There are many ways in which people have believed that they are able to communicate with the spirits, or "the other side." One of them is by what is called "automatic writing." A spirit is supposed to seize control of a person's hand and force them to write out a message. Often it is a message that the writer does not understand.
Another method that is used is a device called the Ouija board. It is a smooth and highly polished board with letter numbers on it. Two people will sit with the board between them, their fingers resting lightly on a small teardrop-shaped, table like object. This is called the planchette. The planchette moves easily over the board. The spirits are supposed to guide it to spell out a message or the answer to a question.
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