Seance

[robokatt12]

seance-The séance, or sitting, is led by a person known as a medium who will usually go into a trance that theoretically allows the dead to communicate through him or her.
Séances were conducted in dark or semi-dark rooms with participants seated around a table. Some say this is to help the medium use tricks to fool the participants. Sometimes the table would lean and tilt, participants (sitters) might feel a cold breeze on their faces, items could materialize apparently out of thin air and musical instruments might play mysteriously. During the course of the séance, the medium would speak under the apparent control of a spirit, relaying messages from the dearly departed. Other methods of spirit communication included automatic writing, writing on sealed slates, writing with planchettes (similar to the Ouija board), impressing images onto photographic plates which had been kept in sealed enclosures, and painted images which gradually appeared upon previously blank canvas. (many thanks, wikipedia)

Hey, I know that back in the Roaring Twenties, this sort of thing was all the rage. The ectoplasm was materializing left and right. Does anyone know if this kind of thing is going on locally around Hallowe'en? I'd love to experience this sort of old-timey spookiness.

[WelchWitch]

Better yet...what was the best seance scene on the big screen? My favorite was Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost.

[robokatt12]

The closest I'll get to having a seance is go search for that old Ouija board that's down in the basement somewhere. Maybe I'll dig it out for my upcoming Hallowe'en party. *cue eerie music: "weeeeeoooooooweeeeeeoooooo!*

Can you believe that I've never seen Ghost?

[shadow]

OOOooooo ....

I See Dead People ! ! !

[robokatt12]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shadow @ Oct 5 2006, 10:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=1039)</div>
OOOooooo ....

I See Dead People ! ! ![/b]

Saaaayyyy-That reminds me of a joke. What do the movies Titanic and The Sixth Sense have in common?

(Get ready to guffaw and roll about, clutching your sides with laughter)...

ICY DEAD PEOPLE! (" I see dead people.")

We return you now to your regularly-scheduled programming.

[SChaser783]

Hahaha! http://www.octoberlounge.com/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

[Mordred the Eld]

Man that is bad, yet amusing http://www.octoberlounge.com/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

[Rob]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (robeaukatt12 @ Oct 5 2006, 11:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=1041)</div>
ICY DEAD PEOPLE! (" I see dead people.")[/b]Okay, so I don&#39;t think you meant it to be THAT funny, and this probably speaks to my poor sense of humor, but I thought this was hilarious, and I&#39;ve told it to three or four people IRL already. Too funny.

[robokatt12]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rob @ Oct 6 2006, 08:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=1076)</div>
Okay, so I don&#39;t think you meant it to be THAT funny, and this probably speaks to my poor sense of humor, but I thought this was hilarious, and I&#39;ve told it to three or four people IRL already. Too funny.[/b]


When I first thought it up, I laughed really hard...you know, as in "lunchroom-milk-through-the-nose" laughter. I am a big fan of puns, but then, I was weaned on "Famous Monsters of Filmland"...and in case you&#39;re not familiar with that publication, Forrest J. Ackerman was the absolute MASTER of bad puns.
I don&#39;t feel quite so alone now. *contented sigh*

[Skelterbet]

Icy Dead People? Hah! I LOVE IT!



Séances were the rage from the 1880s through the 1930s. I&#39;ve been reading some neat things about the whole Spiritualism movement and how people like Harry Houdini would debunk the famous mediums of the day.

The actual events that occurred during a Séance were essentially magic tricks, but the effect that they would have on people was awesome. Ectoplasm, Spirit Manifestations, etc. I would love to go to one even knowing that it is just a trick.

[Rob]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Skelterbet @ Oct 6 2006, 04:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=1109)</div>
The actual events that occurred during a Séance were essentially magic tricks, but the effect that they would have on people was awesome. Ectoplasm, Spirit Manifestations, etc. I would love to go to one even knowing that it is just a trick.[/b]

I&#39;m looking forward to seeing the one at Six Flags. Haven&#39;t seen it in a couple of years, but last time, it was fun.

[Skelterbet]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rob @ Oct 6 2006, 09:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> (index.php?act=findpost&pid=1110)</div>
I&#39;m looking forward to seeing the one at Six Flags. Haven&#39;t seen it in a couple of years, but last time, it was fun.[/b]

Do you know how they are doing it (I mean, are they having people sit around the table with the Medium and stuff)?

[cdfisk]

I shouldn&#39;t go to any seances, I&#39;ll just keep making fun of the mediem, calling him/her a small or something like that. I could posibly set up my own parody seance, and have a part where the lights shut off and the room is pitch dark for a few seconds, and when the lights come back on, I&#39;d be wearing a huge Elvis wig and claiming that elvis posesed me. Then have the lights shut off again, and the wig would be gone. I would say "Elvis has left the building." http://www.octoberlounge.com/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

[Skelterbet]

Channelling Elvis would be entertaining.

The way Séances were done back in the day had a lot of really neat effects - not just some yahoo doing a cold reading like John Edwards. The Medium was tied to a chair and then she would go into a trance. The lights would be turned off and not long after ghosts would appear, bells would ring, things would fly around the room, and so on.

Sometimes the medium would emit ectoplasm (not quite like Ghostbusters) which would then disappear at the end of the Séance.

All of these effects were done with techniques honed by magician&#39;s. Knowing that, it would still be a great show in my opinion. I&#39;d love to see one.