On Thursday 24th February I attended an evening of victorian seance tricks hosted by Norie Miles, Sean Boon & Jonathon Fost with introductions by Most Haunted’s Ciaran O’Keeffe. The demonstration was held in the benefit of the new Arthur Conan-Doyle collection that has been created at the Portsmouth central library. Conan-Doyle is known to many as being a supporter of the paranormal, portsmouth resident and author of the famous Sherlock Holmes collection.
The demonstration displayed how easily the victorians were duped by fake mediums and their ability to contact the dead with simple tricks, Mis-direction and suggestion. It was a fantastic evening and well organised by all.
Dr. Ciaran O’Keefe, David Scanlan and Evette Scanlan at a dinner following the Victorian Seance
The evening started with mentalist Sean Boon demonstrating how easy it was to rig something simple like the black ball initiation ceremony…..like the ones used by masons and other prestigious organistions around the world. Following this Sean showed how the often mysteriously held arts of graphology and numerology worked but by far the most interesting part of the evening came along when Mr Boon apparently started to go into a trance like state and then insisting he be shut inside the spirit cabinet!!
The spirit cabinet was a frequent device used in Victorian seances. The medium would sit in the cabinet shrouded by black drapes with an assortment of objects in the cabinet with the aforementioned medium, items like chalk boards, trumpets and bells being favourites. The medium was usually bound to dupe the audience into believeing the objects being maniptulated were not being so at the hands of the medium…..after all how could someone who was bound use the bells, trumpets and so on?
After the demonstaration (which saw one woman scream who was not a plant) Sean Boon showed exactly how the objects in the spirit cabinet were used to full effect…..the solution to the mystery being sooooooo simple it was easily missed!
So what was the solution I hear you ask?
Well……..there is currently plans underway for a repeat performance of the show and it wouldn’t be fair for me to ruin it for you now would it 
David
was hoping for an in depth report from this interesting evening, perhaps you can fill in some details later david
I can do indeed George….I shall endeavour to get something online shortly