Eli5: do we look different to ourselves in the mirror than to other people, or the same just flipped; how does the brain process faces in that regard?
In: 5
Your appearance in a mirror is left-right flipped from how other people and cameras see you. That’s why you may feel like you look different in a camera image because it differs from a mirror image. The effects of the camera lens can also affect your facial features.
Luckily, most people’s faces are mostly left-right symmetric so the brain doesn’t need to process any more to identify a face.
When you look in the mirror, the image you see is flipped horizontally. This means that if you raise your right hand, the image in the mirror will raise its left hand. This is because the mirror reflects the image of your face in a way that is opposite to how others see it. But, the brain is able to process this flipped image and recognize it as your own face. It does this by using stored memories of your own face and comparing them to the reflected image. It’s able to correct for the flip and recognize the image as you.
Also, the brain processes faces in a special way. The fusiform gyrus, a specific area in the brain, is responsible for recognizing faces. When we see a face, this area lights up and helps us to recognize and remember the person we’re looking at. It is also responsible for recognizing facial expressions, which is why it is so important for social interactions. So, the brain process the face in a special way and is able to recognize it even when it is flipped.
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