What is a seance in spiritualist parlance and does the Church oppose even curious onlooking at such an event for the faithful if the spirits move you?

Answer 1

The Church defines a séance in the popular fashion: a séance is a meeting involving a group of people who gather together with the intention of communicating with spirits, usually of the dead, although they may seek out angels, demons or undefined presences. The séance, while being around in some form or another over the centuries, became a popular activity in the mid-1800's as a result of the Spiritualist movement. The movement coincided with the advent of modern science, as people began to demand proof of spiritual things and séances claimed to be able to give it. Spiritualism has always been rife with charlatans and so its claims and results have been difficult to authenticate or receive serious treatment. Usually a séance is conducted by a medium, either a person claiming a gift to see, channel or communicate with spirits, bridge the rift between the material and spiritual realm, or even command spirits outright.

The Church considers curiosity in such matters, if indulged in, to be sinful. The reason is not just because the Church is skeptical and finds such meetings distasteful to the memory of the dead. It is because a séance puts people in a state which is vulnerable to demon obsession or possession. While such demonic occurrences are rare, the people at a séance leave themselves open to superstition and influence outside of the parameters reserved for God. Since they leave themselves open without recourse to God, the devil is liable to take advantage. Souls or messages that are transmitted have no verification of their source as demons can impersonate anyone, having as they do, intimate knowledge of the world and access to even people's material thoughts, imagination, emotions and memories. As such, to dabble in a séance is to put oneself in a vulnerable position towards evil influence and so any participation in such things is condemned as sinful by the Church. Even supposed innocent gatherings or games, such as the ouija board, that are only meant as fun, are discouraged.

Most séances and such things are pure chicanery, however, even so, they play with spiritual realities, thereby mocking them, which is disrespectful, dangerous, tempt God and can be blasphemous. If you feel compelled to engage or view a séance either from curiosity or purported spirits you must take a moment to apply the rules of St. Ignatius of Loyola to discern the spirit or feeling within you. Chances are it is most likely your own curiosity or enthusiasm that moves you. If you truly find the feeling foreign to yourself, you may wish to ponder that God or His angels never inspire one to go into an occasion of sin. The source, therefore, of this feeling may very well be a temptation that is not to be trusted.