Reflections unseen
“I don’t like looking in the mirror… because that’s when she looks back…” When my four-year-old nephew said these words to me I replied with the standard: “Eric, there’s no such thing as ghosts.” Though the thought was eerie, never did I imagine there was any truth to it. As psychiatrists, we are trained to understand the logic behind every fear but something about my nephew's phobia wasn't irrational. Over the next few days, I went about my business, trying to put this egregious thought to rest. What I noticed was that I grew fearful of my own reflection. For some unexplained reason, I was hesitant to look at car windows, shopping displays or even the notice board outside my office. I couldn't escape the foretelling of something demonic when approaching a looking glass. The hairs on the back of my neck would stand and I’d get a bone-chilling feeling like something was watching me. I was completely powerless against the fear that a four-year-old had planted in me. So, th...