To many, the concept that camera’s can steal your soul is easy to ridicule. The belief seems absurd. Held only by the superstitious, unsophisticated, uneducated, and ignorant. However, today, in the modern age of artificial intelligence and social media, there may be some truth.
These fearful ideas have been around for centuries. While it may seem ridiculous to those of us raised inundated with photographs, it's quite easy to see how at one time this technology could rattled people. It was common for indigenous tribes across the globe (from the Americas and Africa, to the far corners of Australia) to fear these contraptions, and what they might do to their spiritual health.1 Many remote cultures still hold similar ideas, and continue exercise caution. One can only imagine how startling it would be to see an instantaneous, or near then, permanent reflection of yourself for the first time as an adult.
It would feel as if something was stolen from you. Your intrinsic imprint put to page. While a soul captured might be extreme, it's not a stretch to consider there might be a fraction of oneself contained. Arguable, that it's only a mere mark, or a glance. Regardless, something is there. Modern physicists believe we are nothing but the the vibration tiny particles and waves of light, wouldn’t some part of us left on the print?2 Caught, unchanging, contrary to not only our whole existence, but the existence of everything.3
Today we interact with recordings of the dead without a second thought. Be it in video, or print. We hear their songs on records, and the radio. They're in the airwaves, on our phones, and televisions, their essence, their words, their being, their image, forever trapped in the time they were captured. Unless, of course, we use other technology to manipulate them. It's not a stretch to see how the fears of our (often scoffed) cautious, and suspicious, ancestors could be answered. Deepfakes, Artificial Intelligence- the dead can now be possessed. Mother Teresa can rap, Gandhi can speak the vile words of Hitler. A simple photograph of your grandfather can have him animated with incalculable accuracy, old love letters to your grandmother could train the bot that drives it, and you could have a "conversation" with an AI's interpretations of a man lost to time. Or cruelly, be fooled, or scammed by an impersonator.
Like most abstract things, especially in conversations surrounding "souls" the "truth" of the matter can only be boiled down to each individual's perspective- what you choose to believe. There is no certain proof. Not when we speak of otherworldly planes of existence, or theoretical concepts of time. Are our ancestors, favoured public figures, and favourite celebrities caught in some bardo, or purgatory like realm because of a simple clip on a dvd, home video camera, or photo in a locket? That may be inane. Though it's hard to ignore the stark difference between a portrait and a photograph. Cameras capture with precise accuracy, grasping the intangible, a twinkle in an eye, mannerisms, movement, the weight of sorrow, a hearty laugh, imprinted, forever. There’s something different caught within the reflected light. What's most frightening is the addition of modern tech, which can utilize those once "unrecreatable" notes, and blend them with fictions bridging over an ever-nearing uncanny valley. What is “the self,” and have we found ways to bring it back?
While entertaining these concepts and scenarios may come across as hyperbolic verging on ridiculous, there is no doubt that many have lost themselves to a culture of selfies. Desperate egos presenting themselves, and their lives, as something they’re not. Begging for recognition, praise, and acceptance. Tearing apart their self esteem in the pursuit of building it. It's no secret that social media has been a major factor in our current mental health epidemic.4 Narcissistic voices are platformed and amplified with obscene volume. Countless have fallen to the follies of the mythic Greek namesake. Obsessed with their own reflection to the point of death. Unlike the troublesome tale, people don't starve because they can't pull themselves away from admiring their own features, the modern malady has evolved. Instead an affliction of eating disorders plague poor dysmorphic souls that can't see the beauty within. Our societies lay rampant with depression, and an unprecedented amount of lives are lost to their own hand. Others die under the tragic knife of cosmetic surgeons while pursuing elected aesthetic surgeries.5 It'll be decades before we discover the damage done by the chemicals in "care creams," make up, botox, dyes, diet pills, hair pills, all for vanity, all "for the gram."6 We've taught countless generations, including ones assumed too mature to fall for such fantasies, to fight aging rather than embrace it. That our wrinkles and creases aren't beautiful. That there's shame not only in looking less than picture perfect now, but in the years to come as well.
We've lost ourselves. Spending more money on beauty projects, photographers than charitable donations, healthy whole foods, or gym memberships. The terrifying part is how understandable it is. The longing, the drive to be seen, and loved. Beauty captured, and kept in the eyes of our beholders. To be "liked," to be wanted. We care so much to be recognized as beautiful that we make the mistake of equating our external value with our eternal one. Wasting our disintegrating days worrying about maintaining unobtainable standards, clinging to them like handfuls of water or wind rather than playing through them.
What makes it harder is there is an undeniable artistry to photos. Some are inspiring, breathtaking, some connect us with loved ones of the past. But is it healthy? Does it not amplify fear of aging, fear of death? Do photos of those that have passed over keep us close, or keep us from accepting the loss? Of course, like everything, there is a balance.
