Description

“Séance” aired on Channel 4 on 31 May 2004. In Derren Brown: Séance, he brought students from Roehampton University together for a live séance. He held the event at Eltham Hall, claiming the location had a history of paranormal activity after 12 people killed themselves in a suicide pact in 1974. Brown then proceeded to demonstrate the methods used by spiritualists.The show attempted to involve the television audience with interactive activities, the first being to identify one of the members of the suicide pact by looking at photographs. The 12 pictures were shown on screen in a set pattern, with half of them in colour and half black and white. The viewer was instructed to choose one of the colour images that they “feel a connection with”. Brown then directed the viewers in a movement pattern between the photographs (for example, move left or right to one of the adjacent black and white photographs). The positioning and movement instructions were carefully planned to ensure that no matter which photograph was initially chosen the viewer would finish on the picture of “Jane”. Ten of the students also chose Jane. During the following Ouija board scene, the “spirit” guided the students to spell the name Jane.Two of the students, along with the television viewers, were asked to write the name of a city. Both students chose London.The final scene, the séance itself, saw the group “contact” Jane. One of the students spoke as if she were Jane, giving details of her life. A letter and short film confirmed the accuracy of the details.Brown went on to explain some of the manipulations he had used, including the photograph positioning/instructions and the use of the ideomotor effect during the Ouija board scene. The suicide pact had not taken place and “Jane” was introduced to the students at the end of the show. In his book, Tricks of the Mind, Brown reveals that, contrary to claims when the show was aired, Séance didn’t go out live. He said it was necessary to make people believe that it did at the time. However, since that night was a very warm and humid one in London, and not only were the participants well wrapped up in overcoats but also their breath was often clearly visible in the cold air during the broadcast, it was obvious from the start to Londoners watching the show that it was not actually live.Channel 4 received 700 complaints, most before the episode was aired. Viewers who felt “something unusual” were invited to call a phone number, and callers were told that the show was carefully planned, and that no paranormal activities were taking place. Brown also warned viewers about the impending Ouija board scene, advising those who objected for “religious reasons or otherwise” to stop watching the show.