Ouija (pronounced
wee-juh or
wee-jee) refers to the practice of summoning
ghosts,
spirits, and other
anomalous and/or paranormal entities. Ouija often involves an
ouija board; via which, an entity moves a
pointer[?] so as to spell things out. Some practitioners claim to have invented
electronic ouija boards, which make use of
keyboards. Various
Christian religions have aruged that ouija is
evil and can lead to
spiritual possession.
The term "ouija" is derived from the French "oui" (for "yes") and the German "ja" (for "yes"). Ouija became most popular during, and after, World War I; when it was marketed as a means of communicating with dead soldiers. Parker Brothers holds a patent for a ouija board; which it markets as a children's toy.