Is 'Ouija' based on a true story?

It's the beginning of October, which means that the amount of scary movies crawling into theaters will be abundant. Horror movies can be pretty polarizing, though. Some people cannot wait for the latest one and others cannot even imagine suffering through a film designed to terrify you. Many calm themselves down by saying "it's just a movie, don't be scared," but what about when it's not? Plenty of these movies are based on real life occurrences and that element of realness makes the films especially scary. The movie Ouija hits theaters Oct. 24 and its impending release has people asking plenty of questions about its authenticity. With so many ghost tales circulating over the years, people want to know if Ouija is based on a true story.

According to the official promotions for the movie, the answer to that question is no. Technically speaking, the film is based on the Hasbro board game with the same title. The story line centers around teens who try to contact their dead friend, but actually end up getting in touch with an evil spirit. But hey, even if the movie is not based on a specific encounter, it does not necessarily mean that they have not happened. There have been a plethora of headlines about ouija board encounters over the years. Like ...

"I'm Possessed"

Three friends in Mexico City showed signs of being possessed when they started playing with the Ouija board in June 2014. They started "growling and thrashing around" and claimed that they could not see or hear. The group also reported hallucinations. Hospital doctors gave them pain killers, anti-stress medicine, and eye drops, but no one commented on whether or not the trio was actually possessed.

"The Ouija Board Made Me Do It"

In February 2012, a teenager in Texas was stabbed in the stomach by a friend who claimed "the Ouija board made me do it." As expected, a case was built around an insanity plea. But it makes you wonder why a teenager would just randomly stab one of his good friends.

"Die"

Angela Jackson and her neighbors were using a Ouija board. When they asked who the spirits wanted to talk to, the board supposedly spelled out her name and when the group asked who they were speaking with, the board allegedly spelled out "Satan." Then the board spelled out the words "Die b*tch." Then one day a few months later, when she was leaving her home, she heard a voice behind her that bellowed, "Die b*tch." A man emerged with a hammer and attacked Angela and she became drenched in blood. She told the police everything she remembered about the attack, but they could not find the perpetrator. Could it have actually been a spirit?

Whether you believe in the authenticity of the game or not, there have been a few news stories that revolve around using Ouija boards. If you're curious about the phenomena, but you are too afraid to tempt fate yourself, check out the movie Ouija when it hits theaters.

Images: Universal; OuijaTheMovie/Twitter (4)