By LAURA HOKSTAD
“Sometimes the world of the living gets mixed up with the world of the dead.” – Mrs. Mills, The Others (2001)
Jaymes White, a professional mind reader, memory expert and performer, has been hosting Victorian-style séances in and around the Toronto area for the past ten years. This year marks his return to where it all began – THE BEVERLEY STREET SÉANCE. The Rue Crew was lucky enough to attend a special private séance, and boy, did it deliver.
We all met at Sin and Redemption, a bar located near the AGO. The site was once home to a funeral parlour – a fitting prelude, and one the Rue Crew found familiar, as our own manor once resided inside a funeral home.
The Rue Crew braves the unknown at the Beverly Street Séance
Once we had all arrived, Jaymes’ associate met us and guided us to the site of our séance: the George Brown House.
The home was eerie, dark and vast. We were invited to explore the space before the séance began. Then, suddenly, Jaymes seemed to appear out of nowhere – as if summoned like a ghost himself. He brought us into the drawing room, where we sat in a large circle. Holding hands, we began to summon the spirits said to inhabit the home. It wasn’t long before we began to hear noises in the hall; two others and I saw a door in the hallway creak open. It was truly like being inside a horror movie– one of our own making.
I’ve written this before, but as horror fans, we’re hardwired with a certain set of rules: You don’t go into the dark house, you don’t follow the noise down to the basement, and you definitely don’t touch the cursed object. But at a Jaymes White séance, you do exactly that.
Jaymes showed us one of his oldest Ouija boards, and it wasn’t long before the planchette began to move – spelling out the name of one of the home’s past residents.
The imposing exterior of the George Brown House
As this was happening, another RUE MORGUE member sensed movement in the hallway. When we joined her to investigate, she said she saw the spirit of a small child hiding by the door. The group was spooked. Eventually, we all returned to the drawing room, where we were instructed to send the ghosts on their way– but not before a crescendo of activity. As we gripped each other’s hands in fright, shouting in unison for the ghosts to leave our realm, we heard doors slam, marbles drop and lights flicker. Then, sweet silence. The ghosts had retired, leaving us in the wake of everything we’d experienced.
And this is just a regular Wednesday for Jaymes White.
I was curious what it must be like to spend so much time peering beyond the veil – to live between our world and the next. And with Samhain and Halloween upon us, it felt like the perfect time to sit down with Jaymes and learn more about his process and his history with the spirit realm. Jaymes was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer some of our questions.
With the anniversary of the Beverley Street location, what is one memory from the first seance at Beverley Street that stands out to you?
We have a haunted doll named Andy who supposedly lunged at someone. We were also able to catch Andy moving on camera during our original George Brown séance.
What feels different about this return compared to the original run of Beverley Street séances?
Jaymes White, macabre master of ceremonies
It feels full circle and complete in Toronto because it was the one that put us on the map. Although we don’t usually return to a location, it has shown me that no matter how many times you go back, it’s always different.
This [run] feels more emotional [than the original]. People seem to be very touched and moved by the spirits. It feels a bit more sad and forgotten, although we still have really scary moments. We are also experiencing so much more darkness during the séance portion. If you don’t know what that means, you’re going to have to come and experience it yourself!
How has your approach to choosing haunted locations evolved from your first events to now? What do you look for that you didn’t before?
We are lucky that we are so well known now. Locations tend to seek us out because we are so unique, respectful, and bring these amazing locations back to the public.
Many people show up curious or skeptical. What’s something you hope a skeptic experiences during the séance that you think will surprise them in a good way?
When someone comes in with expectations and a closed mind, it’s like watching a movie with your eyes tightly shut. For us, it’s about having a unique experience, and all we ask is that everyone come in being open.
What’s one moment of unexpected connection you’ve witnessed – maybe something beautiful or uplifting? Like has a guest connected to a spirit that they knew through the séance?
Someone had a friend who passed, and their symbol for them was a firefly. At one point, without knowing, others stated they were seeing them in the room. It was at this point that we were told by this woman that this was a connection to her friend. It was an emotional experience for her and many. Although rare, it even moved me, and to this day, I find it hard to explain, which is also rare [laughing]!
How has returning to these historic spaces – like George Brown House/Beverley Street/ Isabella Street – helped keep Toronto’s ghost stories alive in a positive way?
Isabella Street Séance is a good example of our event helping not only to keep the ghost stories of Toronto alive, but also we managed to keep the building from getting torn down. After so many séance survivors voiced their concern over this decision, they halted the teardown. We made a difference on so many levels, and it’s something we are very proud of.
Looking back, what’s been your biggest personal takeaway from leading so many people through these experiences?
Connection is everything. For two hours, we get away from technology when it seems like it’s all we focus on. George Brown and all of our séances bring together people from all different walks of life and backgrounds.
After ten years and thousands of seances, what is next for you? What can fans of yours expect next?
We are in the process of making that decision because the possibilities are endless, just like our séances!
Jaymes White has sold out every entertainment experience he’s created for the past ten years. Extensive interest in the unexplained has led Jaymes to conduct in-depth research into accounts of paranormal activities. Due to his unique ability to read human behaviour, he is quite effective at exploring known haunted locations and playing on people’s fears to create psychologically terrifying experiences unlike anything participants have witnessed before.
When not performing, Jaymes can be found training law enforcement, detectives, and people in sensitive areas on how to hone their powers of observation and memory, as well as handwriting analysis. He also teaches memory techniques at various universities.
If you haven’t had a chance to experience a Jaymes White seance, he is running them throughout November until the 30th. Interested parties can learn more about The Séance and Jaymes’ work as a mindreader by visiting JaymesWhite.com.
