Fear of mirrors is known by several names: Catoptrophobia, spectrophobia, and Eisoptrophobia. The word Catoptrophobia originates from Greek Catropto or katoptron (mirrors) and phobos (fear). Spectrophobia is derived from the Latin word spectrum (ghosts). Likewise, Eisotrophobia originates from Greek ‘eis’ (into) and optikos (vision).
Modern society is highly obsessed with self-image: most people, women especially, are quite afraid of looking into mirrors from fear of not meeting the set standards of beauty. They fear that, like in the famous fairytale Snow White and the seven Dwarves, the mirror would tell them they are no longer beautiful. That apart; most Catoptrophobic individuals are afraid of mirrors owing to their connection with the supernatural.
Let us study some more causes of Catoptrophobia.
Causes of Catoptrophobia
Catoptrophobia, as mentioned before, might originate due to preconceived notions of beauty and body image. Many overweight people, for example, tend to avoid looking into mirrors or even posing for photographs. Naturally, these people are not phobics but they try and avoid mirrors as far as possible. The difference is that: they do not necessarily mind having mirrors around them.
A majority of the cases of fear of mirrors phobia have their roots in the early past. Earliest known fear of mirrors can be traced back to mankind’s fear of still waters. Before modern advances, humans did not use mirrors; rather they saw their reflection in still waters of lakes, rivers etc. They often thought that “it was their soul staring back at them”. This gave rise to the concept that the ‘soul could be separated from the body even before death’. Many folktales were also developed around this concept. For example, there is a story about the disturbance in a character’s reflection in a lake that eventually leads to impending doom or disaster. This led to association between shattered/broken mirrors and bad luck/death. Till date, a mirror shattering implies “seven years of bad luck”. Many African tribes also associate reflections in dark still waters with death. They avoid looking in such waters, as they fear that crocodiles/evil spirits can kill them by simply snapping away at their reflection and taking away their souls.
In several cultures, children less than a year old are not shown a mirror due to the belief that they might die when shown their reflection. Similarly, in certain cultures, mirrors in households where death has occurred are kept veiled so that mourning family members do not see their reflection (or they too would die soon). Brides are prohibited from looking in a mirror when dressed in their wedding finery. (However, as a couple, the newlyweds may look in the mirror together since this is auspicious). Thus, Mirrors have many superstitions associated with them. These superstitious beliefs can easily create fear of mirrors in young or high strung/anxious individuals.
Catoptromancy or mirror divination was a type of black magic practiced by people in the early 17th century. The practitioners would dip metallic mirrors into the water and study the sick person’s reflection to accordingly deciding whether he would live or die.
Pop culture, media, books, movies (e.g. Oculus) show evil spirits trapped inside mirrors coming to haunt people. Vampires have no reflection since they do not have any souls. All these concepts might also trigger the fear of mirrors phobia
Some schizophrenic individuals or people with adrenal insufficiencies also tend to have Catoptrophobia.
Symptoms of Spectrophobia
An exaggerated or persistent fear of mirrors can cause many symptoms such as:
- Avoidance of mirrors
- Trembling/shaking
- Thoughts of death or dying
- Screaming, crying, trying to flee
- Rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, dilated pupils, sweating excessively
- Full blown anxiety or panic attacks
Treating the fear of mirrors phobia
Taking baby steps is the best way of overcoming any fear. Same is true for Catoptrophobia.
- Gradual exposure therapy can help an individual slowly progress to overcoming his fear once and for all. In this therapy, one starts by looking at images of mirrors, thinking about mirrors and then finally progresses to holding and looking inside one.
- Homeopathic remedies, herbs etc can also help relieve anxiety associated with the phobia. Lavandula, Chamomile, Melissa Officinalis etc are a few examples.
- Talk therapy, online and offline support groups etc can help the phobic give vent to his fears. Family and friends should support the phobic individual rather than teasing or making fun of him.
- NLP therapy, hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy are some other methods that are effective in treating the fear of mirrors.
Jane says
Whenever I look into my bathroom mirror too long, I freak out and bolt out of the room, thinking it will smile at me, then start climbing out of the mirror. If someone is in the house with me, I always run to them as fast as possible, and they are always so confused about why I just sprinted into their room and was short of breath.
Luna says
I’m fine when I’m doing makeup and looking at a mirror, but at night, when lights are turned off or if I walk by a big mirror randomly, I get scared, and chills get sent down my spine.
MaryPoppins says
I work as a nanny in a home with dozens of mirrors. I actually got stuck in a corner because I couldn’t move in any direction without seeing mirrors. I’m already on SSNRI and mood stabilizers, and Valium. Exposure therapy clearly isn’t working. I have Body Dysmorphic Disorder and am Bipolar with PTSD. I know where it comes from and why. But what do I do?
