Poll: Are ouija boards dangerous?

[Echopunk]

When I was younger, one of my friends' mothers was a Quija proponent. Supposedly, one session warned my friend away from going on a ski trip. We later discovered that the plane the group was supposed to take crashed. They also based the sale of their house on something the board said, warning them of an impending robbery (after three houses in the immediate area were hit over a course of a couple of weeks). They sold the house (his mom and dad had been considering it anyway, it wasn't JUST the board). Apparently, they kind of got screwed on the deal, getting stuck for a new roof - so, technically they DID get robbed on the house.

Admittedly, I do not completely rule the "supernatural" out, thanks to experiences with meditation and martial arts, but I tend to think of it as something internal rather than spirit pressure from the "other side."

That said, I think the only real danger involved comes from being so insecure/impressionable that one would actually ACT on something that came from the board. If you're to the point where you're planning your week based on tarot, quija, and viking runes, you've got issues.

 

[The SettingSun]

1. Do you believe in malevolent spirits?
2. IF you do, are you prepared to have your psyche REALLY messed up? Because even the fear itself will make things happen or even make innocent things seem a hundred times worse. I mean, I KNOW the slenderman is a hoax, but I swear I keep seeing bald guys in suits in the distance. Perception's a *****.

I remember hearing about Slenderman for the first time. For about a month after whenever I stared out of my window at night I kept on glimpsing human like shapes in the trees. Spooked me to no end.

 

[Matthew Valkanov]

Well, considering that it was originally a board game created for harmless exploration of the subconscious in the 19th century, I don't really see where the danger would come from. If I'm not mistaken it's actually a Hasbro trademark. The whole divining thing came later when some occultist started saying that it could help commune with the dead. Oh, there's also a Chinese version that is also about divining, but anyway...

 

[OldRat]

Yeah. Ouija boards are really goddamn dangerous. I looked at one once, and the next day, my whole family, all of my friends, each and every pet, all my friends' families and their distant relatives contacted lethal haemorrhoids and died a slow, agonizing death. Also, my house collapsed, my both legs had to be amputated at the knee due to complications during treating a toe wound, I lost all my money, my girlfriend suddenly became a lesbian, my rats contracted the hopping flu and I developed fifteen as of yet unknown diseases, some of which sang in mysterious languages. Also, I think an asteroid is going to smash into the Earth tomorrow.

On a more serious note, no. Unless you're gullible enough and die of fright.

 

[GarciLP]

There's nothing paranormal about Ouija boards. It's right up there hand by hand with voodoo and spirit mediums - depending on how gullible you are, you might get more or less "results". The actual connections with ghosts are 0.

 

[The SettingSun]

Yes they are! Good ones are made from heavy wooden boards and those things can really hurt your foot if they land on it!

But I thought it was like one of those things that Judaism doesnt like with the whole contacting spirits.

Out of curiosity do you believe in curses and spirits stuff like that?

No, but I get paranoid easily. When I watched the Blair Witch project I couldn't get to sleep for most of the night. I knew that there was no way that the Blair Witch existed or would walk into my room but I couldn't get my mind to calm down.

 

[kouriichi]

Only if YOU give them power.

Magic and evil things tend only exist if you think they do.

 

[Hollock]

Ouija boards (by the way I always called it a wee-gee board, but they're supposed to be called wee-ya, like oui and ja).
anyways, they're the only thing that connects the wikipedia page of hasbro, and necromancy, I'm not scared

 

[xdom125x]

I don't know if a ouija board is especially dangerous but everything is dangerous at a high enough speed.
The only board game that I know for a fact leads to physical harm is Monopoly.

http://www.cracked.com/article_19283_7-ancient-forms-mysticism-that-are-recent-inventions.html

Cracked just ran an article today about so-called mystic beliefs (Ouija boards are #4).

Damn. Ninja'd.

I knew it was nonsense but jeez, it was only invented in 1890.

Look! Someone believes in new age crap! Everyone line up to take the piss out of them!

Well at least it's better than that "old age" crap that constantly spews hate-filled fanatics that wave signs and act like it's the 17th century all over again.

"Gasp! You're wearing white after labor day! WITCH!!!" *throws Bible* -_-

I don't even know why it's called "New Age" since Wicca is actually a different word for Paganism, and that pretty much was the first religion to have existed, and we gleefully celebrate one of their holidays every year.

It's called New Age because it was founded relatively recently, like within the past 200 years recently.

