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[00:00:31] Today we venture inside mysterious gateways. We step through the glass and gaze beyond our own reflection. Around the world for thousands of years, these objects have been feared, covered, shattered, and whispered to. Some say they're capable of trapping souls. Others claim they can reveal hidden truths, and bring good luck or bad. It depends on who you ask.

[00:00:58] From ancient superstitions to ghostly reflections, today we are discussing one of the most ordinary yet powerful objects in our homes. Today's episode is all about mirrors. Hello everybody and welcome back to another episode of Perplexity, A Mystery Podcast. As always, I'm your host, Kedra. If you're new to the show, hello and welcome. I tell tales every single week that have perplexed me.

[00:01:27] So if you love a good mystery that leaves you wanting more, don't worry, you're in the right place. And if you end up enjoying today's episode all about mirrors, I would love if you continue to follow along. If you are a returning listener, hello my friends and welcome back. I'm super happy you're here today for this dark history paranormal episode. Mirrors are such a huge topic, so I'm really excited to be getting into it.

[00:01:52] There's a lot that we could talk about today, and there's just going to be some things that we are not able to touch on because it's a huge topic. Mirrors are all around the world. They've been in our homes for many, many, many years. There's folklore about them everywhere, and the folklore varies widely as well. Just very differing beliefs. There's also so many paranormal stories where a haunted mirror is involved, seeing something super creepy in a mirror.

[00:02:21] There's tons of encounter stories on Reddit. So yeah, just tons and tons of stuff we could discuss. But I feel like this is a very well-rounded episode and just a perplexing topic. So I'm excited to get into it with you guys today. Very quickly before we get started, I just want to remind everyone about the Patreon. So that is always appreciated. It is a subscription service. You can join two bucks a month for early ad free episodes.

[00:02:48] Or if you want exclusive bonus content, if you want merch, stickers, all that kind of stuff, you can check out to tiers two and three. And that helps me a lot because I do this for free. So thank you to my perplexed society members. Just a special shout out to you guys. I appreciate you so much. The next bonus episode for Patreon will be out next week. Last week, I did an episode all about Haley Busby. That's a true crime case.

[00:03:17] So next week's bonus episode is going to be some creepy stories from the internet. That's a series I've been doing on Patreon for quite a while. So if any of that interests you, go check out patreon.com slash perplexity mystery podcast. And if you haven't done so yet and you want to help the show for free, please leave a five star review or hit the subscribe button on YouTube. That helps a ton. Trigger warning for today's episode. This episode is going to be creepy spooky.

[00:03:45] So listener discretion, if you have kids listening and all the sources that I used for today's episode will be down in the show notes. So without further ado, let's get into today's spooky perplexing episode all about mirrors.

[00:04:04] So first I thought we would talk about the history of how mirrors came to be for just a little bit, because they took a long time to get to where they were flat, clear and large. There's a lot of things that happened over the centuries, and I thought it was pretty interesting. Mirrors becoming what we know them as today took quite a bit of time. The first glass mirrors appeared in the Neolithic period in Turkey and in Central America around 6000 BCE.

[00:04:33] But these mirrors were very different. They were made of naturally occurring black glass or obsidian. Man-made glass also started becoming really popular in the Roman Empire, spanning all across houses there. And the Romans were using a bunch of sophisticated techniques, really trying to perfect mirrors. For some reason, they thought these were really, really fascinating.

[00:04:57] So they were doing all types of different experiments with glass and lead, and they were making mirrors, quote unquote. But time and time again, these mirrors were really small and crude. So it wasn't until the 14th century that mirrors started looking larger and the glass was more clear. These started popping up all over Europe in upper class homes, but they were highly distorted still.

[00:05:26] Now, in the 16th century, when the Venetians came along, that's when we really started cooking. They used a famous technique that they had been perfecting for a long time. They called this glass making technique Cristallo, and they used tin and mercury. By 1600, they started producing large, flat, clear glass mirrors that reflected more of an accurate view of the person looking inside of it.

