Carbon Copy or Astral Projection? (About.com) by SpookyLady InSanDiego

Has anyone ever told you that you have an exact twin? Did they claim to see the person somewhere you’ve never been? Have you ever seen anyone who looked like you so much that it scared you?

As described by About.com Paranormal Guide Stephen Weber:

A doppelganger is a mysterious, exact double of a living person. It’s a German word that literally translates to “double walker” or “double goer.” A doppelganger isn’t someone who just resembles you, but is an exact double, right down to the way you walk, act, talk, and dress. A friend or even a close relative who encounters your doppelganger will swear it was you, even though you can prove you were not in the location the double was sighted.

Stephen goes on to say:

Another explanation for the phenomenon – and no less mysterious – is bilocation: a psychic projection of yourself – in every detail – that can appear in another place. This phantom self can even interact with other people.

If you’ve ever seen the earlier seasons of the TV show Charmed, Prue Halliwell, one of the witches called the Charmed Ones was able to use astral projection as one of her magical powers. Prue’s astral self could speak to an even interact physically with others.

While Prue had control of this ability, is it possible that people can project themselves without even knowing it? I wonder if there’s a chance this could be what is sometimes called a crisis apparition, or the image of a person appearing to another in the event of an impending accident or death. You can read about my Grandmother’s crisis apparition story here.

You can read more about doppelgangers on Stephen Weber’s page here and his collected stories of doppelgangers here.