The fable.
This isn’t a post about the Netflix series, although they undoubtedly got the name from the occult paraphernalia. I heard it on a podcast, it was an interview with a couple who have a traveling museum of the paranormal and occult. They were talking about some peculiar objects they own and one was a black mirror. That black mirror was also the only item in the museum they kept covered up!

The reason they kept it covered was because of some visitors having weird experiences. One woman looked into the mirror and saw herself on fire, not only that, but her mirror image reached out and grabbed herself by the wrist. The woman ran off screaming, and the owner ran after her to ask what was wrong. After telling her story, they just thought she was hallucinating, until they noticed blisters on her wrists.

I'll never look at a mirror the same way again!
Not a story you hear every day, right? So I went looking for more on the topic. A black mirror is used for scrying, a sort of ritual where you gaze into a dark surface or orb in hopes of receiving visions or prophesies. You’ve seen it many times before, but you just didn’t realize that it was a black mirror. You’ve probably played “Bloody Mary”, stare into a mirror in a darkened room and say her name 3 times after which she will appear. Maybe you remember the scene where Harry Potter stands in front of the Mirror of Erised and sees his parents? Mirror, Mirror on the wall might ring a bell… The more you think about it, the more you recall stories that include black mirrors.

So, what is it exactly?
A black mirror is a reflective surface that you stare into and will show you whatever occupies your mind the most at that time. And, it seems to actually work, it even has scientific backing. The phenomenon is called perceptual deprivation, it requires you to stare into a completely uniform and unstructured field. After a while, your mind goes looking for any disturbances in the surface. If it can’t find any, it will start creating noise and that in turn triggers your visual cortex to create hallucinations.

Black mirrors were originally made from dark stones that were cut and polished. Obsidian used to be most ideal. More recently obsidian orbs have been used, but for the amateur devil worshiper a painted glass surface will do just fine.

Free hallucinogens for all!
It comes down to staring into pitch black while being highly aware. Usually when you do that, it’s when you’re going to sleep. Maybe that’s why you dream? But you can induce these hallucinations at any time, by making your own black mirror. The easiest way would be to use the screen of your phone while it’s off. A more fancy solution would be to paint the back of a glass plate black with a few layers of oil paint, like the back of a picture frame. And I guess the best but most expensive solution would be to paint some surface with Vantablack.

In conclusion
I most definitely am going to try this, it’s fascinating. Who wouldn’t want to be able to dream on demand? The more I think about it, the more I remember places I’ve been that had darkened mirrors. Just be careful, black mirrors are mostly used for the occult. It’s a big hit with satanism it seems. So that little old granny down the street with that weird mirror on the wall you noticed once might just be… a satanic witch!

https://aliens-and-conspiracies.com/2018/08/25/black-mirror/