You can play all the Parcheesi you want without having to worry about demonic possession, and if you throw Monopoly into a fire, it won't scream the way Ouija supposedly does.
-- Narrator/Schneck (chapter 1 paragraph 1)

Importance: This quote begins to introduce the sometimes-tiny division between spiritual matters and entertainment, as well as that rumors (i.e. the Ouija board screaming if it's thrown into a fire) and urban legends occupy a unique place in the public's imagination. So many of these rumors come from a trusted friend, and are spread informally. While they are unsubstantiated, they are often inferred to have an element of truth.

The resulting material may be so alien to the participants' notion of themselves, however, that an external source seems to be responsible.
-- Narrator/Schneck (chapter 1 paragraph 1)

Importance: This discussion of self-generated messages or 'automatism' introduces the motif that many of the demons and monsters we create often come from ourselves, even if we are unable...