Then there is a “game” that may seem such an innocent pastime. It is played with what is called a Ouija board. While there are variations of the board, generally it is a rectangle 24 by 18 inches (61 by 46 cm) and a quarter of an inch (0.6 cm) thick. On it are the letters of the alphabet, a row of numbers from 1 to 9 and 0, the word “Yes,” and the word “No.” The most important part is the small, heart-shaped indicator that points to each letter to spell out a message.

Players put the board on their laps and lightly place their fingers on the heart-shaped indicator. Then they ask a question and wait for an answer. Does it really work? Those who say it does are legion. “Sometimes the answers are amazingly accurate,” wrote columnist George R. Plagenz. “The Ouija board has even been known to foretell events which later have taken place.”

The game fascinates millions. In fact, a few years ago it was called “the most popular game in the U.S.​—more popular than Monopoly.”

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Can the mind project power to move a pointer on a Ouija board?