cursed mirror !!!

saintNsinnerr

My wife and I live in athlone with one more couple + their daughter who is 2 years old.
So our house mate *mary* purchased a second hand mirror from a shop in athlone ,who deals in old / used stuff. it was about a couple of months ago.
Mary put the mirror in her daughters room with her toys and bed and stuff. We did not worried too much as to what was wrong with the daughter ,Karina , but she became very agitated and violent in a way (i know wt ur thinking "How violent can small kids be?") , but she used to slap us and kick us with her little hands and feet. We use to think , "grand, no harm done" ah sure... shes only a kid. but it was irritating after a while. we thought may be shes getting new teeth so thats why she cries and smash her toys coz of pain and all.

One night , I was in bed while my wife and Mary were having coffee downstairs in the kitchen , and we heard Karina crying at the top of her voice.. Mary and my wife rushed up, coz the cry was unusual , it was very loud.. they opened the door of kidds room , and I swear to God I m not making this up, little Karinas eyes were wide open and she was staring at her teddy bear which was at the edge of her bed , and shaking violently with fear.. I mean my wife has got somewhat extended 6th sense , she can feel if theres somthing is present somewhere (like our last house 2 yrs ago which was next to cemetry in athlone) and my wife was genuenly scared for the kid... i mean she said she never saw anything like this before... the way the child was shaking with fear was truly horrifying...
The next day she started asking questions to Mary abt the stuff in the room when Mary told her she brought a second hand mirror from the she shop , and my wife straight away told her to dump the mirror far from house ,m which mary rightly did.
(In fact Mary told my wife after the incident that she also felt sometime when her husband was away for night shift she cud see from the corner of her eye some man standing next to her bed with a big hat (3-4 times this happened now) but when she looked there was no-one.
Its 2 weeks now since the incident , and Karina is back as us
ual , playful , happy and a peaceful child.....

Did somebody else had similar experience with mirrors?????
wud be interesting to know...
regards
Abi

Ziycon

Can you put up a picture of the front and back of the mirror please?

charlemont

Thats creepy, But I do believe it.

Antikythera

I despair for the intellectual progression of the human race.

charlemont

Antikythera wrote: »

I despair for the intellectual progression of the human race.

You should despair for your own intellect.

Oryx

Antikythera wrote: »

I despair for the intellectual progression of the human race.

Please read the charter and note that you should respect the input of other posters when replying here.

kylith

Sounds like the kid's had night terrors; they affect kids from about the age of 2 up. My niece used to get them and you'd think she was being murdered from the screams, then awake for hours, but not actually awake, shaking. Don't forget, also, the 'terrible twos' which is when kids will generally start asserting their independance and is, in my experience, when you're likely to get walloped by a child.

Shame to throw away a perfectly good mirror over it. What'll they be advised to throw out as 'possessed' next time the child has a bad dream, I wonder.

saintNsinnerr

kylith wrote: »

Sounds like the kid's had night terrors; they affect kids from about the age of 2 up. My niece used to get them and you'd think she was being murdered from the screams, then awake for hours, but not actually awake, shaking. Don't forget, also, the 'terrible twos' which is when kids will generally start asserting their independance and is, in my experience, when you're likely to get walloped by a child.

Shame to throw away a perfectly good mirror over it. What'll they be advised to throw out as 'possessed' next time the child has a bad dream, I wonder.

respect wt u said. true to some extent.. but --
1) why is child `back to normal` happy kid , when i come home from work now, she gives me a kiss now... which never hapended like for 2 months when the mirror was in the house..

2) the mum saw weired dreams when teh mirror was at home.. she cud from the corner from her eye..see a shdow of a man standing beside her bed with a hat looking at her?

3) also forgot to write in my 1st post , " when my wife brought a candle in the room infront of mirror , it extengiushed with black smoke??
i am not making it up

the mirror has bennn thrown so cant post any pics of it.. sorry

Antikythera

charlemont wrote: »

Thats creepy, But I do believe it.

charlemont wrote: »

You should despair for your own intellect.

No comment.

Ziycon

Can you describe it or even sketch a drawing of it? I'm very interested to get an idea of what it looked like, do you the history of the mirror or where it came from?

Urizen

Mirrors always freak me out. It's always the same guy just staring at me.

Seriously though, there are countless legends and rumour about old mirrors being bad news. Stories of people's souls being trapped if they die while looking in one, gateways to the spirit world etc. Who's to say there's no basis in fact?

I would say, however, not to jump to a paranormal conclusion. Kids ARE difficult around that age, and it's natural for the mother to blame something new, such as the mirror. Also, it's likely that the mother has heard some myths about mirrors, that could have influenced her view of the scenario.

