The Most Dangerous Games: The Testing Game

Previously: Chertik, Chertik.

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I’ve only ever seen the Testing Game — a ritual that checks whether you’re sensitive to spirits — on Indonesian and Malaysian sites, which suggests that it’s rooted in Southeast Asian folklore. The earliest version of it I’ve found online dates to around 2014, but I’m the first to admit that my research for this one has a lot of holes; language barriers can be difficult to work around. I’ve done my best to pull it all together into something cohesive, though, so as a rough outline, it should hopefully work.

In form, this game is much like the Doors To Your Mind: A sort of meditation ritual that asks you to close your eyes, visualize a particular place, and make careful note of what you see or experience there. The difference, however, is that the Testing Game isn’t guided. There are no partners to help you out; you’re on your own. There’s no mention in any of my sources about what might happen if there’s someone else in the room with you while you play, but I’d be careful about drawing someone else in—it could help, true, but it also might backfire pretty spectacularly.

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For what it’s worth, this ritual is relatively safe, especially in comparison to many other Most Dangerous Games — but there’s still some peril involved. At the end of the day, none of these games are truly “safe,” so, as always…

Play at your own risk.

Players:

• One principal.

Requirements:

• A dark, quiet room.

Instructions:

The Preparations:

1. Begin at any time.
2. Go to your quiet room. Draw the curtains. Dim the lights, or turn out them out completely. Sit down. Get comfortable. Take a deep breath.
3. Close your eyes.

The Journey:

1. In your mind’s eye, recall the home in which you grew up. If you lived in many homes as a child, choose the one to which you have the strongest connection — the one with the most memories attached to it.
   • Note: A “home” does not have to be a house, apartment, or other domicile. A “home” can be anywhere you felt… well, at home.
2. Visualize this home in as much detail as possible. Begin with the outside: What does it look like? How many doors does it have? How about windows? What color is it? What building material or materials has it been constructed from? Is the roof peaked? Flat? Gabled? Does it have a roof? Is it even a building at all? What sort of environment is it in?
3. Now picture yourself opening the door to this home and traveling through its rooms, one by one. What does each one look like? What’s inside? What was it used for? What did you do here? What does it smell like? What does it feel like?
   • Note: If your chosen home is not a building, you may adapt the concepts of “doors” and “rooms” as necessary. A “door” may not necessarily be a literal door, but some other form of egress — how you entered and exited the space. Similarly, a “room” may not necessarily be a space defined by four walls, a ceiling, and a floor, but by whatever else might be characteristic of that specific location.
4. As you travel through each room, take particular note of the following: Is there anyone else there with you? What is their relationship to you? Who are they? Do you know them? If you do, how well? In the present time, are they living, or have they passed on? What do they look like? What are they wearing? How are they behaving? Are they performing any actions or activities? Can they see you? Do they want to interact with you?
5. Are they human? Or are they… something else?
6. Do not forget what you have seen. If you encountered others, do not forget which room you encountered them within.
7. Open your eyes.

The Results:

1. Remain still. Remain calm. Take another deep breath, if you need one.
2. Think back on the journey you just took. Recall whether you saw anyone else in the home with you:
   • If you saw no one: You have no sensitivity to spirits.
   • If you saw friends or family members: You are mildly sensitive to spirits.
   • If you saw someone you know to be dead: You are very sensitive to spirits.
   • If you saw something… not human: You are very sensitive to spirits — and some of them are particularly drawn to you. But be warned: Not all spirits are friendly.
3. Take this information — the knowledge of whether you have particular sensitivities or not — and do with it what you will.
4. The ritual can only tell you your status. It cannot tell you what to do with that knowledge.
5. After all, you are the one who will have to continue to move through this world afterward.

Additional Notes:

The only requirement for this game is a space in which to play it. You may, however, choose to utilize other supplies to aid in the experience: Small lanterns or candles; cushions or other soft items on which to sit; incense to purify the air; etc. Should you choose to use additional supplies, however, make sure that they will not distract you from your journey. These items should help, not hinder.

Should you experience difficulty visualizing your chosen home, cease your efforts, open your eyes, and try again another time. Visualization exercises may help you gain the skills you need to conduct this ritual properly. Do not attempt it again until you are certain you are ready.

Non-human entities encountered within the visualized rooms of your chosen home may appear in many different forms, including but not limited to: Smoke; shadows; silhouettes; essences; etc.

Concerning Any Rooms In Which Others Are Encountered:

If you still have access to the home you visualized while performing this ritual, it would be wise to tread carefully in and around these rooms from henceforth; in the physical/waking world, they contain what might be thought of as windows to… other worlds. Should you experience anything unusual in such rooms, vacate them immediately. Think carefully about whether you truly wish to enter them again in the future.

If what you encountered was not human, however, DO NOT ENTER THESE ROOMS under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

They might still be there, you see.

And they might not be willing to let you go.

The Testing Game: FAQ.

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[Photo via nmagwood/Pixabay]