Q: One of the tests that skeptics have proposed for the legitimacy of the Ouija is to use it blindfolded. You have done this with success, haven’t you?

Karen: Yes, I have entertained the infamous blindfolded experiment. When we did this experiment, I thought we were just going to show my naysayer college friends how this tool could work. Little did I know that the message would be as profound and as succinct as it became when we donned the blindfolds.

It has etched itself into my memory from those many, many years ago. We did it to prove to the nonbelievers that our communication with the spirit realm was real and worked.

The message that came through while we could not see what the planchette was spelling was one of a heartfelt message. This message changed my view and work with this tool forever. It was so profound, not only to the recipient, as her recently passed sister came through and offered words of comfort and solace, but to the rest of the participants in the room. We were forever changed as an untimely death was offered closure and reassurance of love from beyond.

Q: What are the best conditions for using the Ouija?

Karen: The best conditions in which to use the Ouija board or any other talking board is when, number one, your countenance is in a great space and you welcome the messages. Then we need to be aware of what is going on atmospherically and planetarily when we engage within a session. We can only set a space of receptivity and positivity, but we can't control the atmospheric or planetary effects.

Q: What has been the overall effect of using the Ouija board on your life?

Karen: Extremely positive! Working with this tool in the manner in which I use it that is shared within my latest book, The Spirits of Ouija, I am able to affect great change for the better within myself and within the participants. All of the following have been developed and grown through this work: intuition, clarity on life's issues, making profound changes, unleashing creativity, writing books, finding closure on deaths and endings, increasing awareness of other consciousness, developing patience and persistence, understanding that we are never alone and, most important, knowing my center and how to align within my inner truths.

The board work has augmented my own spiritual practices and endeavors. I believe that the board doesn't do this to me or others; instead, it's the work we are willing to do on ourselves while using the board that allows us to skyrocket ahead with the internal growth and experiences I have mentioned above.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to experiment with the Ouija?

Karen: I only suggest that someone works with the board if this person takes this tool seriously, meaning that they come to the board with a sense of reverence and respect to the energies with whom they will ultimately come into contact. Although this energy, these spirits, are unseen, they still exist and require a stable frequency on our side in which to help them make contact and communicate back to us.

I recommend that the person is not imbibing on mind-altering substances before or during the session. I suggest the person approach the communication with respect by requesting the interaction, being courteous, treating the energy as one would want to be treated, and then thanking the energy for attempting the communication.

Most important, the communication requires much patience, practice, and perseverance in order to open the channels of communication, gain the trust, and receive the messages. The best way to allow this communication is to have your own internal spiritual practice where the individual is learning to hear and trust their own inner wisdom and messages.

Having a practice of staying centered during this spirit communication promotes great depth to the communication and allows the board operators to filter through the information and discern what is "truth" for them. Just because the messages come from an unseen source does not mean it's always accurate. This is no different than receiving a Tarot, psychic, or intuitive reading. You must filter through the information, be open to the messages, yet know your own internal path so you only rely on your internal voice and wisdom.

Karen A. Dahlman is the author of The Spirits of Ouija: Four Decades of Communication and The Spirit of Creativity: Embodying Your Soul's Passion, available at her website: Creative Visions Publications.