The Most Dangerous Games: The “Opening The Door” Ritual

Previously:

If you’re looking for a way to see into the unknown — either this Halloween season, or beyond — here’s something to try: The ritual game Opening The Door. Or, perhaps, maybe something not to try. That’s always the way it is with these kinds of games, after all, isn’t it? It’s something to try — and it would likely be interesting to try — but it’s… not usually very wise to try.

Still, though: Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]

Posted (and probably invented) by Redditor u/drpepprcorn to the r/ThreeKings subreddit way back in July of 2013, the Opening The Door game very identifiably hails from the height of the Three Kings era of ritual games. It’s got all the hallmarks of this variety of game: A relatively simple setup; the use of mirrors, candles, and dark rooms; the possibility that you’ll see something… unusual. Psychologically illuminating, possibly. Otherworldly, maybe.

Part of the Opening The Door’s punch comes from the same thing that makes Bloody Mary seem “real”: The “strange face” illusion identified by psychologist Giovanni Caputo, who published his findings in the journal Perception in 2010. We’ve talked about this illusion before (at length, many times), so I won’t spend a ton of time on it here; if you need it, though, the tl;dr is that it’s an observable psychological phenomenon wherein the brain has trouble perceiving what it’s actually seeing when you’re nose to nose with, say, a mirror in a low-light setting, and starts telling you that your face is morphing into that of a monster’s.

That’s not all there is to Opening The Door, though. It’s only part of it.

And as for what you’ll see through the Door? Well… that can vary, you see. Depending on who you are. Or what you need. Or what you might be tempted by.

Remember: Look. Don’t touch. And although you might gain something by opening  the Door… it’s best not to go through it.

As always: Play at your own risk.

Players:

• One principal.
• One safeguard. (Optional, but recommended. See: Additional Notes.)

Requirements:

• Two large mirrors. (See: Additional Notes.)
• A candle.
• Matches or a lighter.
• A fire extinguisher and/or other fire safety equipment.
• A quiet, dark room.
• A threshold to that quiet, dark room.
• As part of the threshold, a door — one that opens and closes, ideally on three hinges.
• An area on the other side of the threshold, such that when you are standing or sitting in it facing the threshold with the door open, you may see the inside the dark room.
• At least one chair.
• A small table, or a second chair.
• A deck of cards. (Optional. Recommended only for experienced players. See: Additional Notes.)
• An object of protection or power. (Optional. Recommended for first-time players.)

Instructions:

Preparing The Door:

1. Begin at any time. For best results, begin at night.
2. Gather your supplies, and bring them and your safeguard (if using) to your chosen playing space. Ensure that you will not be disturbed for the duration of the game.
3. Inside the quiet, dark room, close the curtains or otherwise block any windows.
4. Also inside the quiet, dark room, place one of the mirrors just inside the doorway. When you are standing outside the room, on the other side of the threshold, you should be able to look into the mirror through the doorway and see both yourself and the surroundings behind you.
5. Lastly, inside the quiet, dark room, turn out the lights, if you haven’t already.
6. Exit the quiet, dark room. Close the door behind you.

7. Outside the quiet, dark room — on the other side of the threshold — place one chair with its back facing the closed door. When you sit in it, your back should also be to the door.
8. In front of the chair, facing it and a short distance away, place the second mirror. When you sit in the chair with your back to the door, you should be able to see, in the mirror, both yourself and the door behind you.
9. Between the mirror and the chair, place the small table or the second chair. If using a second chair, place it such that it is facing the first one — as if, were someone else to sit in it while you were sitting in the first chair, you would be seated to have a conversation together.
10. Your arrangement should now be, in order: Mirror; small table or chair; chair; closed door; and, on the other side of the closed door where you cannot currently see it, the other mirror. (See: Additional Notes for a graphical representation of this arrangement.)
11. Place the candle on the table, second chair, or floor; the choice is yours, so long as it is near enough the mirror to illuminate, when lit, the reflections seen within it.
12. Place the fire extinguisher nearby. Position your safeguard, if using, nearby as well, though not so close that they will be at risk of interrupting the proceedings. (Unless, of course, their intervention is deemed necessary. See: Additional Notes.)
13. Place the deck of cards, if using, on the table or second chair. You should be able to reach them easily when you are seated in the first chair.
14. Make sure the object of protection or power, if using, is somewhere on your person.
15. Now: Prepare yourself. Take care of any of your body’s needs. Take care of any of your mind’s needs.
16. When you are ready — when you are positive you are ready — light the candle.
17. Turn off any other lights besides the candle.
18. Sit in the chair closest to the door.
19. Hold up your object of protection or power, if using.
20. And proceed.

Looking Into The Mirror:

1. From your position seated in the chair, look into the mirror.
2. Look at yourself in the mirror.
3. Look at your face in the mirror.
4. Look.
5. Remain as motionless as you can. Your body should be still, though your mind may wander.
6. Look into the mirror.