Leslie says
I’m not sure if I have Eisotrophobia, Catoptrophobia, or Spectrophobia. Please help me identify which it could be. As a child, I still now have a great fear and avoidance of large mirrors on bathroom walls, seeing them move, shake or vibrate with noise and falling down towards me and smashing (which has happened). I avoid using the public restroom in restaurants and stores due to this fear. I even think of a specific incidence. I’m scared. If I do walk into a situation with a large mirror in a bathroom, I freeze in fear until someone comes into the restroom, and it feels safe to leave.
Nan says
Since I’ve put on weight during lockdown, I’ve become phobic about mirrors and also avoid bathing because I can’t deal with seeing my body without clothing.
Skua says
I always have the worst crippling fear of my bathroom mirror at night. Specifically at night, otherwise mirrors are all fine, but if it’s night, the evil spirits can creep in the mirror behind me and suffocate me. Yes, this makes no sense. No, this doesn’t stop me from being terrified of it.
Weston says
I’m not scared of my reflection. It’s the thought of seeing myself in the mirror. What if I move, and my reflection is just looking at me, not moving with me. What if its head just turns to look at me? I’d be frozen with fear, completely open to anything. And the thought of seeing someone creepy randomly. I can’t bring myself to look away from the mirror either, because what if the reflection doesn’t look away? I’m usually fine unless I start thinking about these things. But normally, it’s just something I hardly think about.
Gwenevere Campbell says
I have been thinking about this as well, but also the thought of it not really being me. All my friends say they can see their eyes in mirrors when they are in the dark, but for some reason, I just can’t. It petrifies me, thinking of someone deeper inside of me unleashing. I have had dreams of looking into a mirror, but I look completely different, and then I go insane and, in my dream, kill everything in my path, and then I wake up. Now every time I see a mirror, I can’t focus. One time I even fainted. The hospital told me I had just had a panic attack.
Michelle says
I’m afraid of doing something in front of my mirror while not looking at it, and my reflection does something different that I can’t see.
Jenny says
This is exactly how I feel all the time.
Just a lil piggy says
I can’t sleep without my bedroom mirror covered or I will just freak out. If I am alone in a room with a mirror I will get super scared!
Frogie says
Me too, but it’s not only mirrors for me; it’s reflections in general. I get extreme anxiety when I see something reflective because I feel someone can see me through reflections. It’s mostly at night, though. Because of mirrors being a gateway to spirits, I also find reflections as gateways, making me associate reflections with somebody watching me. Sadly ever since I was little, I always feared someone was watching me. It progressed from cameras to fairies, shadows, and even reflective things like mirrors/glass.
phrog says
It’s crazy how there are so many people with catoptrophobia, and there are so many reasons why. I first learned about this phobia on a research project. Now as I looked at the comments, it scares me to my core to look at a mirror at night. Why mirrors scare me is not my reflection itself, but what might emerge from that mirror, or what I might see. The varieties from demons to people I have never met before scares me.
Sadness says
I know right, websites say that this phobia is rare when in reality, a ton of people have it.
nikki d. says
I am literally doing a research paper as we speak. I am so sorry to all of you who struggle with this. I do understand it completely, though.
Cohen says
I am also afraid of looking into a mirror and seeing myself, but specifically I imagine an evil version of myself looking back at me, grinning, ear to ear. Even as I am typing this now I am on the edge of tears because of my TVs black screen. Whenever I use the bathroom, unless a family member is in the room with me, I can barely have the strength to reach my arm over to grab my toothbrush. I stand by the side of the bathroom counter to wash my hands so I don’t appear in the reflection. This fear was made worse when I saw ads for the ring or whatever that movie with the little girl is called and Jordan Peele’s “us”.
Just another Catastrophic says
I hate my bathroom mirror especially at night. It’s like I know nothing is gonna be there but at the same time I can’t take that chance. I hate the idea of one day looking in the mirror and it smiling at me or something so I try with every ounce of fear in me to not look in the mirror at night.
Mj says
I get this exact same thing, I get so scared I have to squat on the floor while I wash my hands so I don’t look in the mirror. I end up crawling out of my bathroom crying until I get to my room and switch the light on.
A human says
When I go to a bathroom at any time I feel the need to have someone near the same room, I can’t think of any reason other than feeling something at the back of my neck and head. I just run to the kitchen to wash my hands when I’m done doing what I need. My crazy imagination pictures things I really don’t want to see in a mirror or expecting to see something peek out of the shower.
