A coworker told me that as a boy he was taught a game, that he inturn has taught his children. It involved using an old card table. The type made with a heavy cardboard top, and it must have wooden legs.
One person would sit in the center of one side of the table, with their hands palm down, and their fingers outstretched, and the thumbs of their hands resting next to each other. 2 other people, (one on either side of the middle person, would do the same). The outside people would touch their pinkies next to the middle person's pinkies, one from each side. (Confused?)
Then they would chant "Table Up! Table Up!" Ubtil the table's opposite side would rise of it's own volition. When the table would drop back down it would do it with some force, and would make a loud thumping noise. One thump ment "Yes." Two thumps ment "No." (He described a way in which the table could also spell out words, but I didn't understand those instructions).
He said it was amazing how many questions the table could give correct answers to. Even providing information on subjects that they would find out later to be true.
To me, this "Game?" seems to be like a ouija board, but others liken it to a seance in which Spirits are invoked to answer. Others said it was called "Table Tipping" and was practiced much in the 1800's.
Is it all trickery? Or are Spirits being contacted?
I don't condone the use of ouija boards or seances, for ghost hunting purposes, but I would like him to demonstrate it for me. So i could do tests with my EMF Detectors to see if it creates any spikes in activity.
Have any of you ever see this done, or know anything on this subject matter?
The coworker said though these tables are old, you can still find them for sale in Garage Sales, the last one he bought, cost a dollar. The last time he played this "Game?" was a month ago. The table told them there was a deer in the cornfield on the opposite side of the house. When they checked, sure enough the deer was there.

Gee it's been awhile since I've seen one of your posts but you do come up with some interesting stuff to comment on!

I would liken this to a ouija board or seance - you don't know who is in control of that table. I would suggest that a novice stay away from such things; however, in your case (you know your own limits)I'll just suggest that you remember to take your precautions - say your protection rituals. You know how things like to go home with you. Also, ask this friend how he finishes - if an opening is made to the other side, it must be closed.

I've heard stories about the "table tipping" Victorians. I agree with Connie about this being likened to the ouija board. It would be very interesting to observe, and that is a good idea about the EMF detector. It would be interesting to snap a few pics also.

I'll have to ask him what they do to begin and to close when playing this "Game?". I'm sure he doesn't see this as a ritual, but merely as a "Game". He probably just folds the legs up and sticks the table in a closet when he's done.
His only admonish is, "This has nothing to do with Ghosts and Goblins, Dave!"

An elder that was a friend of mine told how she used to do "table tipping" when she was a child. They used to think it was fun until one day when something else happened. She would never tell what had happened but it became apparent that it was a door that was opened that they didn't know how to deal with. And Grandmother was not a person who scared easily! After that, they never did it again. Your friend should be careful playing around with things that he may not know enough about. I agree that when some things are opened, they must then also be closed. Some have the ability to do this while many of us do not. This is the same reason, I will not sit in a sweat lodge with just any person conducting it. There are powerful things that can come up and can be risky to all those in there if the water pourer doesn't have the ability or know what to do. Your friend may put his table away but other things may linger and it will no longer be a game.

drummaker1

Sorry Dave. No. No more than what's been said here already. I've had my experiences with UOIJA boards and agree with everyone here. Unless you are prepared and know what you're getting yourself into you should let sleeping dogs lie.

I've had the good fortune and honor of being in a sweat lodge twice. Both were well conducted and the second time I was fortunate to sit at the opposite side of the doorway. I was told this is where much of the energy goes. It's where you would have someone sit if they had a special need in the ceremony/ritual.

