A collection of mirrors on a French flea market stall, offer a glimpse of the sky, trees and a young woman adjusting her lipstick…
It all seems innocent enough, but mirrors can evoke strong feelings – powerful tools for changing our perspective and seeing parts of ourselves that are usually hidden as we look out into the world. For some people peering into a mirror there’s the fear of seeing ghosts, demons, or something strange sneaking up behind them.
Mirrors have popped up in ghost stories frequently over the years. No surprise really, the ancient Romans believed mirrors reflected a person’s soul and could bring great strife if they were misused. Other cultures believe supernatural qualities are attached to mirrors: they can suck out one’s soul, are portents of death, or offer glimpses into some other dimension. In many cultures mirrors are used for communication with spirits and are believed to be portals or doorways to the spirit world, a barrier between the world of the living and that of the dead.
Some believed if someone died in a room where a mirror was present that their spirit could become trapped in that mirror and then if that mirror was moved to another location the spirit would travel with it. And so they covered any mirrors in a house where someone had died to prevent the spirit from being trapped.
So perhaps this little flea market stall isn’t the best place for anyone suffering from catoptrophobia or eisoptrophobia, both medical terms for a fear of mirrors.
Behind you !!!!
George Munday Creative 