With regard to the candle... Candles blow out. Not a big deal really. In darkness all smoke looks black.

kylith

saintNsinnerr wrote: »

respect wt u said. true to some extent.. but --
1) why is child `back to normal` happy kid , when i come home from work now, she gives me a kiss now... which never hapended like for 2 months when the mirror was in the house..

2) the mum saw weired dreams when teh mirror was at home.. she cud from the corner from her eye..see a shdow of a man standing beside her bed with a hat looking at her?

3) also forgot to write in my 1st post , " when my wife brought a candle in the room infront of mirror , it extengiushed with black smoke??
i am not making it up

the mirror has bennn thrown so cant post any pics of it.. sorry

1) I'm not a child psychologist but it could be down to: a) The 'Terrible Twos' and ye think that the differences in temper are due to the mirror due to confirmation bias (i.e. you are forgetting all the periods of temper that have happened before ye got the mirror because you've convinced yourself that the mirror is responsible. Try keeping a diary of the child's moods; I bet she gets in a temper more often than you think) b) Lack of rest due to night terrors c) lack of rest due to teething.

2) From where I am sitting now I would swear that there is a large spider by the skirting board. Having examined it I know it is only a hank of dog hair, but everytime I see it out of the corner of my eye it looks like a spider and it gives me a start. I'd imagine that a random assortment of clothes/shadows/decor seen whilst half asleep, in the dark, in a mirror could look like a person. As for the weird dreams, who doesn't have a rake of weird dreams from time to time?

3) Candles go out all the time due to dampness, the wick being too short, random drafts. The fact that you said that your wife 'brought it in front of the mirror' means that it was in motion, i.e. subject to air moving over it. Air moving over it will put a candle out. The 'black smoke' would be caused by the candle going out rather than being the cause of it.

I don't think that you're making anything up, I think that you are allowing your desire for the existance of paranormal entities to stop you thinking rationally about a series of circumstances. Next time you think you see something paranormal take a deep breath, clear your head, ask yourself 'Could anything else have caused this?', remember Occam's razor (the simplest answer is usually the correct one), and go investigate. Don't throw out furniture for being 'haunted', go give it a poke. Examine the frame, check out the drawers, if any, see if it creaks when you wobble it, check underneath it and behind it, move it around the house (if it creeps you out in the bedroom try put it in the hall). Same with houses, if there's a weird creaking noise go find out why. And don't waste money throwing things out in future; lob it on adverts.ie or donedeal and at least get a bit of cash for it. You can warn people if you think it may be haunted, but someone'll buy it anyway.

Ticktactoe

I am a fellow Athlonian too and am wondering if it is more the area and house rather than mirror.... have you been living long there?

boredatwork82

Was it the house at Cornamagh cemetary?
I remember one night we were going home late, After work, so there was no drunken mirages involved, and one of the girls swore that she say a guy standing at the gate, and he was wearing a "Chefs Hat" thats what she described, none of the rest of us saw it as we were driving fairly fast. She is adamant that she saw it and was visibly distressed over it.
I

Shane St.

boredatwork82 wrote: »

Was it the house at Cornamagh cemetary?
I remember one night we were going home late, After work, so there was no drunken mirages involved, and one of the girls swore that she say a guy standing at the gate, and he was wearing a "Chefs Hat" thats what she described, none of the rest of us saw it as we were driving fairly fast. She is adamant that she saw it and was visibly distressed over it.
I

maybe there was a chef there visiting a grave in fairness

boredatwork82

Shane St. wrote: »

maybe there was a chef there visiting a grave in fairness

Maybe there was, but at 4 o clock in the morning? Could have been someone walking home after a fancy dress party, or some drunk guy found a chefs hat in the pub and thought it'd be gas.

I am not saying its true or false, just might be of interest to OP.

Antikythera

boredatwork82 wrote: »

I am not saying its true or false, just might be of interest to OP.

Could be an interesting clue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcHy8xEt2QI

kylith

It could have just been a white hat. If you were driving past at speed, and it was at night, she wouldn't have had opportunity to get a good look.

Mebbel

kylith wrote: »

1) I'm not a child psychologist but it could be down to: a) The 'Terrible Twos' and ye think that the differences in temper are due to the mirror due to confirmation bias (i.e. you are forgetting all the periods of temper that have happened before ye got the mirror because you've convinced yourself that the mirror is responsible. Try keeping a diary of the child's moods; I bet she gets in a temper more often than you think) b) Lack of rest due to night terrors c) lack of rest due to teething.

