Please remember, this column is designed to help the consumer seeking behavioral-health information, and not intended to be any form of psychotherapy or a replacement for professional, individualized services. Opinions expressed in the column are those of the columnist and do not represent the position of other SelfhelpMagazine.com staff.

Question

I am 15 years old and interested in Ouija boards. Is there anything to worry about?

Answer

It depends on whom you talk to. Clearly, some persons of a religious nature view Ouija boards as evil. Many movies and TV shows have been made around that theme. So you need first of all to decide whether you believe in such dark forces.

At a more human level, let's consider how a Ouija board works. Vibrations from the finger tips move the pointer about the board, spelling out answers to different questions. So what the Ouija board becomes is a key which can unlock contents of the unconscious. This is always an undertaking to be taken with great caution since the contents of the unconscious mind can be volatile and easily misunderstood.

Further, Ouija boards can set up what are known as "self- fulfilling prophecies." Let's suppose you ask the Ouija board whom you will date and the you spell out "Mary" or "Bud" for reasons which your unconscious understands. Then you might be on the alert for persons with this name coming into your life, perhaps missing in the meantime other opportunities. In any case, along comes a Mary or a Bud and you jump at the opportunity to go out with them, something you might not have considered were it not for the Ouija board. But the reason you go out with them is not because the Ouija board predicted it but because you were expecting it to happen!

12/07/98

Richard B. Patterson is a clinical psychologist in private practice in El Paso, TX. He is the author of three books on psychology and spirituality.