The Sunday Oregonian., March 21, 1920, Magazine Section, Image 97

VOL. XXXIX.
PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, 3IARCII 21, 1920
NO. 12
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BY DEWTTT IAItnr.
Copyright 1920.
NBAHX.T every up-to-date home
has throe essentials a perco
lator, an eleutrlc iron and an
ouija board, there hPinff some discus
sion as to their relative importance.
Ouija insanity, trequently referred
to an ouija mania or craze, is becom
ing" a factor in mental diseases which
can no lonper be ignored. J'ress dis
patches published ne.arly every day
bear overwhelming evidence of the
spread of this mental disease. Alien
ists and metaphysicians are united
in the opinion that today the ouija
board is one of the greatest contrib
uting factors there is to the filling
of the insane asylums of the country.
Insanity of this tpe is not foreign
to Portland, but it Is brouRht home
to the city whei one of the most
reputable alienists in the slate makes
the unsquivocal statement that this
apparently simple little toy is respon
sible for a lfipe percentage of
the late commitments to the Salem
asylum.
Keen analysts of human frailities
resulting from unnatural reliance on
the psychic hold '.hat the ouija board I
sold in toy stores is a most dreadful
instrument for the spread of unnat
ural fear.
Spiritnalint Dfsrournces l'ne.
Right today the results of placing
tindue Importance on alleged mes
sages -received from the "spirit world"
by this means are showing up in our
courts.. Perplex'ty, doubt, distress,
self-hjrpmotism, all bear fruit irntn
allowed expression by means of the
ouija board.
"Can any reliance be placed on the
ouija board as a rr earns of communi
cation with the spirit world'.'" was
the query put to a Portland student
of psychic phenomena who is admit
tedly well in touch with the local
Situation. "We all know that matches
bave a use." was the cryptic reply
"'but we do not believe in allowing
children to play with them. Begin
ners who are striving to pry into the
mysteries of spirit phenomena are
usually led astray by means of ouija
boards. Spiritualists hold the ouija
board as dangerous for many rea
sons and do not advocate its use by
those who cannot analyze its mes
sages." "Ouija messages, how do they oc
cur and what reliance can be -placed
on them?" was what was asked one
of Oregon's most skilled practitioners
In mental ailments.
World's Thoucht I nhralthy.
"Ah, r.ow you have opened up a
subject that calls for a great deal of
sane and careful elucidation." ob
served this cool-headed student of
mental processes. "The world tcday
Is experiencing a psychic wave of a
magnitude which it has never before
known. In previous ages various na
tions have passed through somewhat
similar experiences, but never before
has such utter reliance been placed
on the nearness of the other world.
The main contributing cause to this
present unhealthy condition of
thought In the world at large Is due
to the recent horrible war experience
through which the world's people
have passed. There has been so
much sadness and sorrow, so many
loved ones have disappeared Into the
Umbo of things unknown and so many
urviving relatives and friends have
missed their going, that delvers into
the realm of the unknown have found
fruitful soil for the spread of their
propaganda.
"Mental processes bave become din-1
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Intense ConcenfTatjasj j'n tfij's Tournament
, Ou?Ar f-o.i"f-cj2 spirits.
innermost secrets are known to every
one. The rankest of amateurs become
firm in their belief that they arc ex
periencing psyuhic phenomena un
known to even the most unwholesome
advocates and students of the present-day
movement. Hallucinations
become fixed.
Hysteria Is One Itesult.
"It is so easy to obtain one of these
little toys and seemingly get in touch
have come to the knowledge of hil
friends and have prevented them from
indorsing him for the office he cov
eted. He began worrying and accus
ing himself. He gradually lust his
physical and mental poise and his
business and personal affairs suf
fered. From a well-balanced, suc
cessful business man lie became In a
short while, by means of this self
uccusation, subject to all manner of
hallucinations. He did not ask an rx
with a hitherto unfathomed world, j planation from his fellow lodge men,
that the danger is becoming greater but relied upon ouija -hoard messages.
A Home fed? Itoffrd Tells Just as Jtfucft.
Mz'ss Oujjs Fienf on &e-z Wsyto tftfjlstIum.
torted. Abnormality frequently rules.
So many instances have been given
of seemingly simple methods of com
munication with departed spirits, such
as the ouija boird. that people are
placing undue reliance upon them,
with the result that in many seem
ingly normal human beings thought
proeesst.-s are becoming distorted.
