Editing Scrying (section)

{{Short description|Seeking visions in a reflective surface}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Scry|Scrye}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=January 2024}}
[[Image:John William Waterhouse - The Crystal Ball.JPG|right|thumb|''[[The Crystal Ball (painting)|The Crystal Ball]]'' by [[John William Waterhouse]] (1902, oil on canvas)]]
{{Paranormal}}
'''Scrying''', also referred to as "seeing" or "peeping," is a practice rooted in [[divination]] and [[fortune-telling]]. It involves gazing into a medium, hoping to receive significant messages or visions that could offer personal guidance, [[prophecy]], [[revelation]], or inspiration.<ref name= "isbn0-19-861271-0">{{cite book |last=Brown |first=Lesley |title=The New shorter Oxford English dictionary on historical principles |publisher=Clarendon |location=Oxford [Eng.] |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-19-861271-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/newshorteroxford00lesl }}</ref> The practice lacks a definitive distinction from other forms of [[clairvoyance]] or divination but generally relies on visions within the chosen medium. Unlike [[augury]], which interprets observable events, or divination, which follows standardized rituals, scrying's impressions arise within the medium itself.

The terminology and methods of scrying are diverse and lack a standardized structure. Practitioners coin terms such as "crystallomancy," "spheromancy," or "[[catoptromancy]]," naming practices based on the medium or technique employed. These practices have been reinvented throughout history, spanning cultures and regions. Scrying media encompass reflective, refractive, or luminescent surfaces like crystals, mirrors, water, fire, or smoke. Some practitioners even close their eyes, engaging in "eyelid scrying."

Methods of scrying often include self-induced [[trance]]s, using media like [[crystal ball]]s or even modern technology like [[smartphone]]s. Practitioners enter a focused state that reduces mental clutter, enabling the emergence of visual images. These initial images, however trivial, are amplified during the trance. Some scryers report that they hear their voice affirming what they see, creating a mental feedback loop.

Throughout history, various traditions and cultures have practiced scrying as a means of revealing the past, present, or future. The practice involves diverse media, from reflective surfaces to shimmering mirages, and is often accompanied by [[ritual]]s inducing [[altered states of consciousness]]. Despite its popularity in [[occult]] circles and its portrayal in media, scrying lacks empirical support and has been met with skepticism from the scientific community.