We might think we see ourselves with traditional mirrors, but although they
appear to show us how we look, in fact they reflect images that are
significantly altered by being backwards.</P>

How Does the True Mirror® Work?

A True Mirror is made from putting two mirrors at a right angle, such that the two mirror images bounce off of each other. This mirror arrangement isn’t a new concept (actually, it was first patented in 1887). You can do this in your home – just hold two mirrors up to each other at right angles, and you can see the effect. Of course, you’ll have to ignore the large line that runs down through both of your eyes, right in the middle of your face.  This is probably why you never paid much attention to this mirror arrangement before.

That bothersome line down the middle is what makes a True Mirror so special. Within its stylish cabinet resides two crystal-clear, “first surface” mirrors joined perfectly at 90.0 degrees using special materials and techniques that eliminate that line optically.
The image you see of yourself is in focus with the seam invisible in the center, so you can look eye-to-eye to yourself, without being backwards, just as in you do with others. The effect can be very powerful.

What Does the True Mirror Do Psychologically?

The precision with which we make the True Mirror allows a new personal view of yourself. It is unlike anything you have ever seen before!

•  The “real you” is visible — much clearer, more animated, more “present” than if you try to communicate with yourself “backwards.”
• Your ability to understand yourself is greatly enhanced, leading to potential transformations from for accurate introspection and self-discovery.
• Your mirror image can be even be much friendlier, authentic and empathetic than you ever have seen or thought of before.
• Over time, it both simply and profoundly synchronizes your internal sense of self with what others perceive in you, giving you a new way to improve your interpersonal relations.

At the end of the day, we think this becomes an important boost towards your own self-acceptance and self-esteem, as well as removing a major source of self-doubt and criticism.</P>

What is the True Mirror like physically?

A True Mirror reflects your face and body in the same sense that a regular mirror does — except that you are not reversed. The full spectrum of light is reflected, and there is 3-D depth in the image. The result is startlingly clear!  This will find its best use when True Mirrors become available in full length at your favorite clothing store, and even at gymnasiums while you are working out.

If you hold your right hand out to shake it, as if you were meeting yourself on the street, the hand on your image that comes out to greet yours is the right hand! In contrast, a regular mirror will hold out your image’s left hand. If you hold writing up to the True Mirror, it will actually be readable. Another interesting effect is seeing clothing with writing on it — the “look” of what you’re wearing is different when you can read the writing along with the graphics.

Hair parts, which have their own special signals (see the hair part theory page), can be seen on the side that they actually are, so the signal that is being sent can be interpreted, and perhaps the choice of hair part will be reversed (since the chances are that the backwards version of the hair part was the preferred version).

What’s more, it’s actually a lot of fun to move in front of it — if you tilt your head one way, your image moves in the opposite way!

The first time you see yourself without being backwards – what’s that like?

Most people express genuine surprise when they first see their true image, mainly because we all are so familiar with the backwards image. After all, we have seen ourselves backwards our whole lives, from early childhood!   There are key differences in the True Mirror image from the image you’re used to, due in part to natural asymmetries that are on our faces, or from how we part our hair or single earrings, etc. But even more so, our expressions are very asymmetric.    Often times, those physical differences are accentuated, but to see it beyond the physical to the personal message that our faces are communicating is a little tricky.

A lot of first-time viewers have difficulties with their new true image. This discomfort is directly related to having our faces represented in a direction opposite to what we’ve always we expect to see. For example, any asymmetry in your face seems exaggerated the first time we look into the mirror — if a facial feature tilts 1 degree to the right, now it appears 1 degree in the other direction, a distance of 2 degrees from what is expected. On top of that, we tilt our heads naturally, especially when we communicate to others. This causes our eyes to not to line up as we are used to seeing them in a mirror — which gives one a sense of lopsidedness.

But other first time viewers are simply stunned by the difference and in a positive way.  The key is that they see themselves as real people, their eyes have light and sparkle, their smiles feel warm and natural, and it doesn’t go away like in regular mirrors.  Often this happens easily with people who are naturally vivacious – they can’t help themselves being expressive, but others can be coached to see it as well, where the coaching is simply to ask them to be expressive, especially to look deep in their eyes and smile.  When it works, the effect is simply magical – we are such amazing expressive beings, when one sees it in themselves for the first time, there’s a lot of joy and self-appreciation that happens within an instant!

The difficulty with the perceived asymmetries do fade over time.  There is value in working with the new image – the “you” that looks back can be much much more interesting and dynamic than the backwards version of you could ever be.

Who is the True Mirror for?

Is the True Mirror for everyone? Frankly, no… It isn’t much use for shaving your face or putting on makeup, at least not at first. Not after a lifetime of learning to do these things backwards!  And the novelty value of the effects described above wears off rather quickly.

However, learning about yourself is a different matter. Introspection and the journey of self-discovery is a multifaceted adventure involving many processes and tools. Adding this new way of communicating with yourself privately can help you validate feelings and thoughts that you may already know about yourself — aspects of yourself that are conspicuously absent in a traditional mirror. With the True Mirror, you can more quickly understand yourself and subsequently reach your own goals more completely.

But that has to be something you WANT to do.  What you may see looking into a True Mirror is often a little overwhelming, but for the serious student of the self, that image is worth exploring further. There are some key physical adjustments that are needed to resynchronize our eyes so we can see our faces as level and generally symmetric. Usually, it takes about a few weeks of looking into the True Mirror before adjustments are automatically made by our minds. At that point, the more useful features of the True Mirror can be realized fully

At the True Mirror Company, we believe deeply that most people will prefer their true image — it is much more natural and real than the reverse one. The opposite choice, basically an altered “doppelganger” should fade as a valid option because we can now see ourselves as living, active, real human beings.