Christians & the Séance: A Pastoral Response

Recently, The 13th Gate in Baton Rouge began celebrating a new “Séance Experience.” According to their description, guests will encounter “ancient rituals, restless spirits, and unsettling phenomena,” and by entering, they consent to participate in a story “where the veil between life and death may thin.”

If you’re unfamiliar with this, a séance is by definition a meeting at which people attempt to make contact with the dead, especially through the agency of a medium who claims to have special powers to do this.

For Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, a séance is not entertainment. The Bible speaks clearly about engaging with the occult, divination, and necromancy. These practices are ungodly, incompatible with Christian teaching, and do not align with Christian doctrine.

My concern is not attacking artists or businesses, but to warn people. The Church must address this with truth, compassion, and radical candor.

There is a Higher Standard for Christian Entertainment

The Bible calls us to a higher standard of thought and behavior. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable… think about these things” (Philippians 4:8, ESV).

Here is a principle Christians should follow: sin is not entertainment. We aren’t afraid of evil, but Christians do refuse to glorify sin or play with evil. As believers, our lives are meant to reflect holiness, not embrace flirtation with darkness.

The Spiritual Reality

The Bible clearly warns us:

“There shall not be found among you… anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD” (Deuteronomy 18:10–12, ESV).

Spiritual warfare isn’t a metaphor. The Bible tells us plainly that there are “rulers, authorities, cosmic powers over this present darkness, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, ESV). To pretend to conjure spirits, even “just for fun,” is to trivialize something that Scripture treats with deadly seriousness. The question is not simply, “Is it real?” but rather, “Is it righteous?”

The enemy doesn’t care whether we “believe” if it’s pretend. Every occult symbol, chant, or imitation ritual desensitizes our hearts to the holiness of God and opens curiosity toward what God has forbidden. Every occult symbol, chant, or imitation ritual opens the door for someone who believes. Participation affirms their involvement and your own spiritual wellbeing.

The Only Veil That Matters

The 13th Gate claims its experience “blurs the line between theater and terror” and invites guests to “thin the veil” between life and death. Where does that imagery come from? The Bible (Exodus 26:33, Exodus 40:21, Matthew 27:51). But the only veil Christians should concern themselves with is the one God already tore apart.

When Jesus died, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51, ESV). That veil separated humanity from the holy presence of God. It was sixty feet high, thirty feet wide, and four inches thick, so heavy it took three hundred priests to carry it. And when Christ gave His life, God went full Hulk Hogan on that temple veil, ripping it open from top to bottom.

Why does that matter? Because there is no need to “thin the veil” between the physical world and the spiritual realm. God Himself tore the only veil that ever mattered, giving us full access to His presence through Jesus Christ. Any attempt to recreate or “blur” that barrier, whether in ritual, theater, or curiosity, is explicitly prohibited in the Bible and a dangerous counterfeit of what God has already accomplished.

Psychological and Neurological Impact

Even apart from faith, this is not harmless. The Greek word psyche means soul. Psychology, by definition, is the study of the human soul. What we expose our minds to affects our souls and our bodies.

Modern neuroscience shows that exposure to fear, violence, and terror releases powerful neurochemicals (adrenaline, cortisol, dopamine) altering brain patterns in the substantia grisea (gray matter) and substantia alba (white matter). Repeated stimulation of the fear/reward circuits can desensitize the conscience and even form dependencies, driving us to seek the next “rush.”

That’s why horror-based entertainment can feel exciting but also addictive. We’re drawn to the adrenaline surge, but over time, the line between thrill and trauma blurs. What begins as a “safe scare” can normalize darkness and have long-term unhealthy psychological effects.

Where Is the Line?

Some may ask, “Are all haunted houses evil?” Maybe not. But you have to be honest about desensitization. Sin rarely starts in extremes; it ensnares through gradual exposure.

This is the same question teenagers ask in dating relationships: “How far is too far?” That question itself reveals a heart looking for the edge rather than the center of God’s will. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8, ESV). You are not called to see how close you can get to sin without falling over the edge, but how close you can draw to Christ.

If You’ve Already Participated

If you’ve attended a séance, know this: you are not beyond God’s grace. The blood of Christ is enough to cleanse every sin and every misstep. The right response is not shame, but repentance.

1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”Pray. Renounce any fascination with darkness. Ask the Lord to guard your heart and renew your mind. If you feel spiritually unsettled, seek pastoral counsel and spend time in worship and Scripture.

You don’t have to live afraid. But please, live aware.

Guidance for Parents and Families

Parents, talk to your children about why Christians avoid this kind of entertainment. Explain that evil isn’t powerful because it’s scary. Evil is dangerous because it’s corrupting. God is infinitely greater, and He has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7).

Help your children understand that the thrill they might feel from fear is physiological, a burst of adrenaline and dopamine that can create a temporary “high.” When repeated, that pattern can become addictive, training the brain to crave emotional chaos and greater evils.

Christians are called to peace, not panic; holiness, not horror. Teach your children that we are not afraid of evil. We simply aren’t entertained by it and refuse to glorify it.

Attacking Problems, Not People

Remember this: Our battle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). We attack problems, not people. The artists at 13th Gate are using their creativity within the worldview they know, and from all accounts, they do it with excellence. We don’t condemn people; we educate and warn.

However, we do expect Christians to act like Christians. We do expect Christians to value, pursue, and obey what is revealed in God’s Word. We cannot expect unbelievers to share our convictions, but we can expect the Church to live by them.

The Call to Spiritual Clarity

We must pray and fast for our culture. Revival is stirring, and as God’s light shines brighter, darkness will grow darker in contrast. The Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness cannot coexist in peace. This is a moment for clarity, not compromise.

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11, ESV).

A séance, whether real or just a “scripted show,” is incompatible with Christian teaching. This is where the Church must draw the line, because the Bible already has.