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Author Topic: Query on Seances  (Read 1573 times)

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vampire675

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Query on Seances
« on: May 07, 2004, 03:24:30 PM »
I was going back thru the Robservations tring to count the times that a seance was conducted, and found a few borderline cases, like the ritual Nicholas Blair conducted with Carolyn to summon the ghost of Danielle Roget. It seems to be a seance, with candles and the double circle of protection. Perhaps it is different because of the practice of the BLACK ARTS.
Two others I question, were the Herb Ritual performed by Prof Stokes for Jeff Clarke to summon Peter Bradford (episode 636), and the summoning by Barnabas in episode 742 using the Egyptian Book of the Dead to contact Laura Stockbridge Collins.
Opinions, anyone?

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Offline Raineypark

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Re:Query on Seances
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2004, 04:05:38 PM »
Well, according to my American Heritage Dictionary, a seance is:" A meeting of people to receive spiritualistic messages."

I would interpret that to mean that information is the primary object of the ritual....not the presence of some spirit or entity for the purpose of DOING something...but simply a request for answers to a particular question or problem.

Summoning up spiritual entities to perform some act is, I think, another (and infinitely more dangerous  ;) ) thing altogether.  In certain circles, that would be referred to as a "summoning"
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Offline Miss_Winthrop

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Re:Query on Seances
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2004, 12:25:56 PM »
In the movie 'The Changeling' with George C. Scott, a seance is conducted to communicate with an 8 year old boy.  It is simply chillling! A medium is brought in to conduct the seance.  They used a taping device also.  It is riveting and I highly recommend viewing it.  I vaguely remember another movie with Kim Hunter(?) who conducted seances.  I don't remember the name of the movie but I think she was a medium brought in to try and locate a missing child? I think the location is in England. I remember it was very good also.

Another note on seances.  When I was a teenager (back in the 60's) things having to do with seances and the supernatural stuff was very popular.  One strange thing that we would do was to try and levitate(?) another kid. By that I mean, the kid would sit in a chair and 4 other kids would lift the person, using only two fingers each, up off the chair.  It worked!  It required intense concentration and working together as one. We were also into Ouija boards. I remember participating in at least one seance.  Alas, the spirit never did talk to us! But it was great fun.
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Offline Gerard

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Re:Query on Seances
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2004, 02:37:27 PM »
The Changeling is one of the eeriest, creepiest ghost story movies ever to come to the screen.  Not only was the sceance scene frightening, but what happened afterwards when they played the tape turned my blood cold.  So what was it?  Rent the video and find out!

We also did the levitation-from-the-chair!  It does work!  We even did it as adults.  Of course, somebody explained the science, I guess you would call it, behind it which kinda took away the "supernatural" thrill, but it's still a fun and fascinating thing to do.

Gerard
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Offline michael c

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Re:Query on Seances
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2004, 09:50:06 PM »
since we're on the subject of seances,what are your favorite d.s. seances?while i love the seance that sends victoria back to 1795,i think my favorite is the first.during the laura collins story,a seance is held to contact josette.vicki goes into a trance and speaks in french as laura glares!it's so good.and for those who havn't seen the pre-barnabas eps.,there's even a wierd seance with vicki,david and sam evans! :P
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Offline Miss_Winthrop

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Re:Query on Seances
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2004, 12:21:13 AM »
I have to say that my favorite seance is also the one where Dr. Guthrie tries to summon up Josette's spirit.  He also taped the seance.  It was fascinating to figure out what the noise was on the tape. And remember how the tape got erased? It was the best!
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Offline Darren Gross

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Re:Query on Seances
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2004, 01:08:37 AM »
My favorite is the one in NODS  ;D

Great lighting, beautifully smooth and gracefully edited tracking shots...and genuine 'seance' lingo by ghost expert Hans Holzer...Doesn't get much better than that for supernatural chills...

But for pure abject terror, the one in The Changeling is a two-drawer scene, that's for sure. :o
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Offline Nelson Collins

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Re:Query on Seances
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2004, 01:47:16 PM »
Quote from: mscbryk on May 09, 2004, 09:50:06 PM
since we're on the subject of seances,what are your favorite d.s. seances?while i love the seance that sends victoria back to 1795,i think my favorite is the first.during the laura collins story,a seance is held to contact josette.vicki goes into a trance and speaks in french as laura glares!it's so good.and for those who havn't seen the pre-barnabas eps.,there's even a wierd seance with vicki,david and sam evans! :P

Was there ever a seance on DS that wasn't interuppted? :)
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vampire675

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Re:Query on Seances
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2004, 04:06:53 PM »
Thanks, people, for replies.
FYI, there have been 7 seances up to the present Robservations point (ep 604/605).
#1- episode 170-conductor was Dr. Guthrie, w/Vicky Winters (medium- in French), Carolyn S, Roger C,Laura C. participating. Reached was Josette DuPres, who warned of fire.
#2- Episode 186- conductor was Vicky W. at the Old House, w/David C. (medum), & Sam Evans. Reached was David Radcliffe, who died in fire with his mother.
#3- episode 280-281- conductor was Roger C at Old House costume party, w/Vicky W. (medium), Elizabeth S, Carolyn S, Barnabas C, & Burke Devlin. Reached was Josette Collins, who relives her leap off Widows'Hill.
#4- episode 365-frozen in time to ep461, while Vicky was in 1795. Conductors were Roger C & Julia Hoffman w/Vicky (medium), Eliz S, Carolyn S, & Barnabas. Reached was Sarah Collins and causes Vicky and Phyllis Wycke to trade places.
#5- episode 510- Conductor was Prof Stokes, w/Tony Peterson(medium), Julia Hoffman. Old Hse basement, reaches Rev.Trask, who wants revenge on the witch and Barnabas, for his death.
#6- episode 594- the Black Arts seance conducted by Nicholas Blair & Carolyn S to call Danielle Roget and offer the deal for her life-force.
#7- ep 600- conducted by Prof Stokes at Old Hse, w/Barnabas (medium) & Julia H. Reached- Phillippe Cordier, who wants his love, Danielle back.

All in all, there were 26 seances or summonings occurring in the Dark Shadows 1225 episodes.

vampire675, an old nit-picker
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Offline michael c

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Re:Query on Seances
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2004, 01:50:24 AM »
26?!oh my head.i've only seen the first four.and they do always seem to get interupted.it's funny that in the first seance,josette speaks in french,not english,assuming at the time j. didn't speak english.little did they(we)know a bit down the line josette would be a real live character played by the very un-french collinsport diner waitress maggie evans(kls).
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Offline Miss_Winthrop

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Re:Query on Seances
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2004, 03:36:05 AM »
Quote from: vampire675 on May 12, 2004, 04:06:53 PM
All in all, there were 26 seances or summonings occurring in the Dark Shadows 1225 episodes.

Thank you vampire675 for pulling this together for us. Is there a single place where you got this information from?  I'd like to checkout information on the remaining seances.
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vampire675

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Re:Query on Seances
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2004, 03:12:34 PM »
I use the available sources. I have all 254 VHS tapes, I am collecting the DVD sets as they are made available, I use the episode guides published by Kathryn Leigh Scott's Pomegranate Press, plus I have filled three 3-ring binders with printed copies of Robservations. It has been my statistical nature's fault, that I have to list the deaths, seances, ghosts, dream-curse recipiants, etc.
This is just one of my myriad hobbies.
  vampire 675, the old nerd.
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