I personally don't believe it works at all, i'm never gunna do it again, cause the 1 time i did i did it with my cousins, and the old sibling spelled out the youger siblings deceased pet's name, and she started bawling... not fun. But in the lore state if you do believe in it, its supposedly channeling the "ghost" energy through you...so you pretty much supconciously moving it yourself, bring up deep thought that you may have forgoten like someone died on the news and you subconsciously remember their name and spell it. its a bunch of who-ha, but could also be a gateway to the spirit world... just rememeber to ask it to reveal itself to you =)