7. Continue to remain as still as you can — even if you begin to… hear things rising up out of the darkness around you. Sounds. Whispers. Remain still. Keep looking.
8. Remain still, even if you begin to feel odd sensations. Things crawling on your skin. Things crawling in your skin. Remain still. Keep looking.
9. Remain still, even if you begin to see something… unfamiliar in the mirror. Remain still. Keeping look.
10. Remember to breathe.
11. Now: Did you choose to utilize the deck of cards?
12. If you did not choose to use the cards:
13. Remain still and keep looking; then, when the moment feels right, proceed to Step 20 of Looking Into The Mirror.
14. If you did choose to use the cards:
15. Remain still, keep looking, and, when the moment feels right, reach out and draw the top card. Then proceed to Step 20 of Looking Into The Mirror.
16. Hold the card up however you like: Facing the mirror, so you may see what you have drawn in the reflection; facing away from the mirror, so that only you — not your reflection — may see what you have drawn; back enough and to the side enough that neither you nor your reflection may see what you have drawn; or whatever else you might like to try.
17. While you hold the card up — however you choose to do it — do NOT look away from the mirror, and keep the rest of your body as still as you can. When you must move, move slowly. Move deliberately. Move intentionally.
18. When you feel you are done with the card, lay it back down on the table or chair, face down.
19. Then, if you like, draw another, and repeat steps TK through TK. You may do this as many times as you like. You may draw and discard the entire deck in this fashion. You may draw and discard part of the deck in this fashion. You may draw and discard only a single card in this fashion, if you wish.
20. When, again, the moment feels right — when you are finished with the cards — when you can wait and watch no longer — when, perhaps, you see the reflection of your object of protection or power disappear, though the object itself remains in your hand — proceed to Step One of Opening The Door.

Opening The Door:

1. Now: Stand.
2. Turn around.
3. Place your hand on the doorknob.
4. Turn it.
5. And Open the Door.
6. When the Door is Open, look through it, and into the mirror on the other side.
7. Keep your hand on the doorknob — just in case.
8. Look carefully. Make your observations. Remember what you have seen.
9. Look.
10. Look through the Door… but do not cross through the Door. Do not cross the threshold.
11. Keep your hand on the doorknob. Then, when you feel it is time, Close the Door.
12. Do NOT fail to Close the Door.

Additional Notes:

Due to the use of open flames, this game should be considered a FIRE HAZARD. It is NOT RECOMMENDED that you play this game. If you do play, take common sense fire safety precautions before playing, including but not limited to removing all flammable objects or items from the vicinity of the flame, keeping a functional fire extinguisher on hand during the course of the game, etc. We are not responsible for anything that may befall you, should you choose to play this game.

Regarding your safeguard:

• If using, your safeguard should be a person you trust absolutely, beyond a doubt. They are there to serve two purposes: As a fire marshal (see: Fire safety warning), and to intervene for you if necessary. They must be vigilant. They must have good judgment. They must be able to act decisively in a crisis.
• They must be willing to reach out and help you Close the Door if need be — no matter how difficult it might be to do so.

Regarding the general setup:

• Your arrangement of chairs, tables, mirrors, and doors should look something like this:

• The right side of the diagram represents the inside of the quiet, dark room. The left side of the diagram represents the area outside of the quiet, dark room. The arrows indicate directionality (e.g. which direction objects or items should be facing).

Regarding the deck of cards:

• Any deck is acceptable; any variety is acceptable. A standard pack of 52 playing cards may be used. A tarot deck may be used. Cards belonging to other games or activities may be used. The choice is yours, should you choose to use them in the first place.

Regarding the mirrors:

• In terms of their size and dimensions, the mirrors should be roughly half your own height, and roughly equal to your own width. When you are seated, you should be able to see your full reflection in it.
• You may use more than two mirrors if you like. If using more, they may be placed inside the quiet, dark room, behind or near the primary mirror; or, they may be placed outside the quiet, dark room, around, next to, or behind the mirror in which you will look. Do NOT use multiple mirrors in both locations; choose only one. Additionally, should you place additional mirrors in the area outside of the quiet, dark room: First, ensure that their reflections are all visible when you are looking into the mirror inside the quiet, dark room; and second, do not allow yourself to become distracted by the additional while playing. Before you Open the Door, you must look ONLY into the mirror directly in front of you.
• Note that the more mirrors you use, the greater the danger becomes. It is NOT recommended that beginners use more than two mirrors.

A Variation On The Theme:

You may, if you like, choose to Open a Window instead of a Door. To perform this version of the ritual, adjust the setup arrangement as follows:

• A window replaces the door.
• The interior of the room in which the window is located replaces the area outside of the quiet, dark room.
• The outside — the great outdoors outside the building, on the other side of the window — replaces the quiet, dark room itself.

And also make the following gameplay adjustments:

• Instead of closing the door when you begin, close the curtain or shade of the window.
• When you are ready to Open The Window, raise, push aside, or otherwise open the curtain or shade.

A Final Warning:

You may Close the Door when you like…

…But you also may find yourself needing to Close the Door because you MUST.

For just as you must not cross the threshold — neither should you allow anything else to cross the threshold, either.

Slam it shut if you must — and do not open it again until you certain it is safe to do so.

***

Follow The Ghost In My Machine on Bluesky @GhostMachine13.bsky.social, Twitter @GhostMachine13, and Facebook @TheGhostInMyMachine. And for more games, don’t forget to check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available now from Chronicle Books!

[Photos via Antonio_Corigliano, mac231, Tama66, stux, Laney5569/Pixabay; Lucia Peters/The Ghost In My Machine]