The Curious Case of Doppelgangers: Real-Life Encounters That Will Make You Believe in the Uncanny.

Have you ever encountered someone who looks eerily similar to you? Someone who could be your twin, but isn't? That’s the unsettling, intriguing world of doppelgangers—mysterious doubles who mirror us in appearance, and sometimes, in behavior.

As the release date of Doppelganger, by the talented Pamela Malz, approaches, we dive into some real-life doppelganger stories that may make you wonder if there is someone out there who’s your exact twin, living a parallel life.

What Are Doppelgangers?

A "doppelganger" is derived from German, meaning "double-goer." While many associate the term with ghostly or paranormal phenomena, it simply refers to someone who looks remarkably like another person—often someone who isn’t related to them. The idea has fascinated people for centuries and has been woven into folklore, literature, and even modern pop culture.

But what happens when you stumble across a real-life doppelganger?

Famous (and Frightening) Real-Life Doppelganger Incidents:

Emilie Saigee

This story was narrated to American Author Robert Owen in the 1860s by a student of the school. A 32-year-old French woman named Emilie Sagée was a teacher at Pensionat von Neuwelcke, an exclusive girls' school near Wolmar, what is now Latvia. One day in 1845, while Sagée was writing on the blackboard, her exact double appeared beside her. The doppelganger precisely copied the teacher's every move as she wrote, except it did not hold any chalk. Thirteen students in the classroom witnessed the event.

Over the next year, Sagee's doppelganger was seen several times. The most astonishing instance of this took place in full view of the entire student body of 42 students on a summer day in 1846. As they sat at the long tables working, they could see Sagée in the school's garden gathering flowers. When the teacher left the room to talk to the headmistress, Sagée's doppelganger appeared in her chair, while the real Sagée could still be seen out.

Strangely, Emilie Sagee never saw her doppelganger. Everyone else did, though.

Guy de Maupassant

The French novelist Guy de Maupassant was inspired to write a short story, "Lui?" ("He?") after a disturbing doppelganger experience in 1889. While writing, de Maupassant claimed that his body double entered his study, sat beside him, and began dictating the story he was in the process of writing. In "Lui?", the narrative is told by a young man who is convinced that he is going crazy after having glimpsed what appears to be his body double. 

For de Maupassant, who claimed to have had numerous encounters with his doppelganger, the story proved somewhat prophetic. At the end of his life, de Maupassant was committed to a mental institution following a suicide attempt in 1892. The following year, he died.

John Donne

A 16th-century English poet whose work often touched on the metaphysical, Donne claimed to have been visited by his wife's doppelganger while he was in Paris. She appeared to him holding a newborn baby. Donne's wife was pregnant at the time, but the apparition was a portent of great sadness. At the same moment that the doppelganger appeared, his wife had given birth to a stillborn child. This story first appeared in a biography of Donne that was published in 1675, more than 40 years after Donne had died.

Some powerful figures claimed to see their doppelgangers and died soon after:

Abraham Lincoln saw two faces in the mirror on the night of his first election. The second face was pale and sickly, which his wife, Mary, interpreted as a sign of death or sickness during his second term. Only a few months after his second election, Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.

Catherine the Great, Russia’s famous Empress, claimed to see her Doppelgänger sitting on her throne. Catherine ordered her guards to shoot at the apparition, though there were no reports on whether the bullets affected the being. Catherine the Great died soon after this sighting.

Queen Elizabeth I, also saw her own image. Queen Elizabeth walked into her bedroom one day to see what she claimed was herself, looking incredibly sick on her bed. Similar to Catherine the Great, Queen Elizabeth passed away soon after seeing this apparition.

These real-life doppelganger encounters highlight the persistent allure of the concept. Are they merely the result of chance, or is there something more to the idea of “doubles”? As human beings, we love mysteries, and doppelgangers tap into our deepest questions about identity, fate, and the unexplained.

As intriguing as these stories are, they only scratch the surface of the doppelganger phenomenon. Pamela Malz takes the reader even deeper into this world with the release of her upcoming book, Doppelganger.

If you're a fan of psychological thrillers with a twist of the supernatural, Doppelganger is a must-read. Pamela Malz has crafted a spellbinding narrative that mixes suspense, mystery, and intrigue—perfect for fans of authors like Gillian Flynn, Stephen King, and Shirley Jackson. Whether you're fascinated by real-life doppelganger stories or drawn to gripping fiction that explores the darkest corners of the human psyche, Doppelganger will leave you questioning the very nature of who you are.

Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, Doppelganger will have you questioning the limits of identity, exploring the strange and wonderful world of doubles, and wondering if there really could be someone out there who shares your every feature.

Doppelganger is set to release on 30th March 2025, and it's already generating buzz among lovers of mystery and the paranormal. Be sure to check it out and prepare to be amazed!

GET YOUR COPY NOW