Pareidolia

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Mike

Frank Zappa? Albert Einstein? Che Guevara? A face, formed by the elements and found on a wall. I confess, I see faces everywhere. I see dumb people too, but that’s another story.

Pareidolia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pareidolia (/pærɨˈdoʊliə/ parr-i-DOH-lee-ə) is a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant, a form of apophenia. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon or the Moon rabbit, and hearing hidden messages on records when played in reverse.

The word comes from the Greek words para (παρά, “beside, alongside, instead”) in this context meaning something faulty, wrong, instead of; and the noun eidōlon (εἴδωλον “image, form, shape”) the diminutive of eidos. Pareidolia is a type of apophenia, seeing patterns in random data.

60 thoughts on “Pareidolia”

Marilyn Armstrong on February 23, 2014 at 9:58 am said:

It looks like Gene Shalit, the movie reviewer 🙂

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 10:02 am said:
  
  Oh sure it does, and I know who he is. At least you see it.
  
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Johann Briffa on February 23, 2014 at 10:09 am said:

Phantom of the opera?

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 10:10 am said:
  
  Very well could be. Phantom of the wall, at the very least.
  
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Joe on February 23, 2014 at 10:25 am said:

You get those flashbacks too huh Mike, LOL ?

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 10:30 am said:
  
  Only when I blog.
  
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  - Joe on February 23, 2014 at 10:32 am said:
    
    LOL
    
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Gill McGrath on February 23, 2014 at 10:52 am said:

I reckon its OK to see Einstein as long as you don’t listen to him!

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 10:54 am said:
  
  We share a birthday, he and I. If he talks, I listen.
  
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  - Gill McGrath on February 23, 2014 at 10:57 am said:
    
    Of course, of course!
    
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Mike Howe on February 23, 2014 at 11:06 am said:

Dennis the Menace?

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 11:39 am said:
  
  Stoned.
  
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Mike Pratt on February 23, 2014 at 11:44 am said:

I’ve looked at this image a couple of times now and I continue to see a strangely shaped hand print!

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 11:49 am said:
  
  And no face?
  
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  - Mike Pratt on February 23, 2014 at 12:17 pm said:
    
    Definitely! Looks like the mask from Phantom of the Opera! 🙂
    
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  - Mike on February 23, 2014 at 12:23 pm said:
    
    That is 2 for the phantom! Me, I’m going with Che.
    
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t smith knowles on February 23, 2014 at 12:18 pm said:

knew there was something different about you…sharing a birthday with Einstein…you don’t look that old………..chuckle…

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 12:25 pm said:
  
  What, you smartin me? I’m not THAT old, but pretty damn old in my own right. I’m also good with numbers. Go figure.
  
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  - t smith knowles on February 23, 2014 at 12:28 pm said:
    
    not at all……….you look great for your advanced age…just kidding……..and besides…with Einstein on your side…who could be against you…………
    (funny the ‘go figure’)
    
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  - Mike on February 23, 2014 at 12:31 pm said:
    
    Einstein is one of my heroes. You might be another, but then I have NO idea who you are. But I do like your work.
    
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  - t smith knowles on February 23, 2014 at 12:37 pm said:
    
    funny…..Einstein is staring right at me at this very
    moment. I keep his image near by to remember that knowledge is learned from the mind out…what you can image…exists…even if we can not prove it at the moment.
    
    Now you know something about me…
    
    and thanks for ‘liking’ my work…I ‘like’ yours too………
    
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  - Mike on February 23, 2014 at 1:57 pm said:
    
    You are a wise one, grasshopper.
    
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  - t smith knowles on February 23, 2014 at 5:47 pm said:
    
    really…who is the one that presented a blotch on a rock and called it something else…who was the one that stimulated a discussion about pareidolia…
    I ask you that………………….
    
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  - Mike on February 23, 2014 at 5:53 pm said:
    
    Yes, well, OK. If you are suggesting that I too am a wise one, it would serve only to make my point, that you are a wise one, grasshopper.
    
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  - t smith knowles on February 23, 2014 at 5:55 pm said:
    
    now who is the grasshopper………….ha.
    
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awax1217 on February 23, 2014 at 12:21 pm said:

I see dead people.

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 12:26 pm said:
  
  Loved that movie. What up, Ba.
  
