Psychometry is the ability to read the history of certain objects by holding the object in your hand or placing it to your forehead. Usually small personal objects such as a watch, ring, key or other personal objects are the best. People with the ability to scry this way are called Psychometrist. The term psychometry was invented in 1842 by J R Buchanan.

Buchanan experimented with some students from Cincinati medical school and found that when certain students where given an unmarked bottle of medicine they had the same reaction as if they had taken the medicine. Buchanan developed the theory that all things give off an emination. These eminations contained a sort of record of the history of the object.

Buchanan believed that objects recorded senses and emotions and these could be played back in the mind of the psychometric scryer. Some theosophists attempt to explain psychometry in terms of the Akashic records. Psychometrists usually scry in a normal state of mind. In other words there is no preparation needed or any need for trance, etc. Scryers are sometimes unable to hold certain objects because of that objects past. For example if the object had been used in a violent crime.

In some cases if a scryer has been handed an object of someone who recently died of illness the scryer may suffer from symptoms of the illness. Psychometric impressions may come in the form of emotions, sounds, scents, tastes or images.

The visions are usually very rapid in nature. The visual images occur with no logical sequences. Psychometrists usually experience a loss of energy and an increase in body temperature when scrying. Some scryers report an irregular heartbeat.

It is generally thought that psychometry is a natural power of the human mind, but some people believe that it is controlled by spiritual beings. Some scryers feel that they act as an instrument and that the spirits do the actual scrying.