Ouija Board Rules, How to Safely Play the Ouija

By Tim Wood, founder of LiveSciFi.tv

I’ve used Ouija boards during paranormal investigations for years, including live-streamed ghost hunts where the audience could watch sessions unfold in real time. People often ask me which Ouija board rules I follow, especially when a session becomes uncomfortable or something happens that nobody in the room expected.

My answer is simple: I take the rules seriously, and I never intentionally leave a session unfinished. That’s not because I’ve read a scary internet checklist. It comes from experiences I’ve had in the field—including one at the Sallie House in Kansas in 2012 that I still think about.

Below are the five practices I recommend. Some come from early printed Ouija instructions; others, particularly my insistence on properly ending a session, come from my personal approach to investigating reported supernatural activity. I believe these precautions matter spiritually. That is my interpretation of my experiences, not scientific proof that they prevent paranormal harm.

Where Did the Original Ouija Board Rules Come From?

The Ouija board became a commercial product in the 1890s, well before William Fuld became its most famous manufacturer. The Library of Congress’s historical guide documents the early manufacturing history, while the 1891 Kennard Novelty Company trademark registration provides a surviving primary record.

Early William Fuld instructions—reproduced by the Museum of Talking Boards—emphasized how the board was positioned, using a light touch on the planchette, concentrating, keeping questions clear, and maintaining the board’s smooth surface. You can also compare a later printed instruction sheet hosted by Hasbro.

One important distinction: Fuld’s historic directions did not prescribe the same closing procedure that I recommend below. Saying goodbye is part of the ritual practice I use and recommend, rather than something I want to incorrectly attribute to the early manufacturer.

The 5 Ouija Board Rules I Follow

1. Choose the right setting and keep the board steady

Some vintage directions instructed two people to hold the board across their knees. I’ve tried different setups during investigations. What’s most important to me is that the board is secure, the participants are comfortable, and the environment is controlled enough to notice what actually happens.

Don’t conduct a session where someone is likely to fall, trip, or panic in the dark. For a recorded investigation, I also want the cameras and audio running before we begin. You can’t evaluate strange sounds or movement afterward if you haven’t documented the conditions.

2. Keep a light touch on the planchette

I’ve seen people put so much pressure on a planchette that there is no way it can move freely. Rest your fingertips lightly on it. Do not deliberately steer it, and be honest if you think another participant is pushing.

There is a well-established psychological explanation for some apparently involuntary movement: the ideomotor effect, where tiny muscle movements occur without a person consciously intending them. That is why I think observing hand pressure, recording sessions, and being open to ordinary explanations are important. You can read the Smithsonian’s discussion of the ideomotor effect and a scientific review of ideomotor movement.

I don’t think considering an ordinary explanation means dismissing a person’s experience. It means investigating it properly.

3. Focus, ask one question at a time, and don’t provoke

This is a rule I learned to appreciate during years of EVP and Ouija experiments: if everyone talks at once, you end up with a confusing recording and no useful answers. Designate one person to ask questions, allow time for a response, and keep a record of what is spelled out.

I also recommend treating the session with respect. For me, that means no mocking, no threats, and no attempts to provoke something just to create a dramatic moment for the camera. I’ve witnessed sessions become unsettling very quickly, and I’m not interested in turning an already tense experience into a contest of bravado.

4. Take care of the board—and everyone participating

A rough or dirty surface can change the way a planchette slides. Early Ouija instructions actually discussed keeping the board smooth and free of dust and moisture. Clean and dry it appropriately, and don’t assume every bump or snag is paranormal.

More importantly, pay attention to the people at the table. If someone is frightened, distressed, or no longer wishes to participate, stop. Don’t pressure somebody to continue because a camera is rolling or a session seems active.

5. Always close the Ouija board session

Of all the Ouija board rules I follow, this is the one I feel most strongly about. Before anyone walks away, I clearly state that the session is finished, move the planchette to GOODBYE, and make sure the other participants understand that we are done. It is a deliberate, respectful ending—not an invitation to continue the conversation later.

I believe closing the session establishes an important spiritual boundary. I can’t demonstrate scientifically that it stops a spirit or prevents an attachment, but I’ve had enough disturbing experiences to make it a non-negotiable practice in my own investigations.

And I have a specific reason for emphasizing this rule.

What Happened When We Failed to Close a Session at the Sallie House?

In 2012, during one of our LiveSciFi live ghost hunts at the Sallie House in Atchison, Kansas, we failed to properly close a Ouija board session. This was during the period when our investigations were reaching a much larger audience, including Yahoo-related coverage of LiveSciFi’s broadcasts.

During a sensory-deprivation experiment in the basement, the atmosphere became deeply unsettling to me. Afterward, holy water was applied to my neck, and I remember seeing what appeared to be steam rising from the area. The incident was recorded and is presented in the video below.

