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Strategies for Building Team Spirit at High School Football Games

High school football games are not just about the sport itself; they also serve as a platform to build team spirit and foster a sense of community. These games bring together students, parents, and faculty members, creating an exciting atmosphere that can have a lasting impact on the participants. In this article, we will explore strategies for building team spirit at high school football games.

Game Preparations

Before the game even begins, there are several steps that can be taken to create an atmosphere of excitement and unity. One effective strategy is to involve the student body in the preparations. Organizing pep rallies or spirit weeks leading up to the game can help generate enthusiasm among students. Encourage them to show support for their team by wearing school colors or creating banners and signs.

Another important aspect of pre-game preparations is promoting community involvement. Reach out to local businesses and organizations, inviting them to sponsor or contribute to the game in some way. This not only helps with funding but also creates a sense of collaboration within the community.

Creating an Engaging Game Day Experience

During the actual game, it is crucial to create an engaging experience that keeps attendees excited and invested in supporting their team. One way to do this is by having a well-organized halftime show that showcases various talents within the school community, such as cheerleading performances or marching band routines. This not only entertains spectators but also highlights the diverse skills present within the student body.

Additionally, incorporating interactive elements throughout the game can help boost team spirit. For example, organizing contests during breaks where attendees have the chance to win prizes can increase engagement and create a fun atmosphere. Furthermore, playing energetic music during timeouts or breaks in play can help maintain enthusiasm among both players and spectators.

Social Media Engagement

In today’s digital age, social media plays a significant role in building team spirit and generating excitement for high school football games. Creating official social media accounts for the team can help spread news, updates, and highlights of previous games. Encourage students, parents, and faculty to follow these accounts and share posts to increase visibility.

Another effective strategy is to involve students in creating content for social media platforms. Encourage them to take photos or short videos during the game and share them on their personal accounts with relevant hashtags. This not only promotes team spirit but also helps create a sense of camaraderie among students.

Game Reflections

After the game concludes, it is essential to reflect on the experience and celebrate the achievements of both the team and the community as a whole. Organize post-game gatherings or events where players, coaches, students, parents, and faculty can come together to discuss highlights from the game. This provides an opportunity for everyone involved to express their support and appreciation for each other’s efforts.

Furthermore, acknowledging outstanding performances through awards or recognition ceremonies can help boost morale within the team. Celebrating achievements not only motivates players but also reinforces a sense of pride within the entire school community.

In conclusion, high school football games serve as more than just sporting events; they are opportunities to foster team spirit and build a strong sense of community. By implementing strategies such as pre-game preparations that involve student participation, creating an engaging game day experience, leveraging social media engagement, and organizing post-game reflections with recognition ceremonies, schools can enhance team spirit at these events. These strategies not only benefit the players but also create lasting memories for all involved in supporting their high school football teams.

This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.

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Realtime messaging from beyond the grave

In the spirit of the Hallowe'en season, and keeping things spooky, we've used the Ably peer-to-peer game framework to build a digital, online “spirit board” — the original spiritualists' tool to help you communicate with the dead (or maybe just the ghosts in the machine).  Let us pull back the curtain, and reveal... Ouijably!

The ouija (/ˈwiːdʒə/ WEE-jə, /-dʒi/ jee), also known as a spirit board or talking board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0–9, the words "yes", "no", occasionally "hello" and "goodbye", along with various symbols and graphics.

It uses a planchette (small heart-shaped piece of wood or plastic) as a movable indicator to spell out messages during a séance.

Participants place their fingers on the planchette, and it is moved about the board to spell out words.

Spiritualists believed that the dead were able to contact the living and reportedly used a talking board very similar to a modern Ouija board at their camps in Ohio in 1886 to ostensibly enable faster communication with spirits.

How to use the Ouijably board

• Create a new board by typing a name into the input field.
• Share the link to the generated board with your f(r)iends.
• Ask the board a question.
• Watch as the answers are revealed.

How does a spirit board work?

The spirit board takes advantage of the "ideomotor phenomenon" , the process whereby a thought or mental image brings about a seemingly "reflexive" or automatic muscular reaction, often of minuscule degree, and potentially outside of the awareness of the subject.

The idea is, that by posing questions to the board, the participants in the game reflexively and subconsciously (or perhaps at the behest of a spirit!) move the planchette around to spell out the answers to the questions being posed.

Thinking about how spirit boards work using the ideomotor phenomenon poses the question:

If the spirit board can make users involuntarily move their hands across a physical planchette, can we reproduce this effect with computer mice and gyroscopes?  [Yes/No]

In principle, the effect should work in exactly the same way, with the users’ natural desire to "push" the planchette, replaced by their ability to control the digital recreation of one.

Curiosity never got anyone in trouble before, I'm sure… so of course we have to build it.

How does the app work?

The app is a client-side, progressive web app built in HTML, CSS, and Typescript. It uses realtime messaging to communicate between the users and is based on our peer-to-peer networking demo .

In the page there is a container element with a background image on it, this displays the board itself with all of the letters, numbers, and words (which we’ll call “characters” for brevity), as well as a decorative border. On top of the board is an SVG full of polygons which outline each of the characters. These polygons do collision detection in order to determine which one is in the planchette’s viewfinder.

The planchette itself is an HTML element with a background image.  It is moved around the window with CSS transforms as messages come in from an Ably channel.

The messaging

When a user joins the board they are connected to an Ably Channel specifically set up for this purpose. On this channel they will be able to publish and subscribe to messages.

The app listens for mouse movement (or gyroscopic movement if the user is on a device such as a phone or tablet). When movement is detected, an event is raised and a message is published on an Ably Channel.  This message is received by everyone using the board. These messages contain X and Y coordinates for the distance to move the planchette across the board. This way, every player’s planchette moves at the same time, by the same amount, creating a similar experience to a physical spirit board.

