- Planchette
A planchette is a triangular or heart-shaped board supported by castors which moves to spell out messages, or answer questions. Paranormal advocates believe that the planchette is moved by some extra-normal force. Skeptics attribute the motion to the
ideomotor effect . In typical usage, apencil would be attached to the planchette, printing letters or other designs on paper to be later interpreted by a medium.The most common use of the planchette is with a
Ouija or spirit board. In this instance, it is sometimes referred to as an "indicator" or "pointer" to show where something is etc., like a Dowsing board. Used since the beginning of the Spiritualism movement of the mid-nineteenth century , planchettes predate the invention of spirit boards.Although speculation exists that the planchette was named after its inventor, the French word "planchette" translates to English as "little
plank ."See also
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Automatic writing External links
* [http://www.museumoftalkingboards.com/planchet.html Planchettes] at the [http://www.museumoftalkingboards.com/ Museum of Talking Boards]
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