More than 40 years ago, the first elements of the ASUP in New York undertook the serious study of the Ouija Board, its mechanics and the possibility that it could be used as a key to unlocking the possibility of the proof of the survival human consciousness after death.  The study was funded, but found to be manpower intensive when it came to researching the actual case histories being created from the sessions; for every three hour session by two of six participants, another eight hours of hands on historic research had to be undertaken to prove or disprove the former existence of the reported contact.  Given the time, the research was done by hand on microfiche, mostly from newspaper archives and utilized the talents of four researchers, two of whom has MLS degrees to properly do the task.

After almost 8 months of testing, the project funding was dropped after the university fell under fire from a cadre of skeptics who attacked the work as being either too vague to possibly pass scrutiny under the academic model to those who simply fell prey to the quasi-religious boogie-man, who suggested the study was as a whole experimenting with the devil’s own tools.  Because of this funding cut, there was never a final report created on what had been learned, and with the exception of the original research notes, the entire project was lost.

Of course, this was not the end of the ASUP’s research into the possibility of consciousness survival; the Ouija Board experiments were followed by more elaborate voice phenomenon reporting that utilized the application of what were then very large and heavy recording devices in reportedly active paranormal locations.  Eventually, hundreds of cases were documented where the EVP phenomenon was captured, but the root of those “voices” were always less than empiric by nature and were often criticized as “noise,” or “distortion” caused by any number of factors, each of which called for hundreds more hours of testing.  Over the last 30 years, the compiled data is impressive for a substantial case proving the existence of survival, but once again, offers little empirically.  As the equipment became more refined, the recordings improved and became a substantial building block to the ASUP research.

The natural flow of EVP research eventually led to the research efforts of the ASUP and others into the world of what is known  as the “Frank’s Box,” or Mini-Box era.  Here, the new devices were not just studied but enhanced significantly over the course of just a few years.  These devices utilized a scanning radio receiver that allowed for variations in pitch and cycles, creating what some have called a “Blank slate” upon which real time voice communications with the other side is possible.  Again, the outcome was encouraging, but not conclusive; and while the ASUP continues to test a wide range of these devices in the field, they are not the answer to the question of survival.  In the analysis of these various methods, none can prove the survival of human consciousness; those who believe are convinced and those who are skeptics are not, leaving the question unresolved.

In 2009, the ASUP Board was presented with a project for the new decade by their Coordinator, suggesting that the group, now with a lifetime of experience and the latest technology, might benefit from the reemergence of the Ouija Board study that had begun in the 1970s.  With well over 100 years in use, the board is still the most readily available and cost effective tool available, with literally millions in existence all over the world; yet little is really known about the dynamics of the system and it is still obviously stained by the claims of fringe groups that it is somehow a tool of the demonic.

While critics can point to obvious flaws in its use, the same could be said of all the devices used in an attempt at “spirit communications,” and the demonization of the board is based on superstition and little else it would seem.  On its face, the wild claims associated with the board seem based widely on the psychology of the users, rather than any external factor; and while the interest in the Ouija Board has never disappeared, little actual research into its claims have been undertaken.

To that end, the ASUP is going to take on a new study of the boards, starting with the basic claims for the devices and hopefully prove the true mechanism behind it.  This is in the best traditions of the organization, pointing back to studies accomplished in the 1970s that have shed light on other paranormal claims, principle among them the study of “Spook Lights” and the explanation of their creation to empiric standard.

 The spook light phenomenon had existed for more than a century, and was widely reported nationwide as what appeared to be the swinging lantern over railroad tracks.  The phenomenon existed in virtually every community and begged further explanation.  The folklore suggested a long departed railroad brakeman signaling a problem on the tracks, usually tied to an impending train disaster of some sort, but the explanation was far more complex and required the joint efforts of several research groups and a prestigious university.

After years of observation and testing, the lead organization, VESTIGIA was able to prove that the “lights” were in fact physical objects created through what is called a “Piezoelectric effect,” which under certain conditions would create an electrically charged sphere that would not just appear, but move along parallel tracks.  The lights were a natural phenomenon created by man-made objects reacting to each other under very specific conditions that included a variety of environmental factors, no ghostly railroad brakemen, but measurable energy created and discharged under specific conditions.