The functionality

The app lets users join a board and then monitors their mouse movements. It publishes messages when the user moves their mouse and it updates the planchette coordinates when it receives messages on the channel. It does some calculations to determine the user’s screen resolution, and therefore how far the planchette needs to move to arrive at the same location on every display. It also does calculations to ensure that the planchette cannot move off the board by setting maximum width and height boundaries on its movement. The app also has to measure the size of the planchette at the user’s screen resolution, as this will also resize and then use that in its calculations.

As the planchette moves, the app is doing collision detection using bounds of the polygons and the coordinates received on the Ably channel. If the coordinates are within the bounds of an SVG polygon then the app detects a collision and that letter can be “revealed”. To reveal a letter, the app moves the planchette so that its viewfinder center aligns with the center of the polygon.  It takes a data attribute from the polygon to determine which character has been detected and then adds that to an HTML element which is animated with CSS to give a spooky reveal effect. If the user has the “speak” functionality enabled, then the app will also play audio which speaks the character out loud.

Can I see the code?

We’ve made the code for the Ouijably board open-source and you can fork it here: https://github.com/ably/ouija .

The repo contains a fully functioning spirit board web application. It has a very thorough README which covers how the app works in greater depth and how to run it both locally and in a production environment.

What do I need to run the web app?

• An Ably account and API key
• A Microsoft Azure Account for hosting on production
• To install the azure-functions-core-tools
• Node 12 (LTS)
• TypeScript + Snowpack (these dependencies will install from the package.json, you do not have to install them yourself)

Does it really work?

Do you believe in ghosts?

Happy Hallowe’en from all of us at Ably!

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I Used an App To Communicate With the Ghost in My House

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Some Personal Haunting History

My partner and I lovingly call our house The Crone Zone. Yes, the dining room is dominated by a giant pagan altar. Yes, there is a witch broom outside the front door in All Seasons. Yes, the cutlery and cloth napkins are decorated with skulls and spider webs, respectively, and yes, it is haunted. So, the previous inhabitants, or one in particular, a Greatest Generation guy named Bill, tend to haunt our house. I’m naming Bill because he haunts us regularly and his name is pretty common. I am not naming his wife because her name is uncommon and she seems to largely stay out of things. Bill came up in a major way when we were renovating the living room (which involved solving a lot of the problems HE MADE such as drywalling the walls AFTER installing the carpet so that to get the carpet tack and subflooring out we were literally hacking into the gap under the drywall with a carpenter’s hatchet — like, the misery this man caused us I swear). Other spirits include a little girl most longtime residents of our block have seen. She’s a playful presence and tends to go from house to house.

Anyway, I Just Started Watching Random YouTube Videos While Working and Am Not Even Clear About How I Started Watching This Young Woman Communicating With Her Haunted Doll

It was another late night in the office. My girlfriend was downstairs chatting with a friend on Zoom. I was doing something or other and decided I wanted some vapid background noise. I turned to YouTube where their very clever algorithm (where I enjoy Stardew play-throughs, real life scary stories read aloud from Reddit threads, and ASMR) determined I might like this one young woman who uses dowsing rods to talk to her haunted doll. Reader, I did. She’s quite entertaining. I let several of her videos play in the background.

At one point, she began to use something that was like a spirit box. If you read our gift guide from this past December, then you might have noticed that I have coveted a spirit box. But it’s such an unrealistic purchase. They’re so expensive, and I’m not nearly serious enough of a hobbyist paranormal investigator (I am 0% this thing) to buy one. But this young lady was using an app!

While working and listening to her show, at one point, I took off my headphones and wondered aloud to the room and the ghosts that were maybe there, “Would you like to talk to me sometime?”

Then a “Ghost” Appeared on Camera

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, downstairs, a phenomenon had appeared on the Zoom call between my girlfriend and her friend. A floating, spectral disturbance appeared next to her on the couch, visible in the Zoom call. It stayed for much of the call, only to disappear just after they each made recordings of it ( which you can see if you’re an A+ member in the upcoming January Insider ).

When my girlfriend showed me the video, I told her what I had been doing upstairs at the same time. Flabbergasted, she texted her friend, who was equally freaked out. It was also, admittedly, hilarious! My girlfriend was like “why would you just ASK THAT” and I was just laughing.

And that’s when I thought…why not me? The dowsing rods looked fun, but I don’t have anything I could use. Hilariously, my conspiracy theorist mother got me an orgonite necklace for christmas to protect me from the EMF rays associated with working on the computer all the time. When my girlfriend was like “how does that work though” my mom gave up and was like “I don’t know! It just does!” It could function as a pendulum, but the damn thing is already kind of cursed.

And that, friend, is where I draw a line, right? It might seem like I would be into each and every hokey thing there is just because I believe in ghosts. Although, considering the number of ghosts I’ve seen and the physical manifestations of their presence I’ve witnessed, saying that I “believe” in ghosts sounds about as appropriate as saying I “believe” in mice. Like, I just know mice exist, even if I rarely see them, right? Like, they’re just real and sometimes they come in the house at which point you might hear weird noises and find things are moved around slightly or that there is evidence of someone else in your house, and honestly that’s where the similarities end because ghosts are far more hygienic. Anyway, I don’t really collect crystals much, nor do I go in for a lot of the “new age” style approach to the occult. I have been reading Tarot since I was nine and have a long relationship with witchcraft rooted in reviving and approximating and researching ancestral Polish and Irish practices, which I find is very healing and important work. And none of these practices involve worrying about 5G.

I Can’t Afford Actual Ghost Hunting Equipment: But Hey There’s an App for That

But first, I had to investigate the theory behind this. To the Wikipedia page for EVP we go!

