Word of the day: pareidolia

Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon in which the mind responds to a stimulus, such as an image or a sound, by perceiving a familiar pattern where none actually exists.

Common examples are perceived images of animals, faces, or objects in cloud formations or pieces of food or features in nature, the man in the moon, hidden messages within recorded music played in reverse or at higher- or lower-than-normal speeds, and hearing indistinct voices in random noise such as that produced by air conditioners or fans.

Humans are pattern-forming creatures and tend to see patterns everywhere even where none exist or is intended. A classic example is the linking of random stars into constellations even though those stars are nowhere near each other. Today many conspiracy theories see connections where none exist.


 




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