Have you ever experienced this?

[Aggers]

Yesterday in the opticians, after I had an eye test, and was deciding which frame to settle on,
I was seated next to the sales girl at her desk and said I was undecided which one I preferred.

Suddenly on her computer screen appeared the face of some old bloke that I didn't recognise,
and it was only when I moved my head that I realised that it was me!

It was a good way of helping me decide, as she was able to put on the screen three pictures of
me wearing three different frames, but I cannot get over the fact that the faces I saw were,
to me, nothing like the face I see when I look in a mirror.

It was most odd. Have you ever experience this, or is it just me?

[Workingman]

It's a psychological trick. You do not normally see yourself, you see a reflection and that is what you become used to as "you".

There used to be a technology park in Eindhoven called Evoluon. It had one of these trick "mirrors" showing the real you instead of a reflection and it was impossible to do simple things such as comb your hair or rub your eye.

[Osc]

I always find that really strange at the opticians, Aggers - I know I don't look like that haggard old woman!!

[Gal]

That's a posh opticians Aggers - we don't have the wherewithal to be able to do that where I work

Patients are guided by our advice and experience....

[Kaz]

I was going to say about the 'mirror image' thing, but Frank beat me to it - it is most peculiar that we never see ourselves as others can see us

[meriad]

I was going to say about the 'mirror image' thing, but Frank beat me to it - it is most peculiar that we never see ourselves as others can see us

but we do in photo's don't we?

[Workingman]

I was going to say about the 'mirror image' thing, but Frank beat me to it - it is most peculiar that we never see ourselves as others can see us

but we do in photo's don't we?

Yes, but photos or films are passive in that they are only a record. What we see in a mirror is 'real-time' active and because we are familiar with mirrors we are used to working the wrong way around.

[Lozzles]

I hate seeing myself on film...weird

[tonicha]

I'm with Loz here - hate seeing myself in the mirror, hate hearing myself speak.

Middle son, meanwhile................

But if it helps, then great, because when you«'re blind as a bat, you really can't see without your glasses what the new frames look like.