These apps fall, as far as ghost equipment goes, under the sub-category of ITC, which is described as follows:

The term Instrumental Trans-Communication (ITC) was coined by Ernst Senkowski in the 1970s to refer more generally to communication through any sort of electronic device such as tape recorders, fax machines, television sets or computers between spirits or other discarnate entities and the living. One particularly famous claimed incidence of ITC occurred when the image of EVP enthusiast Friedrich Jürgenson (whose funeral was held that day) was said to have appeared on a television in the home of a colleague, which had been purposefully tuned to a vacant channel. ITC enthusiasts also look at the TV and video camera feedback loop of the Droste effect.

I *think* the theory is that spirits are made of some kind of “energy,” (the level to which I am not a physicist is very evident here) and therefore, because these devices are powered by electricity, it is something that is easier for spirits to manipulate and therefore communicate through if they wish. In this case, the idea is that the app allows the spirits to use your phone to communicate with you.

NOW, I am skeptical of the app and a lot of this EVP research and all of this. I think, personally, that ghosts exist and that surely there have been successful communications with them. Do I believe the claims of every single person saying they communicate with spirits? No. Do I think that ghosts can manipulate electronics. Unfortunately, yes? Because I’ve seen it happen? I once had a ghost wake me up two nights in a row by turning on my computer from complete shut down. It was the 90s, so this would have required a big ‘ol button push. And then when the computer woke me up, it showed itself as the most terrifying shadow I’ve ever seen walking along one wall. Neat! In the same house, my mother would see lights turn on by themselves. She called our neighbor who was an electrician about it, who told her it was impossible and asked her if she’d been drinking.

Anyway, so, okay, we are existing in the space where I think that eeeeh yeah we can believe that a ghost might manipulate an electronic device, we have an actively haunted house, and we have an app that claims to facilitate communication. How does it work though? Roughly, it has a bank of sounds that are recordings of words in various languages that have been chopped up to form phonemes that can then be, in theory, arranged by spirits to form words which, again, in theory, have meaning. Skeptic concerns include: Does it have pre-programmed responses to questions it picks up on the mic? Does it in any way echo what it hears the user saying on the mic? The developer hasn’t disclosed this, but of course, it’s a possibility.

So, there is nothing left but to test it, which we did! Now, I am a witch, so we took some precautions, and I’ve not experienced any negative repercussions from engaging in these spirit communications after the night we did so, which is nice. I recommend that anyone do the same before communicating with spirits. Some things that I do include setting up a circle of protection, however you prefer to do that, and also burning frankincense, my preferred spiritual cleansing agent. You’ll notice a little mortar next to me on the table in the video and though you cannot see the smoke in the video, it is in fact actively burning frankincense resin on a piece of charcoal.

We got set up, which involved a lot of lighting silliness, because I am in no way a YouTuber and we have no professional lighting. So my girlfriend was literally dragging a floor lamp around our dark living room until things looked reasonable. We are also dogsitting a tiny dog for a friend, who snuggled on my lap for the duration of the spirit communications, making me feel very much like a fancy heir-cum-turn-of-the-century-spiritualist-with-my-tiny-lap-dog. Then, because the recommendation for the app is that you ALSO have a recording of yourself using it so you can go back through and re-listen, my girlfriend dutifully helped out Autostraddle for free, as she does, by filming me trying to talk to ghosts.

My notes from the experience:

Notable is that when I first asked for like spirits that mean us no harm, I heard some audible “yep” or “yeah” noises but when I said “spirits of goodness” we were interrupted with an audible “weeeeellllllllll…” which, okay, I can relate.

Then, when I mention the former inhabitants of the house and that we want to talk to them, you can hear an “es/is/ist occult” which, I couldn’t figure out if they were judging me, or if they were occult enthusiasts. Considering how things go, it was probably the former.

The first spirit I tried to speak to, Bill’s wife [redacted] whose first language was German and who honestly has never been much of a presence, didn’t give me much but did say ‘house’ and some other words. It could have been nothing. It could have been German. I don’t speak German!

So, then I asked Bill if he had anything to say. The most favorable evidence in favor of the app at this point was the fact that it immediately sped up in terms of activity. Like, saying that brought the noise level noticeably higher. Bill was like absolutely I have things to say . My partner and I locked eyes. I heard “Bill” said multiple times and maybe “hello” and maybe “thank you.” But also, lol, maybe “fuck you” as well as “I tried.”

Then, when I said, “We’re really grateful to be here,” I heard him say, “No,” which, again, okay . That’s where we’re at emotionally. Okay. When I said “yes” I think he said “shut up” and then either “bitch” or “witch.”

I decided to try and take things down a more diplomatic avenue and asked Bill what he liked about the house, to which I did hear “stairs” which, yes, we have a lot of those, actually. We have 20-something some odd steps leading up to the front door.

Then Bill says either “You hate us” which is what I took it as the first time or “You ask too much.”I’m not sure, because that is what I heard on the second listen with the recording.

This is where things took a turn. See, we definitely suspected that the app maybe echoed what we said or played some kind of word association, so it would make sense if all that continued when I asked pretty basic questions, but when I asked “Do you like us?” the app seemed to answer “um” and when I asked “Are you confused about that?” it was followed by a long silence and then something that sounded like “I don’t know what to say.” Considering the kind of truce-esque relationship we have with our ghost after the huge showdown we had in the past over home reno, if this were legit, that answer matches up with our other experiences sharing a space with our ethereal roommate.

When I said “We’re kinda weird, right?” The spirit box JUMPED IN, and while I couldn’t make out the words, the silence sure was broken. Bill thinks that, yes, we’re weird. Clearly.

And I said to Bill, “Like, we’re gay, right?”

To which there was ABSOLUTE SILENCE.

Then I go, “You can say it.”

And he goes “What? No!”

After that, things descended into chaos. One of the last things I made out is “I pray for you” which is hella ominous. I tried my best with all the noise for a while, and then I cut Bill’s mic. I RUDELY asked if anyone else was there, forgot to thank Bill, rushed in to thank Bill and then heard “Fuck that.”