Lighting is a major principle in good photography. A great image shows us not only the light, but the depth of shadows. Lets us see the world through a different lens, a different perspective. A fickle tool to be wielded with reverence. Moments are celebrated. Moments are stolen. Many travel around the world visiting gorgeous destinations, took take a single photo of themselves at some famous sight for nothing more than a second. Posing by the Eiffel Tower, holding the Leaning Tower of Pisa, then turning around and leaving. Posing is the operative word. An act. A falsity. Sure, they were there, but the story shared is rank with illusion. A token, not a commemoration. A stamp for the perception of others rather than a memory for themselves. "Sharing" is quick to become a parade of snapshots that charade a pretend life to others.
There's a gorgeous viewpoint in Tallinn, Estonia, high above the city, looking over the vast, rolling Baltic. Scrawled in neon paint below the railing there lives a weathered, long standing piece of graffiti. "Put Your Camera Down, and Look." So simple. So powerful. A beautiful warning to all that pass. Our lenses colour how we experience our lives, our phones distort the world. Put your camera down. Look forward, merge with the fleeting moments of your life, and save your soul.
Thanks for reading!
-Mr. Write
Forgive me from the technicality of a photo's inevitable decay as matter. No photograph, nor hard drive will outlast eternity. But i am not speaking of discolouration, warping, or disintegration.
Here’s a bit of fun regarding the Wave Particle Duality of Light
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave%E2%80%93particle_duality
Welcome to the complex world of Quantum Mechanics.
Idris Z, Zakaria Z, Yee AS, Fitzrol DN, Ghani ARI, Abdullah JM, Wan Hassan WMN, Hassan MH, Manaf AA, Chong Heng RO. Quantum and Electromagnetic Fields in Our Universe and Brain: A New Perspective to Comprehend Brain Function. Brain Sci. 2021 Apr 28;11(5):558. doi: 10.3390/brainsci11050558. PMID: 33925002; PMCID: PMC8146693.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8146693
This paper claims that: “The risk of depression increased by 13% for each hour increase in social media use in adolescents.”
Liu M, Kamper-DeMarco KE, Zhang J, Xiao J, Dong D, Xue P. Time Spent on Social Media and Risk of Depression in Adolescents: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 24;19(9):5164. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095164. PMID: 35564559; PMCID: PMC9103874.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9103874/#sec5-ijerph-19-05164
A great study regarding teens with heavy use of social media, the increase in photo filters, rise of selfies.
Khajuria A, Gandotra A, Khajuria A, Arora K, Gupta RK, Gupta U, Babber S. Role of Social Media in the Rising Body Dissatisfaction and Dysmorphia Among Adolescents. Cureus. 2025 Jan 31;17(1):e78314. doi: 10.7759/cureus.78314. PMID: 40034880; PMCID: PMC11873132.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40034880/
Abdelaziz MN, Moustafa ARA, Azzam H, Bshar AM, Ismail IS, Elhadidy OY. Association between beauty standards shaped by social media and body dysmorphia among Egyptian medical students. Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 15;15(1):12976. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-95617-3. PMID: 40234498; PMCID: PMC12000291.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40234498/
Ok, that’s a hyperbole, most surgeries are successful, and i’m sure a good number of people are thrilled with the results. The figures are low, but still relevant.
Deaths of U.S. Citizens Undergoing Cosmetic Surgery — Dominican Republic, 2009–2022 Matthew Hudson, MD1,2; Jose A. Matos, MD3; Bianca Alvarez, MD4; Jacqueline Safstrom, MPH1; Francisco Torres, MD3; Sharmeen Premjee, MPA4; Luis Bonilla, MD, PhD4; Benjamin Park, MD1; Elizabeth Bancroft, MD1,*; Macarena Garcia, DrPH4
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/pdfs/mm7303a3-H.pdf
Would your patient risk their life for the ‘perfect’ body?By Naveed Saleh, MD, MS | Fact-checked by Barbara Bekiesz| Published October 2, 2023 https://www.mdlinx.com/article/would-your-patient-risk-their-life-for-the-perfect-body/tYM3WrFwVwnugj1TJKMlS#LFC_Sources
Mironica A, Popescu CA, George D, Tegzeșiu AM, Gherman CD. Social Media Influence on Body Image and Cosmetic Surgery Considerations: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2024 Jul 29;16(7):e65626. doi: 10.7759/cureus.65626. PMID: 39205749; PMCID: PMC11350482.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39205749/
A increase in google searches before and after Instagrams rise…
Thawanyarat K, Hinson C, Gomez DA, Rowley M, Navarro Y, Johnson C, Venditto CM. #PRS: A Study of Plastic Surgery Trends With the Rise of Instagram. Aesthet Surg J Open Forum. 2023 Jan 11;5:ojad004. doi: 10.1093/asjof/ojad004. PMID: 36789103; PMCID: PMC9915973.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9915973/#ojad004-s3
An article showing the increase in procedure popularity despite current economic state
https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/press-releases/plastic-surgery-sees-steady-growth-amidst-economic-uncertainty-american-society-of-plastic-surgeons-2023-procedural-statistics-report-finds