INTRO
For this Frightday we venture into the dark and disturbing world of, what are called by some, demnons. This is a story that I heard about only recently. A reader of one of my articles on another site got in touch asking for a little help researching a particular series of events that all seemed to be linked. It seems as though more and more independent ouija board sessions were becoming associated with an entity calling itself Zozo. This was the first I knew about it all but, looking into it more, it seems an interesting enough story to share here. In fact, it’s a pretty creepy case in places.
ZOZO
Despite my ignorance of the Zozo phenomenon, it turns out that a lot of people know about it already and reports of contacts with are growing in frequency. These reports often correlate in certain ways, and many of them contain rather alarming phenomena, with:
Here’s one supposed example of a ouija board session that contacted the demon in question:
Some people have even reported that quite rare thing in the paranormal world: being followed home by the alleged weirdness, with phenomena continuing after the ouija board session has ended. This has included hearing ‘conversations’—voices that seem to originate within walls.
The first recorded mention of Zozo seems to be in the 1818 book Dictionairre Infernal by the verbosely-named Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy. Here it is:
[Continued:]
The English translation runs something like this:
The passage above was echoed in a similar text written by historian Jules Garinet who wrote that the Dictionairre Infernal “comes recommended by the purity of the views and the extensive researches of the writer.” Not everyone was as supportive of Collin de Plancy’s work though, and I’ve found at least one quote that illustrates this: Sir John Murray—“[the book contains] a great deal of spurious lore which is sadly calculated to deceived the student of the occult sciences.” Jury’s out in regards to the veracity of this source, then.
So what is Zozo, anyway?
Well, it has revealed itself to be many things. Demons are often described as liars, so who knows what the truth it, but it has called itself an animal entity, a dog with three heads, Lucifer’s daughter, an immortal spirit, and even Lucifer himself. The notorious Aleister Crowley claimed that Zozo was actually a term meaning ‘666’.
Perhaps it is nothing: merely a kind of viral phenomenon in which readers of such stories about Zozo unconsciously create their own encounters when they use the boards? I’ve written a short ebook about the ideomotor theory**, so I’m rather sceptical when it comes to the supernatural powers that some say ouija boards tap into. Certainly, the latent power of the human mind cannot ever be discounted when it comes to entering into rational investigations of such matters, and I think it is telling that ouija boards are still sold and marketed to children, even in the US—a country where Kinder Eggs are banned. However, subjective evidence abounds.
There is a recent episode of the US show Ghost Adventures that looks into a house affected by the demon after a ouija board session went wrong. I feel it makes for interesting watching no matter which side of the fence you sit on, so I’ve linked it below.
Whatever it is, whether it is a strange entity, a hoax, or some kind of viral hysteria—it is out there. In fact, people have been reporting the existence of this thing around the world for decades—some say it’s been even longer: “Throughout history there have been many cultures plagued by versions of the demon.” So it seems to keep coming back, never quite dying off, and some experts on the subject continue to receive many reports from people who come into contact with it and seem to be seeking help. Have you had an experience with demnons? Let us know!
*Many thanks to the OcUKers Dis86, Freefaller and Olivier Renault for their aid in translating the original passage into English.
**Read more about the ideomotor theory here.
Sources
Fancy more creepy reads?
For this Frightday we venture into the dark and disturbing world of, what are called by some, demnons. This is a story that I heard about only recently. A reader of one of my articles on another site got in touch asking for a little help researching a particular series of events that all seemed to be linked. It seems as though more and more independent ouija board sessions were becoming associated with an entity calling itself Zozo. This was the first I knew about it all but, looking into it more, it seems an interesting enough story to share here. In fact, it’s a pretty creepy case in places.
