Spatial Contraries and Mirrors.

In this chapter we show how the perception of mirror reflections explicitly or implicitly implies direct recognition of a relationship of opposition between objects/bodies and their reflections. We then go on to discuss how this also applies to the explanations and predictions that people make with regard to reflections. In naive experience, spatial properties are organized along oppositional dimensions (e.g. near-far, large-small, vertical-horizontal, uphill-downhill, above-below, in front of-behind and left–right, etc.). Polarized space forms the framework within which people interact and human gestures are performed. Therefore, it is no surprise that this framework is also integral to the relationship perceived between an object/body and its reflection. Reflections appear to be identical to the corresponding “real” object in many respects, but they also appear to be spatially opposite. This element of opposition is so evident that most of the errors that people make when they are asked to predict the behavior of a reflection are based on it.