Alex says
I get scared only when looking into my own eyes. Like there’s always something wrong or feels wrong with the image of me in a mirror. As if that person in the mirror on the other side is someone different staring at me, rather than the other way around. So I can’t stare at my own self for too long in the mirror or I freak out.
Gabriell says
I’m not sure if I really have Catoptrophobia but there’s one thing I never do with a mirror and it’s to not look at my face at night. I’ve been reading these reddit posts about how your face distorts in the mirror when you look at it in dim light for a minute or less and how he got a big smile where his gums were really red and his eyes as well. I’m fine during the day but it gives me chills thinking about how he would see that face on anything with a reflection. Some kind of closure to this would be really nice about being scared to death looking at your reflection during the night.
lrsppscbll says
Can you consider me afraid of mirrors, if I’m only afraid to look at myself every night?
I don’t have other symptoms than my heart beats faster.
It started when I was young, when i read a myth that your soul can be trapped inside of a mirror when you look at it every single night, it’s like offering your soul to the mirror.
AnnieKitty says
Same with me, at night even if I turn on the light I am really scared of my reflection. Eventually I just took the mirror out of my room. I still don’t go to the bathroom at night, even if I REALLY have to.
Some random guy says
I was all fine until… I love space and the multiverse theory. So I was watching a video that said mirrors might be the image of an alt universe. Also i have always been scared of a ghost or something looking in the mirror from behind me
Not safe says
SAME HERE!
Some Random Tomboy says
I do this thing to try to help me cope with Catoptrophobia. I don’t know if it will help anyone or not. What I usually do is just keep smiling and making silly faces until I feel like it’s just a picture. What usually starts it is when I look into my eyes in the mirror. They terrify me when I do, thinking “Holy sh– my reflection is gonna jump out and kill me like the demogorgan from Stranger Things. Even when I take a shower I have to continuously look behind the curtain to make sure my reflection isn’t trying to play “Red light Green Light” with me. It would be terrible to look into the mirror and see a girl that looks just like me try and kill me. Usually duck down to where my reflection can’t be seen to then be able to move on. And it’s not just mirrors, ANYTHING reflective automatically makes me think “DEMONS BEGONE”. You don’t know how many times I’ve had to open the door to my room because I can see a reflection of my room on the side of my computer.
You says
OMG I feel like every time I look away my reflection gets closer, but at the same time, I don’t want to look, but I have to otherwise it’ll get out of the mirror and kill me, kind of like how Barbara got dragged into the pool in the first season…
rAnDoM dEmEnTeD rHiNo BeAn says
I totally know how you feel. During the day I’m fine looking in the mirror; I do it all the time. But at night..
I have four mirrors in my room and one right outside the bathroom. I am afraid of three things:
1. Looking into the mirror and being this monster, horrible and transformed into something evil.
2. The reflection in the mirror having a mind of its own. It grinning back at me, its eyes red and bloodshot. Just being an obviously twisted soul.
3. This is the worst one. Seeing someone else there. A shadow out of the corner of your eye, a hidden fave leering out from behind you. Once, outside the bathroom, I swear I saw a man staring at me through the stairs. He had blond hair, and was grinning at me with a bloody mouth, head cocked to one side. When I turned there was no-one there and no-one in my family looks like that.
Also one of my mirrors has a folder in front of it that kinda looks like a woman’s head with long hair. I still picture it as a woman with black hair, blood dripping from all over her, from since I watched a horror movie with her in it.
I am so glad I’m not alone in being afraid of mirrors in the dark.
P.S. Why did you mention Stranger Things and Demogorgon, I’m gonna see the upside down in mirrors now!
Doodlydeet says
I experience something similar, but not jumping out at me, instead if I move, but the mirror doesn’t sync up with it. That terrifies me. I don’t know why.
Laila Bateman says
I’m scared of Bloody Mary. My friends at primary school just started talking about encounters with her. Im so scared even though I’m almost 10.
I Guy On The Internet says
I… I’m Not Gonna Lie, Used To Be As Well. Just Know, She Isn’t Real. Those “Encounters” Are Just To Get You Scared. Tell Those Friends To Stop Lying.
C says
Still scared at 27
Amber kid says
I hate mirrors since I watched a movie called mirrors I get too scared and can’t sleep. I’m 11 years old and trying to find a way to get rid of this fear. I get so scared about my family and myself getting hurt or scared by them.
Autumn says
I am scared of Bloody Mary, too, and I am about the same age as the girl who wrote this. What to do. I mean I know it’s not real, but I am still super scared. I am like terrified to go to the bathroom at night. Someone, how do I overcome this fear?
