Bloody Mary

DaveC426913

DaveC426913

Valued Senior Member
This is kind of ghost/monster-like since that's what reportedly typically manifests.

https://digg.com/video/history-bloody-mary-mirror-trick-why-actually-works

I watched this video with the open mind of a skeptic, (impatiently, since it took them over five minutes to actually get to the point), and it turns out this has some real demonstrable science behind it.

Essentially, if you look into a mirror long enough, under the right conditions you will (may) see a yourself turn into a monster (a dissociative effect).

There's a section in the video at 5:50-6:20 that very effectively demonstrates a related effect. You may have heard of it before as the "Celebrity Face Distortion" - I had not seen it before, and it was very effective for me.

Doing it to yourself in a mirror adds the creepy immediacy of being in real-time and right in your face, and - well - you.

I'm gonna try this next time I have a mirror and a 25-watt bulb.
 
There are a lot of similar interesting effects from just staring at something. When there is no continuing stimulation that brain "takes a break" :)

There is a grey screen with a plus sign in the middle that you stare at. The grey screen has some colors mixed in. After a few seconds the colors go away.

Or stare at a colorful pattern for 30 seconds and then look at a white wall. You will now see that same pattern with complementary (opposite) colors.

We used to do that when bored in elementary school. Stare at the red, white and blue flag and then stare at a blank wall and you will see a green, white and orange flag.
 
Seattle said:
There are a lot of similar interesting effects from just staring at something. When there is no continuing stimulation that brain "takes a break" :)

There is a grey screen with a plus sign in the middle that you stare at. The grey screen has some colors mixed in. After a few seconds the colors go away.

Or stare at a colorful pattern for 30 seconds and then look at a white wall. You will now see that same pattern with complementary (opposite) colors.

We used to do that when bored in elementary school. Stare at the red, white and blue flag and then stare at a blank wall and you will see a green, white and orange flag.
Click to expand...
Yep. Troxler Fading. It, in conjunction with pareidolia, is the cause of the effect seen the the Celebrity Face thing.
 
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