Mirror Stage
The Mirror Stage is a psychoanalytic concept that describes the developmental stage where infants view their reflection in a mirror as a part of themself rather than a real experience in a fragmented body.
The misrecognition of self that occurs in the mirror stage can create a false illusion of wholeness or an idealized image of “I.” While most children grow out of this stage, twins are faced with the rare experience of viewing their own reflection in another person for their entire lives.
Photography by MAISY LEWIS
Madeleine
I never want to live alone. I wasn't even alone in the womb. I don’t know what being alone means; it just feels natural to have that coexistence. I came into this world with Diarra, so being without her is hard. Our version of being alone is being together.
Our relationship is the realest. She’s someone that sees all parts of me, and I mean I really have no choice.
Diarra
She’s my closest person. She keeps me calm, under control, and on the right track. When I think about it, I really wouldn't want to be anywhere else than with Maddie. What I mean to myself is what she means to me.
We have to be in this together.
George
We’re both training to be helicopter pilots, so we travel a lot with work. It’s weird because I’ll get back from a ride and think Freddy’s gonna be there, but sometimes he’s not. I’ll go for like a week without seeing him and it’s hard. It’s always nice to reunite when it’s been awhile.
Alfred
When we were kids, I went to the beach with my friend and was warned about the strong riptide. But I jumped in anyway. I was sucked into the riptide and was stuck treading water really far off the shore. I was terrified, but instead of thinking about myself, I could only think about George. I was like, “He’s not going to have a twin anymore.” I wasn’t even thinking about myself dying.
Laila
Twins are always referred to as a built-in best friend, which is true, but they can also be your built-in enemy. Regardless, there is always an underlying sense of care. Even though she’s so annoying sometimes, we love each other so much.
I tell her everything, and when I don’t want to tell her about something, it’s because I know I’m doing something wrong. Even though we can both be super delusional, she’s my moral compass.
Anika
We went to different high schools, so a lot of our experience was competing against each other in the finals of squash tournaments. But when we weren’t playing each other, we were coaching each other. We’re each others’ biggest supporters. I was still rooting for her while I was trying to beat her. I was like, “I wanna beat her, but I also don’t want her to lose.” No matter how often we were competitors, at the end of the day, we were always there for each other.
Audrey
Our relationship is like a soundboard. Whenever I’m in a situation where I want an opinion, I call Elizabeth. Whenever I panic, I call Elizabeth. I feel like I can grow on my own but I always have a safe person to bounce my ideas off of. She can be brutal and honest, but ultimately she’s brilliant, funny, and balanced.
She means everything to me. She is part of my identity. I can’t imagine myself without her.
Elizabeth
Our relationship is a form of safety and comfort. When we were little, there were a ton of changes in our life. I’m so grateful I didn’t have to face those changes alone; there was always Audrey. There was no trying to persuade her or convince her that my experiences or feelings were valid. The mutual understanding made me feel less crazy. Experiencing life side-by-side with someone forms a confidence in yourself that is hard to describe.
Oliver
Owen
We have never felt that twinness has anything to do with sameness. We always resonated more with the idea that we were each a half. We feel very lucky to be a half. People spend their whole lives looking for someone who completes them and we were just born having that.
Sometimes I worry that people assume we are not close. Most people assume we aren’t twins in the first place, but there is a certain magic in having twinness be our secret. We can choose how to reveal, present, and define it. People react to how different we look, act shocked, say they never would’ve known. There is something special about having a relationship that feels so improbable to people.
And that Oliver should be my twin is improbable, and what a lucky thing that is. He is the person I think about the most in the world.
Jane
I often get asked if I compare myself to Maisy, and it’s natural that I do. Anytime I don’t feel beautiful I just look at her. When I don’t feel like myself, I ask her how she feels. When I can’t feel my feet on the ground I just grab her hand. I’ve spent so much time trying to find myself that I feel like I may have lost too much of her. After dissecting our differences for so long, I forgot the beauty in our similarity. We are the result of a wonderful mutation. Sometimes I miss being mixed up and called by her name.
Maisy
When we were kids, I didn’t know how to spell my own name, but I knew how to spell Jane’s since it was only four letters. I would proudly introduce Jane, but would get shy when it was time to introduce myself. Eventually, I learned how to spell my own name, and I continued to build confidence through Jane and her own self assurance. She loudly calls people out on their bullshit, proudly sings bad karaoke in crowded bars, wears heels grocery shopping and cargo shorts on a night out. Even though I’m the older twin, I take after Jane in every way that I can.