Definition of ouija

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Participants place their fingers on the planchette, and it is moved about the board to spell out words. The name "Ouija" is a trademark of Hasbro [1] inherited from Parker Brothers [ citation needed ] , but is often used generically to refer to any talking board. Spiritualists in the United States believed that the dead were able to contact the living and reportedly used a talking board very similar to a modern Ouija board at their camps in the U. Paranormal and supernatural beliefs associated with Ouija have been criticized by the scientific community and are characterized as pseudoscience. The action of the board can be most easily explained by unconscious movements of those controlling the pointer, a psychophysiological phenomenon known as the ideomotor effect. Mainstream Christian denominations , including Catholicism , have warned against the use of Ouija boards, considering their use Satanic practice, while other religious groups hold that they can lead to demonic possession. The popular belief that the word Ouija comes from the French and German words for yes is a misconception.

Definition of ouija

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The idea was that two or more people would sit around the board, place their finger tips on the planchette, pose a question, and watch, dumbfounded, as the planchette moved from letter to letter, spelling out the answers seemingly of its own accord. The biggest difference is in the materials; the board is now usually cardboard, rather than wood, and the planchette is plastic. The Ouija board, in fact, came straight out of the American 19th century obsession with spiritualism, the belief that the dead are able to communicate with the living. Spiritualism, which had been around for years in Europe, hit America hard in with the sudden prominence of the Fox sisters of upstate New York; the Foxes claimed to receive messages from spirits who rapped on the walls in answer to questions, recreating this feat of channeling in parlors across the state. Aided by the stories about the celebrity sisters and other spiritualists in the new national press, spiritualism reached millions of adherents at its peak in the second half of the 19th century. The movement also offered solace in an era when the average lifespan was less than 50 : Women died in childbirth; children died of disease; and men died in war. As spiritualism had grown in American culture, so too did frustration with how long it took to get any meaningful message out of the spirits, says Brandon Hodge, Spiritualism historian. Calling out the alphabet and waiting for a knock at the right letter, for example, was deeply boring.

Definition of ouija

The board game, which uses movements of people's hands on a small device to send a "message from beyond," is still a popular toy. But its history is less well-known, so I asked someone to help me understand the layered meanings of Ouija: Robert Murch , who has the unique distinction of being a Ouija expert. As the chair of the Talking Board Historical Society , he served as a consultant on the horror movie Ouija and recently celebrated his passion at the inaugural OuijaCon. It turns out that the real meaning of "Ouija" is as pliable — and mysterious — as the game itself. A sincere spiritualist movement arose in the second half of the 19th century. As Americans dealt with a changing country, life in the wake of the Civil War, and other drastic changes, some sought answers in a spiritual — but not traditionally religious — realm.

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The use of planchette writing as an ostensible means of necromancy and communion with the spirit-world continued, and, albeit under special rituals and supervisions, was a central practice of the Quanzhen School , until it was forbidden by the Qing dynasty. Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. Occultists, interestingly, are divided on the Oujia board's value. Void Rivals. English confusables. These religious objections to use of the Ouija board have given rise to ostension type folklore in the communities where they circulate. Your Ouija board experiment is rather fun. English—Norwegian Norwegian—English. Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge. Collins English Dictionary.

Participants place their fingers on the planchette, and it is moved about the board to spell out words.

Read about the team of authors behind Collins Dictionaries. Spanish English to Spanish. Word of the Year. The American Journal of Psychology. When the game earned a patent in , it was as an "Egyptian luck board. Some pre Ouija boards looked like Ouija boards, and some didn't. For example, thinking about not moving the planchette leads to the possibility of the planchette moving, which then makes someone unconsciously move the planchette. Disney Princess Elena of Avalor Frozen. School Library Journal. Houston Chronicle. Flat board for communicating with spirits. English idioms. Download as PDF Printable version. Skeptic's Dictionary.