Beyond black and white – the new pink Ouija board

Two years ago the Hasbro Company released a pink version of the classic Ouija board, presumably to revitalize Ouija’s appeal and help it remain a slumber party mainstay. A recent story by Fox News seems to have catapulted this “pink portal to the other side” to the forefront of Christian and non-Christian consciousness alike.

The buzz seems to mostly consist of Christians condemning the product as a “dangerous spiritual game” and non-Christians responding with snark (some of which is pretty entertaining – see the “reviews” link below).

Some snippets of product reviews I found at amazon.com, followed by my take on it all:

I guess it’s an indictment of the level of science education in the U.S.A. Ouija board simply works on kids pushing the marker to the letters. –reviewer Joseph P. Klein

There is inherent in using the board the possibility of demonic contact and influence, since dead people cannot be contacted. The effects are real when it “works.” –reviewer Former Astrologer

Deuteronomy 18:10 states ‘There shall not be found among you anyone who…CALLS UP THE DEAD. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord.’ –reviewer common sense

Based on personal experience, the first two reviews contain little bits of truth (though overall they miss the mark). Here are my thoughts on Ouija:

Q: Who (or what) moves the Ouija board’s marker?

A: Kids trying to either scare or impress their friends.

A: A discarnate spirit on the astral plane. This could be someone who’s recently passed and has not yet progressed to the higher planes of existence, but is more likely an unevolved spiritual entity. Some may dub these beings “demons,” but it’s important to understand that the Abrahamic Religions have perverted the meaning of this word, which simply meant “unclean spirit” originally. However this is precisely why Ouija can be dangerous – in using it, those without the required knowledge or respect essentially make a “phone call” to a room full of strangers, any of whom could “pick up” and some of whom may have malicious intent.

Q: If I had a child, would I let them play with a Ouija board?

A: Generally speaking, no. Though the board itself does not cause harm, the fear surrounding its use might. This fear, now embedded in our society’s consciousness, is exactly what attracts the unevolved spiritual entities I described above (and keeps them around).

Q: What qualifies me to these questions, and why do I disagree with the reviews quoted above?

A: Personal experience. On several occasions friends and family members have spontaneously visited me after passing, often with messages for me or for me to relay to others. Contacting (or being contacted by) those who’ve passed is indeed possible, and I feel strongly that ruling this out simply because one hasn’t experienced it (or worse, judging someone without “walking a mile in their shoes“) is spiritually and emotionally immature. The universe is bigger than any of us can comprehend, and there is plenty that can’t be explained by either religious doctrine or empirical evidence.

I find it ironic that zealots on each side of any religion vs. science debate seem to share the same weakness – the conviction that everything in the universe can be neatly categorized as religion or science, belief or fact, black or white, good or evil. Though it might seem desirable to live in a world where everything is so cut and dry, it would rob us of the opportunity to experience the freedom that humility brings – that quality we embody when we admit there are more questions than answers.

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