doppelgängers

Doppelgänger is a non-related look-alike or double of a living person. The term comes from German, combining doppel "double" and gänger "goer" or "walker." In folklore, a doppelgänger is often imagined as an apparition or spectral double of a living person. Seeing one's own doppelgänger is commonly portrayed as an omen of bad luck or imminent misfortune, and in some traditions the appearance is interpreted as a warning or a sign of a hidden aspect of the self.

In European folklore the doppelgänger is distinct from other concepts of doubles and has been used to explore duality, fate, and identity in literature and art, especially in Gothic and Romantic works. The motif has influenced various stories and artworks that question what makes a person unique.

In modern usage the term commonly refers to an unrelated person who bears a striking resemblance to someone else. There is no evidence for supernatural doubles; resemblance arises from normal variation in facial features and the brain’s perception of similarity. Psychological phenomena such as pareidolia can contribute to perceived likeness in ambiguous stimuli and to the sense of uncanny coincidence.

In contemporary culture, doppelgängers appear in media, journalism, and everyday discourse as a motif to examine identity, coincidence, and the uncanny. The concept remains a popular lens for discussions of appearance, personality, and destiny.