Mystery of the Ouija Board: Tool of Satan? Smithsonian writer Linda Rodriguez

Is the Ouija Board a tool of the devil, harmless family game—or fascinating glimpse into the non-conscious mind?

From Linda Rodriguez McRobbie's Smithsonian article:

"The real history of the Ouija board is just about as mysterious as how the “game” works. Ouija historian Robert Murch has been researching the story of the board since 1992; when he started his research, he says, no one really knew anything about its origins, which struck him as odd: “For such an iconic thing that strikes both fear and wonder in American culture, how can no one know where it came from?”

Linda joins us to discuss the phenomenal popularity of the Ouija Board, its origins in capitalism and spiritualism, the effect of the film The Exorcist on public perception that the Ouija Board opened the door to demons, the recent scientific studies on the ideomotor response of how participants can subconsciously influence answers, and more.

Linda Rodriguez McRobbie is an American freelance writer living in London, England. She covers the weird stuff for Smithsonian.com, Boing Boing, Slate, mental_floss, and others, and she's the author of Princesses Behaving Badly.  Enjoy more of her writing at: http://www.lindarodriguezmcrobbie.com/  

The views & opinions of our guests are their own, and not necessarily the views of Richard Rossi or Blog Talk Radio.