Spirit Boards and the Rise of the Ouija, Part 1
Stuff You Missed in History Class
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What Is a Ouija Board?
There's been various devices intended to help the living speak with the spirit realm. During the rise of spiritualism in the United States, there was an explosive growth in the number and variety of these kinds of devices. They all had their pros and cons, but toward the end of the 19th century, one approach to solving trans dimensional communication was embraced by believers and non believers alike. It is still popular today and that is, of course, Ouija boards as they came to be known in their commercial offerings.
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Transcript
Episode notes
The rise of the Ouija board in North America involves corporate intrigue, family betrayal, a lot of litigation, and very little spiritualism. Today’s episode covers how “talking boards” went from divination tool to big business.
Research:
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