There are of course many ways and means of investigating consciousness or altered states of awareness but a very little known but effective way of exploring these areas is the very ancient technique of mirror gazing.. The Greeks used a similar type of device that enabled them to have 'visions' that were of great benefit in arriving at decisions. In fact the remains of these devices can still be seen in some parts of Greece like Ephyra for example.

These particular places where mirror gazing took place were known as psychomanteums and some researchers have constructed modern psychomanteums for studying the phenomenon of altered states of awareness.today. Dr Raymond Moody, who has famously researched the near death experience, has been the main proponent who has brought this practice back into favour amongst consciousness researchers. however, Dr moody was extolling the virtues of this technique in grief counseling as the process is said to create communication in some form with the deceased. Some early studies in this area do suggest that much grief can be alleviated after a few sessions at a psychomanteum.

We also find mirror gazing in the shamanic tradition throughout the world. In Siberia, Tungus shamans used copper mirrors to work with spirits. In their language, the word "mirror" is derived from the word for "spirit" or "soul", and so, the mirror was regarded as a window into the soul. Some zulu tribes of Africa also used 'mirror' gazing although it seems more likely that water was used as the medium instead of a true mirror.

Even a Celtic manuscript dating back to the twelfth century shows that an early king of England gazed into a cauldron in order to receive visionary information. indeed this is what early cauldrons may have been first used for as depicted in various movies about witches and magic.

One of the American Presidents found information through mirror visions. During the evening of the Presidential election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln reclined on a couch, and looked over at a mirror. There he was shocked to see a strange double image of himself. In one image, he looked like he was, and in the other, he looked pale and ghostly. Lincoln shared this experience with his wife who predicted that the first image meant that he would be re-elected to a second term, and that the second meant that he would die in office. As we all know, her interpretation proved to be true.

Today however mirror gazing can be utilized in the same manner as crystal ball gazing or 'scrying' as it is officially known. In any type of divination technique you are looking for symbolic information and not necessarily literal answers to issues that are pressing for you. You may of course have to wait a while for information to emerge and naturally you will go into an altered state whilst gazing or staring at the glass or mirror. Some people say that you have to gaze just beyond the mirror in a slightly darkened room and after a while it goes fuzzy or misty and symbols related to your issue or question will emerge in some way. It may be that your sub-conscious mind is responsible for some of the answers that come out of the process but even if that is the case it may still remain a helpful and creative process for many.