10 Notable Instances of the Ouija Board in History

Thinking of using a Ouija Board this Halloween? You’re not alone. Discover how renowned authors, legal panels, government figures, and artists have turned to the board to connect with the supernatural, often with unpredictable outcomes.

Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath and her spouse, Ted Hughes, employed an inverted brandy glass as the planchette for their Ouija board, frequently using it to communicate with their spiritual guide, Pan. In 1957, Plath penned Dialogue over a Ouija Board, a piece inspired by their sessions with the board. She characterized it as “a brief poetic dialogue designed to mimic casual conversation, structured in rigid seven-line stanzas with an ababcbc rhyme scheme. It ... finally presents a compelling theme—a Ouija board discussion that blends drama and philosophy.” Plath also composed the poem Ouija, reflecting on these experiences.

John G. Fuller

Following the tragic crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 into the Florida Everglades in 1972, which claimed 101 of the 176 passengers, John G. Fuller authored The Ghost of Flight 401. Eastern Air Lines staff claimed to encounter the apparitions of the captain, Bob Loft, and second officer Don Repo. The belief was that components from Flight 401 were repurposed into other planes within the fleet. Fuller incorporated Ouija Board sessions into his research, claiming to receive messages from Repo during these encounters.

James Merrill

Even acclaimed Pulitzer Prize winners have turned to the Ouija board for inspiration. Poet James Merrill relied heavily on the board to craft his works, notably his 1982 masterpiece The Changing Light at Sandover, a sprawling 560-page epic composed of messages channeled from spirits, including the renowned poet W.H. Auden.

Emily Grant Hutchings

One of the most infamous Ouija Board incidents occurred in 1917 when Missouri author Emily Grant Hutchings released a book titled Jap Herron, which she asserted was dictated to her through the Ouija Board by her late acquaintance Mark Twain. The outcome, however, was underwhelming, prompting The New York Times to remark, “If this is the best ‘Mark Twain’ can produce from beyond the grave, his legion of admirers would prefer he remains on his side of the veil.”

Pearl Curran

Hutchings shared a close friendship with Pearl Curran, who gained fame for her own literary works allegedly dictated through a Ouija board. Curran claimed to collaborate with a spirit named Patience Worth, a prolific Puritan woman who authored numerous novels and countless poems before Curran's passing in 1937. Patience, ever considerate, even forewarned Curran of her impending death.

Bill Wilson

Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, maintained a dedicated “spook room” in his home for communicating with spirits. Among them, he believed, was Boniface, a monk from centuries past. While drafting the 12 steps, he confided in a friend, “I have good help—of that I am certain. From both here and beyond,” referring to the spirit world.

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi

While most politicians would shy away from admitting Ouija Board use, former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi openly shared that he relied on one to locate the whereabouts of his predecessor, Aldo Moro, during his captivity by the Red Brigades. Prodi and associates conducted a séance, during which a spirit allegedly provided crucial details. The spirit was identified as Giorgio La Pira, the late former mayor of Florence. Many speculate this was a tactic to conceal his actual information source.

The Mars Volta

The Mars Volta claims to have composed their entire album, The Bedlam in Goliath, with the aid of a Ouija Board. A session with the board provided them with a narrative that shaped the album’s creation. However, after a series of eerie incidents—such as a flooded studio, an engineer’s mental breakdown, and the lead singer injuring his foot—they decided to destroy the Ouija Board, splitting it in two and burying it in an undisclosed location.

Jurors in the Stephen Young Case

In 1993, Stephen Young faced charges for the murders of Henry and Nicola Fuller in Wadwurst, England. Convicted in 1994, his verdict was later overturned when it was revealed that four jurors had used a Ouija Board in their hotel the night before delivering their decision. Using a glass as a planchette, they inquired, “Who killed you?” A spirit allegedly responded, “Stephen Young done it,” and instructed them to “vote guilty tomorrow.” Young was retried and ultimately found guilty once more.