During training for my doctorate of divinity in 2013 I had the privilege to study under the world-renowned Raymond Moody, M.D., Ph.D, best known for his ground-breaking work on life after death and near-death experiences (NDE), a term that he coined in 1975 in his classic best-selling book Life After Life (over 13 million copies sold worldwide). 

Part of the training was to study about Psychomanteum (often called "mirror gazing" or "scrying").

Dr. Moody developed the psychomanteum, an apparitional chamber specially set up to communicate with the spiritual realm. It was inspired by techniques used in ancient Greece.

Following Dr. Moody's lead, Dr. Arthur Hastings (cached) from Sofia University conducted a study using psychomanteums in 2002 " Psychomanteum Research: Experiences and Effects on Bereavement" and continued psychomanteum studies in 2012 with results published in an article "Effects On Bereavement Using a Restricted Sensory Environment (Psychomanteum)" in The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 2012, Vol. 44, No. 1.