZOZO — ZOH-zoh
🗣️ Alexandra Huerta — WARE-tah
🗣️ Tepoztlán — teh-POHTS-lahn
🗣️ Brugmansia — broog-MAN-see-uh
🗣️ Scopolamine — skuh-PAH-luh-meen
🗣️ Atropine — AT-ruh-peen
🔮 The Ominous Archives presents: Do you really know how to say “Ouija”? 🕯️ It’s more than a board — it’s a whisper from the other side. Play… if you dare. 👻🎙️ #NewEpisode
#TheOminousArchives #OuijaBoard #NeverPlayAlone #ParanormalPodcast #OccultMysteries #HauntedObjects #SayGoodbye #SpiritCommunication #DarkHistory #Spiritualism #WitchingHour #CursedCuriosities
😈 Real Case: The St. Louis Exorcism
Step into the real-life horror that inspired The Exorcist. Meet Roland Doe, a grieving boy whose Ouija session turned into a month-long battle against a dark force. From levitating objects to priests under attack, this case is one of the most documented — and disturbing — exorcisms in U.S. history.
🕊️ Church’s Response & The Rise of Ouija Panic
The Catholic Church, though cautious, found the evidence in the Roland Doe case compelling enough to greenlight an official exorcism. Following the success of The Exorcist film, public opinion shifted. The board was no longer a novelty — it became a symbol of occult danger, viewed by many as a real gateway to evil.
👁️🗨️ Coming Up Next: The Zozo Phenomenon...
In our next spine-tingling installment, we’ll uncover the terrifying legend of Zozo — a mysterious and malevolent entity said to haunt Ouija boards around the world.
🎥 An Orphan’s Spiritual Journey: The Possession of Alexandra Huerta
In 2014, a viral video showed 16-year-old Alexandra Huerta in what looked like a demonic possession after using a Ouija board and ingesting a powerful hallucinogen. Was it a drug-induced episode—or did something supernatural occur? This segment explores the collision of grief, belief, and biochemistry.
⚠️ When Ouija Boards Turn Deadly: True Crime Stories
From murder conspiracies to acts of violence, this segment dives into chilling real-life crimes where the Ouija board played a central—or at least blamed—role. Were the boards just scapegoats, or did something darker guide their hands?
🎙️ Real Encounters – Ouija Stories from Reddit
Reddit users share their most unsettling Ouija board experiences—from near-death warnings and lingering nightmares to eerie messages that later proved true. Real or imagined, these stories leave a lasting chill.
🎬 Hollywood and the Horror Effect
Explore how Hollywood transformed the Ouija board from a quirky party game into a symbol of terror. From The Exorcist to today’s horror hits, this segment looks at how pop culture reshaped public perception—and summoned new fears.
🧠 What Science Says About Ouija
A 2025 study revealed that believers in the supernatural experience a 25.5% spike in anxiety after using a Ouija board, often entering altered states of perception. Meanwhile, nonbelievers felt little change. Another study found that participants using the board unconsciously answered questions more accurately than when guessing aloud, suggesting it taps into hidden knowledge rather than spirits. Science sees the board not as a ghostly tool, but as a window into our own minds and anxieties.
📝 The Poetic Side of the Board
Literary scholar Langdon Hammer and poet James Merrill viewed the Ouija board as a metaphor for poetic inspiration. Merrill used it to "receive" lines from spirit voices, which he shaped into verse—blurring the line between external dictation and internal creativity. From early 20th-century writers claiming ghostly collaborators to modern poetic theory, the Ouija board becomes a powerful symbol for the mystery of artistic voice.
📚 Robert Murch: Keeper of Ouija’s Secrets
Meet Robert Murch, the world’s leading Ouija historian and founder of the Talking Board Historical Society. He’s spent decades researching the board’s origins, curating museum exhibits, consulting for films like Ouija: Origin of Evil, and even transforming his home into a Ouija museum. Murch believes the board “works,” whether through spirits, the subconscious, or psychological suggestion—its influence, for better or worse, is undeniable.
🪞Final Thoughts: Should You Use a Ouija Board?
Believers warn: follow the rules—never play alone, always say goodbye, and don’t trust what answers you get. Skeptics argue it’s all subconscious suggestion. But love it or fear it, the Ouija board has fascinated and frightened people for generations. Whether it speaks to ghosts or just ourselves, its stories aren’t going anywhere.
Pronunciations
🗣️ Ouija — WEE-juh
🗣️ Planchette — plan-SHET
🗣️ ZOZO — ZOH-zoh
🗣️ Alexandra Huerta — WARE-tah
🗣️ Tepoztlán — teh-POHTS-lahn
🗣️ Brugmansia — broog-MAN-see-uh
🗣️ Scopolamine — skuh-PAH-luh-meen
🗣️ Atropine — AT-ruh-peen
🔮 The Ominous Archives presents: Do you really know how to say “Ouija”? 🕯️ It’s more than a board — it’s a whisper from the other side. Play… if you dare. 👻🎙️ #NewEpisode
#TheOminousArchives #OuijaBoard #NeverPlayAlone #ParanormalPodcast #OccultMysteries #HauntedObjects #SayGoodbye #SpiritCommunication #DarkHistory #Spiritualism #WitchingHour #CursedCuriosities