The rest of my attempts to speak with other spirits were not nearly as animated. I got some names, maybe, but not much else. We thanked everyone, sent them on their way, and called it a night.

Because, really, we can talk about Bill all night right? Bill is a greatest generation Army vet, and this was his family home. He collected matchbooks, which I know because I found a box of them and he did seem to smoke — and sometimes we smell it. He tends to like to walk around the house and, as I’ve alluded to, gave my girlfriend and I a really hard time a couple years back when we first started doing work on the living room, which I think was maybe “his” space. All in all, we’ve found a way to coexist, but I always did get the feeling that he was very much like “Queers! In my house?!” and now, well, that’s kind of confirmed, if the Necrophonic App has any legitimacy to it.

Cons of the app: largely unintelligible, likely completely fake.

Pros: seems to have adequately captured the Greatest Generation conservative vibe I was getting from the ghost in our house anyway?? The DEAD SILENCE after I said “We’re Gay, right?” was straight out of a Thanksgiving Dinner. Like, damn. That was the most believable part.

Bill?…Bill??? Some footage from the experiment.

Nico Hall is Autostraddle's A+ and Fundraising Director, and has been fundraising and working in the arts and nonprofit sector for over a decade. They write nonfiction and personal essays and are currently at work on a queer fiction novel and podcasts. They live in Pittsburgh. Nico is also haunted. You can find them on Twitter and Instagram as @nknhall.

Nico has written 182 articles for us.

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27 comments.

okay i love this? definitely have questions re: the legitimacy of the app but not of the ghosts themselves, i am here for the bill content

I also have questions about the app still. I guess I will have to try it a few more times and see? It’s a bit of a hassle though because you have to record yourself using it so you can listen back.

Thank you for loving the Bill content haha. Our spectral roommate 👻

Far out ! I’m so glad I listened to this in broad daylight with extra lights on.

Also glad you got to it in daylight! Thank you for reading 🖤👻🖤

BILL???????? BILL? BILL!

The way I am using my I am talking to a grumpy elder relative’ voice with Bill…

This was interesting! It immediately brought me back to the time I called a friend’s place(back in the days of landlines) and someone else answered. I asked if I could speak to my friend and they seemed very confused…but as if they were confused I could hear them and didn’t know what next. I figured it was just an out of it college acquaintance, and then voicemail kicked in, so I left a message joking about it. As you can probably guess, there was nobody (physically) at my friends home, and when she called me to tell me that, I also found out appliances were constantly switching themselves on/off. I’m now imagining spirits hanging around trying the metaphysical equivalent of tapping and going “is this thing on?”.

Snaelle, that is so unnerving! I love that story. And yes, the appliances turning on and off seems to me to be one of the signs that points to the likelihood of a genuine haunting. I’ve also experienced weird things with landline phones and haunted houses, but alas, we’ve more or less moved on from those so ghosts no longer have the access they used to :)

I would not like to have a ghost like bill in my house. Sounds a lot like my dad I would be trying to ask him to leave.

oh noooo. i’m just kind of resigned to sharing the space. what can you do you know?

I am very skeptical of phone apps for this, though I have had experiences with other devices accidentally. I wear hearing aids, and I’ve had an exchange where a presence made my aids squeal-which only happens when air circulation is cut off. I had one on my flat palm, and it kept squealing. This was on what seemed a “bust” of a ghost tour at Fort Delaware. Then this happened when my wife, and I went into a room by ourselves away from the group. I think the most telling part in your video is that the dog seems unfazed. Animals are very sensitive to what we can’t see. I have had a few experiences with three different dogs that I took as evidence of a presence I couldn’t see. Once a few years ago, I felt a hand on my back despite being the only person in the house. I turned around to see my two dogs staring at the spot behind me. Then both of their heads turned to follow whatever they were looking at until their sight line got to the front door. Then they both jumped up, ran to the door, and started barking. Freaked me out! Thanks for sharing your story. You have a great writing voice. I like your style!

Thank you so much for reading and for sharing that super interesting story about the hearing aids and the ghost tour. So, this dog in particular, had acted up in the house before, barking at things that weren’t there, etc. It was one thing that inspired us to try to communicate. However, on this particular day and this particular moment, she had just gotten back from a long walk and eaten her dinner, so I don’t think her being absolutely passed out is much evidence for either side as it would have taken a lot for her to be roused from her snooze, including strange grating sounds coming from my phone haha. And thank you for saying that about my writing voice. It means so much!

Niko, I’ve no idea what to say about Bill…but everything to say about your hair! It’s fabulous!

Awww, thank you Quoll!

ghosts can 100% influence electronics! source: one of the haunted theaters i worked at (all theaters are haunted) had a ghost that would make the lights flicker during music it didn’t like and one night when i was extra annoyed i asked if the lights could at least keep time with the music and then! they did! they flickered only on the beat!

when ghosts respond to requests it is Too Much. i love that story. reminds me of the time i had to ask Bill to PLEASE stop bothering my partner while she sleeps. never happened again.

They just want attention!

That app may or may not interact with ghosts but it is DEFINITELY very spooky!

👻👻👻 yeah the app definitely (and very intentionally) sounds creepy

Aaaah yes, ghosts can definitely affect electronics! I used to live in a 400 year old house, which the landlord had decorated with antiques. She had one of those old-timey telephones, like the kind from the 1920s with the detachable mouthpiece, in the living room. A couple of weeks after I’d moved in, one of the housemates was like, oh you know it’s haunted right? Turns out, the phone would RING for minutes on end every so often. Really loud, you could hear it all through the house. Thing is, it wasn’t connected to anything. I even checked the wires myself, not hooked up, it would just ring and ring and ring. I looked it up and it would take a lot of power pushed through to make one of those old phones ring so yeah, ghost. Funny thing is, none of us (and there were 5 of us) ever picked up the phone.

