When somebody says "seance", what do you imagine?

A genteel setting, commensurate with the rise of Spiritualism in the mid-nineteenth century?

Mustachioed gentlemen and women in high lace collars hold hands around a table, their apprehensive faces lit by a single flickering candle.

The medium speaks.

A few attendees begin to weep.

The table shakes.

The light goes out.


A cornerstone of both Spiritualism and the horror genre, a seance is a type of group ritual for contacting spirits of the deceased. The most commonly recognised type is the leader assisted seance, conducted by a person purporting special powers of communicating with spirits.

What I was off to wasn't strictly speaking a seance but Seance, an immersive art piece based around group fear, cultural superstition and suggestibility. It's the brainchild of Glen Neath, David Rosenberg and Andrea Salazar with Realscape Productions, who are delivering a series of terrifying experiences in Australia called DARKFIELD.

Held in the dark, claustrophobic confines of a shipping container, Seance's website specifically states:


WARNING: SÉANCE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR THOSE WHO ARE PREGNANT, CLAUSTROPHOBIC, UNDER THE AGE OF 15 OR SUFFER HEART OR BACK CONDITIONS.


How can I resist? I re-assembled my ghost hunting team ...

To enjoy our adventure, read the full blog post at bpgregory.com