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Jawahar on February 23, 2014 at 1:34 pm said:

My first instinct was to go with Einstein 🙂

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 1:42 pm said:
  
  A good instinct, and a wise choice.
  
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  - Jawahar on February 23, 2014 at 1:45 pm said:
    
    🙂 if only he had his tongue sticking out too…
    
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  - Mike on February 23, 2014 at 1:56 pm said:
    
    He was an interesting man.
    
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Robin on February 23, 2014 at 2:14 pm said:

Another Einstein vote here. 🙂

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 3:08 pm said:
  
  Roger that, Robin.
  
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oopsjohn on February 23, 2014 at 3:21 pm said:

I’m thinking Nietzsche

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 3:43 pm said:
  
  That would certainly qualify you as a thinking person 😉
  
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  - oopsjohn on February 23, 2014 at 5:13 pm said:
    
    …Therefore, I am?
    
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cosnp on February 23, 2014 at 5:39 pm said:

Great images

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 5:42 pm said:
  
  Thanks
  
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cosnp on February 23, 2014 at 5:40 pm said:

Reblogged this on City of Sydney Narratives Project and commented:
Great collection of images

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Boomdeeadda on February 23, 2014 at 10:15 pm said:

“I see dumb people” LOL, sounds like a good working title for a script.

I’m going with Zappa 😀

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- Mike on February 23, 2014 at 10:19 pm said:
  
  Good call. It may well be Zappa.
  
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sueslaght on February 23, 2014 at 11:47 pm said:

Einstein absolutely. Freaky actually.

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- Mike on February 24, 2014 at 7:52 am said:
  
  Freaky was my thought as well. As in WTF freaky.
  
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David on February 24, 2014 at 12:38 pm said:

I just see a big stained spot. 🙂

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- Mike on February 24, 2014 at 1:12 pm said:
  
  And hence you are not afflicted.
  
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apronheadlilly on February 24, 2014 at 3:01 pm said:

Alien!

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- Mike on February 24, 2014 at 3:40 pm said:
  
  And why not. Makes as much sense as anything, The Lady Apronhead.
  
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  - apronheadlilly on February 24, 2014 at 4:36 pm said:
    
    It was a Sigorney Weaver moment.
    
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  - Mike on February 24, 2014 at 4:43 pm said:
    
    Those were some scary movies! Have you seen Prometheus?
    
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  - apronheadlilly on February 24, 2014 at 6:33 pm said:
    
    No, good? I mean scary? I mean gross? 🙂 Anything popping out of chests?
    
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  - Mike on February 24, 2014 at 6:44 pm said:
    
    It’s good and is another sequel in the Alien series. Not as nasty as previous versions, and more intelligent, perhaps.
    
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  - apronheadlilly on February 24, 2014 at 10:53 pm said:
    
    See the good thing about getting older is that you can have watched a movie and then totally forget –then watch it again and not know what’s coming. I checked IMBD and am pretty sure I’ve seen it, but I forget how it ends. 🙂
    
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  - Mike on February 24, 2014 at 10:54 pm said:
    
    Yes! It’s true! Everything is new again, over and over. I so hear that Lilly.
    
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  - apronheadlilly on February 25, 2014 at 8:19 am said:
    
    🙂
    
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LB on February 25, 2014 at 11:18 am said:

I’m so very behind on visiting other’s blogs! So glad I didn’t miss this one! I see Frank Zappa! And this wall art was definitely not an “Over-Nite Sensation”.

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- Mike on February 25, 2014 at 12:08 pm said:
  
  Nor a 1 night stand. Frank Zappa leaving his mark in a small town in Eastern Colorado. Obscure and quiet.
  
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ArtyAnge on February 25, 2014 at 2:52 pm said:

i say Albert!

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- Mike on February 25, 2014 at 2:55 pm said:
  
  I say you may be right. If anyone could have figured out how to come back and leave a trace, it is Albert.
  
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franciscojaviertostado on March 1, 2014 at 5:59 am said:

Hi Mike,
thanks for sharing the photos.They are magnificent!
regards

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- Mike on March 1, 2014 at 9:06 am said:
  
  That is a very generous comment and I thank you very much.
  
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Pareidolia

Pareidolia

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