This topic is rather complicated to tackle, as it involves a triplication of the perceived information, because of the mirror itself and by the synesthete's memorized perspective of every single detail at any set point in time. These are multiplied umpteen times within all context already, and the flipped duplicated version has already been 'taken into consideration' before physically looking at a mirror directly. This creates a geophysical problem, and I shall try to untangle it, verbally.
Looking directly at a reflection in the mirror, or at any reflection on a mirror at an angle near or far, triggers a certain amount of information that piles up on the instant, over the automatically perceived amount. For a synesthete, it would be easier to have the mirror surface covered and take in all the relevant info (we're talking about fractions of a second here) which include the 'empty space' too, and only subsequently remove the covering and adapt the already available info into some sort of correlated identification process. The actual image reflected is irrelevant at this point. Personally, the empty space which is seen in the mirror normally does not resemble the 'real' deal at all, and the fundamental perspective gets thrown out of the window, so to speak. Besides, shapes, colours and their size and density, plus their position within everything else in 'view' do not resonate the same on a mirror reflection. The little 'step' that gets clearly felt, which is the thickness of the mirror glass, causes the initial perception to stutter, metaphorically speaking, which tweaks the lingering feeling one is facing the equivalent of a lie. Again, all of this happens in a fraction of a second. A practical example could be imagining two birthday cakes, identical, set side by side. But one is made with sugar, the other with salt: they are identical, yet outrageously different, and both have an echo.
Curiously enough, the basic fact that the reflected image is, obviously, mirrored doesn't cause any sense of discrepancy over the whole, because a synesthete's view of anything usually includes all possible imaginable angles already (which, by the way, explains the so called awful sense of direction most syne people have) and the real angle in that particular situation and in that specific moment gets usually pulled out of the havoc and stands as the one to consider correct. Which makes me wonder about what is usually referred to as labyrinthitis, and how many patients suffering from this physical and very mechanical ear condition are in fact unknowingly or partially synesthetes and mistake the one for the symptoms of the other. I know more than a person in this situation, who suffered no traumas or infections or anything to support the development of labyrinthitis, the sudden appearance of which apparently baffles their doctors. However, it is not in my knowledge to state that these doctors are totally wrong regarding the methods to ease these particular situations, but I do undeniably think it (more on this in the next article 'Falling on the Ceiling').
What might not be generally known is that a particularly receptive syne individual receives more than one mirrored image as is to start with, as the mere reflection on the glass surface (much like the reflection one gets walking past a shop window) gets sent along in the turmoil of info, astride the mirrored reflection of the metal sheet below it. It can have a sound like an echo, or a fragrance, it most certainly has a weight. It can be recognized as something that is there but can't be quite pinpointed, according to the lighting in the room. Strange as it may sound, a mirrored image can become a struggle for a syne person, and it can even happen unknowingly. One of the reasons to state this is that looking at a mirror is usually rather tiring. And of course I shan't even get close to explaining what a mirror reflected in another mirror does, although one of the things that it can trigger is a very definite sense of flying. A cracked mirror may certainly cause dismay, to say the least. Yet multiplied reflections on simple glass surfaces do not create so much havoc.
Once this initial multisensory impact is understood, wading through the image itself can be quite a task as well: because of the above mentioned reasons, every detail goes through the same process and it can be quite hard to see, ever, the entire image as a whole at any set time. In some individuals 'sight' gets overtook by other senses and the perceptions granted differ wildly. Bottom line, a syne person gets more or less annoyed, uneasy or restless in front of a mirror according to his/her sensitivity, regardless of the reflection, and tends not to linger there more than necessary.
Looking directly at a reflection in the mirror, or at any reflection on a mirror at an angle near or far, triggers a certain amount of information that piles up on the instant, over the automatically perceived amount. For a synesthete, it would be easier to have the mirror surface covered and take in all the relevant info (we're talking about fractions of a second here) which include the 'empty space' too, and only subsequently remove the covering and adapt the already available info into some sort of correlated identification process. The actual image reflected is irrelevant at this point. Personally, the empty space which is seen in the mirror normally does not resemble the 'real' deal at all, and the fundamental perspective gets thrown out of the window, so to speak. Besides, shapes, colours and their size and density, plus their position within everything else in 'view' do not resonate the same on a mirror reflection. The little 'step' that gets clearly felt, which is the thickness of the mirror glass, causes the initial perception to stutter, metaphorically speaking, which tweaks the lingering feeling one is facing the equivalent of a lie. Again, all of this happens in a fraction of a second. A practical example could be imagining two birthday cakes, identical, set side by side. But one is made with sugar, the other with salt: they are identical, yet outrageously different, and both have an echo.
Curiously enough, the basic fact that the reflected image is, obviously, mirrored doesn't cause any sense of discrepancy over the whole, because a synesthete's view of anything usually includes all possible imaginable angles already (which, by the way, explains the so called awful sense of direction most syne people have) and the real angle in that particular situation and in that specific moment gets usually pulled out of the havoc and stands as the one to consider correct. Which makes me wonder about what is usually referred to as labyrinthitis, and how many patients suffering from this physical and very mechanical ear condition are in fact unknowingly or partially synesthetes and mistake the one for the symptoms of the other. I know more than a person in this situation, who suffered no traumas or infections or anything to support the development of labyrinthitis, the sudden appearance of which apparently baffles their doctors. However, it is not in my knowledge to state that these doctors are totally wrong regarding the methods to ease these particular situations, but I do undeniably think it (more on this in the next article 'Falling on the Ceiling').
What might not be generally known is that a particularly receptive syne individual receives more than one mirrored image as is to start with, as the mere reflection on the glass surface (much like the reflection one gets walking past a shop window) gets sent along in the turmoil of info, astride the mirrored reflection of the metal sheet below it. It can have a sound like an echo, or a fragrance, it most certainly has a weight. It can be recognized as something that is there but can't be quite pinpointed, according to the lighting in the room. Strange as it may sound, a mirrored image can become a struggle for a syne person, and it can even happen unknowingly. One of the reasons to state this is that looking at a mirror is usually rather tiring. And of course I shan't even get close to explaining what a mirror reflected in another mirror does, although one of the things that it can trigger is a very definite sense of flying. A cracked mirror may certainly cause dismay, to say the least. Yet multiplied reflections on simple glass surfaces do not create so much havoc.
Once this initial multisensory impact is understood, wading through the image itself can be quite a task as well: because of the above mentioned reasons, every detail goes through the same process and it can be quite hard to see, ever, the entire image as a whole at any set time. In some individuals 'sight' gets overtook by other senses and the perceptions granted differ wildly. Bottom line, a syne person gets more or less annoyed, uneasy or restless in front of a mirror according to his/her sensitivity, regardless of the reflection, and tends not to linger there more than necessary.
RSS Feed
