Table Tipping

Table tipping sounds a bit unusual................

Spiritualism began with what used to be called “typtology.” This is a method of spirit communication, in which spirits lift and tilt a table during a séance to produce rapping sounds. A number of people would sit around a table, hold hands, concentrate, and ask questions of the spirits. The spirits would then answer their questions through a series of raps. In order to question the spirits, sometimes a simple yes or no would be indicated by a prescribed number of knocks. In another method, letters of the alphabet were recited and when the letter that the spirit wanted to draw attention to was called, a rap could be heard.

As well as rapping, sometimes the table itself can be observed to move or vibrate. Table tipping seems to work best in near darkness. A group of people sit around a table and place their hands flat on its surface. They then will the table to move. In response, it rises, tilts, or rotates.
It is very easy to produce this effect by drawing back or pushing forward horizontally, which will cause the table to tilt up on two legs. There are numerous ways in which a table can be made to move and give the impression that it’s done through spirit intervention. Table tipping is often used in conjunction with a séance or ouija board. Because it’s so easy to fake the results, few people use this technique today, although it has been used on Most Haunted.