Zozo: How A 19th Century Demon Became Synonymous With Ouija Boards
This article is more than six years old and was last updated in May 2024.
Zozo is said to be an ancient demon who makes himself known to those who dabble with contacting spirits, especially via a Ouija board. Reports of him coming forward in séances over recent years have been on the increase, with 2018 being a busy year for the evil entity.
Those who believe in Zozo say he is a powerful demonic being. He was first reported in 1816, following the possession of a young French girl. The story features in French in 'Dictionnaire Infernal' an 1818 book by Jacques Collin de Plancy.
Translated to English, the single-sentence reference reads: "Zozo, demon who, accompanied by Mimi and Crapoulet, possessed in 1816 a young girl from the village of Teilly in Picardy."
Photo: © Dictionnaire Infernal (Collin de Plancy)
Although this cruel, sadistic demon comes forward frequently in séances for just about anyone, he is said to be especially attracted to females and people suffering from depression and other psychological disorders.
People all around the world have reported making contact with Zozo in many different ways, including through electronic voice phenomena experiments and automatic writing sessions, but he most frequently makes his presence known to those who are brave enough to use a spirit board. This has earned him the nickname, "the Ouija Board Demon".
Zozo is a parasitic demon of the worst kind, who uses psychological trickery and manipulation to those who are unfortunate enough to contact him through a Ouija board. He'll start off with a friendly demeanour and often hides his true identity by using different names and by mimicking the voices of dead loved ones in order to lull his victims into a false sense of security.
Once Zozo tricks you into talking to him, it's said that it can be hard to escape him and before long the encounter could become very dark, negative and terrifying. His power is in preying on people's fears and insecurities, eating away at them with physical poltergeist-like phenomenon and psychological abuse, eventually driving them mad or in extreme cases, to suicide.
Although Zozo employs trickery to worm his way in, there are signs to look out for, which indicate that you could be talking to a demon, perhaps even Zozo. Clues when using a Ouija board include the erratic movement of the planchette. The planchette is the wooden pointer or glass that the spirits slide around the board in order to communicate.
You may also experience a general feeling of unease, this can present itself in many different ways. You may feel like you are being watched or pick up on a negative vibe or atmosphere. You may feel emotionally drained or upset.
Demonic forces are also said to show their presence as dark shadowy figures, these aren't paranormal manifestations as such, they're more a feeling that someone is in the room with you or often a shadowy mass or figure seen through your peripheral vision, in a fleeting glance or out of the corner of your eye. The figures, which are said to be able to pass through walls, are sometimes described as hooded figures in black.
It's also said that if you ask a spirit how old it is, and the planchette answers by moving to zero, then it's not a human spirit you are talking to, it's a demon.
All of these signs could indicate that a demon is present, but one way to know for certain that you're in the presence of Zozo is if he announces his arrival. He often does this by moving the planchette in a continuous figure eight, inverted Zs, or by repetitively spelling out his name by moving through the alphabet, from Z to O and back again, over and over.
If you do encounter Zozo and don't want to talk to him, don't panic. Just stay calm, be polite in order to avoid provoking or angering the demon and don't speak his name. Using a demon's name gives it power. There is also no harm in telling the demon that it must not remain in this realm. You can do this by ending the session as normal by sliding the planchette across the board to the word "goodbye", and simply call out to the demon and say something like, "thank you for making yourself known to us this evening, we are leaving now, you must now return to where you came from."
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How To Summon Zozo
On the other hand, you might be looking for Zozo, you might specifically want to make contact with him. The best way to do this is to call for him, as names hold power. Under normal circumstances you should never say a demon's name aloud, they are always watching and waiting and may take this as an invitation.
But, if you want to reach out to Zozo, simply focus on him and repeat his name over and over. When you feel the time is right, you should recite the demon prayer to summon him.
"Lord Satan, by your grace, grant me, I pray thee the power to conceive in my mind and to execute that which I desire to do, the end which I would attain by thy help, O Mighty Satan, the one True God who livest and reignest forever and ever. I entreat thee to inspire Zozo to manifest before me that he may give me a true and faithful answer, so that I may accomplish my desired end, provided that it is proper to his office. This I respectfully and humbly ask in Your Name, Lord Satan, may you deem me worthy, Father."
The demon prayer
Protecting Yourself From Zozo
Photo: pixabay.com
If you are keen to use a Ouija board but don't want to run into a demon like Zozo, there are a few ways you can protect yourself. First of all, you should never take part in a spirit board session when you are feeling tired or are in a bad mood.
It is often advised to use burning sage to drive away demons and evil spirits when partaking in a séance. Sage can be bought in a pre-wrapped bundle of known as smudge sticks. You simply need to burn it before and after a séance or occult ritual.
Some paranormal investigators and mediums carry a form of spiritual protection with them, such as Evil Eye jewellery, a religious symbol, or something else which makes them feel safe and secure. It doesn't really matter what the object is, if you feel strongly about it then the belief is that it is charged with your positive energy.
Does Zozo Really Exist?
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence of the existence of Zozo, and around the world people take the demon very seriously, some going as far as to describe themselves as Zozologists.
There has been an explosion in reports of people making contact with Zozo in the last ten years, but the demon was first written about by the famous demonologist, Jacques Collin de Plancy , in his 1818 book the 'Infernal Dictionary'. This dictionary was a directory of demons, catalogued by name and title of nobility, it also featured many illustrations of demons that made the book famous.
Photo: © Maurice Courant
According to the book, a young girl in France claimed to have been possessed by three demons in 1816, they were Mimi, Crapoulet and, of course, Zozo. The girl is said to have walked the streets on all fours, sometimes forward, sometimes backwards. Sometimes she walked on her hands, feet in the air. She was eventually exorcised.
There has also been a more recent documented report of Zozo making his presence known through possession. In 1951, he is said to have possessed a boy named Roland Doe through a Ouija board. Ronald later went through a violent exorcism in order to free him from the demon.
So, it seems the demon definitely has a history that goes back much further than the recent spate of reports, and pre-dates the movie, 'I Am Zozo', which was released in 2012. The film follows a group of friends who are terrorised by the demon after using a Ouija board at Halloween.
And as we've learnt, Zozo even gets a mention in one of the oldest known books on demonology... but there is another explanation for all of his recent appearances. Zozo could be a tulpa.
A tulpa is a supernatural being which is created through spiritual or mental powers. With so many inexperienced people entering into Ouija board sessions harbouring fear and negative thoughts relating to Zozo or simply Ouija itself, these energies have manifested and made something real.
Zozo may have been born out of the subconscious fear and negativity of those trying to contact spirits.
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