Talking Boards

by Jane Stewart
Author of

Clearings
Available Now on Amazon.com!

Over the years, I have heard people say that certain activities, such as using a talking board, will “open you up” to the spirit world.  What exactly does this mean?  Well, it means that by performing an activity with the sole purpose of spirit communication can make you vulnerable and/or accessible to the spirits that want to communicate with you, both good and bad.  Although, there are certainly some people who tend to dismiss this thought and blame it on a paranoia born out of fear of the unknown, religious belief or ignorance, in my opinion the statement is true. It is true based on how energy related to thoughts and behaviors work.  Once energy of this type is created, it cannot be destroyed and opens up a personal portal to other side.

Although any tool that is used for purposeful, intentional, and deliberate conjuring or contacting of disincarnate spirits will initiate contact, this particular method is particularly dangerous.  The use of talking boards has been around a very long time, some sources say as far back as 1100 CE.  Of course they weren’t called talking boards at that time, instead they were a form of automatic writing known as “planchette writing” and were used under more strict guidelines and instruction than today’s modern game of Ouija.  The Spiritualism movement of the 1800’s (thank you very much Fox sisters) inspired the game and although not the first or only board game attempt, it has certainly remained popular and widely recognized.  It consists of mainly a “yes,” “no,” “hello,” “goodbye,” letters of the alphabet and numbers from 0 to 9.  It also has a wooden heart-shaped planchette device used for spelling out or pointing to answers to questions or other general information inspired by those who use it.  The users’ fingertips are lightly placed on the planchette, not enough to move it, but enough to place intent to contact.  Questions are then asked and the planchette moves “on its own” to spell out the answer.

The main reason why the game is so dangerous is because it is available to anyone for any purpose at any time.  Anyone of any age can go to any discount store and purchase it.  In addition, the use of the word “game” in connection with any form of contacting disincarnate spirits should be cause for alarm.  It doesn’t matter whether or not the persons who use it, know or believe they are making contact, they are nonetheless making contact.  This flip type casualness associated with an intentional method of divination is not only dangerous, but in my opinion should also hold the makers, distributors and carriers of this game responsible and accountable for its potential harm with use.  Of course, arguing this point would be moot and a slippery slope at best, leaving consequences and the ultimate source of responsibility with the user.

It must be understood that regardless of the tool utilized, where there is both purpose and intent to contact the dead, connection is always made.  Even if contact of a specific spirit is the purpose (and there is no guarantee you are going to make contact with a specific spirit), the signal does not limit the other worldly call from reaching other spirits.  Therefore, any spirit within hearing distance or energetic draw to the activity’s signal that wants to communicate will respond and answer.  In addition, any activity, particularly one such as this, whether protected at the moment or not, sets the stage for an energy projection of a desire for communication.  It’s like setting up an energetic TV or radio tower in your body and broadcasting the signal randomly.  Once the signal is made, it is set and will continue to call any spirit within its range.  Spirits can be very patient and they will wait for the protection barrier to recede or dissipate.

There’s an old saying, “curiosity killed the cat.”  Simply put, this proverb means to warn someone of the “dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation” or that “inquisitiveness can lead one into dangerous situations.” However, it is somewhat easier to excuse unnecessary experimentation that could potentially lead to harm if you’re a cat, but us humans are supposed to be a little higher up on the food chain of intellectual reasoning.  Possessing the faculty of reasoning or not, curiosity seems too often to override what little common sense one might possess when a prime opportune moment shows up and simply can’t be resisted.  This is especially so if you are too young to even know what possessing the faculty of reasoning means, let alone possess resistance.  The rest of us, have no excuse.

I’m certainly not suggesting in any way, shape or form that curiosity is the only reason for using a talking board because there are plenty of other seemingly more sensible reasons for doing so, such as desperate measures to contact a deceased loved one, contacting a personal Spirit Guide or other higher form of Light Being, or simply connecting to one’s higher self.  Although, it must be noted that the “such as” reasons are far less common than curiosity, conjuration, or even just trying to connect with whatever spirit might happen to be present.  It should be noted there are far better ways to connect with deceased loved ones and spirit guides than through a talking board.  Regardless of the intention, the care placed into the activity, or even the supposed result, both the short-term and long-term ramifications are the same because the signal is still put in place.

Now, I could also talk about another old saying, “ignorance is bliss.” But, I won’t because I don’t want to turn ignorance into an excuse to be blissfully uninformed.  In today’s age of easily available and accessible information, being uninformed is a conscious decision.  The problem, however, is not in information availability, but more so in the quality of its source.  For college essays, it is a rare professor that allows Wikipedia as a source of reference.  No offense Wikipedia, especially since I obviously use it for quick reference.  But, for reliable resources, it is just not considered to be one.   The same thought goes for all frames of reference, including the paranormal. There is ample opportunity to find available information.  Between the World Wide Web, movies, TV, radio, books, magazines, etc., one can literally access too much information on almost every subject imaginable.  The variances and discrepancies between these information sources can be cumbersome and difficult to discern fact from fiction, right from wrong, and good from bad.

In my new book, “CLEARINGS Everything You Need to Know to About Clearing Ghosts, Demons & Other Entities,” I try to clear up some of the misunderstandings that surround the supernatural.  I also make it pretty clear how I feel about talking boards and some other forms of divination that can conjure spirits.  My experiences have demonstrated that the use of such forms of divination are dangerous and have called to the user(s) uninvited spirits.  This is a major concern that should always be considered regarding the utilization of any form of divination to connect to disincarnate spirits.  In addition, most people who attempt to do so also lack the ability to discern the difference between who or what they intend to contact verses who or what they actually contact.  I have seen far too many instances where a spirit deceives the user into believing it is their deceased loved one, when in fact, it is not their loved one.  There are also plenty of spirits lurking around that will jump at an opportunity to communicate with all too enthusiastic inquirers.

In the end, I believe talking boards should not be used as a method for disincarnate spirit communication, particularly by the unaware, uninformed, inexperienced or the young.  There is a higher chance of calling in a spirit or other entity you don’t want, don’t need, don’t know how to deal with and don’t know how to banish.  You may not even be aware that you have done so. Why put yourself and your family at risk of connecting with and then calling to you a spirit that could potentially be harmful through this method?  If you insist on using one or are proponents of their use, then at least do so with an awareness of the dangers, both short-term and long-term. If you want to connect to a deceased loved one, do your homework; there are other better and safer methods of communication.

References:

            "Ouija." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 11 Aug. 2011.
           <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouija>.

            "Museum of Talking Boards: History of the Talking Board." Museum of Talking Boards: An Online Museum of Ouija Boards. Web. 11 Aug. 2011.
            <http://www.museumoftalkingboards.com/history.html>.

            Curiosity Killed the Cat." The Meanings and Origins of Sayings and Phrases. Web. 11 Aug. 2011.
            <http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/curiosity-killed-the-cat.html>.

            Curiosity Killed the Cat." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 11 Aug. 2011.
            <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_killed_the_cat>.

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