Recognizing one’s self in a reflection is one of the innate and distinct characteristics of being a human. Our primordial ancestors must have been utterly shocked when they realized it was their own image peering back at them in the reflection of a river. Now fast forward to the 21st century where we find strange phenomena such as selfies and Zoom. The image of oneself has become a surreal caricature of how we believe society wants us to be seen. Of course, I would be lying to myself if I believed that my current relationship with the mirror is merely for the function of seeing. But, I know better. We all know better…but, we still don’t know how to negotiate the effects mirrors have on our sense of self. Scientific studies show that depending on how long you look in the mirror, also known as mirror gazing, can cause “anomalous experiences” to occur – experiencing incongruency with your sense of self1. My fascination with the phenomena that emerge from practicing mirror gazing and its potential connections with the ongoing societal confrontation with self-worth.

I practice looking at myself in the mirror for 30 minutes ot 5 hours at a time. And document the experience through drawings and written text.