‘Seconds from a panic attack’: How Darkfield’s Flight nearly gave me an existential crisis

A night at one of Brisbane’s newest attractions had me questioning what was real and what was just an illusion, writes Danica Clayton.

Maho Magic Bar is open until December 8. Picture: Danica Clayton

If I told you every single second of Darkfield’s Flight was happening in another dimension, would you believe me?

Prior to attending Maho Magic Bar, Darkfield’s Séance and Flight I thought it would be fun but I didn’t think I would be ending the night with an existential crisis.

Last night I attended the three other-worldly attractions nestled in South Brisbane at the Brisbane Maritime Museum.

A colleague told me I was brave for visiting Flight. I pondered, ‘it’s just a simulated flight experience, how scary could it be?’

The flight attendant glitches multiple times during our Flight experience. Picture: Danica Clayton

The truth is I was seconds from having a physical panic attack. I put on a brave face but in pure darkness, I was alone with my thoughts and an unnerving whisper in every ear.

Our Flight experience started with the words that have become so familiar to seasoned flyers, “cabin crew, cross check”.

But there was something a little off-putting about the flight attendant appearing on the tiny screen above our seats. She was wearing different outfits, glitching out and speaking of death.

A few moments later she informed us that the entirety of the flight will be in pure darkness.

I don’t like to be in the dark. ‘If I can’t see anything there it can’t hurt me’ has always been my reasoning behind turning on lights unnecessarily.

The Séance experience is in complete darkness. Picture: Danica Clayton

I, for some absurd reason, decided to close my eyes. It made me feel a little safer in a situation where the only thing I could hear was the sounds of terror and uncertainty.

Towards the end of our journey the flight attendant whispered that I was already in the lucky seat. I was already going to die.

But the words from the captain really took the experience to a new level.

I’ve always love the idea of quantum immortality, the thought that if you die you will never really experience it because you live on in another dimension. It’s a comforting thought for me normally.

But the captain stated that in another dimension the simulation was real. We were really in a plane. It was really crashing. I was really going to die.

Then like clockwork, the lights turn back on and we are back in our reality.

I didn’t have long to ponder what it all meant before we were ushered into the Séance room.

We were told to keep our hands on the table, no matter what.

The Maho Magic Bar magicians performed acts between every table visit. Picture: Danica Clayton

People that didn’t believe were told to lay on the table … and were never spoken of again.

Did I believe? I believed we were in a simulation, but every time I felt the steps on the table I moved my hands closer to the edge to avoid getting stepped on.

That’s how immersive the experience was. I knew I was safe. I knew I wasn’t going to be stepped on … but the screeching audio in my ear made me question whether I was mere centimetres from my hand getting squashed.

Comet impressed the audience with her mixing abilities. Picture: Danica Clayton

Before I knew it the lights were back on. I was safe and it was all an auditory illusion.

Our night concluded in the Maho Magic Bar, a homage to Japan. Spica, the host of the production, delivered her lines convincingly.

Prior to an act involving fire, the charismatic host told the audience “this magic is f--king dangerous.”

Audience members were brought to the front of the bar to participate in the performance. Picture: Danica Clayton

Magicians visited tables in between each act.

Spica performed surreal card tricks, while somehow accurately guessing the card the audience members picked.

Shirayuri told us that he wanted to draw his banana. On a piece of paper he drew a minuscule banana. When the audience laughed at the size he simply said “I’m Japanese”.

The crude joke did not go over any heads, with the jokester telling us to smell his banana in a little glass bottle.

Kaori performed tricks with drawings and cards. She asked an audience member to pick someone else in the audience. I was picked. She said she had a special message for me and held up a piece of cardboard with the words “happy birthday” on it. My birthday had already passed at this point so she asked me when my birthday was. She told us she was going to show three cards that will have the same numbers as my birthday.

A second later she turned over three cards that had my exact birthday on them.

For a second I thought I was planted there by the production. The only explanation is magic.

Wambi performed tricks with coins, while E.O Lee performed tricks with eggs. Both explained the method behind the magic during their visit.

Some magicians gave the audience a sneak peak behind the magic. Picture: Danica Clayton

Comet spent her time mostly behind the bar, with the mixologist performing impressive feats with just liquor and cocktail glasses.

Once the show was done a pile of confetti rained down on the audience, with each magician thanking the audience for being part of the production.

There’s only one thing I can say after the eye-opening night I had: I believe.

Maho Magic Bar and Darkfield’s Séance and Flight runs until December 8 at the Brisbane Maritime Museum on Sidon St.

Originally published as ‘Seconds from a panic attack’: How Darkfield’s Flight nearly gave me an existential crisis