There is roughly 0.11 percent chance of any given person in the world having a “Doppelgänger.”

A doppelgänger is an exact double of a living person. It’s a German word that literally translates to “double walker” or “double goer”. A doppelgäanger isn’t someone who just looks like you, but is an exact double, right down to the way you walk, act, talk, and dress.

The idea of the existence of a spirit double is an ancient and widespread belief. To meet one’s double apparently is a sign of your imminent death! This theme has taken on great complexity in stories and legends.

The idea of a stranger wearing your face may be quite appealing to some but the more you think about it can feel like delving in a real life horror movie.

Doppelgängers and thinking about their possible existence can be quite unsettling in the least.  

This phenomenon could be more common than you think, but the odds are far from easy to calculate. Initially, are they even out there, and secondly if they are, are you ever likely to meet them? We are maybe never going to know for sure.

Do you actually want to meet them when you hear that they are thought to bring ill omens? In myth, seeing a friend’s doppelgänger is a sign of bad luck or illness. When you catch sight of your own doppelgänger that is when you can really worry because the omen, as mentioned above, suggests your death.

So, if you think you are before a doppelgänger, how do you know for sure? Even spookier in folklore, think vampire. Doppelgängers cast no shadow or have any reflections in a mirror or water.

To some, doppelgängers can be seen as the Evil Twin in folklore. They are often seen to bring  misfortune with them by giving their doubles bad advice or bringing harm to them. They have even been said to pretend to be you  in front of your family and friends. What power could that evoke!

Needless to say, folkloric doppelgängers are a common figure in stories. Today, they can be found in a variety of urban legends.

Remember though that malicious, shadow-less doppelgängers are generally little more than a legend. This doesn’t make the possibility of the appearance of the real thing any less alarming however.