Health

3 Young Adults Hospitalized After Playing Ouija Board

Ruth Kamau  ·  December 21, 2015

SOMEWHERE, USA — On a chilly evening in December 2015, what started as a spooky game among friends turned into a frightening health scare that landed three young adults in the hospital.

The incident unfolded when the group, all in their early 20s, decided to try a Ouija board during a casual get-together. They were just looking for thrills, but things quickly spiraled out of control. Reports from the scene suggested that intense fear and paranoia set in as the board seemed to respond in unexpected ways, leading to panic attacks and hallucinations for at least two of them. Paramedics were called after one participant began hyperventilating and another reported chest pains, and all three were rushed to a nearby emergency room that night.

Doctors later attributed the hospitalizations to acute anxiety and possible exacerbations of underlying conditions, like stress-related disorders. Ouija boards, often dismissed as harmless fun, can trigger real psychological episodes in vulnerable people, especially during the holiday season when emotions run high. One of the victims told local media they felt an overwhelming sense of dread, something that hit harder than they expected and left them shaken for days.

It’s a reminder that even games rooted in the supernatural can have serious consequences. While not every session ends this way, it’s worth thinking twice before diving into activities that play with the mind—after all, what starts as a laugh can sometimes lead to a trip to the ER. The three were released after observation, but the episode sparked conversations about mental health awareness around such trends.