Mirror Experiments: Scrying and Bloody Mary Investigations

Mirrors have been part of ghost lore for centuries. People cover them after a death, summon Bloody Mary in them, and stare into them hoping to see a face that isn't their own. Mirror scrying is the practice of gazing into a mirror or dark reflective surface to receive visions or contact spirits. Below, we explain what scrying is, how a mirror experiment works, why faces seem to appear, and the mirror experiments LiveSciFi has filmed, including the Mirror of Lilith at the Sallie House, so you can watch each one and decide for yourself.

What Is Mirror Scrying?

Scrying means gazing into a surface, such as a mirror, a crystal ball, black glass or still water, to see images or receive messages. One of the most famous scrying tools is the obsidian mirror owned by John Dee, adviser to Queen Elizabeth I, now held by the British Museum. In paranormal investigation, scrying is used to look for apparitions or to open communication, often alongside a voice recorder or spirit box.

Why Are Mirrors Linked to Ghosts?

Many cultures believe mirrors can hold or reflect the soul. Covering mirrors in a house after someone dies is an old custom in several traditions, said to stop the spirit from becoming trapped. Folklore also treats mirrors as doorways, which is where urban legends like Bloody Mary come from. Read our guide to the Bloody Mary legend and mirror game.

How a Mirror Experiment Works

1. Dim the room to a single low light source placed behind or beside you, not in the mirror.
2. Sit about an arm's length from the mirror and keep your eyes relaxed.
3. Run a voice recorder or spirit box, and ask questions at intervals.
4. Describe out loud anything you see changing, and have a second person watch the camera feed.
5. Close the session and, by tradition, cover or turn the mirror afterward.

Why Do Faces Appear in Mirrors?

Staring at your own face in low light for several minutes reliably causes it to seem to change shape, age or turn into someone else. Italian psychologist Giovanni Caputo documented this in 2010 and called it the "strange-face-in-the-mirror illusion." It happens because the brain stops updating parts of an image it stares at, and fills the gaps. Reflections of other objects, and pareidolia, our tendency to see faces in patterns, explain many photos too.

Believers point to figures that appear on camera rather than only to the person staring, or to faces seen by more than one person at once. On camera, we try to separate what an investigator sees in their mind from what shows up in the reflection itself.

Mirror Experiments from LiveSciFi Investigations

• The Mirror of Lilith at the Sallie House (52:32): attic markings and the mirror experiment explained, from The Demon Files. Watch the moment
• A changing face and a figure in the corner (47:56): a mirror account at the same Sallie House investigation. Watch the moment
• A face in the mirror at the Mackay Mansion (1:40:08): reported during our overnight in Virginia City. Watch the moment
• Scrying with the lilac mirror (1:25:27): a mirror incantation and Kristin's scrying reports. Watch the moment
• Inner imagery or a reflection? (1:34:16): Tim separates what he pictures from what he sees in the glass. Watch the moment
• An eye-like reflection in an antique mirror (15:52): the team considers a camera explanation. Watch the moment

Play any of these moments in the player above, or browse every mirror moment in the archive below.

Mirror Experiments FAQ

Is mirror scrying dangerous?

There's no evidence scrying can harm you. The strange-face illusion can be unsettling, though, and some practitioners believe mirrors can act as portals. Most people who scry set a time limit, keep a light on nearby and close the session properly.

Why do people cover mirrors when someone dies?

It's a custom in several cultures and religions, including Jewish mourning tradition. Explanations range from avoiding vanity during grief to the folk belief that a spirit could become trapped in a mirror.

What is a black mirror used for?

A black mirror is a dark, reflective surface used for scrying. Because it reflects less light than a normal mirror, practitioners say it's easier to see images in it.

Related reading: Paranormal Evidence Archive · Rituals and urban legends · Bloody Mary: History and Legend · Sallie House History