[00:05:54] Then, Louis XIV convinced a bunch of Venetian glass makers to share their secrets. It was around this time mirrors began popping up throughout upper class households, and pocket versions of these mirrors spread all throughout society. So now that we know how mirrors came to be, let's talk about some fascinating folklore around the world surrounding mirrors.

[00:06:18] First, I just want to remind everybody, especially if you're a new listener, I talked about mirrors on this podcast before when I did my Bloody Mary episode. So that was a long time ago. That was way back, episode 17, when I had my first guest ever on the show, which was my sister Carlisa. So if you guys are like, why didn't she talk about Bloody Mary in this episode? That's such an iconic thing with mirrors. It's because I already talked about it. So if you really like this episode and you want more, go check out episode 17.

[00:06:49] Because the legend of Bloody Mary is all about getting trapped in a mirror, right? The fear of mirrors has three different terms in English, and a lot of people are scared to look in mirrors at night. I am also one of those people, especially if I just saw a scary movie. If I like go into the bathroom at night, I intentionally don't look in a mirror because I'm scared of what I might see. Whether that's rational or not, a lot of people are scared of mirrors. So there are names for this.

[00:07:18] I'm sorry if I say this first one wrong. It's a tricky word. Catoptrophobia. I practiced that. Catoptrophobia is a term that means mirrors, and catropto is a green term. It's a Greek word or catoptron. So it's the phobia of mirrors. There's also spectrophobia from Latin, with spectro meaning ghosts. A lot of people have attributed mirrors to having to do with ghosts.

[00:07:45] Then there's isotrophobia, which means into in Greek, and vision or optical. Mirrors are said to create liminal spaces. If you guys have heard of the back rooms, which I know I've mentioned briefly on this podcast before, those are also examples of liminal spaces. So these are like transitional spaces between two areas.

[00:08:09] There's a lot of conspiracies around liminal spaces because people think that it's like a glitch in time, a portal, and mirrors are no different. So some people believe mirrors can serve as gateways for spirits or demons to enter. This is similar to the belief that water channels spirits. Around the world, there have also been stories of people gazing into a mirror for information about their identity or a deep sense of self.

[00:08:38] Socrates advised young, handsome men to look at their reflection in the mirror and focus their life on keeping their souls pure. Some ancient cultures believed that the reflection was actually your true self, also known as the shadow soul. And this is why it is said vampires and other evil spirits do not have a reflection because they don't have a soul. In ancient Chinese mythology, there's also the story of the mirror kingdom.

[00:09:07] This states that creatures will one day rise up, coming out of mirrors, and will battle humans while they're in a magical and deep sleep. In ancient Persia and in parts of Asia, it's also believed that turning a mirror to the stars would reveal divine messages about the future. One of these legends claimed that Pythagoras once put a mirror up to the moon to read his future. This practice has become known as catroptromancy or scrying.

[00:09:37] It's described in a number of ancient Greek texts, and it sometimes involves mirrors being lowered down into the water on a thread, creating a double reflection. People back then believed that these mirrors could not only predict the future, but they could also diagnose medical conditions and even help communicate with the dead. So there were all these practices that included burning herbs, chanting, and reciting prayers while you had a mirror in the room.

[00:10:05] And these types of rituals have been recorded all around the world, going well into the Middle Ages. When I was researching, I also started thinking about superstitions. There's a lot of superstitions around mirrors. One of the first ones that came to my mind is the belief that you're supposed to cover a mirror when someone dies. If you've ever researched Victorian practices involving death, this comes up a lot. This belief is in several different religions.

[00:10:34] You should cover a mirror if someone dies or turn the mirror around to face a wall. And there's actually a couple reasons for this belief. One of them is so that the soul can't use this mirror to return to their body. Another is so that the soul cannot see their own dead body. Or so that a living human soul doesn't become trapped in the mirror. But like I said at the top of this episode, there are a lot of varying beliefs around mirrors.

[00:11:03] There are some cultures that say mirrors are good luck. There's cultures where they bury their dead with mirrors inside of the coffin with them so that their loved ones can pass on peacefully. Another common superstition a lot of people are familiar with is breaking a mirror. A lot of people say it's bad luck. This belief from what I could find online goes back to the ancient Romans, who if you remember spent a lot of time trying to perfect mirrors.

