'The seance begins in the basement': What it's really like to spend the night with ghost hunters.

After the first part of our 'Ghosthunting 101' tour at Maitland Gaol, we continue on to the old governor's house, The Residence, as the clock inches towards midnight.

Newcastle-based ghost hunters Anne Rzechowicz and Renata Daniels, known as the 'Ghost Grannies', and their assistant Steve, are interested in two areas of the old sandstone building that was built in the mid-1800s: the basement, where we're to conduct a seance before bedtime; and an upstairs room that has a bricked-up door that once linked The Residence directly to the gaol. 

We begin upstairs where their recording equipment is already set up. 

My brave friend Rachel is tasked with sitting alone in the dark room, wearing a sleep mask and headphones piping in white noise. Behind her is a string of what looks like the fairy lights from Stranger Things, designed only to flash in response to movement or a change in energy.  

Anne, Renata, Steve and I take a seat in the room across the hall and close the door. 

We check she can't hear us, and then we watch her on night vision cameras as she uses her body language to describe anything she senses around her. 

Watch: Rachel feeling someone walk past her caught on camera. Post continues below. 

The trio of experts call upon the spirits and begin asking questions. 

At one point they try to call upon Billy, the supposed spirit of a child who has made his presence known in the past. 

The 'fairy' lights occasionally and randomly flash and Rachel mimes feeling cold and feeling a presence walking past her. Seeing Rachel on screen in the dark room silently pointing off into odd corners is fascinating but chilling. 

Renata says that this room is where many of their ghost-hunting guests have felt a strong presence. A touch on the shoulder here, or an occasional grab of the ankle there.

When it's my turn to sit in the darkness while being watched, I am too freaked out to go into the room alone, so Renata volunteers to stay with me. 

The fact I can't see or hear anything makes for a confusing experience but I have a strange sense that someone is running past and behind me, and at one point a prickly feeling creeps up my left leg.

As a sceptic, I can explain away the sensations because I feel afraid and am missing two of my most commonly relied upon senses. But the idea that a presence or some recorded energies are in that room with me does not feel totally unlikely. Either way I am very happy when the white noise is switched off and we have a moment to collect ourselves before being guided down to the basement for another ghost-hunting speciality, the seance.

I have always thought that seances might be a step too far for me but Anne and Renata's familiarity with the space and the fact I just survived that whole white noise experiment emboldens me.

As we descend the stairs by torchlight into the basement, I think of every spooky film or TV show I've ever watched, and suddenly, I'm regretting my life choices.

The rooms are mostly empty apart from some broken and discarded mannequins from the building's time as a textile museum in the early 2000s, which ups the freaky factor to 100. There are also a few tall and rusty lockers that were previously used by prison guards, still with names and numbers on the front.

Our first stop is 'Billy's room' in honour of the spirit that Anne, Renata and Steve have heard from many times. There is a collection of toys for Billy that they and other ghost-hunting novices have brought into The Residence during the last couple of years. 

A deflated helium balloon bobs close to the ground, and it all looks very out of place in the sad, damp surroundings.

Billy's room. Image: Supplied.

Anne explains that Billy first 'came through to them' via the Instrumental Trans-communication (ITC) tools, the SB11 spirit box and the Spirit Talker app.

"In our very first session at Maitland Gaol, the name Billy came up," Anne says.

"Questions were asked and we got a string of intelligent answers indicating a few bits and pieces about him. We discovered he is around five or six years old. He was the son of a worker there and he requested a red fire truck, which was purchased for him.

"His name has popped up on around 80 per cent of the tours we have done but we make sure we don't tell anyone about Billy so as not to influence their investigation.

"There is no official record of a Billy being at The Residence but we don't have any records for this building so it is a possibility. Billy has become a bit of an urban legend now and people like to bring him gifts and leave them in his room. We have done some vigils in there and have had lots of sensory activity on the equipment. We ask him to flash over his favourite toy and we have had some positive and intelligent responses."

After giving our regards to Billy, we all go into the room next door to start the seance. 

Steve, Anne and Renata light some candles for the ambience and we sit around a smaller card table that is outlined with some glow-in-the-dark tape. We place our hands lightly on top and, Renata who has a psychic ability, calls on the spirits to come and join us.

While I was expecting to be scared, what I feel is much more pleasant. 

The table is still at first but it does tip quite gradually and then later, when we swap to a bigger outdoor round table, at quite a force. It's not scary, more entertaining and while I am absolutely not moving the table, I can't be 100 per cent sure it is the spirits or unconscious movements from the experts. 

Renata asks a lot of questions but the only thing coming through at first is a sense of pineapple or pineapple upside down cake! Anne plays some Scottish bagpipes and classical music from the late 19th century and Renata feels the presence of a couple who may have lived and died in the house and the energy seems to be more about their love of each other and the music than of fear.

Anne then randomly picks "Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Doris Day, which we coincidentally all know the words to and start singing along. 

Renata asks if there is anyone coming through from the spirit world for either Rachel or me. After losing a close friend recently I am hopeful he might come with a message from beyond the grave but I also inwardly cringe at my own hopefulness. I understand this is what must draw so many people to seek answers in the paranormal. 

The table does not tip in my or Rachel's direction but as the song changes up and the table lurches towards Steve, he becomes emotional.

The basement seance. Image: Supplied.

When we all finish singing along to "The Glory of Love" by Bette Midler, Steve explains those were his dad's favourite songs. His dad passed away two years ago.

It is a fitting and quite lovely way to end the official part of a very strange night, and I am surprised by how comforting the seance was. We head back to our camp and the sleeping bags that await us upstairs in the front room of the house.

I remain sceptical – which is how Anne, Renata and Steve prefer to be too – but I like the idea that spirits or memories can be conjured for the reason of love or just to discuss pineapple cake, rather than for fear or to scare the living daylights out of us.

The whole ghost-hunting experience has been an emotional rollercoaster for my senses: from the prickly fear I felt in 5-Wing and upstairs at The Residence, to the laughter and emotional warmth after the seance. 

I've learnt too that while I am not as brave as Rachel(!), I'm not as terrified by strange noises or dark rooms as I thought. 

I'm still 'para-curious' but I am also very curious about doing it all over again. 

What better way is there to spend a cold winter's night, anyway?

Read part one of Laura's tour through Maitland Gaol here.

Find out more about the 'Ghost Grannies' Renata and Anne by visiting their Instagram @anneandrenata and book your Maitland Gaol visit here.

Laura Jackel is Mamamia's Family Writer. For links to her articles and to see photos of her outfits and kids, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

Feature Image: Supplied / Canva.

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