The Ouija board is one of the more controversial kinds of psychic tools. This is largely due to the belief that the players are contacting dead spirits or other entities from the Other Side who help guide the participants' hands over the board as a means of communication. Many Christians believe that those who use the Ouija board are communicating with the devil. Others believe that it is only the players' unconscious minds that are providing the answers.

The word “Ouija” is a combination of oui and ja, the words for “yes” in French and German. The game board includes all the letters of the alphabet and the numbers zero through nine, plus the words “yes,” “no,” and “goodbye.” The roots of Ouija go back to ancient China, but it was Elijah Bond who created the current game in 1892. Ouija boards became very popular after World War I, when relatives of soldiers who died in the war would make an attempt to contact them through the Ouija board.

To use the Ouija board, two or more players place their fingertips on a heart-shaped planchette that has three felt-tipped legs. The planchette glides over the surface of the board and spells out the answers to the question asked. Sometimes the spirits have a mind of their own and take over the game.