[00:11:31] It was not easy. They were constantly working really hard to make these. So if you broke a mirror in ancient Rome, one of the scariest places to live back then, it was really, really disrespectful. Ancient Romans also believed that every seven years life renewed itself. So maybe this is why we have that belief of seven years of bad luck if you break a mirror.

[00:11:58] In Anatolia, which is modern day Turkey, there's also the belief that black obsidian mirrors reflect the viewer's own soul. And breaking the mirror can damage the soul. There's also some interesting superstitions around mirrors that I had never heard of. One of them comes from Halloween in the 1800s.

[00:12:21] According to this belief, if a girl sat in front of a mirror under candlelight, cut an apple into nine pieces, consumed eight of the slices, and threw the last slice at the mirror, the reflection of the girl's future husband would appear in the mirror. Very strange. The girl's future husband's reflection would catch the last apple slice for some reason.

[00:12:49] And I don't know why an apple is involved in this. So if you guys have ever heard of this or have any idea about this more, let me know. Another similar version says that if a girl were to brush her hair in front of the mirror, this would also allow her to see her future husband.

[00:13:07] There's a similar ritual that claims if a girl holds a handheld mirror and stares into it while walking up and down a flight of stairs at midnight, something crazy will happen. Either she'll get horribly injured, die, she'll see the reflection of her future husband in the mirror, or she'll see a skull in the mirror. If you see a skull in the mirror, it means that you'll die before you get married.

[00:13:35] All of these things sound like pretty terrible outcomes, not really worth the risk in my opinion. I don't know why anyone would do this. But again, in some cultures, mirrors are actually good luck. There are some beliefs and cultures that if you look into a mirror with your spouse after you've just gotten married and then smash it, it's good luck. This belief says you can create an alternate universe where you and your spouse's souls will live together for all eternity.

[00:14:04] Breaking the mirror will also show how many years you and your spouse will live happy together, based on the number of pieces that the glass breaks into. There's also the superstition that you should never own a broken or old mirror. Broken mirrors, according to this belief, are known to attract the dead or evil spirits.

[00:14:26] If you take an old mirror from like an antique shop or something, it's also alleged that those mirrors can harbor the essence of the previous owner. And you don't know if that person was good or not. There are also a bunch of superstitions about keeping a mirror in your bedroom. And the general consensus seems to be that none of them are good. So if you have a mirror in your bedroom, maybe consider moving it to another room of the house.

[00:14:52] So supposedly hanging a mirror in the bedroom can bounce around negative energy. This belief seems to originate from feng shui, which states that the mirror reflects your image while you're sleeping. And that reflected energy will double in strength based on what type of energy you already have. So if you have bad energy, it's not really worth the risk of having that mirror in the room.

[00:15:17] Mirrors in the bedroom can also cause nightmares, which I think makes sense because this doubles the energy. So if you have a bad dream, I bet the mirrors just make it worse, you know? Perhaps the most terrifying, if your soul wanders in sleep and sees your reflection in a mirror, it may get confused and enter the mirror instead of returning to your body. So this is a lot like Bloody Mary.

[00:15:46] Imagine you're asleep and your soul is like just walking around, which is astral projection, and you get trapped in a mirror. How terrifying. We do all kinds of stupid things when we're kind of out of it half asleep. Trapping myself in a mirror is definitely never something that I worried about until I did this episode.

[00:16:09] There's also a really interesting story about mirrors that was published in a book called Manual de Zoologica Fantastica in the year of 1957. The author is Jorge Luis Borges, and in his book he told a tale from ancient Chinese mythology, stating the reflections of ourselves in mirrors are not reflections at all,

[00:16:31] but instead are another species altogether that mimics us so that they can learn our ways and then replace us. This is terrifying and reminds me a lot of the movie Us by Jordan Peele. It's just that whole concept of doppelgangers. This story also says if your monster comes out of the mirror, you will no longer have a reflection.

[00:16:56] The story goes on to say in the year 2697 BC during the reign of the Yellow Emperor, these mimics left their mirrors by the masses and devoured thousands of humans. The emperor somehow managed to lure the mimics back into their mirrors and trap them. What's interesting about this story though is that several Chinese historians and folklore experts have said they've never seen this story anywhere else outside of Borges' book.

