The Most Dangerous Games: How To See Your Occult Twin

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As far as I can tell, this ritual for summoning a supernatural double is Indonesian in origin. I’ve pretty much only encountered it on Indonesian websites and forums, often under the title “Cara Melihat Kembaran Gaib Kita” — or, in English, How To See Your Occult Twin.

Exactly what an “occult twin” is, though, is up for debate. Indeed, the actual translation of the term — “kembaran gaib” — seems to vary: Sometimes, it’s “occult twin,” as seen here; sometimes, it’s “magical twin” or “supernatural twin”; and sometimes, it’s even referred to specifically as “Qarin” or “Jinn Qarin” (or any number of other, alternate spellings for either term). This last option is a doubling concept in Islamic beliefs; Qarin are thought to be either spirits — both good or evil — who accompany humans throughout their lives and attempt to influence their actions, or else your “other self,” representing your innermost thoughts and feelings. They’re apparently similar to Jinn, or perhaps even related to them, but not necessarily Jinn themselves.

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(To me, by the way, the Qarin connection supports the idea of the ritual being Indonesian originally; Islam is the predominant religion in Indonesia, with around 87 percent of the population identifying as Muslim.)

Depending on your own belief system, though, it might be more helpful to think of your occult twin as a sort of doppelganger — one who can reveal something about yourself. In that respect, you may even want to think of this ritual less as a summoning ritual and more as a meditative one, like the Doors Of Your Mind. The point, it seems, is to learn something about yourself — something your conscious mind may need a little help to register.

In any event, the instructions for this ritual have been making their way around the internet in Indonesia and Malaysia as true creepypasta — that is, as the exact same blocks of text copied and pasted over and over and over again — for a considerable amount of time. It seems to come in two primary forms, with the switch between versions occurring as the ritual aged.

These days, the most commonly encountered form begins one of two ways: “Apakah kamu pernah dengar kalau kita punya kembaran gaib? Adapun cara untuk melihat kembaran gaib kamu adalah sebagai berikut” or “Agan pernah denger kan kalo kite punya kembaran gaib? Nah, berikut cara lihat kembaran gaib, ada 8 langkah,” both of which translate roughly (with some variation) to, “Have you ever heard that we have an occult twin? Here is how to see your magical twin.” This version, which doesn’t really have a narrator and consists mostly of the steps laid out as a bullet-pointed list, seems to have surfaced around 2010 and proliferated across both social media in particular and the internet more broadly ever since.

Prior to 2010, however, it took a slightly different form — one that’s more narrative in its structure, with full paragraphs but colloquial speech patterns, making it a classic, “Hey, so I heard about this from my friend; here’s how it works” sort of tale. The earliest copy of this version I’ve found is dated 2007, although it’s possible that there are still earlier sources that I haven’t been able to dig up yet.

In both forms, though, the actual instructions are almost identical; there is virtually no variation between versions. That’s interesting to me. Usually, these kinds of legends end up like a game of Telephone, with slight changes and variations occurring over time which can dramatically change the meaning of the original message.

Regardless, you know how it goes, right?

As always, play at your own risk.

Players:

One principal.

Requirements:

Seven strands of your own hair.
Seven clippings of your own fingernails or toenails.
One lime. (See: Additional Notes.)
Nail scissors or clippers. (Optional, but recommended.)
A paring knife or other small kitchen knife.
A cutting board. (Optional, but recommended.)
One piece of white cloth. (See: Additional Notes.)
Access to an outdoor space near your own home. (See: Additional Notes.)

Instructions:

Making The Preparations:

Begin at any time.
Gather your supplies together.
Spread the cloth out flat in front of you.
Pluck seven strands of hair from your own head and lay them across the center of the cloth.
Clip seven nail clippings from your own fingernails or toenails. Lay them on the cloth with the strands of hair.
Roll the cloth up tightly — hair, nail clippings, and all. Ensure that the hair and nail clippings do not escape from the rolled-up cloth.
With the knife and cutting board (if using), slice the lime in half.
One at a time, squeeze the two halves of the lime over the bundle of cloth until it is soaked in lime juice.

Placing The Bundle:

Take the bundle of cloth to your chosen outdoor space. Place the bundle somewhere within this outdoor space where it is out of sight and unlikely to be disturbed. You do not need to bury it, but make sure it is well hidden.
Ideally, tuck it beneath a bush or a shrub.
Ideally, hide it near a fence.
And, most importantly, make sure you are not seen while doing this.
Return inside.
Wait.
Live your life as usual.
Count the nights as they go by: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Seven nights, including the night you prepared and placed your bundle of cloth.
Wait, and be ready.

Meeting Your Twin:

On the eighth night, watch.
Stay alert.
Be aware.
Sometime during this night, your occult twin will appear to you. They may appear at any time, and in any location; regardless as to when or where they appear, however, they will always appear to be mimicking something you have already done, or copying what you are currently doing.
Do not approach them, but observe them carefully. Make note of their actions.
After seven minutes, your occult twin will vanish.
Once your occult twin has departed, retrieve the cloth bundle from its hiding place. Burn it to ashes and dispose of the remains. If you are unable to burn the cloth itself, you may unroll the cloth, burn the hair and nail clippings to ashes, and then dispose of the ashes and cloth however you see fit.
Now: Consider the actions you witnessed your occult twin performing when they appeared to you.
What does it tell you about yourself?
You must have learned something.
If you have not — well, there’s no helping you now.

Additional Notes:

This ritual is best performed in and around your own home.

Concerning the Requirements:

The lime: For best results, use a makrut lime. If makrut limes are unavailable to you, you may use any other variety of lime you are able to obtain. Do not use a lemon, orange, or other citrus fruit besides a lime.
The cloth: It may be of any size or of any material; the only non-negotiable details are that it be large enough to hold the hair and nail clippings when rolled up, and that it be white. It MUST be solid white, with no other colors or dyes present. A plain, white handkerchief is ideal.
The nail scissors or clippers: The use of clippers is optional, but recommended. Should you choose to include them, use them in Making The Preparations: Step 4 to create the required nail clippings. However, should you choose NOT to use the clippers, you may also create these nail clippings in any other manner you wish — for example, by chewing or biting your nails.
The outdoor space: This space MUST be located around your home. Ideally, it should be a garden with a fence. If a garden with a fence is not available to you, any outdoor space near your home will do, as long as a) there is at least something green growing within it, and b) it is possible to hide your cloth bundle in it without danger of it being disturbed.

As many sources note, it is not necessary to fast during the waiting period between placing your bundle and meeting your occult twin; you may eat and drink as usual. However, some alternate methods for summoning your occult twin do involve fasting. If the method described here does not prove to be effective for you, you may attempt one of these alternate methods if you wish. See here for more information.

According to most sources, your occult twin is only visible to you yourself. However, some sources include reports of others — family members, etc. — witnessing an occult twin. These others do not appear to have been put in any danger or to have suffered an ill effects as a result of witnessing the occult twin; however, they did experience some confusion, seemingly having witnessed the same person in two places at once.

Regarding Your Occult Twin’s Actions:

If you witness your occult twin performing NOT actions you have performed in the past or actions you are performing at the time you see them, but rather actions you have never before performed in your life, beware.

You have not summoned your occult twin.

You have summoned something else.

And it may not be friendly.

How To See Your Occult Twin: FAQ.

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[Photo via StockSnap/Pixabay, remixed by Lucia Peters.]