Doppelganger: what is it?

I've read a lot of different definitions on what a doppleganger is. Some say it is an evil twin and others say it is just the ghost of a living person.Doppelganger: what is it?
Doppelganger is the German term for body double.



Maria0230, you would be correct if it was possible to directly translate the term from German to English but then the meaning would not be correct.

I have lived in Germany for the past 25 years and am fluent in German.



In Ramsen we have a doppelganger of Hulk Hogan. He needs no make up or anything else. He is officially authorized to appear in parades or at other functions such as at sport studios.

The person simply appears to be a twin of another person.

Generally it is natural although it is not uncommon for politicians and movie stars to have someone hired to stand in for them when they are to make a show at social functions, when necessary cosmetics are used. We have all seen a stand in on the movie screen. This is also a doppelganger.



To claim it is an evil twin, would that make the other person evil also? They would be considered a doppelganger to the one they consider the doppelganger. Some people believe that for every person there is at least one other that looks just like them somewhere in the world.



Some people attempt to use foreign terms, even incorrectly to make themselves and their stories sound more interesting or important. To say ones 'evil twin' sounds too much like Hollywood and a ghost is considered the spirit of a deceased person, if they were living it would be their spirit in astral projection or a Out of Body Experience.



Which term sounds more authoritative and/or believable to you?
When I was younger, we used to play dungeons and dragons (ok I'm a nerd, what of it?) A doppelganger was a NPC (non-player character) who would kill a party member and take the form of that member, and rejoin the group without detection. The dungeon master would have to inform the player secretly that they had been killed, and the player would have to play along as the doppleganger tried to lure party members away from the group and kill them.



I honestly don't think there is a real life paranormal equivalent. However, there is a psychological disorder in which someone sees themself in 3rd person, kind of like in the movie "Fight Club"



another source of such a legend might be that there is a limited amount of genetic variance in human faces. This means from time to time, you are going to run into people who have remarkable likenesses to other people you know.Doppelganger: what is it?
The more traditional definition is that it is the spirit, or "fetch", of a living person. It is sometimes seen as a death omen. I don't know where the "evil twin" idea originated, but I do know that is the popular definition of a doppelganger in modern stories. It is also known as a "wraith".Doppelganger: what is it?
"Doppelganger" is German for "double walker" - a shadow self that is thought to accompany every person. Traditionally, it is said that only the owner of the doppelganger can see this phantom self, and that it can be a harbinger of death. Occasionally, however, a doppelganger can be seen by a person's friends or family, resulting in quite a bit of confusion.
I've seen mine, I don't know if that helps, I was in a room and I looked up, and there I was-in Ghostly form, it scared the snot out of me at the time, and Later I looked into it and was told that my doppelganger? I dont know, I havent died, a lot of myths say if you see it, you will die?

its YOU or your double, if that makes sense
Those are all really good definitions. A Doppelganger is just a replica of you, but evil. There's a really good book by David Stahler Jr. titled "Doppelganger" that puts a spin on it. Hope I helped! =]

http://www.harpercollins.com/books/97800鈥?/a>



Answer mine?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;鈥?/a>
Typically, the word "doppelganger" is of european descent, and means an evil twin that is just that--evil, and an exact replica of the person. The doppleganger usually tries to kill them or cause them harm.
From what I have gathered it is a double of someone, usually used to infiltrate and take over the life of the original for some reason.
from what ive heard, a doppelganger is like an evil replica of the person.

sorta like you said; an evil twin