[00:17:24] They say the only thing they know of that's similar in ancient Chinese mythology is Nia Qingtai. Sorry if I'm saying that wrong. This translates to mirror of the wicked, mirror of retribution, or the mirror of past existences. In this belief in Chinese mythology, souls must stand in front of the mirror, and when they do this they will see how they looked in past lives, and they'll review their past experiences including any crimes or sins.

[00:17:54] Then Yama, the king of hell, can pass judgment on them. Sounds pretty terrifying. Definitely one of those things that makes me get really existential. So now that we know more about folklore surrounding mirrors all around the world, let's talk about some famous haunted mirrors. There's tons of haunted mirrors.

[00:18:19] We're not going to be able to talk about all of them, but I picked some that seemed to pop up the most on the internet. Some of the most well-known. The Hollywood Roosevelt mirror is what we're going to talk about first. In mid-December 1985, shortly before the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel reopened, staff was spending the day cleaning and getting the place ready for guests again. There were also a lot of other ghost stories that have come from this hotel.

[00:18:46] So it seems like the general consensus is there's a lot of paranormal activity here. A staff member named Suzanne Leonard was cleaning a tall framed mirror in the hotel, and at this time this mirror was located in the general manager's office. Suzanne suddenly saw the reflection of a blonde girl, and then the girl vanished. Suzanne looked around confused, and then looked back at the mirror again,

[00:19:12] and once again saw the reflection of this blonde girl. Later, the manager told Suzanne that the mirror had come from the former suite of Marilyn Monroe, who had died in 1962. While Suzanne never said she saw Marilyn Monroe, she just said she saw a blonde girl, the story has stuck, and many people now refer to this mirror as the haunted Marilyn Monroe mirror.

[00:19:39] The mirror has since been relocated outside the lower level elevator, but you can still see it, is my understanding. Some argue the streaks caused by cleaning the mirror resulted in Suzanne briefly seeing this blonde lady, which is known as a simulacrum or an image resulting from the brain, where you're trying to like make sense of what you're looking at. This is similar to when we say we see a face in like a tree or a cloud or an ink blot.

[00:20:09] People who say that, shut up. I don't have time for that. It was a ghost, okay? Other sources imply additional sightings of Marilyn in the mirror as well. So it's not just Suzanne who claims to have seen her. Other people who have visited the hotel have also said they see other ghostly apparitions in this mirror. So if you're ever at the Hollywood Roosevelt, go check out this mirror and let me know if you see anything crazy.

[00:20:40] In my town, Austin, Texas, there is also the infamous haunted hotel, the Driscoll. I've visited the Driscoll before. I actually went there several months ago. And just walking into it, I immediately felt unsettled. It's creepy in there. It also smells like wet and musky, and there's these really spooky paintings all around. I would love to stay there one night in like one of the haunted rooms or something.

[00:21:07] So there is a room with a bunch of mirrors at the Driscoll where people will report seeing creepy things in them. This room with all the mirrors is known as the Maximilian room. This room used to be a smoking lounge and it contains eight massive mirrors that are known as Carlotta mirrors. The mirrors were originally intended as a gift for this woman named Carlotta. She was the wife of this Austrian archduke named Ferdinand Maximilian.

[00:21:35] So rich dude wants to give his wife a bunch of mirrors, but Carlotta ended up having to leave the mirrors behind. The mirrors are coated with this diamond dust. They bear an image of Carlotta at the top. And with all this crazy history behind these mirrors, the Driscoll heard about it and purchased them in San Antonio. They were just fascinated by the history and brought them in. But remember that superstition we talked about, that you're not supposed to buy old mirrors,

[00:22:03] because it can harness energy of the previous owner and, you know, there are portals. The staff and guests have claimed to see spirits in the mirror's reflections. There is also the Myrtles Plantation mirror. Located in the deep south in St. Francisville, Louisiana, lies the Myrtles Plantation. This mansion has a massive wraparound veranda, blue trim, and 20 rooms.

