Messages from the Spirit
World www.hauntedamericatours.com
DO
YOU KNOW
HOW
TO CONDUCT
A
SÉANCE?
SOME
ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESSFUL CONTACT WITH THE
OTHER SIDE
There are several important
things to consider when embarking on this
traditional attempt to reach the “Other
Side” – simple signposts on a
road less traveled that can mean the difference
between success or failure, contact and a
waste of time.
First and foremost there must be a defined
PURPOSE. This should be established at the
start and should be clearly defined so that
all participants are absolutely certain
that they understand the reason or need
for the séance. These reasons could
vary – contact with a dead relative,
contact with the spirit world for purposes
of divination, guidance or comfort –
but they should be defined and, most importantly,
adhered to throughout the process.
The Seance - A short film
by Arun Vaidyanathan
When we open the door to
the other side, it can reveal a great many
things.
This short played in various festivals including
Sundance Channel/SciFi Channel's Exposure
contest (Weekly Nominee), Triggerstreet,
Hayden films, Chicago Horror Film Festival,
Terror Film Festival Philadelphia, IAAC
Newyork,UK Horror Film festival, NJ State
Film Festival. To know more about this film,
visit
http://www.theseancemovie.com
and to know more about Arun, visit http://www.arunhere.com
Equally important is the talent and skill
of the conducting MEDIUM. This should be
a person whose abilities have been proven
in prior séances; this can usually
be determined by word of mouth recommendations:
remember, cost does not always determine
quality in this process and some very skilled
mediums offer their services for nothing,
or next to nothing. Other important qualities
to look for are evidence of compassion and
sincerity on the part of the conducting
medium as these are important to the contact
process. In the event that such a qualified
medium is not available, a person who displays
the highest level of empathy, sensitivity
and seriousness can sit in as a reasonable
substitute. This must be someone that all
agree upon and who has demonstrated at least
circumspectly the ability to make contact
with the Other Side.
The quality of the SITTERS is also extremely
important and those people who are given
to making light of spiritual matters or
who may be there for the sake of their own
entertainment should be tactfully asked
not to participate if a serious attempt
at contact is desired. Again, this hinges
on the importance of PURPOSE and the clear
understanding of this goal in the minds
of every participant. Sitters can also be
chosen with regard to relevance: for example,
if one is attempting to contact someone’s
dead relative, it is helpful to have family
members who are supportive and understanding,
and, of course, whom the dead person was
positively connected to in life. Participants
who might negatively impact a séance
should be gleaned out by thorough questioning
from the conducting medium or primary sitter.
Skeptics and non-believers can dramatically
affect the outcome: sometimes producing
no results at all; sometimes annoying and
even angering the Spirit Guides in their
attempts to assist with contacting those
who have passed on. Similarly, a person
who is fearful or nervous, either of the
process or of the supernatural in general,
should not be included in any serious séance.
The TIME the séance is held can
be important, and this applies to calendar
dates as well as actual timing. For example,
if the attempt is to contact a particular
individual who has passed on, it is advisable
to stage the séance on or as near
as possible to a date of significance to
that individual, either a birth date or
the anniversary of the person’s death
or some other important anniversary such
as a wedding day or favorite child’s
birthday. There is some veracity to schools
of thought that support the spirit’s
identification with these significant events
even after death (note how many reports
there are of spirits occurring in photographs
of family events or appearing in times of
significance to the family) and it can be
helpful to be aware of these facts and apply
them to your efforts. It is wise to keep
in mind however, that serious attempts to
contact family members or other persons
who have been long dead are not as successful
even with the attention to date and time
details. This has more to do with the fact
that the person has been dead for an extended
amount of time rather than any other factor.
Note: Attempts to contact persons or personages
who have been long dead more readily fall
under the practices of necromancy, a whole
other realm of contact that should not be
attempted lightly by anyone and never without
the stern hand and steady influence of a
serious Adept.
