How do rituals for communing with the dead affect the mind? And conversely, how does the way your brain is wired affect the perception that these experiences are real? A team of researchers decided to find out in pointed style: by isolating research subjects in a dark room where they were directed to sit in front of a mirror for nearly an hour. Strange things, they reported in a study in Journal of Anomalous Experience and Cognition, then ensued. The setup may sound familiar to paranormal enthusiasts: it’s what’s known…
