How to Use Pendulum & Talking Boards (Ouija)

How to Use a Talking Board

T.B.H.S.

Talking Board Historical Society

Place the Talking Board on a flat, level surface.
Those that seek to receive messages should place their fingers upon the planchette indicator. The Operator's fingers should rest gently, but with a slight pressure to allow the planchette to move freely beneath the weight of their hands. Keep the elbows raised (do not rest elbows on the surface of board or table) and wrists relaxed but arched slighty, arms bent at the elbow level to the wrist. Maintaining good posture, and an informal, but straight position of the back.
Relax your mind and clear your thoughts, and separate yourself from any doubts or worries.
To begin communication, concentrate your efforts on relaxing and focusing your gaze upon the letters printed on the board. Begin by uttering a greeting and asking a simple question you would like answered. Have an expectation that prudent and true messages are forthcoming, and be open to witnessing a phenomenon that just might startle you.
Within 1-5 minutes the planchette will begin to move, at first perhaps slowly, but most assuredly with intent and progressively quicker movements. The planchette will indicate the letters and messages printed on the board, within it's viewing area.
It is advisable to record the messages received, by writing them down on a separate sheet of paper.
It is important, when in use by more than a single individual, that only one person at a time address the board with queries, so as to avoid confusion and muddled responses.

The true nature of the seemingly mystical responses achieved by the Talking Board are most certainly up for deliberation, and whereas I do not claim that at all times and under any circumstances that messages will be received, I do claim that with reasonable patience and judgement it will satisfy your greatest expectations.

Although this author believes that it is through the ideomotor effect that movement is established, the theory does not completely satisfy my curiosity regarding how it is that the messages transcribed are often intelligible, can be eerily accurate, and otherwise consciously unknown to its Users.* ~Madam Sheol

Click on the images to download complimentary mini Talking & Pendulum Boards . Save to your hardrive, open in an image editor, and maintaining size ratio, set dpi to 300. Print Talking Board on 11x17 paper. (Image print size 10.25x15) Use an over-turned shot glass for the indicator. For best results place your printed talking board under a sheet of clear glass, plastic, or laminate to create a smoother surface. Print Pendulum Board on 8.5x11 paper (Image size 8x8).

How to Use a Pendulum Board

Materials Needed:

Pendulum - (A pendulum is a weight that can freely swing from a pivot point. Commonly made of semi-precious stones, a ring or a pendant tied or otherwise connected to one end of a string or chain, and a small bead or loop attached to the other end of the string which is called a fob.)

Pendulum Board-complimentary board provided here:

To Begin:

Relax and focus. Clear your mind of worries. Ideally, you should sit up straight and try not to rest your elbows on the surface that your pendulum board is placed on. Grasp the top bead or fob between your thumb and forefinger, leaving at least 4 to 5 inches between your fingers and the pendulum’s weight stone. Arch your wrist slightly, steady your forearm and allow the pendulum to dangle approximately a half inch over the center of your pendulum board. Try to hold very still, but don’t worry if your hand shakes a little, this is natural and to be expected. Relax and concentrate on a question that you wish to ask, and that can be answered with a simple Yes or No response. Be as specific as you can in your phrasing. Avoid asking for opinions or using the words “should” or “supposed to” in your questions.

Wait for the answer. Be patient. Remain detached about the outcome and focus only on receiving an accurate, unbiased response. When the pendulum moves, examine which direction that it is swinging. Most boards indicate a positive or "Yes" response when the pendulum swings in an up down or North/South motion whereas the negative is shown by a swing from left to right or East/West response. A pendulum rotating in the center of the board, in a circular fashion, indicates "Maybe" or "Answer Unknown". If it doesn’t move right away, give it time, or if it’s unclear what the signal is, try rephrasing the question and do it again. To ask another question, simply still the pendulum weight with your free hand and repeat the process by hanging the pendulum over the center of the board and clearing your mind prior to asking your new question.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, and if the spirit moves you to do so, please consider donating to the T.B.H.S.

The TBHS has worked tirelessly to preserve the history of this unique pop culture phenomenon. Their next project is the construction of a grave marker recognizing the medium Helen Peters for her role in giving the Ouija its unique name, and through this project and others, the Talking Board Historical Society hopes to bring greater and wider recognition to the nearly-forgotten stories and lives of this incredible institution.

*Dr. Sid Fels of ECE with Dr. Ron Rensink (Computer Science and Psychology) and PostDoc Hélén Gauchou (Psychology) have conducted a number of experiments using the Ouija Board that demonstrate implicit cognition (the non-conscious mind) and examined whether ideomotor actions can also express nonconscious knowledge. The studies indicated that responses to questions previously unknown to the participants were significantly more accurate when they responded thru the use of a Ouija board. Read more regarding the study at Science Direct, Consciousness and Cognition.

The ideomotor effect refers to the influence of suggestion or expectation on involuntary and unconscious motor behavior.

For more in depth coverage of this subject, allow me to direct you to the Museum of Talking Boards, where curator and Director for the T.B.H.S., Gene Orlando, has provided an excellent tutorial regarding solo usage of Talking Boards.

To Learn more about the History of the Talking Board and facts behind the marvelous mystical magical Ouija Board, please visit Ouija Expert, Robert Murch's sites: WilliamFuld.com and RobertMurch.com

See MysteriousPlanchette.com for more information regarding early spiritualism tools and its curator, Brandon Hodge will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about planchettes and their history.