I am so curious to know what would have happened had you picked up the phone!!!

Simply delighted that my A+ membership now includes exclusive ghost content!

I cannot wait to share the exclusive ghost video haha! It feels so silly, but also…why not?

Is it normal to be jealous of having ghosts in your house? Asking for a friend.

Totally normal. They really (ironically) liven up a place!

It’s vital to discuss edge of-the-periphery encounters, to show the mankind of intuitives, however to show humankind the normality of instinct.

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Spirit Board (Ouija) Game

Spirit Board Ouija Game

By psychic science, demonstration, about spirit board (ouija) game.

Our Spirit Board Game is a computerised simulation of the classic Spirit Board, 'Talking Board', or 'Ouija'. This is believed by some to enable communication with 'spirits' and, by others, access to the unconscious minds of the users.

How to Play

You can control the planchette (pointer) either: Directly using the movement of the mouse or finger ('Manual'), or Indirectly , by using your mouse or finger to cause the planchette to automatically spell out cryptic messages ('Auto'). Tip: When using 'Manual', move the pointer SLOWLY.

You can also get your own 'spirit-guided' lottery numbers (randomly generated when 'Auto' is selected). Select your preferences, then move your mouse or finger on the board to spell out messages. You can type in questions at any time (these are NOT sent to our servers or recorded by us). You can ask a new question after 'BYE' has been selected, or by clearing the board. The 'Spirit Messages' (and your questions) are displayed in the text box and can be copied to your clipboard. Have fun, and do not take this game too seriously!

Caution and Disclaimer Our version is a GAME that is intended for entertainment purposes only. Some people might be upset or unduly influenced by the 'messages' apparently received. Our Spirit Board Game is NOT recommended for children, for those with religious objections, or for those who may be psychologically vulnerable. By using Spirit Board Game you agree to accept any and all risks and liabilities that may result from this use.

Related Pages

History of the Ouija Board

Learn about spirit mediumship

Get a simulated psychic reading

Psychic science exclusive card decks.

Free Online Spirit Box

Are you enjoying our free online spirit box? You can download our free spirit box app: Spirit Words. On the App Store and Google Play . We also have just release an AI powered spirit box app on iOS. Download AI Spirit Box on the App Store . Android version coming soon!

What is a Spirit Box?

A spirit box , also known as a ghost box or a Frank's box, is a device that some people use to communicate with what they believe to be spirits. This device is widely used in the field of paranormal research and by individuals who are interested in communicating with the spirit world.

The basic concept of a spirit box is that it rapidly scans through different radio frequencies. As it scans, it generates white noise, or a hiss-like sound, which is a combination of all different frequencies of sound. The idea is that spirits can manipulate or use this white noise to form words or sentences, which can then be heard by the user.

To elaborate a bit more, the spirit box is designed to capture EVPs, or Electronic Voice Phenomena. An EVP is believed to be a voice or sound that is not heard at the time of recording, but can be heard upon playback of the recording. These sounds are thought by some to be communication from spirits or other entities.

Paranormal Catalog’s Spirit Boxes

Our spirit boxes are a little bit different to your typical radio based spirit box. Our spirit boxes select words and phrases from a digital library of thousands of words. We believe that spirits may be able to interfere with the selection of the words somehow in order to communicate with us.

Results can be a bit hit and miss, but we do often get strings of words that just seem too intelligent to be a coincidence. Give it a go for yourself in your ghost hunting adventures and let us know how you get on!

History of the Spirit Box

The concept of attempting to communicate with the spirit world using electronic devices dates back to the early 20th century. These early attempts, known as Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP), were often conducted using tape recorders or radios.

However, the specific device known as a "spirit box" or "ghost box" was invented in 2002 by a man named Frank Sumption for the purpose of real-time communication with spirits. This is why the device is sometimes referred to as "Frank's Box."

Frank Sumption claimed he received the design specifications for the box from the spirit world itself. His initial device was a modified AM/FM radio that continuously scans through all the stations, creating a mix of white noise, radio snippets, and static. He claimed that this noise provided spirits with the raw audio they needed to create their own audible words and phrases.

Over the years, the design of the spirit box has evolved, with different models scanning at various speeds, and some offering other features like temperature sensors and EMF (Electromagnetic Field) detectors. These additional features are used in an attempt to detect other potential signs of paranormal activity.

A Beginner’s Guide to Communicating With Spirits on the Other Side

By Aliza Kelly

Welcome, cosmic warriors. I'm astrologer Aliza Kelly Faragher, and this is Allure Astrology , a column dedicated to all things magick. Did you just hear that? Grab your Ouija board! Today, we're learning how to communicate with the other side.

Years before I became a practicing astrologer and occult columnist, my first foray into the "strange and unusual" was through my deep fascination with ghosts. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been enchanted by the spirit world: I read every collection of scary stories I could get my hands on, hosted a séance for my ninth birthday, and loved spending time in any space considered "haunted." Simply put, the paranormal was my thing .

Spooky people like myself are amused by all that is macabre, but contacting spirits isn't a parlor trick. In fact, communicating with the dead is serious business and requires advanced expertise. Mediums are professional connectors who facilitate dialogue between the living and the dead. According to Jessica Lanyadoo , an astrologer and medium with two decades of experience, "being a medium means that I can hear, see, and feel those who are no longer in their bodies."

In her work as a psychic medium, Jessica creates bridges between worlds. Just like our mortal conversations, dialogue with the dead can range from profound to petty. Spirits won't always offer specifics or say what you want to hear (ghosts can be jerks, too). And since Jessica receives messages from spirits constantly, she works hard to create healthy boundaries in both the physical and spiritual realms : "I'm a huge believer in privacy and don't like to invade others' space, and am not a fan of others [dead or living] invading mine."

