Summary

I propose that infants permanently imprint the faces of people they look at often during early development.

Details:

1. 1. When a baby looks long enough at a face, that face becomes imprinted: an image of it is permanently stored in the brain.

   2. The ability to imprint faces exists only for a limited time, most likely during the first 6–8 months of life*.

   3. The amount of visual exposure needed for imprinting is not yet known.

   4. The most commonly imprinted faces are those of the mother and father. However, older siblings, caretakers, or anyone consistently present during the baby’s early months can also become imprinted.

   5. People who appear later in life such as younger siblings, friends, or spouses, cannot be imprinted.

Identifying Imprinted Faces


Identifying whose faces are imprinted is essential for the change process. Here’s how to do that:

1. Look at a picture of someone who might be imprinted while talking aloud about something personal. If that person’s face is imprinted, you will feel a distinctly stronger and different emotional reaction than with a non-imprinted face.

2. You can also identify imprinted faces by reflecting on your recurring complaints about people or life situations. As explained in the Complaints section, these complaints always refer to someone whose face is imprinted.

* I don’t know the exact time frame during which a face can imprint. While I suspect it occurs early in life, I can’t rule out the possibility that faces may imprint into the first or even second year of life.