Why mirrors?

Our thoughts determine our responses to life. We are not victims of the world. To the extent that we control our thoughts, we control the world. - Unknown

[Sharon K. West]

I have often wondered why people often see images in mirrors. What is it about a mirror? Here is a link to an article where a couple saw a crying child in a hotel room mirror:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2960673/Ghostly-figure-of-a-weeping-girl-in-mirror-of-hotel-room.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News

From olden times, people have been looking at reflections (scrying) in crystal balls, water, and other reflective materials. And in Victorian times, gazing balls for gardens came into vogue as decorations. They still sell those today.

What say you?

Sharon

[David Desjardins]

I think a lot has to do with the age of the mirrors and the quality and composition of the reflective surfaces.  I've seen some antique mirrors that had such bad warping and distortions in the reflective subsurfaces that anything reflected could have been construed as paranormal.  In addition depending on the environment and cleaning products used, if any, particles, cigarette smoke dust, etc...can adhere to the surface of the mirrors the rest is up to the human mind in trying to make sense of and misinterpreting these "images" as paranormal.

I'm willing to bet that a brand new 400 dollar mirror, doesn't show as many "spectral" images as a 40 dollar mirror of the same size bought at Wall Mart.  Anyone have a 400 dollar mirror they want to send me for testing?  If you google "haunted mirrors" almost 75 percent of the returns you get are older than 20 yrs, which lends to the composition theory, in my opinion anyway.  Call me a scenic.

[Sharon K. West]

I can see your point about the imperfections in an old mirror; however, why would somebody see something in a new mirror? For example, my daughter was totally freaked out when she saw her father in the mirror of her bedroom. There are no imperfections in that mirror or anything that would cause the mind to connect the dots and make a person. I don't believe she was actually old enough to have knowledge that sometimes people see things like that in mirrors.

Also, why would people see movement of what is reflected? In the article I posted, the people claimed to see the little girl moving. And the reflection had to stay there long enough for them to get a camera to take the picture. But it wasn't there when other people came to the room.

[Grant Rubendunst]

Ah yes! The Psychomanteum. Below is a link to Wikipedia. I always thought that this was a spooky thing to do (maybe it just unsettles my psyche). Should we construct our own chamber?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychomanteum

[Doug Kelley]

I don't know what it is about mirrors, but they can fuel the imagination when it comes to the possibility of seeing an apparition in them. I know when I was much younger, I was spooked by the thought of seeing a ghost in a mirror, probably in no small part due to TV. Now, they don't bother me at all. Sometimes the reflection I see looks like a ghost! LOL

I have always been intrigued by the Psychomanteum. I always thought it might be a great tool for inner reflection and meditation. Grant, maybe I'll build one someday and we can use it to go crazy together... oh, we're already there, sorry!

Doug