Scientists explain why people may 'see ghosts' in a mirror

An experiment with a mirror and deceased loved ones

Some people, looking into a mirror in dim light, see unusual images and even the faces of the dead. A team of researchers examined how such experiences relate to personality traits and the surrounding environment. The work was published in the journal Journal of Anomalous Experience and Cognition (JAEC), reports Gazeta.Ru. The study involved 30 people who had previously reported unusual experiences, including encounters with alleged ghosts; 15 of them had synesthesia — a perceptual trait in which stimulation of one sense triggers sensations associated with another.

How the session was conducted

The volunteers were offered a practice known as the psychomanteum: its proponents believe that a mirror can be used to attempt contact with the deceased. First, participants were asked to spend 15 minutes thinking about a deceased loved one, after which they spent 45 minutes in front of the mirror. Unusual sensations were recorded with a special button, while the researchers measured heart rate, temperature, and electromagnetic and geomagnetic readings. After the session, the volunteers rated the brightness and realism of what they saw, as well as whether the images seemed to occupy real space.

What the scientists found

The researchers found no differences in the intensity of unusual experiences between participants with and without synesthesia. However, higher creativity correlated with how real the visual images seemed. Among participants with synesthesia, geomagnetic fluctuations and electromagnetic fields correlated with ratings of how much physical space the experience seemed to occupy; a link with heart rate variability was also noted. The authors concluded that unusual sensations when looking into a mirror may be related to a combination of individual traits and external factors. At the same time, the small study revealed correlations, but did not prove that electromagnetic fields or other parameters cause such visions.

Significance of the work

For people inclined to explain such images mystically, the results provide a material basis for a different interpretation: according to the authors, the realism of the visions is linked to creativity, and in some participants to measurable environmental parameters and heart rhythm. In practical terms, this means that conclusions about 'ghosts' cannot yet be considered proof of anything beyond correlations: the sample of 30 people is small, and causal relationships were not established in the study.