2) From where I am sitting now I would swear that there is a large spider by the skirting board. Having examined it I know it is only a hank of dog hair, but everytime I see it out of the corner of my eye it looks like a spider and it gives me a start. I'd imagine that a random assortment of clothes/shadows/decor seen whilst half asleep, in the dark, in a mirror could look like a person. As for the weird dreams, who doesn't have a rake of weird dreams from time to time?

3) Candles go out all the time due to dampness, the wick being too short, random drafts. The fact that you said that your wife 'brought it in front of the mirror' means that it was in motion, i.e. subject to air moving over it. Air moving over it will put a candle out. The 'black smoke' would be caused by the candle going out rather than being the cause of it.

I don't think that you're making anything up, I think that you are allowing your desire for the existance of paranormal entities to stop you thinking rationally about a series of circumstances. Next time you think you see something paranormal take a deep breath, clear your head, ask yourself 'Could anything else have caused this?', remember Occam's razor (the simplest answer is usually the correct one), and go investigate. Don't throw out furniture for being 'haunted', go give it a poke. Examine the frame, check out the drawers, if any, see if it creaks when you wobble it, check underneath it and behind it, move it around the house (if it creeps you out in the bedroom try put it in the hall). Same with houses, if there's a weird creaking noise go find out why. And don't waste money throwing things out in future; lob it on adverts.ie or donedeal and at least get a bit of cash for it. You can warn people if you think it may be haunted, but someone'll buy it anyway.

Although I appreciate the feedback from rational thinkers on subjects like these, when faced with a set of circumstances similar to this (which I have personally experienced on more than one occasion) thinking rationally or even logically is not as easy as it would seem.

Yes the mind plays tricks, yes you feel a rush of emotions (anger, denial, suspense, fear). True enough, logically one would have to examine the cause and methodically rule out the possible causes leaving only one logical solution.

Trust me when I say this, not one person faced with these circumstances is going to calmly walk towards the mirror, turn it back and forth, inspect the frame or possible marks... Any human, with any given emotions will react emotionally... especially when this concerns the wellbeing of their spouses.

Ziycon

Mebbel wrote: »

Trust me when I say this, not one person faced with these circumstances is going to calmly walk towards the mirror, turn it back and forth, inspect the frame or possible marks... Any human, with any given emotions will react emotionally... especially when this concerns the wellbeing of their spouses.

I don't agree with this, no matter if you believe in the paranormal or not, people by pure curiosity will want to have a look at the 'cause'/object in question to see if they can figure out what is going on. Its human nature to want to learn.

kylith

Mebbel wrote: »

Trust me when I say this, not one person faced with these circumstances is going to calmly walk towards the mirror, turn it back and forth, inspect the frame or possible marks... Any human, with any given emotions will react emotionally... especially when this concerns the wellbeing of their spouses.

What a load of rot. When I heard weird noises in my living room and the dogs were staring at the walls I went looking to see what was causing it (mice). When I was freaked out by a ghostly white figure in my bedroom when I was a teenager I got out of bed in the dark and went to investigate (my white school shirt reflecting light from the streetlight outside).

To say that no-one would investigate something just because you're too scared to is utter nonsense. If it's fight or flight some of us will choose fight.

Mebbel

kylith wrote: »

What a load of rot. When I heard weird noises in my living room and the dogs were staring at the walls I went looking to see what was causing it (mice). When I was freaked out by a ghostly white figure in my bedroom when I was a teenager I got out of bed in the dark and went to investigate (my white school shirt reflecting light from the streetlight outside).

To say that no-one would investigate something just because you're too scared to is utter nonsense. If it's fight or flight some of us will choose fight.

You are not referring to what could be conceived as paranormal phenomena. The examples you mention are neither scary, nor do they relate to the subject at hand... if you chose to 'fight' your white school shirt or take a stand against the mice inside your walls then by all means do... but its nothing heroic...

Firstly, if you read what is stated what is being referred to is a complete overhaul of personality, 'shaking with fear' is as it is described. This, is NOT normal behaviour for a child. Secondly, a parent will know when something is out of the ordinary, whether they feel it or see it... they will know, so when they notice this kind of behaviour and the odreals surrounding it, it is only natural to react emotionally.

Mebbel

Ziycon wrote: »

I don't agree with this, no matter if you believe in the paranormal or not, people by pure curiosity will want to have a look at the 'cause'/object in question to see if they can figure out what is going on. Its human nature to want to learn.

I dont believe people are reading what it is I am saying, I am referring to emotional reactions. This is dependant on the person, and not everybody reacts as strongly as the other.

Yes, curiousity and the willingness to explore is in human kind's nature, however when faced with a set of circumstances in which you feel the cause (regardless of what it is) is causing harm to you and others around you... not knowing how to resolve or react, if you have no experience in the matter...

