The power of suggestion - the first seance

A first I thought I would get in trouble but after a few years I realized parents were cool with my antics.  I would not be punished for scaring their kids, especially while in Ottawa on one of our Edutreks. but how would I accomplish that?.    I told them lots of ghost stories throughout the year (yes, former students, I made them up, every last one of them) culminating in the Ottawa SEANCE!  The following are snippets of some of the seances I made up to scare them silly.

The Westdale ghost......I really don't remember all the details but I had about ten students and one teacher in my student residence room when, out of the blue, I suggested trying to contact the dead. 

Never underestimate the power of suggestion.  I concocted a story of a murder that had occurred in the very room we were in (at Carleton University or University of Ottawa - I'm old and forget which one we used on that trio)  Off went the lights and I began.  The students sat, big-eyed, intent on my voice, which had taken on a weird, raspiness as I called for the spirits to come forth.  I knew I was having the desired effect when the teacher got up and said, "I'm getting out of here!" and left the room.  

I said to the students, "Perhaps I should stop." but there was no way.  They wanted more.  I warned them that the story I was telling would cause them to lose sleep but that was no deterrence.  I told them if we concentrated, the ghost of the victim would manifest itself as a glowing green ball somewhere in the room and it would enter my body and I would be his paranormal speaker, if he had anything to say.  

In about 10 minutes I had them believing that the dead man's aura was hanging over an old armchair in a far corner of the room and was taking on his human form, seated with his legs crossed.  They saw and believed every thing I said.  

How do I know they believed? Two things.  First, they had all moved away from the chair and got closer to me and second, when the light was back on, a student who had not participated in the seance strolled in and was lowering himself into the chair when a chorus of hysteria arose from the participants who screamed:

DON'T SIT THERE!!!!!!

The newcomer, hearing the fear in their cry, jumped up and took the 10 feet from the chair to the bed in one stride.

I began to laugh and while I listened to several voices giving various explanations as to why he shouldn't sit in that chair, I thought to myself, "I bet he will never make a jump like that again!"

The power of suggestion.