Neurasthenia 's becoming frequent.
People brood and get unwholesome
sensations. The emotional element
steps to the front. As a general rule
the ouija board leads to distress, not
pleasure.
Fear Fostered by Messages.
"What will it all lead to what will
be the consequences? It is difficult
to judge. The fact is that fear of
some sort is the main result of dab
bling with the ouija board. Even in
the abstract it is a fearsome thing
to contemplate unrestricted communi
cation with people who have depart
ed this world. L'nnatural frames of
mind are fostered, and the result
frequently is morbid mania, and even
sheer insanity in some of the worst
cases. Rational reasoning processes
cease. The effect on the lay mind of
reliance in mysticism and supersti
tion is awful. A good simile to em
phasize the unwholesomeness of re
lying on an ouija board would be to
say that an ouija thought is to the
mental world what fake bonds are to
Liberty bonds In the financial world.
Undue dependence on the ouija mani
festations will soon destroy a per
son's mental integrity." Here this
alienist recited a concrete instance of
a typical commitment to the Oregon
insane asylum.
A Portland business man engaged,
PAGING MR. DOE.
A Philadelphia clubman dreamed that he died and went to
heaven. While sitting in a beautiful palace a cherub came through
paging him.
"Call for Mr. Doe! Call for Mr. Doe!"
"Here you are, my boy," the clubman 6aid, beckoning to the page.
"I'm Mr. Doe. What Is it?"
"Your wife wants you on the ouija board, sir."
Saturday Evening Tost.
in an enterprise on the East Side of
the city had spent part of his early
life in Alaska. While there his exist
ence had not been too righteous or
orderly, although he had done noth
ing in reality which would warrant
undue blame. However, there were
some instances of this portion of his
career which he guarded jealously as
secret and of which he was ashamed.
Minor business troubles bothered him,
and in a period of slight depression
he was advised to visit a medium. By
a few ludky statements this medium
gave the impression that she was fa
miliar with his past life and told him
to consult an ouija board.
Secret Life Thought Exposed.
This he did and the messages he
thought he received gave him the im
pression that others, as well as the
medium he had consulted, knew of
Uie secrets which he wished to hide.
Continual use of the board served to
accentuate this belief, with the result
that he finally got the Impression
that practically all of his associates,
whether business or personal, knew of
the black pages In his past life and
were constantly thinking of him In
an unfavorable light. The facts were
that no one but the man's own inner
conscience accused hini, the ouija
board merely serving as a medium for
indulging in this self-accusation. His
business suffered; his mental proc
esses were unwholesome, he grew
nervous, irritable, he could not sleep,
his mentality gradually decayed. Re
sult: When examined he was found
insane and now is a ward of the state
in the Salem asylum.
"Brooding on things which do not
exist is usually what causes this
frame of mind," the alienist told The
Oregonian. "All these cases need is
quiet, rest, careful care and ministra
tions from loving friends and a world
of good counsel to allay their fears.
If we can get them in time, this sys
tem of treatment will nearly always
result in a cure. I have found in this
connection that one of the best
sources of reassurance is to call In a
minister of' the gospel from some
church which does not countenance
the supernatural.
"The treatment of sick souls is a
very difficult process. Mental strains
are much harder to handle than bodily
7 ; illness. Once imbued with the idea
that they are in touch with the mystic
or miraculous, it is exceedingly diffi
cult to turn their minds again to a
normal plane." And the doctor here
quoted another instance.
Mother Worries Make Manlae.
A Portland mother's son left home
through some minor family misunder
standing prior to the' war. In reality
the mother loved him dearly. The boy
had disappeared and when the war
came on had been miffing nine
months. The mother was sure he had
gone into the army and worried about
his absence continually. A well
meaning neighbor suggested the use
of the ouija ' -ard in an endeavor to
get in touch with the son's soul and
brought her board ove- to this half
crazed mother. The woman took it
and inside of 4S hours she was a rav
ing maniac. She has now been in a
state Institution over two years and
no improvement is noted in her case
and there is none likely. She was
probably on the verge of insanity
when she got the ouija board, but it
was the final touch.
"Intellectual cowardice is more fre
quent though less known than is
physical cowardice," says this alienist.
