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More than 20 schoolgirls were recently reported to be hospitalized after playing with Ouija boards at their school in Columbia. The girls were taken to the hospital after having anxiety attacks. Hugo Torres, head of the Galeras Educational Institution, said:
“There were 28 possible cases of anxiety in school students."
There hasn't been any update on the diagnoses of the students. However, many parents are blaming the Galeras Educational Institution for the in-school use of Ouija boards, a Jumanji-esque board game that uses a moveable pointer to spell out messages in a paranormal way.
Upon hearing about the Galeras incident, netizens were appalled at the large scale of people suddenly having anxiety attacks. One went as far as to say:
"They never watched horror movies"
Netizens are shocked to hear about 28 girls having anxiety attacks after playing with Ouija boards
Created in the United States in 1886, Ouija boards have since become a staple in the occult lore. Considering that these paranormal boards have allegedly helped communicate with the dead, they instantly became popular among teenagers.
However, in the light of the recent incident where 28 schoolgirls from Galeras Educational Institution were hospitalized due to anxiety attacks, netizens shared their mixed reactions. While some people questioned the harmful effects of the paranormal game and why "someone would experiment with this [Ouija board]," others raised concerns about why the Jumanji-esque board games were even present at the school.
The Galeras school authorities and parents claim to be looking into the matter
Alarm bells went off once the girls, who were were allegedly playing with Ouija boards, were reported to be suffering signs of fainting, anxiety, and other symptoms within the school grounds. They were immediately admitted to a municipal hospital nearby accompanied by parents and school faculty.
In a statement, one mother said:
“I work here in a hospital kiosk and every day I see three or four children arrive after fainting. Parents, you have to move, investigate what’s happening at school, because our children cannot continue in this situation.”
She added:
“Our children always have a good breakfast and it cannot be said that what’s happening is due to lack of food.”
However, Hugo Torres has accused community members of creating hysteria by spreading wrongful rumors and adding their own twists to it. He said:
“Given the reported cases, a series of comments were unleashed on the community that, rather than helping to resolve the situation, led to confusion and an adverse environment for our work."
Torres further implored the community to avoid making "early judgements and diagnoses of their own" in the meantime.
“The school is waiting for the medical diagnoses to provide further reliable information."
In the meantime, the school's plans are still unclear as they are reportedly waiting for the medical diagnoses before revealing any information.
A police investigation is underway to find the cause behind this mass anxiety attack. However, authorities aren't sure if the public will be updated on the student's condition.