Maya coolidge says
I saw her..
jeff says
( Jeff is not my real name i just dont want to reveal my name ) don’t know what i have but its something to do with mirrors. I rush into the bathroom but I don’t want to shut the door because i don’t want to be in a room shut with a mirror it terrifies me. ( Just so you know all the bathrooms in my house have mirrors in them) so i dont know what to do. i have a fear of just seeing something staring back at me in the mirror i’m fine with some mirrors like big mirrors on doors and public toilet mirrors but i hate bathroom mirrors especially the ones in my house. I also hate looking out of windows when its dark.
Does anybody know what i might have?
Power says
I have no idea what you might have but I know what your talking about I’m not afraid of mirrors itself but that I might see something else looking back I’m afraid of what might lurk inside the mirror like something that isn’t supposed to be there other than my reflection but I’m deathly afraid to look at mirrors when it’s dark I wouldn’t even dare to look at one and it’s because of a memory I had as a kid.
Some random guy says
same at night time i have to close the curtains, i also turn the TV and anything that reflects something back to me around. When i get up to close the curtains I look back. I hate mirrors and windows when its dark. I also hate to watch camera feed from night time
Key'von rhodes says
I’m scared of mirrors very much its like when youre the only one in your house awake and you dart to the bathroom and not facing the mirror then youre done peeing and you dart back to your room and you grab your flashlight and turn it on thinking someone or something is there but is not.
Ben says
I cant stop looking into them and I wouldn’t go for a pee from around 9 pm to 6 am, my heart races, I got this fear when on instagram and an account called scary posted a image with a young girl staring at the camera behind her and her reflection was staring at her.
After this I have gained the fear of the dark ,spirits and paranormal activities.
Gertrude says
Same I can’t go pee without staring into a mirror thinking a demon will pop out.
Jannah Vincent says
I know right! I usually try to avoid looking at the mirror, and just look the other way, till i get to my toilet..
Tammy says
I think that if you think mirrors are scary then try living in a house where there are evil spirits and at night you see a little girl peeking around a corner and you think she will kill you.
Some random guy says
I dont think that ever happened bro
Koe says
Again, I’m not sure if it falls into this, but a few years ago, I began to avoid my mirror. When I would get up to pee in the middle of the night, I shielded my eyes away from it. During the day I was fine, but if it was dark I couldn’t look into the mirror, I have never done Bloody Mary, nor do I believe in it. Now, I live with my Fiance and I took down all the mirrors beside the one in the main bathroom, and I only use that bathroom during the day.
Some random guy says
Im fine at day too but at night i try not to look, im not sure why people are scared of mirrors but it just happens
Anoosha says
I have a question. I’m not sure if I do have Catoptrophobia or not, I can’t seem to look into mirrors without having the thought that someone is watching me through it or something bad is going to happen to me because of the mirror. I got (and still do) so scared that I couldn’t sleep at night with the mirror in my room so I got rid of it. I even covered the other mirrors in my house, even though I have no problem with my image, it’s just the unwanted thoughts that makes me afraid of mirrors, although, I should mention that I don’t seem to mind them much when someone else is in the room with me and within sight, I seem to think that nothing is going to happen with people around, but still I can’t look at them more than a couple of seconds, again with disturbing thoughts and images of harm coming to me.
Thank you, any kind of help would be greatly appreciated.
John says
A fear of mirrors is such a broad category that it’s divided into three separate phobias: Catoptrophobia, Spectrophobia, and Eisotrophobia. Because each fear is so specific, the lines between these distinctions are often blurred.
Your issue seems to lie closer to Spectrophobia than Catoptrophobia. Catoptrophobia refers more to a fear of mirrors themselves, while Spectrophobia is more along the lines of being afraid of what’s in the mirror. Usually, it’s visual (such as faces or handprints appearing), but your phobia is different in that it’s embedded in the mind itself. Looking at the mirror doesn’t scare you, but you picture things when you look into them, or at least that’s what I understand from your description. Thus, it does lie slightly off kilter. It has elements of Catoptrophobia and even more elements of Spectrophobia, but is (like most fears of mirrors) unique from a specific description.
A phobia like this can itself be a disability. However, it is good that you understand what’s wrong and that it’s in your mind. This means that the fear can be overcome, with some help. I suggest you speak to a psychiatrist or psychologist, who will most likely know what to do.
I hope this was helpful!
Mariah mariah says
I feel the same way, almost exactly. My issue is always in darkness or semi-darkness. I hate it! The only mirror in my apartment is in the bathroom and at night I run past and don’t dare to look. My anxiety goes from zero to sixty instantaneously. I ‘feel’ a presence in there, and get the heebie-jeebies.
Amara says
Same the tension of walking in and seeing something watching you and your every move!