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A séance or seance (/ ˈ s eɪ. ɑː n s /; French:) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word séance comes from the French word for "session", from the Old French seoir, "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general and mundane: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma" (lit. ' a movie session ').
Jun 13, 2024 · Séance, (French: “sitting”), in occultism, meeting centred on a medium (q.v.), who seeks to communicate with spirits of the dead. Because strong light is said to hinder communication, a séance usually takes place in darkness or subdued light. It generally involves six or eight persons, who normally.
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At the core of the practice of holding a séance are two beliefs: first, that there exists a "spiritual world," or afterlife, and second, that it is possible to contact the spirits in this world through a medium, a form of necromancy. Séances are frequently attended by people who wish to contact a loved one that has recently died. For many, their ex...
The Fox Sisters
Attempts to communicate with the dead and visions of spirits have been a part of most cultures throughout history; shamans and witch doctors have practiced mediumship, and many religious groups have believed their leaders to be guided by spirits. Séances as they are known today, however, did not become popular until the mid-nineteenth century. On March 31, 1848, two sisters in Hydesville, New York claimed to have made contact with the spirit of a murdered peddler, and thus the SpiritualistMov...
Cora Scott Hatch
Cora Lodencia Veronica Scott (April 21, 1840 – January 3, 1923) was one of the best-known mediums of the Spiritualismmovement of the last half of the nineteenth century. Most of her work was done as a trance lecturer, although she also wrote some books whose composition was attributed to spirit guides rather than her own personality. In early 1852 after her family moved to Waterloo, Wisconsin, Cora first exhibited her ability to fall into a trance and write messages and speak in ways very unl...
Edgar Cayce
Edgar Cayce (March 18, 1877 – January 3, 1945) was an American mysticist who allegedly possessed the ability to answer questions on subjects as varied as healing, reincarnation, wars, Atlantis, and future events while in a trance. These answers came to be known as "life readings of the entity" and were usually delivered to individuals while Cayce was hypnotized. Cayce's methods involved lying down and entering into a sleep state, usually at the request of a subject who was seeking help with h...
While many of the methods used by mediums impressed those wishing to contact the deceased, many mediums were exposed as frauds. In the late 1800s, 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 we...
While séances are still practiced, they no longer enjoy they popularity they had in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Debate continues to rage about the validity of experiences had in séances. Even devout believers are quick to acknowledge that fraud has historically been a very real part of many so called "psychic" experiences, but they insist that a...
Keene, M. Lamar, and Allen Spraggett. The Psychic Mafia. Prometheus Books, 1977. ISBN 1573921610Northrop, Suzanne. Seance: Healing Messages from Beyond. New York, NY: Dell Publishing, 1995. ISBN 0440221765 ISBN 978-0440221760Polidoro, Massimo. Final Seance: The Strange Friendship Between Houdini and Conan Doyle. Prometheus Books, 2001. ISBN 978-1573928960Randi, James. An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural. St. Martin's Press, 1995. ISBN 0312151195seance or séance, coming from French, had an intermediate step: it meant exactly what the French word meant. Only by the mid-19th century did it narrow into meaning a session of attempting to speak to spirits.
A séance or seance (; in French seɑ̃s/) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word séance comes from the French word for "session", from the Old French French, Old (842-ca.1400);: seoir , "to sit".
May 6, 2023 · In this article, we’ll discuss the origins of seances and explore what happens during these meetings. The term ‘seance’ was first used in 1853 by French spiritualist Allan Kardec, who suggested that it be used as a general word to describe any type of spirit communication event.
Aug 28, 2023 · “Séance” comes from the French word meaning “session”. It traditionally represents a gathering where people try to talk to the spirits of those who passed away. The practice sometimes involves a medium’s help. People like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle found séances fascinating, making them even more popular.
