Ouija boards are widespread in Western Europe and North America. Their main purpose is contact with the afterlife. They are simple devices for carrying out spiritual séances.
Usually made of wood, the boards have letters, words and sometimes simple sentences (widely used in every day communication) written on them. The standard Ouija board contains the words YES, NO and the alphabet.
In order for each board to work as it was meant to, there are also 2 images shown - of the sun and moon. The board also comes with a planchette, a special pointer, upon which those seeking answers from the dead place their hands.
It is believed that if a ghost is summoned after the séance starts, he will begin to guide the planchette toward specific letters so that the participants can figure out what he's trying to tell them.
The séance begins by repeating the question: Ouija, are you there? until the planchette hovers over Yes. The next question asked is Where are you from? If the planchette points to the sun it means the spirit is benign but if it points to the moon it means it is evil and the word Goodbye must be repeated until the planchette itself points to Goodbye on the board.
Whether the board can make contact with the dead or is simply a scary kid's game is a subject of debate. Naturally, most members of the scientific community dismiss the issue with mockery.
However, a team of Canadian scientists from the University of British Columbia are not so overly convinced. After several years of study, without dismissing any possibilities, the researchers publicized a theory that the answers given by the board are the result of the collective unconscious of the participants in the séance. Through the answers given, people try to find solutions to complex life dilemmas on a subconscious level.
Even though they dismiss any meddling of the afterlife, scientists do not deny the usefulness of the board. According to them, each person has tremendous amount of life experience deeply encoded on a genetic level and the Ouija board is an exceptionally useful and at the same time easy method of tapping into it.