It should be said here that that ASUP does not exist to debunk claims of the paranormal.  In fact over the years the group has amassed a sizeable collection of unexplained phenomenon that seems to beg the question of other-worldly activity, but in order to meet the self imposed mandate to research the possibility of the survival of human consciousness after death, you must be prepared to remove the folklore from fact.  That was the case in the spook light phenomenon but does not suggest that all paranormal occurrences are similarly based.

Project 2010 will follow a new course; unlike the Mini-Box experiments, which were done at random at various locations and with volunteer test subjects or the original Ouija Board study, which was done in an academic setting with students, the new project will initially be conducted in one place, where variables are limited and the subjects are all trained investigators, under the best possible scrutiny, including IR monitoring, video, audio and a variety of high tech equipment to monitor the tests.

The testing teams themselves will be closely monitored and recorded and shuffled at random for the widest possible outcome.

The location of the test will be one single location where the history of the property is already documented and under the direct operation of the ASUP, which promises to offer the greatest possibility of success over the long run.  A variety of boards will be utilized, from the most recent release of the published “game” to rare and antique devices; the planchette (pointer device) used will also run the gamut from the basic plastic ones supplied with the games to more ornate or historically correct ones fashioned from wood, stone or metal.  State of the art pressure sensitive pads will be utilized with some planchette in a random fashion to monitor the basic movement of the pointer and identify subtle manipulation.

The aim of the study is first to identify the method of movement of the pointer device under controlled conditions, addressing the basic questions of how the message is being communicated and then utilizing the ASUP’s superior research ability to confirm or deny claims “received” through the device.  This was not humanly possible during the first Ouija Board study.  The results will then be documented for other researchers to evaluate.

The outcome of the study is totally unpredictable at this moment.  No one can say the direction that the study might take in the future, but it reasonable to assume that the outcome will address the ever-present threat from the demonic, which the original study, tended to discredit.   Depending on which camp you talk to within ASUP today, the study promises to be exciting if nothing else. The psychological implications of this study vs. the paranormal claims sets in motion an interesting juxtaposition; the group seems to have met a precarious balance of those who assume the device requires human subconscious input with those who tend to think there is a paranormal component at work and the mix of these elements is what makes the study almost irresistible.

In order to further evaluate their data, the ASUP will also be doing outreach to other research groups seeking similar studies and impressions.  All of this will eventually find its way to an overview report that will weigh the merits of various assumptions and hopefully lay to rest the true nature of the Ouija Board.  If in fact, the board can be proven to be a reliable communications device, as many claim, then it is certainly an alternative to high priced electronic devices being used for the same purpose.  On the other hand, if it is simply a game as claimed by others, then the mechanism for its reported abilities will be understood.  Finally, under the best possible methodology available, we will be able to address the largest part of the board’s reputation, confirming or denying the possibility of some demonic connection.  It is certainly not the aim or intention to enter into the larger debate over the existence of the demonic or the balance of good vs. evil in the world.  That is the realm of the ecclesiastic, but it is reasonable to assume that the study, once complete, will be prepared to voice an educated conclusion on the topic of the board being a gateway to the “other side,” with or without its negative connotations.

In the near future, the basic testing guidelines will be released and manpower allocated for this project, including researchers and investigators in the roles of subjects, technical crew and evaluators completed.  The current ASUP profile has a Director for Research, Field Operations, Evidence Review and Oversight, each of whom will play a critical part in the project.  At the present time, the proposed project will run possibly for a year, or more as defined by the overall objectives and hopes to be all encompassing and able to pass the scrutiny of the sciences.

As defined by the ASUP, which is a non-profit corporation and internally funding this study, the aim is to address the possibility that these devices are, or are not, reasonable tools in the study of the possibility of the survival of human consciousness after death and to catalogue any and all data associated with that study, acting as an unbiased observer.  The decision to go forward with the groups own investigators as test subjects, rather than random volunteers was reached when it was decided that in order to properly evaluate the reported phenomena the subjects has to have at least a basic understanding of the possible explanations while keeping an open mind. Testing will begin shortly and will run concurrently with all other ASUP research efforts, including field investigations.

Further information on this or any other ASUP project should be referred to the Coordinator via e-mail at asup@asup-inc.org,  and periodic updates will be posted on the team website, www.asup-inc.org.

Groups interested in sharing their experiences or who wish to suggest alternative technologies for possible inclusion in the study are urged to contact the ASUP, Inc. directly. Comments and questions are always welcome!

 © 2010 Rick Moran and the ASUP, Inc. All rights reserved.  Republication with permission.