Planchette

Planchette, a thin heart-shaped piece of wood mounted on three props, two of which are furnished with castors, and one is a pencil which may be made to trace characters on a sheet of paper by resting the fingers upon the instrument, and thus almost insensibly steering it in any direction required. Its use is as a supposed medium for spiritualistic communications; and it is obvious with what ease an instrument so sensitive to movement may be manipulated so as to startle the credulous into belief. See, however, the Proceedings of the Psychical Society (1888, &c.).