Spoilers abound! If you don't want to be spoiled, please head back.

Of all the paranormal beings and monsters of the world, the doppelganger is the most popular. Not in familiarity,(you don't see doppelganger movies like you do bigfoot or frakenstein movies) but in quantity. It is claimed that everybody has a doppelganger, that quietly follows them around, giving advice and strength. Some believers in this creature even go so far as to claim it as the 'conscience' or 'little voice' that steers them morally.

Meaning 'double-walker,' doppelgangers are merely shadow creatures of oneself that follow quietly behind their creator. Unlike the shadow of one's body created by the sun, doppelgangers are invisible to the human eye, and cannot be seen in a mirror reflection. Quiet and shy, it is rare when one decides to show itself. Most of the time the doppelganger will only show itself to its creator. It is believed to be bad luck if one should see their doppelganger.

While most doppelgangers prefer to live quietly and anonymously, there are some that like to play, and will appear to their creator's family and friends, causing much confusion. It is this type of doppelganger that is often confused with poltergeists, which are playful ghosts who like to cause mischief and mayhem. Unlike doppelgangers, poltergeists are not shadows of any one person, and will appear more frequently. People can sense them a bit easier.

Other interesting tidbits:

*Some believe a doppelganger is the physical form of deja vu.
*In other forms, a doppelganger may make no contact with living people, as if it is on another plane of existence. Living people will only be able to see the doppelganger, not interact on it.
*Sometimes a doppelganger is the direct opposite personality of the real person. A very nice perosn will have an evil doppelganger, and vice-versa.
*According to an issue of FATE magazine, the most common occurence when a person might see their doppelganger is during an OBE, or out-of-body experience.

Sources for more information:

Although I pretty much covered most of the issues regarding this type of shadow monster, you might still want to look it up on your own. Here are some of the resources I used in the essay:

Monsters -- Doppelganger
Paranormal --The Doppelganger
Fate Magazine

Got any other tidbits on this fascinating creature? Please, give me an email. I'd love to hear from you!