The Board That Named Itself
When its makers asked the new 'talking board' what it wanted to be called, the story goes, it spelled out a word none of them knew: Ouija.
What was reported
In 1890, a group of businessmen in Baltimore began selling a board printed with the alphabet and numbers, and a small pointer that players' fingers rest on. As the pointer slides from letter to letter, it seems to spell out messages from beyond. The patent was granted in 1891.
According to the company's own story, they asked the board to name itself, and it spelled 'Ouija', which it said meant 'good luck'. Another tale says the patent officer would only approve it if it spelled his name, which it did. The board became a huge success and is still sold today.
Explanations offered
The movement of the pointer is best explained by the ideomotor effect: tiny, unconscious muscle movements made by the players, who genuinely feel they aren't pushing. When players are blindfolded and the board is turned round without their knowledge, the messages usually become nonsense.
- When
- Patented in 1891
- Where
- Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Witnesses
- Its inventors, and millions of players since
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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