"Nightmare in Pixels: The Haunted Reflection Dilemma"

2/1/2025

01/30/25 Dream: I had a dream that when I was in the bathroom, I noticed a duplicate reflection alongside my normal one, so I went to pull out my phone to take a picture of it. I somehow had caught the laggy reflection more than a few times, and it looked just like me in the mirror, but with a low-poly look, vampiric skin & fangs, and far more fecund looking melons. I immediately freaked out and went to share it online. I posted it in many discord chats, practically spamming every chat i could—no matter how obscure– with my cursed double reflection. A lot of people were shocked and tried a similar thing themselves, but most of them got a completely different looking shadow or even an animus in their reflection. Somehow, I was the only one to have a mostly normal reflection that was only a bit distorted from my real self. I wasn’t sure what to think, so I googled a YouTube video on the double reflection phenomena. It was here that I found a video from MatPat, in which he was collabing with this famous Japanese photographeress named “シロカワ、リエコ” or perhaps some other similar sounding name, because I couldn’t actually read most of the text in the video, let alone the Japanese, I could only hear the video as most of the text appeared garbled and impossible to recall. The only real substantial info I remember hearing about her was a random message dubbed over Matpat which began speaking to me in the voice of a Tokyo Newscaster. The voice said out loud, seemingly in a low quality mic ripped straight from a 90’s cassette about her exploits, “シロカワちゃんがゆうめいなしゃしんかですが、彼女の写真に人間的がこわいの。　あなたは四十年で鬼と妖怪をとりましたわ。　それが「broken face」です…〇〇〇〇” it said before cutting out abruptly with a bizarre static transition as the voice of the anchormaid seemingly began to grow scared and as I heard papers vaguely shuffling in the background noise as well. Then, as if nothing creepy happened at all, Matpat came back on the screen. He then said something like “in order to solve this mystery like a computer programmer, we gotta think like a computer programmer,” to which Shirokawa-Chan responded by placing a whole bunch of ancient cereal boxes on the table. There were a whole lot of trading cards that you could cut out of the backs of them that represented computer scientists and programmers, and one of them directly mentioned the infamous mirror glitch, so matpat was trying to find it to shed some light on the bizarre issue. He then started compulsively cutting out and showcasing the old cereal box illustrations, of which mostly depicted the somewhat stereotypical mad scientist or computer geek with a comic book flair. I remember there were a few somewhat more attractive and tradfemme computer technicians in the mix as well, as well as some more tradmasc mechanics working on giant computers/machina/etc, but these cards were rare compared to the typical scrawny nerd types, yet they still made the set more visually interesting and varied nonetheless. Anyway, he went on until he found a card named “Animal Williams” which depicted a well-endowed bunny girl wearing an IBM bodysuit and a pair of white heels, as she held a keyboard while taking a mirror selfie. Something was off though, as another mirror in the background showed her reflection as a monstrous white foxgirl instead, with bloody teeth, glowing red pupils, and an anoreixic build. Freaking out, I then tabbed out of the matpat video to check discord. I had gotten another response from a guy, in which he sent me a YouTube short. The short began to explain that “cameras tend to take two images rather than one, and to extract the other image, you need an item known in the programming community as a ‘bacon cable’, which you then need an adapter to connect to your phone and PC. Bacon cables are preferred by paranormal investigstors because they show unedited images by default which are unaffected by digital cloaking. However, a rare glitch can cause the world of the alternate photograph to laminate itself over the prime photograph, negating the need for a bacon cable unless the specific alternate image needs to be isolated.” I remember the cable kinda looked like one of those circuitry ribbon cables, but with exposed uninsulated copper wires and two comically large ports on each end meant for plugging into those massive Cold War Era terminals. This still had me Confused and pondering what he meant and why the bacon cable would have these properties, so I then pulled up Amazon and typed “Bacon Cable” on the search bar. I pressed the enter key to begin the search, but as I did so, my computer screen started flashing red and white and dark green at a nauseatingly fast speed, almost like an HDR version of that infamous Electric Porygon Soldier animation. I then jolted awake into the real world. FIN I awoke in a bit of a scared mood today, although the fear faded fast, and I was just left feeling dazed and confused as I started to get ready for the day. I also had quite severe allergies as I awoke, sneezing up a storm once more.

Dreams can often serve as a window into our subconscious, reflecting our thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The elements within your dream seem to illustrate a complex interplay between self-perception, identity, societal influences, and perhaps even anxiety around technological and social media interactions.

Key Themes in Your Dream:

Duplicity and Reflection:
- The appearance of a duplicate, laggy reflection with vampiric attributes symbolizes a fear of not fully recognizing who you are. This could represent aspects of your personality or life that feel distorted or less than authentic. The low-poly look suggests a lack of depth or clarity in this identity—perhaps you feel that your online persona or public image is not as genuine as your private self.
Social Media and Sharing:
- Your compulsion to share the reflection online indicates a desire for validation or connection, yet it also highlights a fear of judgment or misunderstanding from others. The chaotic sharing reflects the overwhelming nature of social media, where everyone vies for attention and affirmation, leading to anxiety.
Exploration of Identity:
- The various responses of others in the dream indicate a concern about how you and those around you are perceived. The contrast between your reflection and others' reflects an anxiety about uniqueness—feeling like an outsider in a crowd where everyone else has different experiences.
Cultural References:
- The involvement of figures like MatPat and references to Japanese culture may suggest an admiration for knowledge and storytelling, yet there’s a sense of confusion about how to navigate different narratives and interpretations of reality. It could signify a yearning to make sense of your own story in a broader context.
Technological Anxiety:
- The concept of a “bacon cable” and glitch phenomena reveals a fear of losing control over personal narrative and perception due to technology. It reflects concerns about the impact of digital media on our realities—how easily information can be manipulated or obscured.
Visual Disturbances:
- The flashing lights and eventual scare signify waking up in a state of confusion, perhaps reflecting present anxieties or stressors that linger from your dreams into your waking life.

Emotional Impact:

Awakening scared, yet quickly transitioning to feeling dazed, may reflect the complexities of your emotional state in waking life. Allergies often induce discomfort and distraction, possibly mirroring feelings of unease or irritation that have not been directly addressed.

Conclusion:

Overall, your dream seems to explore themes of identity fragmentation, the impact of social media, and the search for authenticity in a technologically saturated world. It encourages reflection on how you view yourself versus how you perceive others see you, along with the desire for genuine connection amidst the chaos of digital communication. Consider exploring these themes in your waking life—whether through self-reflection, journaling, or discussions with trusted friends who can offer perspective.