Doppelgangers: Is There Someone Just Like You Walking the Earth?

Leaving the Myths Behind—How Can Your Doppelganger Exist?

According to scientists, there are no real doppelgangers, only very close lookalikes. How is this possible? Truly, it’s all about the law of averages and statistical probabilities. As the world’s population increases, it actually becomes more likely that someone who closely resemblances you walks the Earth now, or did in the past. While the many combinations human DNA is capable of, the reality is there are only so many different “looks” that are possible. Other factors come into play however, since lifestyle choices such as smoking, or working out will affect the appearance. This means a person who might be your near match no longer seems so because you don’t share the same habits.

The Mind and Doppelgangers

The other reason you might find someone with an uncanny resemblance is the way the human mind recognises and views facial features. The brain locks into certain characteristics such as the distance between the eyes, or the space between the nose and the mouth. The way the mind views face offers a sort of “cheat sheet” that makes a near duplicate appear a closer match than it truly is even after a long inspection. This is the reason friends might see a match or mistake someone else for you, while family and friends who see you consistently are more opt to only notice some matching features.

The Sinister Doppelganger Science Created

Time travel could also create your duplicate, and again like the mythical spectral twin, this wouldn’t end well for either of you. According to some theories, if you travelled back in time and met up with yourself in the past, any interaction between you and your past self would end in destruction. So much for the planning of going back in time and giving yourself investment advice.

Celebrities and their Doppelgangers

1. Nicolas Cage’s Historic Doppelganger

An old photo from the American Civil War opened the door for a slew of doppelganger-spotting among celebrities. The photo of a the gent taken in the late 1800’s was uncannily like Cage. The actor looked into his family history to check for a family relation to the man. Even the eyebrows and the squint were so similar to the actor. Talk show hosts joked that Nicolas must be a vampire, and the photo was somehow his own. Other celebrities amazing lookalikes are a mixed bag of “close” to a startling resemblance.

2. Jennifer Lawrence

A good example is Jennifer Lawrence and the 1940’s Egyptian film star Zubaida Tharwat.

3. Alec Baldwin

The same is true of American actor Alec Baldwin and the 13th President Millard Fillmore.

4. Sylvester Stallone

Not all doppelganger catches are of photos, some see a strong resemblance between actor Sylvester Stallone and paintings of Pope Gregory VIII.

5. Leonardo Dicaprio’s Real Life Doppelganger is a Hit

If you are going to be someone else’s doppelganger, the best is to be the duplicate of a good looking celebrity. Konrad Annerud was a bartender and musician until he started to post pictures of himself online. In a short time, thousands of people were flocking to his page noting him as an almost exact match to Leonardo Dicaprio’s appearance as the star looked while filming Titanic. This younger version of Dicaprio became an instant hit with interviewers. Annerud doesn’t find the attention entirely to his liking as he’d prefer to be interviewed about this music.

6. Meghan Trainor Meets Aussie Look-alike

On tour in Australia, singer Meghan Trainor got to meet her duplicate, Gabi Elgood from StarFM. Elgood is so near in resemblance to the singer behind the hit, “All About That Bass”, that crowds form around her at events, and she’s been mobbed by mistake. The pair celebrated the meetup by taking a selfie together.

Next Page: Other Amazing Tales of Doppelgangers