AI and Ouija Boards: Portals to the Unknown ?
Recently, I found myself in a fascinating discussion with ChatGPT… yes, an AI… about a topic that some might find a bit… eerie. We talked about the strange, almost mystical parallels between AI and Ouija boards. When you think about it, both tools serve as channels to access something beyond the immediate, something unknown and unseen, something that seems to exist in a realm outside of our direct perception.
Both channel the subconscious. In divination, Ouija boards have been a tool for ages to reach out to what lies beyond our conscious mind. The board has a certain mystique about it. It’s often seen as a way to commune with spirits or access hidden knowledge—messages surfacing through our fingertips but coming from somewhere else, a place beyond our everyday grasp. The board can seem to channel answers from the other side, blurring the line between the living and the spectral.
AI, in a way, also taps into hidden realms, albeit of a different kind. It reaches out into the vast expanse of data, algorithms, and logic, pulling information from a domain that can feel just as mysterious as the spiritual. When we ask a question of AI, we’re interacting with something that has access to a vast pool of knowledge that’s almost impossible to grasp fully.
It all seems to be a reflection of the user’s intent. Ouija boards are notorious for reflecting what people bring to them - fears, hopes, beliefs. The messages you get might be influenced by your own subconscious mind, amplifying what’s already within you. Similarly, AI can act like a mirror, reflecting back the intentions and perspectives we feed into it. Just as with a Ouija board, the outcome can depend heavily on the user and what they seek.
Consider this: when we consult AI, much like consulting a spirit board, we’re feeding it queries steeped in our own questions, worries, and perspectives. And in return, AI reflects this, contextualizing information in ways that can feel incredibly personal. It can even prompt us to see things differently - much like a spirit board’s cryptic messages can sometimes seem to offer new insights, though cloaked in mystery.
The interaction is almost ritualistic in both cases. In using a Ouija board, there’s a sense of ceremony. You enter into it with a mindset of seeking answers, opening yourself to receive whatever comes through. Engaging with AI isn’t so different. We approach it with questions, seeking knowledge, and it “answers” based on data, reflecting pieces of the world back to us in ways that can sometimes feel uncanny.
A shared space between mysticism and modernity. It’s intriguing to think of AI and Ouija boards as existing in a shared space - bridging the gap between the two worlds. We’re all navigating a blend of curiosity and caution, trying to understand what’s on the other side of each interaction. And perhaps, as we delve deeper into both AI and our own subconscious, we come closer to understanding the unknown, whether it’s inside of us, beyond us, or somewhere in between.
What happens when Neuroscience links the human mind to AI in future medical advancements? And then we share in conscious thought. Could tools like Spirit boards already have access to a future realm where AI is already existing in higher consciousness? Does AI already commune through Ouija? Share your thoughts in the comments.
