Without the mirror, he didn't know what he looked like. But once he got the mirror and saw himself, he immediately became aware of the entirety of his appearance.
Of course, what he saw in the mirror wasn't a literal image of himself. What he saw in the white orb was an image of all his life experiences. He saw everything he had ever experienced, including his past life.
As he watched, he saw himself growing up on earth. He saw himself going to school, graduating, getting a job, and getting married.
This sight brought back memories that he had pushed far away at the back of his mind. The memories didn't affect him, though. His emotions were calm as he recollected them.
He wasn't affected by the memories because he was a different person from the one he was back on earth. There was also the fact that he knew all of these and was learning nothing new.
But then he saw something new. He saw something streak through the void of the universe. This thing was a white orb.
