How to Hold a Seance

Seances used to be all the rage, so much so that the famous magician Harry Houdini devoted himself to debunking them and the to discrediting the mediums who held them.

Today, modern day mediums like Sylvia Browne, James Van Praagh, John Edward, and Lisa Williams charge hundreds of dollars for a brief readings, pen bestselling books, and produce popular TV shows about contact with the dead.

Halloween has always been known as the time of year when the veil between life and death is the most permeable. While it's fun to scare ourselves once in awhile, attempting to contact the dead is not really something you should mess around with on a frivolous level.

If you're thinking about holding a seance this Halloween, the following tips will help to insure you have a positive experience:

Check your intent. Why do you want to have a seance? Are you in for a laugh, or are you interested in contacting a specific person? Do you have genuine questions? Or are you just horsing around? The more positive your intent, the more more positive your experience is likely to be. If you just want cheap thrills, rent a horror movie and skip the seance.

Choose the participants carefully. Don't invite anyone who seems depressed, unstable, or chronically angry. You want psyhcologically-grounded participants who have a healthy respect for spiritual matters and the world beyond the physical realm.

Light a candle and start out with a blessing. You don't have to Christian or recite a traditional Christian prayer, but you can. Some people imagine a circle of protective light surrounding the seance table. Starting with a prayer or blessings hows positive intent and provides protection.

Decide on a mode of communication. Some people ask for rapping noises: one for no, two for yes (or vice versa). Others use a Ouija board or automatic writing. Still others use their own intuitive abilities and speak messages and they hear, see, or feel them.

Be respectful. You wouldn't demand answers to personal questions from living people so don't demand answers from the dead either. Accept what is offered and don't be pushy or frivolous.

Be skeptical. Anyone who has ever used a Ouija board knows that spirits can be profound one minute and profane the next. Don't believe every little thing that gets whispered in your ear.

Thank the spirits at the end, and close your seance with another blessing. Knowing when to stop is as important as starting with the right intent.

Some people think seances are evil, and that any messages received from 'spirits' during a seance are demonic messages. If you think that, for goodness sake don't participate!

An old saying says, "Speak of the Devil and he usually appears."

If you fear demonic forces or are unduly afraid on ay level, skip the seance and make some popcorn instead.