[00:22:31] It looks like something out of a storybook, but this place has a very dark history. Our story begins with newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. Clark Woodruff. Mr. Woodruff was a prestigious judge and slave owner. One of the slaves, who went by Chloe, was regularly subjected to Woodruff's abuse. Chloe would often listen in on the Woodruff's conversations to protect herself and be on the lookout for anything concerning. But one day she got caught eavesdropping.

[00:23:02] Woodruff had Chloe's ears cut off. Mr. Woodruff's unspeakable assault was hidden to the public because he forced Chloe to wear a green turban on her head, covering her severed ears. When it was Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff's daughter's ninth birthday, Chloe sought revenge. She poisoned the cake. Chloe's plan was to poison Mrs. Woodruff and their children. Some suggest Chloe made this plan so that she could nurse them back to health.

[00:23:32] In the South, local healers were among the most respected in the community. If Chloe could heal them, she may be able to avoid working in the fields. But the dosage was lethal, and it killed Mrs. Woodruff and her two kids. After word spread of Chloe's actions, it was actually the other slaves who took Chloe and killed her, hanging her by the neck.

[00:23:57] She was then cut down and thrown into the Mississippi River, being weighed down by rocks. Paranormal activity in the home started to be reported in the 1970s, after the home was purchased by the Myers family. Since then, guests and residents have continued to report unsettling sightings, including seeing the transparent and ghostly apparition of a young girl wearing a green turban throughout the property.

[00:24:26] And I know that this part of the story doesn't have anything to do with mirrors, but I just gotta say, when I was researching, there's a famous photo, I'll put it in the YouTube video and on the Instagram page, of this apparition standing outside of the plantation house. And it looks like it has a turban on its head. It's a very creepy photo. It's one of the most wild paranormal photos I think I've ever seen. So I'm gonna put that on socials and stuff like that.

[00:24:56] You guys should look at it. But let's talk about this mirror. So now that we know this story. In the grand hallway outside the dining room, there's an antique mirror. And visitors have reported seeing the Woodruff's children in the mirror near the room where they were poisoned. Some also claim handprints are often found on the mirror, and each time the mirror is cleaned or re-silvered, the same ghostly handprints reappear.

[00:25:25] Then there is the story of the Bela Lugosi mirror. Bela Blasco was a Hungarian stage actor. When he came to America, he created a stage name, Bela Lugosi. Lugosi would be known for his many roles in the 30s and 40s, all throughout Universal. He played Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's stage and later film productions for Dracula. And Lugosi later became addicted and dependent on drugs.

[00:25:54] He was reduced to living in a modest Beverly Hills apartment complex when he died in 1956. He was living in near poverty at this time. But he left behind an infamous makeup mirror that he took everywhere with him throughout his career. There is a lot of legend around this mirror.

[00:26:14] According to this legend, he didn't just take this mirror everywhere to apply his makeup, but he also took it with him so that he could perform mirror magic. You see, Lugosi was allegedly interested in the occult and he had invoked ancient Romani demons using mirror magic. The legend goes on to say that the Lugosi mirror served as a portal for his associates to enter.

[00:26:41] In the early 1960s, a close friend of Lugosi was inside one of his long abandoned homes, where this mirror was being stored. This friend was later found murdered inside the home next to the mirror. Eventually, during an estate sale, the mirror was sold to its next owner. So several others have owned the mirror and allegedly all have died or fallen on bad luck.

[00:27:07] In the 1990s, the Lugosi mirror ended up in the Las Vegas Museum of the Paranormal. This mirror is displayed covered up. I just want to remind everybody, I am going to be in Vegas at the end of this month. And this is on my list. I don't like Zach Baggins, but at the same time, I'm a curious cat and I want to go tour this museum. And it'd be pretty cool to see the Lugosi mirror.

[00:27:35] I'm glad they have it covered up because I don't want to like see it uncovered, you know. But I thought the story around this was really interesting, the alleged ties to the occult. And it brings up this concept of mirror magic. And we're going to talk more about mirror magic later in this episode. But let's talk about one more haunted mirror that surrounds a mass murder. The Villisca Axe Murders.

