Exploratory study
Worth Revisiting: What people report in a dark mirror
An exploratory study compares reports of imagery and sensed presences during a session of mirror gazing.
Briefed November 11, 2026 · Aliens in the Clouds
Worth Revisiting · Correlational findings
Christine Simmonds-Moore and colleagues invited 30 people who reported prior ghost experiences to take part in a dimly lit mirror-gazing procedure known as a psychomanteum. Participants could mark when they felt a presence or had strong visual imagery, then describe the session in an interview and questionnaire.
The researchers found an association between their measure of creativity and how vivid and real participants rated the imagery. They did not find a difference between participants with and without synesthesia on several measures of the experiences. The sample and exploratory design limit what those associations can establish about cause.
Why it matters
The paper turns an old paranormal practice into a procedure other researchers can examine, repeat and improve.
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