Scientific approach to Ouija boards:
The accepted theory is that the participants are subconsciously
making small, involuntary, physical movements using a well-known,
and well-understood, phenomenon called the Ideomotor effect.
Experiments consistently suggest that, at best, the messages are
received involuntarily from the participants themselves, and, at
worst, by a manipulative player, possibly with the connivance of
confederates within the group present.
Skeptic and magician James Randi, in his book An Encyclopedia of
Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural, points
out that when blindfolded, Ouija board operators are unable to
produce intelligible messages. Magicians Penn & Teller
performed a similar demonstration in an episode of their television
show Bullshit!.
These failures indicate that people are simply very willing to fool
themselves, for example, by the Forer effect. The public (and
frequently energetically flaunted) expression of native and genuine
fears and subconscious desires, often concerning death or sex,
while appearing genuine, can frighten impressionable people, or
cause them to loosen their purse strings (or both). It is for this
reason alone that many suggest that the Ouija board is best
avoided, particularly when each player may not absolutely trust, or
know, every other player.