[00:28:02] The Villisca Axe Murders are one of the most famous and unsettling mass murders in true crime history. True crime enthusiasts are familiar with the story. From the late morning hours of June 9th, 1912 into June 10th in the town of Villisca, Iowa, the six members of the Moore family and their two house guests would all be murdered. They were found bludgeoned to death with an axe. These murders remain unsolved.

[00:28:30] Before fleeing the scene, the killer did a variety of strange acts, including one with a mirror. The killer put garments over the bodies, cleaned up, made a snack, and then covered all of the mirrors. Some have speculated the killer covered the mirrors because they were ashamed to look at themselves after their crime. Others say it was so that the victim's spirits did not become trapped in the mirrors.

[00:28:59] So now let's talk about some practices surrounding mirrors and we'll get into mirror magic as well. Keep in mind if you do any of these practices or rituals, mirrors are believed to be very powerful. They hone energy. You can't control who or what will walk through it.

[00:29:21] One of the most famous techniques involving mirrors is known as mirror gazing and it became really famous with this guy Raymond Moody. Raymond Moody is an American philosopher and he's been exploring this mirror gazing technique for many years. The technique originally comes from ancient Greece. It's believed this ancient practice was used to contact the dead.

[00:29:44] Moody adopted this technique after he noticed the healing effects that mirror gazing can have on people who are grieving a recently lost loved one. Ross argues this practice is not dangerous or frightening, but rather healing and transformative.

[00:30:00] He set up a space for people to practice mirror gazing and allegedly many participants have reported paranormal phenomenon, including seeing a mist, unexplained lights, geometric forms and human apparitions. This room that Moody created includes a large mirror on one wall and a chair angled so that the person sitting cannot see their reflection.

[00:30:26] Black curtains block the windows so that the only light source is a small lamp positioned behind a chair. Moody claims this setup has also worked for him. He claims he saw the apparition of his paternal grandmother in the mirror. She appeared healthy and much younger than her age at death. He also claims he heard her voice with a crisp electrical quality.

[00:30:52] Moody later selected 10 individuals to try out this mirror room. These 10 people were mostly professionals interested in the concept of human consciousness. During a lengthy preparation period, these people talked about their relationships with the person that they hoped to contact. Sometimes they would do this followed by a meditation session. The people would then enter the room one by one. They called this the psychomantium booth.

[00:31:19] They were given instructions to gaze deeply into the mirror. After these sessions, five of these 10 individuals reported that they saw and in some cases even communicated with apparitions of their deceased relatives. Moody continued this research into the 90s and by 1993, he had interviewed about 300 people about their experiences in the psychomantium. About a quarter of subjects encountered a deceased person other than the person that they planned to contact.

[00:31:50] So they didn't always see who they were expecting. Like I said, you don't know who you're going to contact. In about 10% of these cases, the apparition seemed to come out of the mirror, sometimes seeming to touch the subject. No thank you. A few subjects felt that they entered the mirror themselves and were transported into another world.

[00:32:14] About half of the subjects held conversations with the apparition, mentally or audibly. And in 25% of these cases, the apparition was encountered not during the psychomantium session, but afterwards, usually within 24 hours. This would bring about the argument that you're bringing something home with you or you're opening a portal.

[00:32:41] Almost all subjects asserted that they experienced these reunions as real events, not fantasies or dreams. They were certain that they were in the presence of a deceased loved one. These people that went into the psychomantium booth also by and large said that they were deeply affected by these experiences. It challenged their views of reality and life's meaning. Okay, so now let's talk about mirror magic.

[00:33:09] In paganism and witchcraft practices, some people believe mirror boxes can be created to amplify a spell's intention, reflect energy back, or create a loop of energy. Some intentions and spells that are said to be useful if you make a mirror box are binding spells, banishing, self-love, sigil charging, crystal charging, return to cinder spells, or true reflections.

[00:33:40] Meaning that you're forcing someone to see what they have done. There are a lot of pictures online and videos of how to make mirror boxes, but they basically look like these little wooden chests where you can put things inside and there's a mirror in them as well. The other thing I came across with mirror magic is what is known as the mirror box ritual. So if you guys are familiar with cursed games, I know I've talked about them on the podcast before.

