The results are mixed...
First of all, thanks to all those who came out to participate in this odd experiment, and thanks the Beta Level for providing a space to conduct this demonstration.
At the start of the evening, technical problems seemed to plague the set-up, forcing our screening to be pushed back an hour. Was the Haunted VCR, affecting (or infecting) the other electronic devices in the room? Probably not, but who knows?
Once we were up and running, the Abbot and Costello film "The Time of Their Lives" was projected on one wall, while the distorted pictures from the VHS copy inside the Haunted VCR were projected on another wall. A night-vision camera was placed over the VCR to record any movements of the planchette across the painted Ouija-like design on the top of the machine, which was then broadcasted on a TV screen. All of this went on while a couple of volunteers from the audiences placed their fingers on the planchette, and asked questions.
(to see video of this set-up...)
So what happened? After some slow and/or confusing movements of the planchette in response to initial questions, the following exchange occurred...
"Did you know the previous owner of the VCR?
YES
This was followed by more slow and/or confusing movements.
"Are there multiple spirits here?"
YES
How many spirits are present?
(the planchette pointed to the space between the ""8 and the "9")
"Are the spirits connected to the VCR?"
NO
"Are the spirits connected to the building?"
NO
"Are the spirits connected to someone here?"
YES
When trying to isolate who the spirits were connected to or what message, if any, they had for that individual, the planchette keep moving to the bottom right hand corner with half of the planchette sliding off of the machine.
This is the corner with the word "GOOD BYE." But, given the large size of the planchette (a standard Parker Brothers model) and the small surface area of the VCR, when the planchette is over "GOOD BYE" it may also be pointing to Y, Z, P, or O. All of these letters meant nothing to anyone present. Any further attempts to communicate were met with the planchette, sliding back to the "GOOD BYE" corner. So, the participates gave up, and everyone watched the rest of this wonderfully strange movie in peace.
Thus, if we ever attempt this again, we will need to get a smaller planchette. Also, we may try a more experienced team of Ouija practitioners, instead of volunteers from the audience. However, there is the question of enviornment. Since the VCR's last home was a haunted apartment building, we may have to attempt this in a haunted space to bring out the ghosts. Then again, maybe it worked originally because of a specific ghost in that specific location that liked/disliked old movies. Like the "gliding rocks" of the Devil's Racetrack, the magic might stop once you remove the object from it habitat. Then again, the man that GHOULA obtained the Haunted VCR from had, himself, obtained it from Goodwill, so who knows what its history was before him.
Although, GHOULA feels this was a noble attempt to test the Haunted VCR, unfortunately the results are inconclusive as to if the machine, itself, is haunted.
GHOULA will continue to keep everyone updated on any future/further developments in the saga of the "Haunted VCR"...
(to read about the first "Haunted VCR Movie Night"...)
(to read about "The Tale of the Haunted VCR"...)