As for TIME of day, night seems always
to be the preferable time, and this is not
pure Hollywood hogwash. In the night time
hours there is less interference from outside
influences, when in the day everything from
planes overhead to traffic going by can
cause serious interruptions in the concentrated
thought process necessary to séance
success. And timing a séance around
the midnight hour is not necessarily Hollywood
hogwash: the hour between 11:30 p.m. and
12:30 a.m. have special significance, but
extra care must be taken at this time, especially
in the half hour prior to Midnight.
LOCATION can also play an important role
in the success or failure of a séance.
If a serious consulting medium is used,
he or she sometimes has set aside a certain
area in the home which is used regularly
for conducting séances. If the medium
is coming to you, then it is acceptable
to hold it in a neutral location (in this
case even exteriors will do), or in a location
significant to the person(s) you are trying
to contact. Séances have been held
in the homes of the deceased, at the gravesides
of the deceased, in historic locations with
significant history and energy attached:
the choices are wide open. But in general,
the location should be quiet and though
seclusion is not necessary, separation from
the normal ebb and flow of everyday life
is most conducive. Note: Please, under no
circumstances, choose locations that are
so far “off the beaten path”
that you are putting yourself or any of
your companions in danger. Some cemeteries
are really “cool” at night and
it might be where dead Uncle Harry is buried.
But if the neighborhood around the cemetery
is dangerous, then Uncle Harry won’t
mind a bit coming to your house for a visit!
Always choose with caution and discretion.
The use of DIVINATION AIDS,
such as tarot cards, crystal balls, pendulums,
etc., should be left up to the discretion
of the conducting medium, where appropriate.
In the event that a qualified medium is not
present, the primary sitter can use such aids
at his or her discretion, however, absent
these devices, a successful séance
can be conducted merely by channeling the
latent energy of those present in the room.
Note: Ouija boards are not reliable in the
séance format for several reasons;
most notably that it is more difficult to
control the flow of spirit energy through
the board. For example, Uncle Harry may happily
come through, but who (or what) else may come
through in such a heightened spiritual atmosphere
is an unknown variable. There are very real
reasons that most reputable occultists warn
against the use of the Ouija board: it is
truly the scratch off lottery ticket of the
spirit world, and as such should be wholeheartedly
avoided.
THE SÉANCE
RITUAL
What the typical séance ritual usually
shares with the Hollywood counterpart is
the placement of the sitters and the concerted
effort to focus rapt attention on the purpose
at hand. Beyond that the similarities end.
As with any ritual gathering, when everyone
first comes together there is a “cool
down” period, a bit of unwinding while
everyone shakes off the troubles and thoughts
of the day and prepares individually to
meet the task at hand.
Refreshed, with clear minds
and a concentrated purpose, the sitters should
sit in a circle – around a table, on
the floor – and are usually placed at
the discretion of the conducting medium (for
example, the person who is most anxious for
contact may be seated at the right hand of
the medium for maximum energy).
Silence can be inhibiting at this point,
so it might be helpful to play some calming
or meditative music faintly in the background.
Remember, the attempt is to enhance, not
overwhelm. Barring this, a “white
noise” machine, or nature’s
sound type CD is also effective.
A tape recording should be made to refer
to later. If this is being done, now is
the time to begin recording.
The consulting medium or primary sitter
will ask all sitters to breathe deeply,
closing their eyes and relaxing to obtain
a near-meditative state. Then, hands are
joined and the PURPOSE of the séance
is stated for all to hear and fix on: this
must be kept uppermost in everyone’s
minds.
During the séance-proper,
depending upon the strength and skill of the
medium, numerous minor spirits may make unscheduled
appearances. This is due to the fact that
a significant amount of energy is being directed
at the spirit realm from the gathering of
the sitters, and spirits are attracted to
this. Most spirits are helpful, some are known
and some are nameless, but most are there
to facilitate the process once they become
aware that an attempt to communicate has commenced.
Often, the conducting medium will identify
his or her personal Spirit Guides and at this
point the séance becomes a sort of
engine, guided by the medium and the Guides,
and fueled by the combined energy of all present.
