Ghosts in Mirrors: Reflections of the Self

This article analyzes college students' legends of apparitions in mirrors in relation to the "Bloody Mary" ritual that is most common in preadolescence. Through a modified Jungian analysis of their legends, it is possible to identify patterns of self-discovery in later adolescence that are underdiscussed in the literature. By telling legends about gender transformations, ghostly lovers, suicide, and violent death, college students undergo a quasi-initiatory experience that facilitates their development of a more complex sense of self.