Ouija boards basically consist of a board marked with the letters of the alphabet, yes/no indicators, numbers 0-9, and a moveable pointer held by participants in a seánce. The general idea is that spirits exert subtle influence on the pointer to spell out messages.

For someone who attempts to consult with the other side regularly, and yet travels a great deal, this may not be particularly convenient.

A 38-sided die would require even less kinetic force to spell out particular messages. The die would contain letters (26), Yes/No (2) and 0-9 (10), and messages could be spelled out with multiple rolls.

For the empiricist, a statistically interesting result such as "S-T-O-P B-O-T-H-E-R-I-N-G M-E" on 3 separate trials would be less problematic to measure with dice than with a pointer that requires constant finger contact.
-- Adze, Jun 23 2005

Password Dice Password_20Dice
Inspired in part by... [Adze, Jun 23 2005]

Roll the bones. http://members.aol....cetalk/history1.htm
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 23 2005]

I thought occultists had plenty of time on their hands -though I guess with all those orgies, sacrifices and stealing hairs off the heads of enemies there is little time to stop for any ethereal consultations.
-- benfrost, Jun 23 2005


//The general idea is that spirits exert subtle influence on the pointer to spell out messages.\\ No the general idea is that the spirits influence the participants to move it in unison ( though in actuality it is their subconsiousness)

Be that how it may, it does not work through kinetic force. And as for them from beyond using kinetic force to move your die, I don't buy it and you don't make it sound very likely, in fact you don't even try to make us fall for it.

So: [marked-for-deletion] bad science and magic.
-- zeno, Jun 23 2005


You may well be correct [zeno] though I have heard some interesting anecodotes - which don't constitute proof of course - but then that wasn't my goal anyway. Just a little light-heartedness. If the moderators make the call as magic, fair enough.
-- Adze, Jun 23 2005


It all comes full circle dunnit? [Link]
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 23 2005


I don't really see this one as magic, myself. It's more of a cultural tool, I think.

'Stop Bothering Me' made me laugh, too, so maybe I'm biased.
-- Soterios, Jun 23 2005


Ouija boards = evil. Idea to make them work better = good.
-- Pericles, Jun 23 2005


I don't see 38 sided die as magic regardless of how they are to be used or what the user believes they are telling her.

The MFD should be removed even though n-number sided die don't seem particularly novel.
-- bristolz, Jun 30 2005


As there is no Platonic solid having 38 faces, the OuiJa die will necessarily be biased, but I don't see that as being the major objection.
-- angel, Jun 30 2005


Yeah, I thought about that but didn't really think it mattered.
-- bristolz, Jun 30 2005


I love this idea! Except for the 38-sided part. Why not just use a regular die for this purpose?
-- bungston, Jun 30 2005


Another option for the occultist on the move would be also pick Scrabble letters out of a bag, Arthur Dent-style.

This would work better than a die (as presumably a spirit would find it easier to guide your hand to the letter it wants than to make you roll a die so it stops on a number). Just remember to replace the letter each time - in case the spirit wants to tell you what Materazzi really said to _inedine _idane.
-- imaginality, Jul 21 2006


A 36 sided dice (A-Z,0-9) would be a great tool for a crytpologist. Bun for that idea. Not so sure about the Ouija nonsense. For the record, a long time ago, some frinds and I dabbled in such things - it was one night, as we contacted the spirit of Popeye the Sailor Man (who's special message to me turned out to be "Ug Ug Ug Ug Ug") that I felt my interest in the occult wane somewhat - it's total bollocks.
-- zen_tom, Jul 21 2006


[zen_tom], sounds like you channelled a caveman by mistake? ;)
-- imaginality, Jul 21 2006


Very interesting spirit Popeye - very keen on Spinichsk, Olivesk etc - I always thought the "Ug Ug Ug Ug Ug" was him laughing at me - but it's been a while. Further, having watched "6 Million Years BC" a number of times, I can inform you that cavemen, in discourse on spears, volcanos, dinosaurs, and Raquel Welsh's bikini, tend to use the more apey "Ughh Ughh Ughh" variant.
-- zen_tom, Jul 21 2006



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