{"id":128,"date":"2022-09-10T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housecaravan.com\/?p=128"},"modified":"2022-10-24T03:06:32","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T08:06:32","slug":"babies-and-mirror-superstition-a-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housecaravan.com\/babies-and-mirror-superstition-a-complete-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Babies and Mirror Superstition: A Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post you are about to read is a complete guide on babies and mirror superstitions. Our team has researched the different myths, folklores, and superstitions about babies looking in mirrors. And in this comprehensive post, we present our findings to you.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the superstitions about a baby looking in the mirror? <\/span>Many cultures around the world believe that babies should not look into mirrors until they cross certain age or developmental milestones. This belief stems from age-long myths that differ from one culture to another. One such myth is that souls can become trapped inside a mirror. Other superstitious beliefs about babies and mirrors include babies remembering past births; suffering physical harm, such as crooked teeth, toothaches, or tummy aches; developing certain disabilities, such as stuttering; or dying.<\/b><\/p>\n

These superstitious beliefs are not proven by any scientific evidence and are likely untrue. But many people believe them. More so, many people have observed that their babies cry and throw tantrums whenever they look in a mirror. But then, others say looking in a mirror is one of their babies\u2019 favorite things to do. As you read on, we will share all of the babies and mirror superstitions we know of and examine the different sides of the argument on these superstitions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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Photo by Maksim Goncharenok<\/strong><\/a> from Pexels<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Different Superstitions of Baby Looking in the Mirror<\/h2>\n

None of the superstitious beliefs about babies and mirrors support babies looking in mirrors. Some cultures believe that babies that look in the mirror before their first birthday may become obsessed with themselves and develop narcissistic tendencies. But other cultures believe the consequences of babies looking in the mirror are more serious than that.<\/p>\n

In some cultures, the belief is that when babies look in a mirror, an evil spirit will look back at them and they may die as a result. Some others say the soul of the baby will become trapped in the mirror. Others talk of the dangers of physical harm or disabilities, among other things as consequences of babies looking in a mirror.<\/p>\n

It is not strange that there are many superstitions and myths about babies and mirrors. Mirrors are among the common objects of superstitious beliefs across diverse cultures. This is likely because, for a very long time, humans didn\u2019t understand how mirrors work.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Photo by Paul Hanaoka<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

People were amused that they could see their faces and other things in the surrounding in a mirror. They often wondered if a parallel (or spirit) world exists in the mirror. This thought was the source of fear and all the scary stories about mirrors and babies, as well as other mirror superstitions. Some of the common babies and mirror superstitions are as follows:<\/p>\n

The Baby\u2019s Soul Will Get Trapped in the Mirror<\/h3>\n

Some cultures, including Greek mythology, believe that a parallel spirit world exists in mirrors or that mirrors can be doorways into the spirit world<\/a>. As such, they think that when the tender soul of a baby gazes into this spirit world, the soul will get trapped in it and won\u2019t be able to come out.<\/p>\n

This soul-trap superstition is the reason why some societies cover all mirrors in the house whenever anyone dies. They believe doing this will prevent the soul of the dead person from getting trapped in one of the mirrors in the house.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Photo by Wes Hicks<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Baby Looking in Mirror Can cause Death<\/h3>\n

Some cultures fear that looking in any mirror before a baby turns one will cause the baby to die. This superstition is an old American and European superstition, but we have heard of it in some other cultures too. The superstitious belief was so common that Clifton Johnson wrote about it in his 1896 book, titled \u201cWhat they say in New England<\/a>\u201d. And many people believed it, so much so that nurseries usually had no mirrors or any reflective surface inside the room.<\/p>\n

This superstition was likely an attempt to curb the high death rate of babies at that time. But in retrospect, it seems babies were dying a lot at that time because there were no vaccines and antibiotics, or other medical technologies available today. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome<\/a> was also common at the time, and that could have contributed to the superstitions.<\/p>\n

The Devil Can Stare at Babies from a Mirror<\/h3>\n

In Jamaica, as well as other Caribbean countries, it\u2019s a common belief that if babies look into the mirror, the devil may stare back at them. This is the same reason why these cultures believe that if children see their shadows, an evil spirit or ghost will begin to follow them.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Photo by Joshua Clay<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Myths about Babies\u2019 Previous Lives and Mirror<\/h2>\n

An old-time Indian superstition, which is also common among some other cultures, is that mirrors bring back memories from a baby\u2019s past life. Superstitions around mirrors and past life memories seek to explain why babies cry when they look in a mirror. Some superstitions even say that a baby will forget his life\u2019s purpose and fail to fulfill it when he sees a mirror too early.<\/p>\n

This belief stems from the myth of reincarnation, which holds that when a person dies, the soul will go somewhere else to be born as a little child. Here are some of the known myths about babies\u2019 previous lives and mirrors:<\/p>\n

Looking in a Mirror Will Remind Babies of their Previous Life<\/h3>\n

This superstition says that it takes some time for babies to fully understand their new birth. So when you allow the child to see himself or someone else in a mirror, he would quickly realize that there are new realities around. The superstition also says the child will start remembering his old birth and relatives from his previous life. These, according to the superstitious belief, will make the child cry badly.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Photo by Yves Scheuber<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Babies Forget Their Life\u2019s Purpose When They Look in a Mirror<\/h3>\n

This superstition is similar to the last one and stems from the same belief that babies are adult spirits that reincarnate after death from a previous life. Those who hold to this superstition also believe that looking in a mirror can remind babies of their previous life. But according to this belief, if babies are reminded of their past life too early, they may forget their life\u2019s purpose and fail to accomplish it.<\/p>\n

This superstition says that for children to fulfill their life\u2019s purpose, they must think their current life is the only one they have ever lived. The knowledge of another life will confuse them, erase the memories of their life\u2019s mission, and ultimately prevent them from fulfilling it. You can also check out this article that talks about what happens when two mirrors face each other<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Video – Origins: Superstitions – Mirrors<\/h4>\n

In this video, Mitch Horowitz, the author of Occult America explains the origins of various superstitions about mirrors. He talks about babies and mirror superstitions, among others. If you want to know where some of these superstitions came from, click the play button below.<\/p>\n\n\n

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