Dear Richard

I was one of the people in the 12pm slot.  My friend sat next to you on your right and I was also with my sister, Alice (Bows that wrote to the list) and her husband.  

We really enjoyed the experience but have a few comments to make that you might find interesting...

I think we all came with the impression that we were going to take part in a real seance (whatever that might be) and really try and call up the dead!  Although the darkness made us apprehensive, we all came out with the opinion that the seance was staged.

Alice was sitting next the person who was in the spot where you said Anna Hastings had died.  Alice said that during the seance she felt as if there was a presence behind her and she felt her chair shudder slightly.  The lady that was sitting next to Alice felt her arm being pulled and Alice felt the lady's arm move but she thought the lady was just nervous. 

I, my sister and Alice tried really hard not to concentrate on the objects that you said we should because we were scared that something might really happen if we did!  I was scared when the ball dropped onto the table because I thought it would land in my lap and I couldn't see what had moved it at the time!

Although we are supposed to make up our own minds about the seance, we thought it would have been a good idea if there had been a formal discussion for the participants afterwards, just to share our experiences.  Also some people might come out quite disturbed from the seance and need some kind of reassurance!  You might have a very good reason for not having a formal discussion afterwards, I don't know.

We also think that it was a really good psychological test and wondered if you took any measurements such as energy levels. 

What Alice and I want to know is how you managed to move the ball and the maraca?  I suppose this is something you can't reveal?! We have our ideas e.g.magnets.

Anyway thanks for an enjoyable time!

Best wishes
Shuk Kwan






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Shuk Kwan Liu
Public Affairs Officer
Institute of Physics
76 Portland Place
London W1B 1NT
tel. +44 (0)20 7470 4800, fax. +44 (0)20 7470 4848
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>>> [log in to unmask] 07/16/01 11:43AM >>>
Hi

Just some more infor about the seance event.

I have presented in several times before - in both Science Week and at the
International Festival of Science in Edinburgh.

We first give a talk about the history of the Victorian seance - presenting
a wide range of beliefs about what was going on, including trickery,
misperception and the possibility of genuine paranormal phenomena.  Then we
move people into an adjoining room and have them take part in a
reconstruction of a Victorian darkroom seance in which some luminous objects
moved around.

On Sunday it certainly provoked a great deal of discussion about the ability
of scienists to investigate this type of thing, the effect of our beliefs on
what we experience and how we interpret our experiences, etc.

It is designed to use a theatrical framing to get away from the traditional
'lecture format'.

best
richard wiseman

>
> Just wondered if anyone on the list went to the reconstruction of a
> Victorian seance event at the Science museum on Sunday that was advertised
> on this list. If you did go to it, what were your thoughts about the event,
> did you have any strange experiences - and did anyone explain any of it to
> you afterwards?!
> Thanks
> Alice
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Dr Alice Bows (nee Larkin) CPhys MInstP
> Press Officer
> Institute of Physics, 76 Portland Place
> London, W1B 1NT
> Tel: +44 (0)20 7470 4800 Fax: +44 (0)20 7470 4848
> Email: [log in to unmask] Web: www.iop.org 
> Registered Charity Number: 293851
> *****************************************
>
>
>
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--
Dr Richard Wiseman
Psychology Department
College Lane
Hatfield
Herts
AL10 9AB

Tel: 01707 284628
Fax: 01707 285073
Mobile: 077 909 05219

http://phoenix.herts.ac.uk/pwru/RWHomepage.html


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