8 Creepy and Strange Facts About Mirrors

Ancient Romans believed that mirrors could trap a person's soul, according to the Ancient Origins website. Breaking a mirror was thought to break the soul and cause seven years of bad luck as the soul took that long to regenerate

Many cultures viewed mirrors as gateways or portals through which spirits or otherworldly entities could enter our world. This is why mirrors are often covered or removed when someone dies, to prevent the soul from being trapped or lingering.

Some mirrors are believed to be haunted or cursed, containing trapped spirits. For example, the famous “Lugosi mirror,” said to have belonged to actor Bela Lugosi, reportedly shows dark entities and causes bad luck to owners.

A popular ritual involves chanting "Bloody Mary" into a mirror in a dark room to summon a vengeful spirit. This legend exemplifies the fear that mirrors can reflect or reveal supernatural forces.

Psychological experiments show that staring at your reflection in dim light often causes faces to warp or appear as monsters or deceased loved ones, revealing how mirrors can trick our brains in eerie ways.

Beyond light, some mirrors, like "atomic mirrors," can reflect matter such as neutral atoms using electromagnetic fields. Also, acoustic mirrors reflecting sound waves have been used historically for detecting airplanes.

Throughout history, mirrors have been used in magical rituals to communicate with spirits or see the future. Medieval love magic and gazing to foresee a future spouse are early examples.

Ancient Chinese mythology tells of beings living inside mirrors that mimic people and eventually emerge to replace them. This chilling belief adds to the mystique and fear surrounding mirrors.