THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
Psychic medium Steve Furlong, from Feathers Academy, in Northwich, Cheshire, has the low-down on Ouija boards.
Steve says, ‘The first ‘talking board’ was mentioned in Chinese historical documents in 1100 AD. But the registration of the patent name Ouija, meaning ‘yes yes’, wasn’t granted until 1891 in the USA.’
Originally invented as a parlour game, talking boards were popular after the American Civil War because people wanted to communicate with their lost relatives.
The same situation arose in Victorian and Edwardian England following the Boer War and World War
One. They grew in popularity as more people wanted to contact lost loved ones.
‘The use of Ouija boards gathered momentum on the release of the movie
The Exorcist in 1973,’ continues Steve. ‘Since then, the boards have been a regular feature in horror movies. Teenagers are drawn to Ouija boards because they’re easy to make and horror movies make them look exciting.
They can certainly liven up a sleepover.’
However, Steve believes
Ouija boards are dangerous, especially as they tend to be used by people, usually teenagers and young people, who have no idea what they’re doing.
‘[These people] have no psychic protection so they can be physically, emotionally and sometimes mentally affected,’ he explains. ‘Then when they’ve finished they walk away without closing anything down – leaving a door open to the spirit realm to let anyone, and anything, walk in.’
Steve says, ‘I would never advocate the use of a Ouija board. Some mediums argue that they’re fine as long as they’re used by a trained medium, but I disagree. There are many wonderful methods to communicate with spirit in a safe way without exposing yourself to risk. And whoever you are, using an Ouija board does put you in a vulnerable position.’
Finally, Steve suggests, ‘As a parent, if your child/teen is interested in spirit communication there are spiritual centres and churches that will happily give you guidance so that you can support your child in their psychic development – safely.’