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How does the Ouija board work? New-Agey folks think you get messages from spirits or ghosts or Invisible Pink Unicorns or something. Yeah, sure. Here's the real explanation, from the Skeptic's Dictionary (http://skepdic.com/ouija.html): "those using the board either consciously or unconsciously select what is read." If you want to prove it to yourself, follow the advice of that same site: "simply try it blindfolded for some time, having an innocent bystander take notes on what letters are selected. Usually, the result will be unintelligible nonsense."

The Straight Dope Mailbag: The Straight Dope Mailbag: How does a Ouija board work?