Often, during this process, negative entities
or spirits will come through. It is in these
instances that a trained medium is most
valuable, but in the event that one is not
present, it is important for the primary
sitter to remain calm and to project an
air of authority. Remind all present not
to be fearful, and to stay focused upon
the PURPOSE. The will of all present should
be employed to diffuse the situation and,
if necessary, to command the encroaching
spirit to leave the circle. Really bothersome
encounters can be effectively neutralized
by momentarily putting aside the fixed purpose
and asking all to calmly visualize the entire
circle encompassed by a radiant white light
or protection. Soon, the entity and the
negative energy will recede. Under no circumstances
should anyone release hands, although this
is the first thing that most people want
to do. Remember, the negative entity is
still present in the room, despite the fact
that you have “disconnected”
the circuit that made you aware of it in
the first place. There have been reports
of such entities persisting beyond the séance
setting, and appearing as negative manifestations
in familiar environments. This is not something
you necessarily want to take home as a souvenir.
But returning to the PURPOSE, and assuming
that only helpful spirits have responded
to your call, do not expect the traditional
“disembodied voice” or “knocking”
– although sometimes the latter does
frequently occur. Rather, the spirit will
communicate through the conducting medium
or through other intuitive or “sensitive”
individuals that may be present. The extent
of the communication process may vary, but
generally this is brief, not lasting more
than a half hour at the most, sometimes
only minutes. All sitters should be encouraged
frequently by the medium or primary sitter
to share any thoughts or messages they feel
they may be getting. Everyone should be
advised to dismiss any fanciful or silly
messages or images, as this is not conducive
to the process.
If no contact is made on the first or even
the second attempt at a séance, do
not be discouraged, but keep trying. Also,
make certain that the sitters are appropriate
to the task: weed out those who may be having
a negative effect overall through no fault
of their own, or opt for a one on one attempt
with the medium at another time.
After approximately 30 minutes, the sitters
should be gently encouraged to return their
focus to the circle and to each other. There
should be several minutes of sustained silence,
similar to coming out of a deep meditative
state, and then all present should gently
release the energy by releasing their hold
on each others’ hands.
At this time, a friendly poll
can be conducted to compare the impressions
of the sitters as well as to receive guidance
from the conducting medium, as appropriate.
Each sitter should be given pen and pencil
to record their thoughts and impressions as
these may seem insignificant immediately,
but upon further study may reveal important
messages from the Other Side.
Above all, be patient. Sometimes it takes
several attempts at the séance process
to produce successful results. Don’t
be discouraged if your first attempts fail;
keep trying!
Spiritualism became extremely popular in
the early 19th Century. Many people suddenly
wanted to communicate with the spirit world,
and those with the special gift of being
able to see or speak to the dead sprang
up everywhere. Some even managed to photograph
the spirits. Despite this, the ordinary
person still wanted something simple that
they could try, that didn't require any
"special gifts". In 1890, Elijah
Bond and Charles Kennard provided the answer
when patented the first Ouija board.
The name Ouija first appeared in 1901 when
an employee of Kennard, William Fuld started
production of his own boards. The meaning
of the word Ouija is unclear, but it is
most likely that it is from the ancient
Moroccan city of Oujda, who's Fakirs were
renown in Victorian times times for the
psychic abilities.
The history of séance communication
may be traced back to the third century.
It was during the 1800's that the séance
became popular mainly due to the stardom
of the Fox sisters.
SOME FAMOUS SEANCES
The Famous Houdini Séance
The Koons’ Séance that made
Athens, Ohio Famous
Mickey of Miami Contacts Ancient Atlanteans
in Famous Séance
These Haunted Séance stories have
been submitted by our readers, for you to
investigate. Many of these haunted ghost
stories can be found in greater depth elsewhere
on the web.
If you have some information
on Haunted Séance that you think should
be on our list please let us know.
All
Séance Ghost Stories of Haunted tales
and their reported Haunting's or from reader
submissions and may or may no t be accurate
accounts some have been edited by www.hauntedamericatours.com.
if by any chance Haunted Séance story
has been copied from your Haunted book, manuscript,
blog, journal, or Haunted Séance web
site please inform us and we will give you
full due credit.