[00:34:08] It's this ritual practice. They are really popular on Reddit. So it's like, hey, play this game. Something creepy will happen. Blah, blah, blah. Kind of like if someone plays Bloody Mary. I've talked about three kings before, which involves a mirror. So I'm not going to talk about that in this episode, but I am going to talk about this other game, the mirror box ritual. If you want the details entirely of how to play this mirror box game, I will link it all down in the show notes.

[00:34:36] It's not clear what the goal is here, but it's really creepy. So according to the rules of the mirror box ritual, you should play this game with a partner, with one person standing on the outside of the box and the other person climbing inside. This is a box that you will construct with six sides, all consisting of mirrors. So you're going to be in the dark by yourself, enclosed and completely surrounded by mirrors.

[00:35:06] This already makes me never want to play this game. I'm trying to paint this picture for you guys so that you are aware of what you're getting yourself into if you decide to do this. Other materials are outlined in the link in the show notes. They talk about having a ladder to like climb into the box. Sounds like a pretty big box. They also recommend that you have a first aid kit on you. Don't like that. Again, not a game that I would play.

[00:35:35] You're not supposed to stay in the box for more than 10 minutes either. They're very specific about that. I don't know what happens if you stay in there longer than 10 minutes, but doesn't seem like something you should risk. As for what you will see, hear, experience, gain, have taken from you, all of that remains unknown. But here's what one Reddit user had to say in the Three Kings subreddit about this game. User Oerath says, quote,

[00:36:03] The materials are somewhat costly, and honestly I doubt I have the stones for this one. I know all the rituals say this, but for real, take this seriously. This ritual basically entails placing yourself in a devil's toy box, minus the floor, probably for good reason. For 10 minutes with a light. I have a lot of theories, from the occult and psychological points of view, on what could happen inside this mirror box.

[00:36:29] And while some of the possible outcomes are quite enlightening, others are absolutely terrifying. So, the usual warnings. Do not attempt this as a lark. Or if you are not mentally stable. Especially do not attempt this if you have a history of negative interactions with the paranormal, which have not been definitively resolved. Do be prepared for practically anything.

[00:36:53] And of course, if you have the time, money, and cojones to attempt this ritual, please share your experience, even though the ritual specifies that we should not believe you. So this is me talking for a second. There are some things online about the mirror box ritual where it says, If you encounter someone who claims that they did this, and that nothing happened, don't believe them. Or if they say something did happen, don't believe them.

[00:37:20] I just thought this was weird, but like the vibe that I get is that, Once you go into this mirror box, you cannot be trusted anymore. You are no longer a reliable source. Something could have entered into you, and what you're saying could be false. So, it's really creepy. Now let's go back to this Reddit post. The mirror box is quite an old invention. Being inside of one can be enlightening or traumatizing for the witness who bears its burden.

[00:37:48] The procedure is simple, though finding and preparing the materials required could take some time. The materials to construct the box are six square metal sheets, slightly taller than the witness. The length should never exceed the height of a witness with raised hands. One of them should be larger than the rest by at least the thickness of the sheets themselves. The material should preferably be made of graphite or lead alloy for the most prominent effect.

[00:38:16] You need five nearly perfect aligned mirrors sealed upon the metal plates. Each of the five will form the sides and bottom of the inner box. One larger mirror should be attached to the large metal plate, which will be used for the top. A simple light source of pure white or bright yellow is also needed. The light source should emit in almost all directions. Candles can be used, but carbon dioxide and monoxide poisoning is a problem.

[00:38:45] The light source should not be planted upon the mirrors or receive any outside energy. A construction technique should be left up to the witness. You will also need two or three alarm clocks. An extra alarm clock of any kind is also needed. Watches are fine, but not suggested due to the small typeface and hands. Wear simple clothing. Do not bring any other objects with you.

[00:39:11] Witnesses have often crowded the box, causing it to become useless or dangerous. This includes jewelry, food, weapons, or religious materials like beads and crucifixes. An assistant is required to help the witness in and out of the box and to get help in case of emergencies. The assistant should be trusting and as strong-willed as the witness. You will also need two ladders, several blankets, water, medical remedies, and a first aid kit.