And like somebody else already said "paganism" just means non-Christian religion, so paganism technically includes some older stuff but it is just too vague to be considered it's own religion.
Wait. Wasn't Wicca invented in the 19th or 20th by 3 people?
http://www.cracked.com/article_18510_6-supposedly-ancient-traditions-that-totally-arent_p2.html at #1.

Edit: @Hollock. You think that's bad. I used to call it a luigi board.

 

[Nieroshai]

1. Do you believe in malevolent spirits?
2. IF you do, are you prepared to have your psyche REALLY messed up? Because even the fear itself will make things happen or even make innocent things seem a hundred times worse. I mean, I KNOW the slenderman is a hoax, but I swear I keep seeing bald guys in suits in the distance. Perception's a *****.

I remember hearing about Slenderman for the first time. For about a month after whenever I stared out of my window at night I kept on glimpsing human like shapes in the trees. Spooked me to no end.

I wouldn't mind if it looked human, when it moves is what freaks me out. Hmm... maybe I should start filming my life and gain a cult following of ARGers...

 

[grimgor42]

I wouldn't use one. Even if there's no risk of crazy demon stuff going down, they're just.... tacky to be honest.

 

[Mathak]

We should try to start some kind of urban legend about the captchas. I just got "HANKERSON, onolut". Plus, they look wobbly and creepy.

Added bonus: Superstitious people will no longer be able to post. Have you ever noticed how "open mind" means the same thing as "be more gullible and also waste money on stupid crap"?

Wayyyy ahead of you. Meet Lord Inglip, God of Captchas.

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/inglip#.ThS4doLD7zk

 

[frizzlebyte]

I once did it with friends. Some of my friends actually believed it, and there were indeed words forming. So I (being the scientist type guy that I am) suggested that everyone should wear blindfolds. (except me of course, I would be monitoring and not actually participating)After that only jibberish was being spelled. It did make me feel pretty clever, until I read that tons of other people had already tried this.

Actually, you should still feel great for coming up with the idea on your own. That kind of critical thinking is not seen very often these days.

 

[MoriyaMug]

Not that I believe in ghosts, but still. Humans don't and can't know everything. For all we know there IS such a thing, and we are completely ignorant.

You can't completely rule it out, much like you can't completely prove it.

It's mathematically impossible to prove the non-existence of something, certainly. But those who proclaim that such things exist must provide empirical proof that they do, as the burden of proof lies upon them. Skepticism must be the default position of any rational thinker.

Provide that genuine empirical proof and the whole of the scientific community will stand behind you, once it's been tested and peer-reviewed. Until then, such things are just for campfire stories and credulous tourists.

There is nothing unknowable in the universe. Only that which we already know, and that which we don't know yet.

 

[kickassfrog]

Only if you accidentally slip and beat the stupid out of one of your friends.
Also, if you blindfold yourself while doing it and have someone impartial write it down, it just becomes random gibberish.

 

[VulakAerr]

There is always a danger that somebody with an actual brain will wander past, look at what's going on, and do the human race a semi-automatic favour.

 

[newdarkcloud]

It's extremely dangerous.

I mean, it could hit someone's head. That's why I refuse to play board games. (/sarcasm)

 

[Ironic]

I was going to get one and use it with a few friends. Now, I don't usually buy into this sort of stuff but after hearing a few creepy stories (i scare easily) I'm not so sure. So, have you had any experiences? Most importantly: Are they dangerous?

They're dangerous. I had a friend who wrote Biggie Smalls 3 times with the Ouija board whilst sitting in a pentagram with reversed 7 chakras painted onto them whilst muttering blasphemy against incan gods whilst thinking about premarital sex and then exactly FORTY THREE days afterwards.... they were hit by a bus.

THE DRIVER WAS LISTENING TO "Life after death" by the Notorious B.I.G himself!

/fiction

OT: No. Its a piece of wood, there's a cool documentary called Paranormal Activity which explores it. Use it, watch Paranormal Activity and then discuss.

 

[William Ossiss]

It would seem that the majority of people here are adherents of the basic fundamentals of logic and reason, rather than superstition and fairy stories. If this is true, I think I'm going to like it here.

Anecdotal evidence isn't real evidence, btw.

then by all means. go and burn one. and a real one, not this shitty game board one you can buy. a Ouija board is meant to be made by hand from wood.

anyway, all of you have obviously never used one in it's proper way. (and no, i wont tell you how)

But I thought it was like one of those things that Judaism doesnt like with the whole contacting spirits.

it's not so much as contacting spirits as making a gateway into your home. while they may "speak" they are also inviting a lot of dreadful things into your abode.

 

[sparg]

tonally, one fell on my head once, it hurts man.