"Self-delusion, denial of the disagree
able, unwholesome reliance on' falla
cious doctrines, all receive an unprec
edented outlet by means of the ouija
board. The operators of the ouija
board, through their subconscious
selves, almost always make the board
say what they wish. Repression of
(nought and suppression of incidents
In a person's life are seemingly be
trayed by this means. The board op
erator gets the idea that his or her.
every day? It is difficult to say
whether the crest of the movement
has been reached as yet. Frequent
i examples of insanity that occur by
' this means might have some deterrent
effect. It would seem to be the duty
t all who have it in their power
ij discountenance this movement as
ion as possible. Miraculou . benefits
ai-e difficult of proof. Hysterical re
liance on the ouija board produces the
same effect as would consultation of
a quack doctor in a case of physical
illness. Vague messages tend to pro
.luce worry, the subject continually
trying to decipher in Ills own way
their meaning. In many cases the
ouija board is nothing more than a
mental murderer. It Is the antithesis
of the sensible and wholesome and
kills that abiding faith in Uod which
is part of every human being's make
up.
"The idea that a ouija board can
comfort and be relied upon in liou of
the Bible for guidance (as is fre
quently the case) is nothing less than
an InBUlt to God. I"one but a weak
mind would entertain this viewpoint.
Our world right now is filled with
people who are mentally weak and
seeking relief. They seize on any
means that presents and this is all
the more dangerous because appar
cntly the simplest. Often from the
slightly unbalanced minds we get the
violently insane by -this means."
SeIf-Acruatlon Causes Derangement.
Another case. A prominent busl
ness man who took an exceedingly
active interest in a secret order was
told by several of- his brother lodge
men that he was being considered for
elevation to one of the chairs of the
order. This news was - extremely
gratifying and pleased him greatly,
as his fellow lodge men had shown
him a number of kindnesses and his
association with them had been very
pleasant. His business life had been
a clean one, his material affairs were
prosperous and there was nothing
hich should prevent him from ac
cepting this honor, which ne valued
so highly, at the hands of his friends.
When the time came for the lodge
election, for some unaccountable rea
son his name was not mentioned,
though he had been assured by sev
eral other friends in addition to the
first ones to speak to him that he
was being seriously considered.
He had thought a great deal upon
receiving this honor and had counted
very strongly upon It. When it was
refused him he Immediately began
searching for the reason. So far as
he knew, none of his lodge conduct
should bar him from the office, so he
immediately examined his personal
conduct, with the result that he found
several little Incidents which might
These, in line with his own thoughts,
bore out the accusntlons he had made
against himself and assured him that
they were right, with the result that
his affairs went Iroin had to worse,
his business whs ruined, his health
was ruined, he was afraid to meet his
personal associates who had formerly
been so pleasant to him and he soon
turned Into a morose, excitable Indi
vidual, the prey of all kinds of doubts
and disturbances, and was eventually
a paranoiac. His commitment was
made to the asylum.
That the mental cargo of many
minds today Is a queerly-assorted one
and that much good would be
achieved by jettisoning the major
portion of it seems to be the opinion
of both the physician ho dors not
believe in actual communication wltb
the spirit world and of the spiritual
ist who does believe that such things
are possible and being done but who
advocates more rational means of
spreading this doctrine than the ouija
board. Unquestionably unnatural and
blind reliance, on ouija-board mes
sages Is driving some Oregon people
Insane In the same way that it la
doing this in other portions of the
country.
"The darned old ouija board won't
work. It don't send no messages to
me." wailed a pert but sane little
saleslady who has sold thousands of
the little instruments of mental tor
ture. "I can make them say any
thing," said another little clerk. "It
tolls mo how to dress and look nlca
and what kind of perfume is the best
and what movie film to go to. Oh,
I couldn't get along at all without
my ouija board."
In the old days of the inquisition
priests placed unbelievable reliance
in spiritual phenomena. It was a
time of trial and tribulation for the
peoples of the entire world. Similar
movements have afflicted the world
from time to time, but It Is doubt
ful if there ever was a period In the
world's history when the movement
has had the far-reaching effect of
today. Admittedly from both sides
the belief In the ouija board marks
retrograde movement. Reliance In
dtmonlsm and superstition has never
been good for any people. The dis
turbed and anxious, seeking explana
tion for happenings which they can
not analyze, place an unwholesome
reliance on ouija board messages.
From a religious point of view this
Is apparently abnormal and unna
tural. Most of the clergy hold It a
reflection on the church and realize
Its danger.
The spiritualists hold that the
nether world Is Inhabited by charac
ters both good and bad, the same as
on earth, and that criminal spirits
IConcludod on race tJi
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