In preparation for this column, I reached out to dozens of individuals who have sat with psychic mediums. Their stories are rich, diverse, and — perhaps most importantly — extremely specific. One individual, Jackie, did not know her ex-lover had passed until a medium channeled his spirit: "[The medium] kept telling me there was a young man who was very interested in me, and that he had a lot to say, even describing him physically, but I couldn't figure out who she meant. I found out about a year later that my first boyfriend had died of an overdose shortly before that appointment."

Megan, another individual who received a reading, described how the medium was physically affected during the session. While communicating with Megan's grandmother, the medium felt her chest become heavy and experienced difficulty breathing. Megan's grandmother was an extremely heavy smoker who underwent a tracheotomy in her final years — a defining characteristic that transcended its mortal form.

While each client's story was unique, those who shared their experiences with me all expressed sincere gratitude, peace, and a definitive sense of closure. Though the deceased cannot be reanimated, communication with the dead breathes new life into difficult situations. According to Jessica Lanyadoo, "when someone dies, they are not meant to be here anymore. Learning to let go is a part of loving someone who has passed away."

Many spirits can only be heard and seen by experts , which is why mediums help deliver their messages. Ghosts, however, are a bit different. Ghosts will often use any conduit available to make contact. According to Los Angeles-based psychic medium, Meghan Castro, "ghosts are spirits that have not yet had closure with leaving" This process can take a long time and is often linked to location, which explains why some places — like a dimly lit attic or former battlefield — can remain haunted for centuries.

Just like the living, ghosts can also be showboats. It's easy to connect with attention-seeking spirits — though most experts advise against making contact haphazardly. According to Jessica Lanyadoo, you can't protect yourself from what you don't understand. So, if you do decide to open a portal to the dead, "just be prepared that anyone can come through." Now that's spooky.

Even with Jessica's warning in mind, intrepid adventurers may still decide to go rogue. For those seeking self-guided experiences, follow the tips and tricks outlined below. All divination practices require study, practice, and patience, but when dealing with the dead, you want to be especially careful with your approach. After all, ghosts are people too.

Sage is an ancient herb used for cleansing and purification rituals. Smudging (a fancy word for burning) is the first step to many rituals and spells — but not when it comes to contacting ghosts. Since sage is used for clearing, ghosts interpret sage as a request to leave a space. If you sage and then try to communicate, the ghosts will likely get annoyed by your mixed messages and, if it does show up, either be cranky or despondent.

Even the most industrious ghosts rely on conduits to deliver messages. As you're preparing to make contact with the dead, set up several different conductors within the space. Historically, ghosts have been known to communicate through candle flames, liquid (water in a glass may ripple when a spirit is present), and scent. Audio and video recording devices are also effective conductors and can be used in real-time to aid transmission. Just as the living have preferences, the dead may prefer some devices over others, so make sure to have several options available.

It's great to treat the dead with reverence, but there's no reason to embarrass yourself by speaking in a fake, antiquated dialect. Drop the olden talk, and communicate with spirits authentically. Of course, it's important to be respectful, so use thoughtful words (don't make any demands) and a calm tone throughout the dialogue. Be direct, and communicate exactly what you would like to say and what you're experiencing. Most ghosts don't want to scare you (and the ones that use fear tactics are often just being mischievous), so if something makes you nervous, let them know (in a strong, yet peaceful intonation) that you're afraid. Usually, they'll then move to another conductor that is less obtrusive.

Last summer, I coerced my friends into using an Ouija board. Although our session yielded no distinctive results, there was an undeniably eerie tone to the planchette's slow movement across the black letters and its assertive answer when it abruptly slid to "GOODBYE." Ouija boards aren't foolproof and, yes, people often — whether consciously or unconsciously — move the planchette. But since Ouiji boards are complete with letters and numbers, it's easy for ghosts to, quite literally, spell out their messages. If the commercial aspect of the Ouija board cramps your style, go ahead and make your own!

Sure, our fear of ghosts has been perpetuated by horror movie tropes. But, in actuality, a fear of ghosts ultimately reflects our relationship with mortality. It's not easy to accept death; it's painful, heartbreaking, and scary. Connecting with the spirit world, however, explores the impertinence of the physical realm. At the end of the day, all that's left is a strong, powerful, and beautiful soul. In the wise words of Jessica Lanyadoo, let spirits "help you to love more wholly and live more fully." And of course, accumulate some riveting campfire stories along the way.

By Kara Nesvig

Read more stories on astrology and the occult::

• A Modern Witch's Guide to Casting Love Spells
• Your Essential Guide to Tasseography, the Practice of Reading Tea Leaves
• A Beginner's Guide to Reading Palms

Now, watch Jhené Aiko and her daughter Namiko try nine things they've never done before:

Find Aliza on Instagram , Twitter , and her website .

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How to Communicate With Ghosts

Whether you simply desire a connection with your dearly departed or want to host a full-blown séance, follow these tips for an illuminating experience with the afterlife.

Spooky season wouldn’t be the same without images of ethereal entities lurking in the shadows, and while these specters are meant to trigger imaginations while getting us in the holiday spirit, they allude to genuine anomalies.

It’s likely that you’ve heard stories of friends visiting psychics to reconnect with their dearly departed, and shows depicting ghost hunters and mediums offer demonstrations of real-life people talking with the dead. Though these TV personalities may have studied their craft for years, you don’t have to be a pro to experience such encounters. In fact, all you need to do is open yourself up to the possibility that there’s someone or something out there that wants to talk to you.

When it comes to maintaining a connection with those who have perished, giving yourself space to find peace while opening up to your loved ones can help you feel close to those who no longer walk the physical realms.

“In my culture, we believe that the most powerful way to connect to our ancestors is by connecting to ourselves,” says The Altar Within author Juliet Diaz. “Build a relationship with the self, and address the areas where you need healing and more care. We are the ancestors; they live through us, so when we connect to self, we connect to them.”

