Planchette
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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, a pencil 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."
