sé·ance 
(sāäns′, -äɴs′)
(sāäns′, -äɴs′)n.
1. A meeting of people to receive spiritualistic messages.
2. A meeting, session, or sitting, as of a learned or legislative body.
[French, a sitting, from Old French seoir, to sit, from Latin sedēre; see sed- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]