The Altar Within

Whether you’re feeling blue, need support from beyond the veil, or simply miss someone who is no longer around, going within can help you reclaim these relationships. Starting up a conversation by lighting candles to honor the dead and asking for signs are also great ways to form a line of communication with the souls who watch over you.

Creating a sacred space that acts as an ancestral or spiritual altar can also help keep your connection with the other side strong. All you need is a small surface, table, or shelf dedicated to honoring the unseen elements of our universe. Decorate the space with photos of your higher power, loved ones who left this plane but never your heart, candles, and small trinkets that hold significant meaning. Jewelry, pens, hairbrushes, and other items frequently used by the departed can draw them to your space, helping you feel supported and at peace whenever you pause to contemplate life or meditate in your altar’s vicinity.

Consider leaving out offerings of flowers, food, or drink on special occasions such as holidays and the departed’s birthday, taking into account what they were partial to when they were alive. You can keep your favorite incense, crystals, or tarot cards on the altar as well. Establishing a symbolic language is also helpful when nurturing a dynamic with your deceased loved ones. For instance, if your grandmother had an affinity for owls, you may begin to notice owl imagery with more frequency when her presence is near.

Phantom scents can also help you acknowledge when an entity is in your midst, so the next time you catch a whiff of your great aunt’s cooking or your grandfather’s tobacco pipe, it could very well be their way of saying hello and showing support. These signs can manifest at any time. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for such messages. It’s also important that you are open-minded on how they may appear, as your social media feed, billboards, and TV commercials can all carry these symbols, even if the outlet itself doesn’t seem very sacred. The key is to look for a repetition of such imagery, and don’t be afraid to ask your loved ones to send signals that they’re near.

.css-1gg356k{font-family:GTWalsheim,GTWalsheim-weightbold-robotoFallback,GTWalsheim-weightbold-localFallback,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:1.625rem;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.2;margin:0rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1gg356k{font-size:1.75rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1gg356k{font-size:1.875rem;line-height:1.2;}}.css-1gg356k b,.css-1gg356k strong{font-family:inherit;font-weight:bold;}.css-1gg356k em,.css-1gg356k i{font-family:inherit;font-style:italic;} “The most powerful way to connect to our ancestors is by connecting to ourselves.”

Meditation sessions geared toward connecting with the other side can be particularly effective for receiving messages and are much easier than you might think. Begin with deep breathing, low lights, candles, and soothing music, bringing yourself to a place of calm. Once you feel tapped into your spiritual side, imagine the person you are hoping to contact.

Holding a paper with their name written on it, a photo, or personal belongings they once owned can elevate this experience, and it may be wise to keep a pen and paper handy for taking notes. Imagine your soul connecting with theirs, and become aware of what goes through your heart, mind, and body throughout this meditation session. Just try to remember that fine-tuning this skill takes plenty of practice, and the information you receive at first may be subtle or hard to decode. Try to allow the energy to flow through you, and avoid the temptation to control where your mind leads you, as you could sever the connection you worked so hard to establish.

If you want to be more theatrical with your encounters, hosting a séance can amp up your spooky season festivities as you and your closest companions gather to conjure the other side. However, you’ll want to keep the group small, aiming for a party of three to seven people. Arrange everyone in a circle, either around a table or sitting comfortably on the floor.

Be sure to set the mood by lighting plenty of candles, keeping in mind that white, black, light blue, and purple are the most appropriate colors to work with. Lamps and flashlights can act as invaluable tools for this activity, though you’ll need to unscrew the bulb just enough for it to turn off. Give the light a little tap once it’s gone dim. If it flickers at your touch, you’ve hit the sweet spot, as entities may flash you with a bit of light to establish their presence.

Begin the séance by leading a guided meditation, asking your companions to imagine the group encapsulated in a ball of white protective light, as this will deter any malicious entities that might try to spoil your fun. If the idea of encountering bad vibes makes you particularly nervous, you can keep selenite crystals nearby, as they’re known to draw in positive energy only.

Once you’ve established a sacred circle for you and your guests, dial into the other side by using such phrases as “I invite any spirits in the room to let their presence be known” and “I am now opening the lines of communication with those who have died, though no negativity may enter this home.” Be on alert for flickering candles or lights, and ask your friends to speak up if they feel any unexpected emotional shifts, strange physical sensations like tingling skin, labored breathing, thickness in the air, and temperature changes, as these all act as signs that a presence is near.

“Make sure that you have connected with who you think you have connected with,” advises healer and psychic medium Shawana Temple. “Spirits have a lot to say, and uninvited guests can crash your session. Remain respectful, ensure that you are spiritually protected, and lean into your spirit team. Allow them to do the heavy lifting while you intuit the messages that come across.” Temple adds that if you begin to feel a little uneasy, don’t hesitate to send the entity packing by firmly asking it to leave.

Ouija boards can be particularly effective for digging up details during your ghostly interactions, though their presence in mainstream media has made them a somewhat taboo tool. The key to safely working with this communication device is to trust that you are protected by your ancestors, so try not to give in to feelings of anxiety or trepidation if they arise. It’s important to remember that entities cannot hurt you, though some like to have fun with our fear. This instrument is best used with two or three users operating the planchette while someone else takes notes to document each word as it is spelled out. Keep the questions simple. Queries such as “What is your name?” and “Do you have a message for anyone here?” are great ways to get the ball rolling.

Whether you’re hosting friends for a night of mystical fun or working alone, divination tools are an excellent option for peering beyond the veil. “As Samhain approaches on October 31 and the veil between worlds thins,” says psychic medium and witch Melissa St. Hilaire, “now is the best time to communicate with your spirit guides. Meditation is my favorite way to strengthen the connection, but sometimes we need a more tangible method. For this, I prefer using copper dowsing rods.”

