Ouija boards are a controversial topic, and not just among ghost hunters. Many people ask us about Ouija boards, and if we believe in them. Others warn us about demons and divination tools such as the Ouija.
We do not believe in ‘demons’ as most people think of them in a Christian context. We generally think the jinn concept is more accurate. If someone is having problems with demons, we refer him or her to John Zaffis. He’s the very best in the demonology field.
However, ‘demons’ (by any name) aren’t the reason we don’t rely on a Ouija board during investigations.
We eschew Ouijas during investigations because the spirits can lie, and–with a Ouija–it’s difficult to sort the truth from very clever lies. It’s also difficult to tell if someone is consciously or unconsciously pushing the platen/indicator.
Independently, we’ve had convincing experiences with Ouija boards and believe they can relay helpful messages. However, people are vulnerable when they think they’re talking to a loved one, or a lofty “spirit guide.” It’s too easy for a prankster (human or spirit) to have fun at the expense of a beginner.
In addition, we’ve seen researchers actually lose locational advantages by relying on divinatory tools during ghost hunts. It’s like using a cellphone to talk to someone who’s standing in front of you.
That said, some psychics and mediums work best–or can only work–with tools such as pendulums, Tarot cards, Ouija boards, rune stones, dowsing rods, and so on. If they have extensive experience with these tools, we generally don’t object to their use during ghost hunts.
However, please note that we’ve said extensive experience. For more about this, see our article, Are Ouija boards dangerous?
Also, remember that we use divinatory tools as guides, and sometimes to confirm or clarify impressions. We never rely upon them as primary research tools.
Table tipping is a fairly simple means of communicating with spirits, too. We’d never use this as our primary means of research, but it can be a useful (or even fun) way to make contact with spirits.
Divinatory tools can also be useful for ‘warm up’ exercises, as described in our article, Psychic Preparations for a Ghost Hunt.
Our chief researcher, Fiona Broome, uses the Tarot for a three-card spread after each ghost hunt, to confirm or clarify what she perceived during the investigation. During the investigation, she usually receives impressions from the spirits directly. (For more information about this, see Using Tarot cards to contact ghosts.)
From our experience, Ouija boards are not reliable tools for beginners to use during ghost research.
However, if an investigator has years of experience with a Ouija board or other divinatory tools, we don’t forbid them on ghost hunts. We just ask less experienced investigators not to use Ouija boards during our ghost hunts.
