You guys have inspired me to do hold a seance show in the Houston area. I have a rough draft of the effects and atmosphere that I will create. I am currently looking for the right venue for this. I have just created a web site for it at http://www.houstonseance.com. I am hoping to capitalize on the success of the local haunted houses and tours during the month of October.

Last year, I performed as part of a Ghost Tour that took place in downtown Houston. Although this was not a major production, people were being turned away. My goal is to create an interactive haunted experience in the form of a seance with no overt effects. There will be no claims that what I am doing is real but I will try to convey that it is up to you to decide.

Take a look at the web site and let me know if you have any ideas, suggestions, or any other advice on the subject matter.

Thanks in Advance,

Jamie Salinas

Nice work, I wish I knew how to make a website....
just a thought, I would utilize the intro video to show seance related images, ouija board and spirits etc. maybe the odd real scream in the soundtrack. maybe have some words flash up, I don't know like, the dead can talk or the name of your seance, you know what I mean.
it looked really good though when I was in the site... maybe have a little section ' about seances ' and explain somewhat what will occur...
Good luck, I wish I could get off my ass to do one too, let us know how it turns out...

First off, the website was made fairly easy using a company called 1and1. I sure there are several companies that offer this kind of stuff but they have some online tools and templates to choose from. I actually put this together in about 1 1/2 hours. I will add some more photos like you have suggested.

I am hoping to do a dress rehearsal at the end of this month to get some video reactions for the site. People scared, screaming, interviews, etc. My goal is not to be a medium but a host to a place that has paranormal activities. I want the spectators to particiapate as much as possible.

I am hoping to have the venue soon. Thanks for your suggestions and I will keep everyone posted.

Jamie Salinas
http://www.houstonseance.com

Good Luck with your project....I always like seance effect, I wish if I could be there.

CC

Spell check is your friend, "enthusiast" is misspelled on your 'About' page.

I saw Jamie's show tonight at Magic Island and it was great. I think the seance is going to be a big success.

Thanks for the spell check suggestion. In my defense, I typed this up about 2:00am. You know how you get something in your mind and you don't stop until you have something, well there you go. I will correct the spelling and check the rest of it to. Thanks.

Jamie

Posted: Aug 11, 2007 5:16pm
Cotham, I wished you would have said hello after the show! What did you think about my Houdini Seance presentation? Of course any other input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jamie

Posted: Aug 15, 2007 10:50am
I found a place to hold the seance! It is almost exactly what I had imagined. Old building with a bar on the first floor. A creaky staircase that leads to a second floor. The building was built during the civil war era and is reportedly haunted! Lots of character and history. The building is reported to be hanted by a woman.

I can get the upstairs for exclusive use for free by bringing in patrons for the bar. The negative side is that I can only do it on Sunday through Wednesday nights. The building is not very big and half of the upstairs space is taken up with a bar so I will not have that much room.

I will be visiting the building soon with video camera in hand to try and get some "Ghost Hunter" type footage to hype the show. I will keep you posted!

BTW: here is a link to the website of the location: http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~hans320/projects/lacarafe/


Jamie Salinas

So, you're going to a place that allegedly has paranormal activity
and you're having people drink cocktails before the seance? Jamie,
do you have opinions on whether or not there is anything to the
paranormal claims of people around the world? If you think there
is anything to them, then why have tipsy people partake in a seance?

What's your opinion on seances in general - the ones way back when and
the ones currently going on now in a few places around the world?

I'm sure Mr Salinas will answer for himself but allow me to say that as it does not appear to be a drive-thru seance, a sobriety test will not be necessary.

And... mind altering substances, including alcohol, have a long association with both entertainment and paranormal experimentation.

Destiny

Eventwise, I think it's a great/fun idea.

But...

Alcohol has had an association with paranormal experimentation?
Could you explain and give examples?

I realize that many mind altering experiences can mimic paranormal
events. But I have yet to hear of any paranormal investigators
or parapsychologists dealing with mind altering substances when
researching or investigating a case or phenomena.

So, does anybody here think there is any validity to the claims
(contacting spirits) made by mediums during seances over the past
couple of centuries?

Is there a better place on the forum for that question?

I may attend this event. I'm in Houston 'til Nov.

I used the word 'experimentation' as in 'sexual experimentation' meaning normal folks trying new things - not Dr Kinsey conducting research.

So I have no authoritive texts to quote, merely an observation that I've known many people who've had a few drinks and attended a seance.

Destiny

Such substances such as Marijuana, Amanita, Peyote, "Soma," even tobacco and alcohol, have a long history of use in both magick and religion. Such use is ancient and perhaps goes back as far as the paleolithic. It is found among shamanic practitioners through modern church organizations. Personally, I am skeptical of "chemical salvation," but mind-altering substances may well play a role in having psychic experiences as well as in developing psychic "powers."

Bill

I'm aware of the use of mind altering substances in religious/shamanic practices.
But in "legit" seances? No. But Plastic clarified her post so it's a moot point.

Have either of you done any in depth reading on the evidence for survival after death related to seances over the past few hundred years? Any opinions?

