Séance

A séance is, on its most basic level, an attempt to communicate with the dead. The word séance comes from the French word for 'seat' or 'session'. In the mid-nineteenth century, the word came to be used in English to refer to a meeting of people trying to receive spiritualistic messages. A séance is usually led by a person known as a medium, who will often attempt to go into a trance to theoretically allow the dead to communicate through him or her.

The Fox Sisters

While attempts to communicate with the dead and visions of spirits have been a part of most cultures throughout history, séances as they are known today did not become popular until the mid-nineteenth century. On March 31, 1848, two sisters in Hydesville, NY claimed to have made contact with the spirit of a murdered peddler, and thus the Spiritualist Movement was born. The two girls, Maggie (aged 15) and Kate (aged 11) Fox, were raised devout Methodists and lived with their parents in a small home; older siblings had since left home to start families of their own. As the story goes, the Fox family suffered through a week or so of unusual bangs, raps, and unusual noises during the night. Intent on finding the source of the noises, the youngest daughter, Kate, began to ask a series of questions, requesting a specific number of raps as an answer. From these "conversations", it was determined that the cause of the noises was the spirit of a murdered peddler. Neighbors were brought in to observe the phenomenon, and the girls soon became locally famous. The Fox family was plagued with visitors who were anxious to see the girls contact the spirit world, and the family was asked to leave the congregation of their church.

As news of their experience spread, many flocked to the Fox house to observe the girls' interactions with the spirit world. Their older sister, Leah, took on the position of manager for the two girls, and they begain to conduct numerous séances. As their fame and popularity grew, so did skepticism. The girls were accused of all manner of trickery, including the concealment of lead balls beneath their garments to make the noises. Committees were formed to test the pair, but no evidence of fraud was forthcoming. The girls continued to hold séances, including a séance held for the famous author James Fenimore Cooper, who was thouroughly convinced of the girls' authenticity. The Spiritualist Movement spread, and new mediums appeared throughout the country. By 1852, spiritualist groups were formed in many major American cities, as well as England and Europe. As more mediums fascinated audiences with effects like levitations, the "Rochester Rappers, as the Fox sisters were known, were often pushed out of the spotlight.

In 1888, Maggie Fox publically declared that the sisters' rapping and spirit conversations had all been a fraud. She described how the sisters had created spirit noises through the use of apples on a string and joint cracking, among other ways. Apparently the fraud had begun as an innocent practical joke, which soon escalated and took on a life of its own. The deeper into deception the girls found themselves, the less willing they were to admit that the entire thing was a hoax. A year later, Maggie recanted her statement, and died four years later. The year before Maggie's death, Kate had also died of end-stage alcoholism. Both sisters had been alcoholics since the mid 1850's, and both died penniless. While most consider the Fox sisters' confession of fraud to be true, others insist that the confession was coerced.

How Séances are Conducted

Most séances are conducted in dimly lit rooms with three or more people seated around a table. The séance is led by a medium, who attempts to lead the group in communication with the spirit world. Mediums may go into a trance-like state in an attempt to allow a spirit to take control of their body and speak through them; a process known as channelling. The concept of 'channelling' is different from that of 'possession', which is considered to be the complete, non-consensual takeover of a living being by a spirit or demon, and is usually detrimental to the 'victim'. The most commonly-reported physical manifestations of channelling are an unusual vocal pattern or uncharacteristic physical behaviours by the medium; both of which skeptics point out are easily faked. In addition to channelling, a medium may ask spirits to answer questions with a sign: for example, the well known "rap once for yes, twice for no." Invocations of positive energy may be made at the beginning of a séance; unbelievers and skeptics are often discouraged from participating because of the negative effect their energy has on the success of a session.

During the nineteenth century, séances were extremely popular. Participants might observe a cold breeze on their faces, the tilting of a table, the materialization of items from thin air, or musical instruments playing mysteriously. Hands or figures would appear to float, and participants might feel the touch of a cold hand. Some mediums would use automatic writing, the use of planchettes (similar to the Ouija board) to spell out messages, spirit slates, or impressing psychic images onto photographic plates that had been kept in sealed enclosures.

Séances as Fraud

While many of the methods used by mediums impressed those wishing to contact the deceased, many mediums were exposed as frauds. In the late 1800's, a mail order catalog was published that provided customers with specially rigged séance apparatus. Fake hands, rigged 'spirit slates', and instructions on creating tilting tables and mysterious sounds were all available to the aspiring medium. A darkened room heightened the effect of these theatrical tricks and slight of hand. With so many fraudulent mediums exposed, others attempted to prove to the skeptics that they were genuine. Many allowed themselves to be bound with ropes and locked in a sealed "spirit cabinet" in order to prove that they were not creating the paranormal activity. Magicians replicated the feats performed by mediums, proving that such feats were just more elaborate forms of trickery.

Harry Houdini, the famous magician and escape artist, was well known for his crusade against fraudulent séances. Early in his career, Houdini and his wife would host séances themselves, but after Houdini's mother passed away, he began a search for an authentic medium with which to contact her. Unsuccessful in his quest, he became convinced that mediums were preying upon the bereaved, and began a crusade to expose them as frauds.

One of the most famous controversies Houdini became involved in was with a medium named Mina Crandon, known as "Margery". Mina purported to be able to contact the spirit world through the aid of her deceased brother Walter. She soon became famous for her abilities, and often held bizarre séances in the nude. In the early 1920's, 'Scientific American' magazine offered a prize of $2,500 to any medium who could show genuine psychic ability. Judges included respected writers, researchers, and scholars, as well as the famous Harry Houdini. Through the course of the investigation, rumors circulated that Houdini was planting evidence of fraud. Though several investigators believed that some genuine phenomena exsisted, Houdini vehemently insisted Margery was a fraud, and she never received the prize money.

By 1853, when the popular song Spirit Rappings was published, Spiritualism was the object of intense curiosity.

Others have also attempted to debunk spiritualism and séances. In 1976, meduim M. Lamar Keene exposed the tricks he had used to convince people of his spiritualist abilites in his book, "The Psychic Mafia" (ISBN 1-57392-161-0). Skeptics generally consider séances to be scams, or at least a form of pious fraud.

Modern Séances

While séances are still practiced, they no longer enjoy they popularity they had in the late 1800's or early 1900's. Debate continues to rage about the validity of experiences had in séances. Even devout believers are quick to acknowledge that fraud is a real part of many so called "psychic" experiences, but also insist that among the many cases of fraud and trickery, there also exist true mediums able to contact the dead. Thus far, no case has been proven conclusively to be authentic, and dedicated believers remain convinced of the truth in their experiences, while determined skeptics continue to attempt to prove fraud.

Further Reading

• M. Lamar Keene (as told to Allen Spraggett), The Psychic Mafia, Prometheus Books, 1997, ISBN 1573921610 (Originally published in 1976 by St. Martin's Press and published by Dell (publisher) in 1977).

• James Randi (1995), An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural. St. Martin's Press ISBN 0312151195 (Online Version).

External Links

A Séance Procedure

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