I invited my coworker over to my house to have him give a demonstration of his "Table Up!" Game.
Well, actually he kind of insisted that we do it at my house.
I also invited 5 other people to come for the demonstration, of which 2 showed up.
While my coworker set up his tables I set up my Sony Night Shot on a tripod, and fired up my Cell Sensor EMF Detector.
I did not participate in this "Game", at least not at first. However I asked if it would be OK to say an opening blessing before we started. He said it would be. I informed him that I had heard that when someone said the Lord's Prayer over one of these tables, that table never functioned in this fashion again.
My coworker assured me that praying over his table would have no affect on it's performance.
After a brief blessing, I allowed my 3 visitors to conduct the "Game".
They sat side by side on the same side of the table with their hands spread out flat on the table top, with their own thumbs touching, and the pinkies of the people right and left of my coworker/demonstrator touching his pinkies. So their hands were linked across the table. Then they began to chant "Table Up! Table Up!" over and over until they were out of breath. The table never rose up! The demonstrater giggled nervously, and said this had never happened before. Again they started to chant "Table Up! Table Up!" and again the the table failed.
We moved the table from a carpeted floor to a hardwood floor, and tried again. Still nothing happened. On the 4th try, the opposite side of the table began to rise slowly. When it reached sufficient hight, the demonstrator said, "Stop Table Stop!" and the table stopping rising and stayed elevated.
I checked the area out for any influx of EM frequencies, and found none. All the while, video taping the session, in hopes of seeing any Spirit activity. On review none was seen.
They asked the table several ( Yes & No ) questions. It was a stubborn table and only answered a few questions. When asked if Satan was present? It answer "Yes." by tapping it's raised side down on the floor (1)time.
When asked if it's power came from Electromagnetic Fields it answered "Yes." Then it refused to answer any more questions.
So we took it out side and set it up on the gravel in my driveway, thinking it might work better if it was directly grounded to the Earth.
This time I partook in the chanting, it answered correctly that Bill was the oldest in our group, and that "Yes." he was on vacation.
Curiously enough we 3 game players were being pestered by a multitude of sweat bees, and mosquitoes. One mosquitoe bit me on my pinkie. We asked the table if that mosquitoe was filled with the "West Nile Virus" it answered "Yes!" But hey, it's been 2 weks since then and I still have not acquired the illness, so whose to say how accurate it's answers really are?
Perhaps it just wanted to put a scare into me, because it didn't like the opening prayer I said over it.
I apologised to the demonstrator, if ny opening prayer/blessing had damaged the table, by affecting it's ability to function as it had done so for many years.
The demonstrator said he'd have to study up on this "Table Tipping" ritual/game and learn how to properly conduct these demonstrations. He always thought that it was just a matter of his subconscious mind answering these questions, rather than the knowledge coming from some form of Spirit energy.
He said he had never had the Tables act so disfunctionally before, in all his life. Recently I asked him if he's tried using the tables at home since then to see if they are working correctly again.
He said "No.", he still wants to do some reading on how to operate these tables as they are meant to be oporated.

Wow Dave! That's cool. If you do it again set up a recorder for EVPs when you ask the questions too. Also, you are sure his knees were not lifting the table?

Hmmmm. That is interesting. I have to say that honestly, I don't think that I would mess with anything that refused to cooperate when a prayer was said. I've never had any experience with table tipping so if you find out anything more let us know.

Renee

That is interesting, Dave. I can't help but think the prayer had something to do with it; especially since the table had never behaved like that before. I like Pandora's idea of the EVP. It would be interesting to see if anything was picked up during, as well as after the demonstration.

Thanks for the update, Dave! That is strange how it didn't work as well as it normally does for him. Trying for EVP's would be interesting.

If indeed the spirits are answering questions through the table, I'd liken it to the Quija board, in that, you cannot trust the answers you get. Is the mosquito bite better?

What did the other two participants think of the session?

Kell

I'm glad to hear your coworker came away from this a little more cautious - it appears you've proven that it is more than a game.

When I got up this morning, I looked at my little finger, because it felt like it was badly swollen! And to my horror I found that my Pinkie had fallen off last night while I slept in bed.
That damn West Nile Virus stole my Pinkie!
It was my favorite finger too! As my Pinkie was the only finger I could wedge up into my nose, to capture those elusive green demons that reside there! LOL!
All kidding aside, my finger is fine!

Glad your much-needed pinkie is still intact!

For some strange reason this reminds me of a "Game" that we used to play when I was in elementary school...around the fifth grade. We would get a group of kids together and get one person to lie down on the ground...a larger kid..and there would be one person at the head, one on each side and one at the feet. The person at the head would rub the subject's temples and say something like ; "Light as a feather.." I can't remember the rest. The subject would keep their eyes closed. After a minute, the person at the subject's head would give the command to begin and we would lift the subject off the ground up to shoulder level using only our index fingers..the subject would actually feel like they were floating there..it really worked. I guess it was the power of the mind...the power of suggestion. I really don't know. Now that I think about it, that was a pretty weird game for fifth graders to be playing. But you can do alot of things with your mind..you can open all sorts of doors.

If I laid on the floor and everyone here gathered around me, and then everyone slipped their fingers under my carcass, and started chanting, "Light as a feather, Stiff as a board.", do you know what would happen?
When you all tried to lift me up, your fingers would break off! LOL!
Never try this with a 500 lb. man!

You're killing me.... all the way from Iowa! It has to be the corn.

(Note: Check your new title!)

Prezelogic, I've heard of the game before, but have never tried it - that I remember anyway. It's hard to believe you could lift him shoulder high! How does the trip back down to the ground go? Is it as smooth and easy as it was lifting him?

Kell

ROTFLMAO!!!!!! Dave, you are so funny!!!

Your humor is priceless!!! It has to be the corn!!!

Mare,
If you think that one's funny, get him to tell you about his dance in front of a haunted motel! It brought tears to my eyes.
Tess