ZOZO
Despite my ignorance of the Zozo phenomenon, it turns out that a lot of people know about it already and reports of contacts with are growing in frequency. These reports often correlate in certain ways, and many of them contain rather alarming phenomena, with:
- the board’s pointer or glass moving in a figure-of-eight pattern
- the letter Z found scratched into things nearby
- violent urges overcoming some board users
- communication in what seems to be Latin or Hebrew
- people feeling strangled and attacked in other ways
- spiders “coming from nowhere”
- assaults of a sexual nature
- even people being picked up and losing their sight
Here’s one supposed example of a ouija board session that contacted the demon in question:
Some people have even reported that quite rare thing in the paranormal world: being followed home by the alleged weirdness, with phenomena continuing after the ouija board session has ended. This has included hearing ‘conversations’—voices that seem to originate within walls.
The first recorded mention of Zozo seems to be in the 1818 book Dictionairre Infernal by the verbosely-named Jacques Auguste Simon Collin de Plancy. Here it is:
[Continued:]
The English translation runs something like this:
The passage above was echoed in a similar text written by historian Jules Garinet who wrote that the Dictionairre Infernal “comes recommended by the purity of the views and the extensive researches of the writer.” Not everyone was as supportive of Collin de Plancy’s work though, and I’ve found at least one quote that illustrates this: Sir John Murray—“[the book contains] a great deal of spurious lore which is sadly calculated to deceived the student of the occult sciences.” Jury’s out in regards to the veracity of this source, then.
So what is Zozo, anyway?
Well, it has revealed itself to be many things. Demons are often described as liars, so who knows what the truth it, but it has called itself an animal entity, a dog with three heads, Lucifer’s daughter, an immortal spirit, and even Lucifer himself. The notorious Aleister Crowley claimed that Zozo was actually a term meaning ‘666’.
Perhaps it is nothing: merely a kind of viral phenomenon in which readers of such stories about Zozo unconsciously create their own encounters when they use the boards? I’ve written a short ebook about the ideomotor theory**, so I’m rather sceptical when it comes to the supernatural powers that some say ouija boards tap into. Certainly, the latent power of the human mind cannot ever be discounted when it comes to entering into rational investigations of such matters, and I think it is telling that ouija boards are still sold and marketed to children, even in the US—a country where Kinder Eggs are banned. However, subjective evidence abounds.
There is a recent episode of the US show Ghost Adventures that looks into a house affected by the demon after a ouija board session went wrong. I feel it makes for interesting watching no matter which side of the fence you sit on, so I’ve linked it below.
Whatever it is, whether it is a strange entity, a hoax, or some kind of viral hysteria—it is out there. In fact, people have been reporting the existence of this thing around the world for decades—some say it’s been even longer: “Throughout history there have been many cultures plagued by versions of the demon.” So it seems to keep coming back, never quite dying off, and some experts on the subject continue to receive many reports from people who come into contact with it and seem to be seeking help. Have you had an experience with demnons? Let us know!
*Many thanks to the OcUKers Dis86, Freefaller and Olivier Renault for their aid in translating the original passage into English.
**Read more about the ideomotor theory here.
Sources
Fancy more creepy reads?
Frightday 1: The Cooper Falling Body Photograph
Frightday 2: What’s your Ghost Name?
Frightday 3: The Mystery of the Chase Coffins
Frightday 4: Robert the Haunted Doll
Frightday 5: The SS Watertown’s Floating Faces
Frightday 6: The Gruesome Mystery of Elisa Lam
Frightday 7: The Burpham Replay
Frightday 8: The Horror of the Killer Hands!
Frightday 9: A Massive Load of Creepiness
Frightday 10: The Last Photo of Charlie Noonan
Frightday 2: What’s your Ghost Name?
Frightday 3: The Mystery of the Chase Coffins
Frightday 4: Robert the Haunted Doll
Frightday 5: The SS Watertown’s Floating Faces
Frightday 6: The Gruesome Mystery of Elisa Lam
Frightday 7: The Burpham Replay
Frightday 8: The Horror of the Killer Hands!
Frightday 9: A Massive Load of Creepiness
Frightday 10: The Last Photo of Charlie Noonan
) but I will definitely watch the ep. Thanks for making my Friday go quicker 
)