English physicist and co-founder of the Society for Psychical Research, Sir William Fletcher Barrett coined the term autoscope in his work On the Threshold of the Unseen, published 1917. They are devices that make undetectable ideomotor muscular twitches more pronounced. This unconscious movement is called automatism. The stigma alone, not to mention the unreliability attached to autoscopes preclude them from most investigator’s handbag.
Ouija Boards and Planchettes
The mass-marketed Parker Brothers board game, Ouija board is the most infamous autoscope. After fundamentalist author William Peter Blatty turned the simple poltergeist phenomena surrounding 13 year-old Douglas Deen in 1949 into a demonic possession by indicating its use in The Exorcist, the game has had a diabolical reputation. But, this always wasn’t the case. William Fuld invented it in 1901. The name Ouija is a combination of French and German words for, “yes.” It is decorated with the alphabet, numbers and certain phrases and is believed to assist in communication with the deceased.
The game is dependant on a tool called a planchette. It is a heart or triangle shaped device that was invented by French Spiritualist M. Planchette. He designed it in 1853 and advertised that people with the gift of inspired automatism could use it to communicate with the other side. The process was simple. A pencil was held in the center of the device and placed on top of a piece of paper. The deceased could then convey messages in their own hand through the use of the practitioners. In the 1860s, Kirby and Company began commercial reproductions called "Kirby's Planchette.” Spiritualists seized this new gadget and it began showing up in séances. It wasn’t until William Fuld replaced the pencil with a clear screen that it became the pointer of the Ouija.
Messages through the planchette and purportedly from the dead are called automatic writing and sometimes psychography. Practitioners believe their hand is under the control of a discarnate personality. In Freudian psychology, however, the messages are considered deep, hidden desires in the subconscious of the practitioner.
Pendulums
A pendulum is weight suspended from a cord held between the thumb and index finger so that the object can swing freely. A question is proposed and the pendulum swings in the appropriate direction to indicate the answer. In 1833, naturalist Michel-Eugene Chevreul began experimenting with the “occult device” and discovered that autosuggestion was responsible for its miraculous movement. Micro-muscular movements originated in the subconscious and carried out the actions. Still, enthusiasts believe they are inspired messages.
Dowsing Rods
Dowsing rods work on the same principal. These are two L-shaped rods that are gripped in each fist that cross to indicate a positive response. The practice of dowsing seems to have began in Germany to uncover the location of underground ore, but was soon taken up to locate underground water for farms. Because of this noble application, not many question the validity of such claims and indeed many “water witches” stun people with their accuracy.
If dowsers are able locate springs through some hypersensitivity to electromagnetic changes, this still doesn’t explain map dowsing. Used by the 1st and 5th Marine Corps Divisions during the Vietnam War, soldiers were successfully able to locate many underground tunnels where the enemy was concealed.
Table Tipping
An entertaining focal point of many séances was table-tipping. A group would gather around a precarious, three-leg table and lay their palms on the tabletop. After a while, the table would begin to quiver.
Attendees believed this was due to spirit interaction and posed questions that would be tapped out by one of the legs. This seeming form of communication is called typtology.
In the early 1970s, the Toronto Society Of Psychical Research conducted experiments that duplicated séance phenomena including inexplicable table movement. Under the guidance of psychical researcher Doctor A. R. G. Owen of the Department For Preventative Medicine and Biostatistics at the University of Toronto, a group of volunteers created an imaginary ghost named “Philip,” and even gave him a tragic story set in the very real Diddington Hall in Warckshire, England. The group met a few times a week in a well-lit room and kept the atmosphere jovial. After a few sittings, the table began to move slightly. Soon, knocking noises accompanied the movement, and they were able to pose questions to Philip. Over time, the table began to take on a life of its own, once lurching away from sitter’s hands and chasing an volunteer out of the room. Owen believed this trial was a strong argument for collective psychokinesis, conjured by a group mind.