[00:39:39] When the box is complete and ready to use, prepare the alarm clocks to ring around 10 minutes after the witness's planned entrance. Depending on the material used for the box itself, the time of day will not matter, but a night during the new moon is suggested. Despite intuition, sound does not play a large role in the event. The witness should use a small, unattached ladder to enter the box.

[00:40:05] The top should already be placed upon the box, with an opening large enough for the witness to enter. Once inside, the witness should be handed the light source and the clocks. One should be kept with the assistant. The outside assistant should ask sincerely whether the witness is okay. Once confirmation is given, the top should be moved to seal the box. The witness may turn on the light source once the box is sealed.

[00:40:32] If at any point the witness asks to leave the box, only the top should be opened. The witness may do this themselves since the top of the box should be easily reachable. Once the 10 minutes are up, you should always remove the top of the box, regardless of what the witness says. Some witnesses may plead to stay inside the box, even suggesting great danger if you open it. The assistant should never trust those pleas.

[00:41:02] Suffocation is only one of many concerns should the witness stay too long in the box. Once the top has been slid open, place the second ladder in the box to allow the witness to leave. If the witness has any serious wounds or discoloration, call for medical help. Should you happen to meet a witness, never trust what they say about their experiences, and never ask them for the time or where the intumbra meets.

[00:41:32] So that is the mirror box ritual. Super terrifying. I don't know how you would even construct something like that. So it doesn't seem like a game that's very accessible, but I feel like that's a good thing. Because this sounds so terrifying. It sounds like something out of a horror movie. And I mean, it reminds me of the psychomantium that Moody made. But the fact that you're fully surrounded by mirrors, it sounds more like a haunted house, a fun house.

[00:42:00] And I don't like it. I think it's really creepy. I don't like that idea of the person inside the box saying weird, creepy shit. Or like saying they don't want to leave the box. If you would ever play this, let me know. I'm curious down in the comments. And if you have played it, also let me know. But I'm not going to be inclined to believe whatever you say.

[00:42:28] Mirrors continue to be part of our everyday lives. But as we've heard today, they carry stories that are anything but ordinary. Whether you believe they're portals, prisons, or just polished glass, one thing is certain. For centuries, people have felt there's something more staring back at them. So that everybody is today's perplexing episode all about mirrors. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. I hope you enjoyed it.

[00:42:57] I hope I didn't scare you too much. If you did enjoy today's episode, I would love if you let me know. If you're watching on YouTube, drop a comment down below. Hit all the buttons. The notification button, like the video, subscribe. If you're listening on a podcast platform, I would love if you left a five-star review. I am in dying need of more Apple reviews, so that's much appreciated. If you haven't left a review on Spotify, that's great too. That's how I get new listeners.

[00:43:23] If you are listening on Spotify, you can also drop a comment on this exact episode, letting me know your thoughts. I'm curious if you guys have ever had a creepy experience with a mirror, or if you're afraid to look in a mirror at night. Let me know. And don't forget, you can check out the Instagram post with all the pictures that go along with today's episode. If you want to support the show further, go check out the Patreon. There's tons of stuff on there. You can join the Perplexed Society for tons of perks, as little as two bucks a month.

[00:43:53] That's patreon.com slash perplexity mystery podcast. That wraps up today's episode. You all are amazing. I hope you have a great week. Please stay safe. Don't look in a mirror. And I will talk to you next week. Bye. Perplexity, a mystery podcast is hosted, written and produced by me, Kedra Brannan. This show is proud to be a part of the Black Cat Network. Assistant editor is Charlie Leopold. Theme song by Patrick Thompson.

[00:44:21] All music used in this episode is from Pixabay. If you like the show, be sure to share it with others and leave a five star rating and review. Contact support and merch links can be found in the episode description. To unlock early ad free episodes and exclusive bonus content, join the Perplexed Society at patreon.com slash perplexity mystery podcast. Listener stories, topic requests and business inquiries can be submitted to perplexity mystery podcast.com or emailed to perplexity mystery podcast at gmail.com.

[00:44:51] Until next week, stay curious.