This tool consists of two L-shaped pieces of metal and can be traced back to ancient times when it was used to find water, precious gems, or metals, and to communicate with spirits. Though it was banned by the Catholic Church in 1568, this instrument managed to survive centuries of scrutiny and is still employed today in cultures throughout the world. Its user will lightly hold a rod in each hand about a foot apart, establishing what constitutes a “yes” or “no” response from the other side, which will typically involve the rods crossing over each other or drifting apart. “To begin, invite your guides to join you,” St. Hilaire says. “Ask them to show you ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ then proceed to ask any binary questions you want.”

“Now is the best time to communicate with your spirit guides.”

Pendulums are another excellent resource for finding answers from beyond the veil, and generally consist of a stone or metal cone hanging from a chain. However, if you don’t have one on hand, you can easily make one with a necklace or by tying a ring or weight to the end of a string. Begin by resting your arms in an L shape on a stable desk or table, holding the pendulum up without generating any movement. Once your tool is completely still, you can begin to ask simple questions.

The pendulum should begin to move naturally as you breathe, though the real magic manifests in observing the direction in which it swings. An up-and-down motion will indicate a positive outcome or “yes” response, as will a clockwise circle. If your piece swings from side to side or counterclockwise, you will find that the answer is “no” or the outcome may be negative.

Meanwhile, erratic movements could indicate that the future is yet to be determined. You can up the ante with this practice by writing down a series of questions on small separate papers, folding and mixing them up, then placing them in front of you. Without looking at what you’ve written, go through each piece of paper, writing down if the pendulum answered with a “yes” or “no.” Using this method will prevent your psyche from forcing the results it desires, as you’ll be unaware of which question you’re asking at any given time. Just be sure to unfold the parchment after you’ve gone through each piece so that you remain unaware of your query throughout the entire practice.

No matter which method you choose to explore the other side, remember to show respect and thank the entities you encountered for connecting with you. Once you’ve finished your session, ask these phantoms to go along on their way, sending them love while severing the lines of communication. It may also be wise to cleanse your space with rosewater, incense, or the smoke of purifying herbs, such as sage, juniper, or cedar. Then, treat yourself to a nice, hot Himalayan salt bath to purify and energize your aura, and be sure to recharge with plenty of water and nutritious food.

Renée Watt is a Pacific Northwest-based professional psychic, astrologer, and witch. Her mystical insights have been featured in Vogue , Cosmopolitan , and InStyle . She hosts the weekly podcast The Glitter Cast , which features celebrity ghost stories and interviews with leading professionals in her field.

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Spirit Board (very scary game‪)‬ 17+

Talk to ghosts and spirits‪‬, first class media b.v..

• 4.0 • 269 Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

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Description.

The only Spirit Board that actually listens to your voice! Ask any question and simply wait for a spirit or ghost to respond. Text input is also available. INSTRUCTIONS 1) If possible, darken the room you are in and light some candles before starting a séance. 2) Place your finger on the planchette (the wooden piece) in order to initiate the spiritual connection to the other side. 3) Ask the spirit your question loud and clear. Always start a séance with the question “Is anyone there?”. 4) Wait for the spirit to respond. The planchette will start moving to show you the spirit’s answer. Warning: keep your fingers on the planchette at all times! 5) Always be polite and ask normal questions. Be careful to not upset any spirit. Examples of questions you can ask: What’s your name? How old are you? Are you a good spirit? How did you die? Are you male? Do you mean us any harm? Where are you? 6) In case you have angered a spirit, quickly move the planchette to “Goodbye” before the countdown is over - or unexplained things might happen. Sometimes a spirit refuses a “Goodbye”. In that case, be persistent and try again. Disclaimer: since paranormal activity can't be scientifically proven, we can't guarantee that the app communicates with real spirits.

Version 1.5.8

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

Ratings and Reviews

269 Ratings

Scary, I asked the spirit board where are you and he replied I’m right next to you and suddenly I saw a chair move next to me, i asked him to many questions and he said goodbye so I said to him bye bye and he replied with don’t go stay here with me and after I got really really frightened. I pressed the back button and i red what it said on the introductions and on the instructions it said once you go back the spirit might take contacts with you or might follow you so I just deleted the app and played something else to get my mind of it.

I’m so scared now !!!

So when I started this game I asked what their name was, the board replied with “sally” I asked if it was a good or evil spirit, the second it went on the letter “e” I flipped out and turned my iPad off and ran away, I went back and I asked who it was, the board said it was rose so I asked who sally was, it replied with “mommy” so I asked who the father was and the board said “Harriet”. After a while I asked about frozen Charlottes from the book that I have been reading called frozen Charlotte, I asked the board if they knew what the frozen Charlottes were and it replied with “do you want me to prove it” (or something like that) and I said no, the board randomly said “I don’t like you” when I asked it a question that had nothing to do with me so I asked if it liked my sister and the board said “no” eventually the board said it wanted to go so I said bye but then it said stay so I said no, it eventually started counting down so I totally flipped because I read that if the board starts counting down, the spirit would come out of the board or something so I went out of the app and deleted it ha ha!! Hope you liked my story lol :P

Never again

Me and my best friend searched up challenges to do at 3 am, and we came across this app. It was all going fine, we were taking turns talking to spirits, and then when it was my turn I started talking to this 19 year old spirit called Mable. We asked her if she was a good spirit, and when she said no, we freaked out and turned off the phone. When we went back onto the app, the screen was glitching and there was the text saying ‘say goodbye before leaving me here’ at the top of the screen. I tried saying goodbye 10 times, but it kept moving back to no. Finally my friend grabbed my phone and went in goodbye and we got out of it. Deleted the game right after that. Never try this game in the pitch black room with only your phone light, spooks will be granted. I’m actually scared by that! 👀

App Privacy

The developer, First Class Media B.V. , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy .

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• Identifiers

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The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

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English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Vietnamese

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