What solution is offered, not everyone is well versed in the paranomal, and not everyone knows where to turn if this happens. And if you try and discuss it, 9 times out of 10 you will be ridiculed or laughed at...

I understand why the reaction was to destroy it, or the desire to make it dissapear... Clearly few people share this opinion, although few people have experienced similar circumstances like this themselves...

kylith

Mebbel wrote: »

Firstly, if you read what is stated what is being referred to is a complete overhaul of personality, 'shaking with fear' is as it is described. This, is NOT normal behaviour for a child. Secondly, a parent will know when something is out of the ordinary, whether they feel it or see it... they will know, so when they notice this kind of behaviour and the odreals surrounding it, it is only natural to react emotionally.

Shaking with fear after waking up from a nightmare is completely normal. As for a change in personality, well, we don't know the child but to say that a parent must be 100% right about their child's behaviour is, unfortunately, untrue. Studies have shown that the parent can certainly be mistaken; allowing their own beliefs to cloud their judgement. I used to teach swimming. One woman insisted to me that her child was terrified of water, which was completely untrue. Even when the child was swimming completely unaided, jumping in and having a great time she insisted that the child was terrified. Studies have been done on percieved hyperactivity in children where the kids were given fizzy drinks and lots of sugar, but the parents were told that they'd had water and fruit. Parents reported that their child was not hyper. Then the children were given water and fruit and the parents told that they'd been fed fizzy drinks and sweets; parents reported that their children were hyper. There was actually no difference in the child's behaviour, the only difference was the parent's perception of their behaviour.

Mebbel wrote: »

I dont believe people are reading what it is I am saying, I am referring to emotional reactions. This is dependant on the person, and not everybody reacts as strongly as the other.

Yes, it is dependent on the person which is why your assertion

not one person faced with these circumstances is going to calmly walk towards the mirror, turn it back and forth, inspect the frame or possible marks... Any human, with any given emotions will react emotionally

is nonsense.

As for my experiences, of course they're not scary, now, because I investigated them. If I had come on here and said "I'm really freaked out. I keep hearing weird noises and my dogs are acting strangely" or "I'm really freaked out; every night I see a ghostly white figure in the corner of my room, staring at me" I would have been up to my neck in people telling me that there was probably a presence and my dogs could see it, and had I called such-and-such a group, or I should stink up my house by burning sage, or I should waste money by throwing out perfectly good furniture.

Anyone: if you're freaked out by weird noises, and you live near me, I am willling to come round and have a good nosey to see if I can figure it out.

ETA hyperactivity study links:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7963081?dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8052458
http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/index.html?quid=241

Mebbel

Kylith, I applaud your bravery!

Please allow me to correct myself then...

I 'feel' that an emotional reaction in the set of circumstances described would be more than acceptable and understandable 'from my point of view'.

I 'believe' that a parent would know what would be conceived as normal behaviour for their child, and something that would be out of the ordinary.

I 'assumed' that shaking with fear, would not be considered normal behaviour for a toddler (crying, screaming, causing a tanrum perhaps).

I am aware of the studies you are referring to, and I most certainly do not disagree with the conclusions drawn from the results. More specifically the misperception, or rather misdiagnose of Attention Deficite Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), sure a poorly managed diet can cause these issues. However that is not the topic of discussion.

My 'assertion' was that in any given circumstances people would not calmly investigate the matter, which is something you agree with as you were struck with fear as well when investigating the examples you provided.

Not everyone will have the same desire to investigate, not everyone has the desire to learn or explore. You chose to, despite your fears investigate...

kylith

I wasn't afraid because I never jumped to the conclusion that there was anything to be afraid of. The conclusion that there is something inexplicable going on should always be the last one.

Mebbel

kylith wrote: »

I wasn't afraid because I never jumped to the conclusion that there was anything to be afraid of. The conclusion that there is something inexplicable going on should always be the last one.

"of course they're not scary, now, because I investigated them."

Indicating they were freightening to begin with, which is natural... no? Why else would you investigate that, which deductive reasoning and logic would have explained straight away?

Noopti

Mebbel wrote: »

Although I appreciate the feedback from rational thinkers on subjects like these, when faced with a set of circumstances similar to this (which I have personally experienced on more than one occasion) thinking rationally or even logically is not as easy as it would seem.

Very true, and the main reason why people are very quick to attach paranormal reasons to such events, when in fact they are nothing of the sort.

David900

boredatwork82 wrote: »

Maybe there was, but at 4 o clock in the morning? Could have been someone walking home after a fancy dress party, or some drunk guy found a chefs hat in the pub and thought it'd be gas.

I am not saying its true or false, just might be of interest to OP.

Or the most obvious conclusion?

A chef coming home from work.