Scrying (also called
seeing or
peeping) is the practice of looking into a translucent ball or other material with the
belief that things can be seen, such as spiritual visions, and less often for purposes of
divination or
fortune-telling. The most common media used are reflective, translucent, or luminescent substances such as crystals, stones, glass, mirrors, water, fire, or smoke. Scrying has been used in many cultures in the belief that it can divine the past, present, or future. The visions that come when one stares into the media are believed by some to come from one's
subconscious and
imagination, though others believe they come from
gods,
spirits,
devils, or the
psychic mind, depending on the culture and practice.