I experienced this as something more than an ordinary moment during a ghost hunt. I believe failing to close the earlier session mattered. But I want people to watch the footage and evaluate it for themselves: the recording alone cannot establish what caused the visible effect, or prove that the unclosed session caused what happened later.

What I took away from that night was a lesson I still follow: don’t start an experiment involving a Ouija board and then casually walk away without intentionally ending it.

Watch: My 2012 Sallie House Ouija Incident

Watch the original Sallie House recording directly on YouTube. For the location’s wider history and LiveSciFi investigation, read Sallie House: Dark Secret Exposed or watch The Demon Files: Sallie House episode.

What If a Ouija Board Spells ZOZO—or a Session Feels Wrong?

Over the years, I’ve heard from countless people who believe they contacted something calling itself ZoZo, ZaZa, or another name during a Ouija session. I’ve documented my own experiences and collected accounts from viewers, but a name spelled on a board does not, by itself, establish the identity of a supernatural being. For the detailed accounts behind these reports, read my ZoZo warning-signs article and our ZoZo Demon House livestream retrospective.

My advice is not to antagonize what you think you’re communicating with. If the atmosphere changes, someone becomes scared, or the experience stops feeling comfortable, end the session calmly and clearly. Move the planchette to GOODBYE and stop participating. There is no reason to continue an upsetting experiment just to see what happens.

For more firsthand reports and the patterns people describe, see our collection of ZoZo Ouija demon stories. Those submissions are readers’ accounts, not independent proof of supernatural claims.

Watch More LiveSciFi Ouija Experiments

One thing that’s always distinguished LiveSciFi is that many of our ghost hunts were broadcast live. Viewers could follow the investigation as it unfolded instead of seeing only a short edited clip. In this Ouija video collection, you can see more of the sessions and decide for yourself what happened.

Watch the LiveSciFi Ouija playlist on YouTube, or explore our paranormal episode archive.

My Book: Stalked by the Zozo Demon

My interest in Ouija communication and reported ZoZo encounters led to a much longer experiment in 2017. Celina Summers and I co-authored Stalked by the Zozo Demon: Real Life Paranormal Experiment, documenting a month of livestreamed spirit-board sessions, what we observed, and the questions that remained afterward. The book was published in 2017 (ISBN 9781549825347).

It’s not intended to replace the original footage or prove that every extraordinary interpretation is correct. It is a record of what we tried, what we thought we experienced, and why I continue taking the subject seriously. Learn more about my research and the book or look up the book on Amazon.

Ouija Board Rules: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you close a Ouija board session?

My practice is to clearly announce that the session is ending, slide the planchette to GOODBYE, and have everyone remove their hands and stop. This is the respectful closing ritual I follow; it has not been scientifically shown to prevent supernatural events.

What happens if you forget to say goodbye?

Some people believe an unclosed session leaves a spiritual connection open. That is my concern, too, especially after the Sallie House incident. The evidence does not establish that failing to say goodbye causes possession or paranormal activity. If you’ve forgotten, you can simply decide the session is finished; don’t feel compelled to reopen an upsetting experience.

Do Ouija boards really move on their own?

Participants can experience movement as completely involuntary. Psychological research identifies the ideomotor effect as one explanation for planchette motion. That explanation does not invalidate how startling a session may feel, but movement alone isn’t proof that a spirit is present.

Are the William Fuld rules the same as modern Ouija warning rules?

No. Early printed instructions mainly addressed how to operate the board and conduct orderly questioning. Many modern warnings—including my insistence on intentionally closing the session—reflect later customs or an investigator’s personal beliefs and experience.

Have You Ever Forgotten to Close a Ouija Session?

I’m curious to hear from readers who’ve had their own experiences. Did you notice anything unusual after a session, or do you follow a different set of Ouija board rules? Tell us what happened in the comments. Please distinguish what you directly observed from what you believe may have caused it; that detail helps other readers evaluate accounts more fairly.

Keep exploring: Read real reader-submitted ZoZo accounts · Investigate the Sallie House · Watch LiveSciFi episodes.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Library of Congress, Ouija Board historical guide and Kennard Novelty Company trademark registration (1891) — early manufacturing history.
2. Museum of Talking Boards, William Fuld’s vintage Ouija directions — historical operating instructions.
3. Hasbro, archival Ouija instruction sheet (PDF) — printed board instructions.
4. Smithsonian Magazine, Ouija board history and ideomotor effect — psychological context.
5. Peer-reviewed study discussing ideomotor movement — scientific discussion of involuntary action.
6. Summers, Celina and Tim Wood. Stalked by the Zozo Demon: Real Life Paranormal Experiment (2017), ISBN 9781549825347. Book details.
7. LiveSciFi primary source, 2012 Sallie House Ouija incident video — author’s firsthand account (not independent verification of the cause).