There have been groups claiming to have legit phenomena in their seances. One group in particular (Scole) brought in a former member of the Magic Circle to get his opinion on whether or not the phenomena he saw could be replicated by a magician or illusionist. His opinion was that it could not.

http://www.survivalafterdeath.org/letters/fontana1.htm

In fact James Webster, a retired professional magician, an associate of the Inner Magic Circle, and a man with many years of experience in psychical research, attended three sittings, and made it abundantly clear (for example at the SPR Study Day on Scole at which he was one of our platform speakers) that in his professional judgment the phenomena at Scole could not be duplicated by trickery.

As a matter of fact, such substances have been used quite often in ceremonial magick. One needs only mention Aleister Crowley and his followers in this regard. I am quite certain that even during spiritism's Victorian heyday, a bit of brandy or sherry was often standard practice before a seance. I would suggest, too, that even the use of wine in Christian rites has its ultimate origin in earlier religious practices. If I am not mistaken, wine was imbibed during rites devoted to Bacchus.

Bill

The wine in the church does have its roots in the Bacchus tale. In mythology, Bacchus got mad at the maiden Amethyst and changed her to crystal. When he realized what he had done, he wept. Naturally being the god of wine, his tears were wine and they fell upon the now crystal Amethyst and stained her. This is why Amethyst is a purple stone. Then legend extends this to the idea that if you wear Amethyst you will be protected from drunkeness and not have hangovers. It is because of this concept that prelates in the "modern" church wear Amethyst in their ring or on a crucifix. It's to keep from getting blasted when they polish off the wine after doing a mass.

Lary/Traveler/TEB3 and Duncan the Weredog

The amethyst in the ring or crucifix is very interesting! I was not aware of that. Thanks.

Bill

My response for UFOJOE:

Question: So, you're going to a place that allegedly has paranormal activity
and you're having people drink cocktails before the seance?

Answer: My goal was to get a place that is reported to be haunted. In oder to get use of the facility at a decent rate and have the owner(s) agree to let me conduct my seance there, I am bringing in at least 20 patrons for their business. I will have a minimum of 20 guests that will arrive an hour before the seance to patronize the facility. They may or may not buy drinks. There is no minimum. The bar serves only beer and wine. During this social hour, Scott Wells will be performing close-upstrolling magic for the entire bar patrons. I would expect the attendees to drink no more than a maximum of 3 drinks and they will spend up to an hour with the seance for the effects of the alchohol to wear off.

Question: Jamie, do you have opinions on whether or not there is anything to the
paranormal claims of people around the world?

Answer: I have personally had a near death experience that I will discuss prior to the seance. I will also inform the attendees that I am a Magician and I do not claim to have any special powers that they themselves do not already have. I will also inform them that what they are about to experience is not a Magic Show and it is up to them to decide one way or the other. Houdini truely wanted to believe in contact with the other side. Unfortunatlely, he encountered frauds and fakes! I am a skeptic concerning most reported paranormal activities. When I first went to Magic Island, I was not a Magician and I saw Banacheck perform his mentalism and was ready to call the National Inquirer that he was the real deal! I do believe in some paranormal things such as the power of prayer but religion is a whole different topic!

Question: If you think there is anything to them, then why have tipsy people partake in a seance?

Answer: I think most people that do have drinks will probably only have two drinks in a one hour period. As answered above, this is to generate business for the establishment. I do believe the drinks will have an sleight effect on the attendess in my favor but I will not expect any "drunk" participants.

Question: What's your opinion on seances in general - the ones way back when and
the ones currently going on now in a few places around the world?

Answer: In general, "Psychics" can be found in almost any city including mine (Baytown) with a neon sign. Some go to them with 100% belief while others go just for fun like reading the horoscope in the newspaper. The Magic Castle has a seance room that is a theatrical seance. Eugene Burger has peresented many theatrical seances in his carreer along with many others. John Edwards talks to the dead on television! Other than that, I personally do not know of any seances being conducted. I am sure there may be some out there, but the general public including myself, do not hear about these. Seances in the past were a fad like using a Ouija board or talking board. There was no television, internet, movies, etc. to entertain people so I think most of these were for fun. I hope that answers your questions.

Posted: Aug 26, 2007 11:34am
Well I am getting together a dress rehearsal for my seance in Houston. I will have an invitational special show for friends and family. This will be a free show but I will required everyone to fill out a simple survey at the end. Anyone interested in an invite? I am only looking to have a few Magic friends attend. I will possibly have two special screenings. PM me if you want to come.

Jamie Salinas

WTF? I thought this was the magic Caf�, bizarre magic section, not the ghost hunters forum.

And what is a "Legit seance?" Who defines that? Can you bring the fancy electronic junk to a "legit" seance? Must one believe to make it "legit"? One can't take any type of drug a t a "legit" seance? Religious/shamanic practices are not "legit"?

Yeah, If a magician says it can't be duplicated by "trickery", it MUST be true. A true magic pro would immediately expose it and show everyone how it was done - - AND magicians understand everything possible to do with "trickery" and could NEVER be fooled themselves especially if they were "Inner Circle" magicians . . .

I don't know what is real, and what isn't, but I find your questions a tad naive and scientifically religious.

I don't remember who said it (Ortiz?), but somebody pointed out that most magicians are just laymen with a bunny on their business card. Unfortunately, I think this is largely true.

Bill

Well I knew I would stir the pot with the believers with my seance but I did not think it would be here. Now I am looking forward to the "Ghost Hunters" reaction to my seance.

Jamie