Viewing The True You
What it’s like to look in the world’s first non-reversible mirror
Story by Melody Marichairar
Photo by Nicolai Grosell
In the early ‘80s, a young John Walter stumbled into his apartment bathroom. The smell of alcohol oozed out of his pores as his hands gripped the cold counter.
His drunken laugh started to disappear as he stared at the distorted reflection in the bathroom mirror. He didn’t recognize the person with bloodshot eyes looking back at him. This person was a stranger despite the 22 years he had inhabited his body.
Desperate to avoid another second of self-pity, he lunged for his medicine cabinet mirror and adjusted it into a triangular prism. The mirrored mirror showed Walter his face as it truly appeared. In that moment, his face came to life. The eyes — that had been manic just a few moments ago — now glowed with a sense of vitality. He felt OK in his given body, and his insecurities now seemed inconsequential. That drunken night changed the whole trajectory of Walter’s life; he had just created the first prototype of what would become the True Mirror.
John Walter, creator of the True Mirror, smiles proudly beside his innovative creation in Accord, N.Y. | Photo by Nicolai Grosell
Walter describes the True Mirror as having two levels. Level one: you’re able to get an accurate depiction of your true self-image. Level two: you’re able to embrace yourself for who you really are, silencing all of the negative thoughts about your appearance. With a single glance, you'll see your true emotions, your features as they naturally appear and the authenticity of your own gaze.
“Looking at a regular mirror is faulty information and not an accurate state of my being,” Walter said.
The True Mirror also helps foster a sense of self-confidence, leading to a refreshing and empowering perspective. Unlike typical mirrors that are dull and can make you feel disconnected, the true mirror does the complete opposite. It allows you to process your real-time emotions, making it a stepping stone to personal growth and even meditative practices. One of Walter’s favorite practices is crying in front of the mirror and being one with his emotions.
This eye-opening mirror works using first-surface reflection, a phenomenon where the reflective aluminum coating is on the front of the glass rather than behind it. This eliminates the secondary reflection caused by traditional mirrors, which have a reflective surface behind the glass. When the two mirrors meet at the perfect angle, their reflective surfaces align, creating a seamless and accurate image without distortion.
There is nothing quite like the True Mirror. Sure, while smartphones do produce inverted images, the photos are flat, lens-distorted and capture only a millisecond snapshot. Like a smartphone, the regular mirror also doesn’t fully provide an accurate depiction of how you present yourself.
“Most people are unaware that the regular mirror and phone are short-circuiting their natural feelings and emotions,” Walter said.
After having quite an extensive conversation with Walter, I knew that I needed to see the True Mirror for myself. After easily convincing my partner to join me, I ushered him into my car, and our adventure began. Our destination? Float Rubicon — a saltwater float studio in Kirkland, Washington. It’s one of the 22 locations worldwide that provides a space for the public to view their real selves through the True Mirror.
The soft hum of meditative music and relaxing interactive art welcomed me to Float Rubicon. Front and center hung the True Mirror, in all of its glory. It was smaller than I was anticipating, only framing my face down to my jabbing collarbones peeking out of my shirt.
Squinting in the True Mirror, I saw how the pink flesh of my gum showed more on my right side than my left. How my left brow fanned out, creating its very own cowlick, and the slight curvature of my hair parted in the middle.
I felt like an alien in my own body, but I couldn’t look away. Facial features that I’d never noticed before bulged out, shaping the mosaic of my face. For the first time, I did something the majority of the human race will never experience: I made true eye contact with myself.