I get asked a lot of questions when people find out I am a paranormal researcher/investigator. There is one question that ALWAYS comes up in the course of Q&As.. the Ouija board. There are many vehement defenders of using Ouija as a tool for investigations. Many claim it is no different than doing an EVP session. Is it?
Q – Isn't doing an EVP session with recorders like using a Ouija
board?
A
– this is a highly debated question. There are so many differences
of opinions. Recently I actually had a pretty heated debate about the
topic. There are many investigators who are more than willing to use
a Ouija board as a way to communicate with spirits. They believe no
matter what kind of investigation you choose to do, you don't know
what you are going to encounter. You take a risk every time you walk
into a site. One Ouija enthusiast stated to me that we don't know how
a spirit communicates to us on an audio recorder. For all we know,
they use us as a conduit much like they use us through a Ouija board.
To a point they are right, but to a point I completely disagree.
Since this topic is so hotly debated I can only speak on my own
opinions, and this is only
based on my opinions, not to disparage any person or group who
chooses to use such devices. My motto has always been, do what works
for you. However, since asked on many occasions, this is my personal
opinion:
Recorder Vs. Ouija
- Permission – When performing a paranormal investigation, we place our recorders in various places and tell a spirit they are welcome to answer our questions, or speak to us and their voices may be captured on those devices for us to hear later. We give them permission to speak into the microphones of the recorders, we do not give them permission to touch us, manipulate us, or use our physical person in any way shape or form. With a Ouija board, you must physically hold onto the planchette (the triangle pointer) and give the spirit permission to use YOU as a conduit to make the planchette move to the appropriate answers. That is one big difference. We do not give permission to be used for EVP sessions, in a Ouija board session, you give express permission to any spirit to use your person as a form of communication. With a recorder, you can place it in a room, give a few instructions to a potential spirit, and then leave the room, or even the building, taking yourself completely out of the situation. You are are no longer there to be 'used' as a conduit, and you can still receive an EVP. I have gotten several excellent EVPs in a room with only a recorder. With a Ouija, you must be in the room in contact with the board at all times and grant permission to be used as a conduit between the spirit and the board so they can use you to push the planchette to give answers. The problem with granting that kind of permission, you do not know who or what you are inviting to use your person. Granted, as someone pointed out in the debate I had; there is no guarantee a spirit won't try to use you anyway in the course of an investigation. However, if you protect yourself coming in, leaving, and don't give that permission, you are lowering the risk. Using a Ouija and granting that permission without condition raises the risk 100 fold.
- Invitation – I liken EVP recorders vs. Ouija to this: Calling a friend and inviting them to join you for a chat (Ouija) vs you going to visit your friend at the place where they reside and chatting with them (EVP recorder). When you take your recorders to perform an EVP session, you are communicating with spirits that are allegedly haunting an area. As a paranormal investigator, we don't investigate places that are not known or believed to be haunted; what would be the point? I'm not going to go to a newly built McDonalds to perform a paranormal investigation when there has been zero claims of paranormal activity. That would be a waste of time. The Ouija's intended purpose was to communicate with spirits “from the other side”; to invite them to join you and communicate with you. Many people have gone to a spiritualist’s house to try to communicate with Grandma. Obviously Grandma isn't going to be haunting a complete stranger's house to whom she's never been to visit, so when they use the Ouija board to communicate with her, they are calling her to come from wherever she is, to join them in that place. It is not a good idea to invite spirits into a place they would not otherwise reside. You do not know who or what will come through. A strongly held belief by many is that demonic/evil/dark entities need an invitation in order to wreak havoc. the Ouija board gives them that invitation. Pretend to be a great great uncle long enough... get them to let their guard down... that's when they take over. There have been many documented cases of bad paranormal activity occurring after recreational Ouija use. Though I will concede 70+% of the time the users have little understanding of the Ouija and do not perform the proper closing of each session.
So in conclusion... Ouija boards – haunting is not a prerequisite to try to communicate with spirits. You can invite them to join you if they are not otherwise haunting an area. EVP recorders, a haunting is a prerequisite. You are not inviting them to join you, you are trying to communicate with spirits that are already there.
Again, this is a personal opinion. There are many investigative teams who will use a Ouija board in their investigations. As long as you close the session when you are finished, they said they have had no adverse effects. They believe it depends on your religious or spiritual beliefs. Before you decide to or not to use any piece of equipment, do your research and make the decision that is right for you. My decision is to not only NOT use a Ouija board, I will ask any group who uses one to withhold the start of a session till near the end of the investigation so that I can leave the building first. That is what works for me. Always figure out what works best for you. Do your homework before using ANY piece of equipment.
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